13. Costa del Thailand
From Chanthaburi we headed back to he coast on a cycle lane! There’s been quite a lot of these recently, though very very few cycles and they’re usually used by the mopeds and motorbikes to pootle along in. A proper protected cycle lane Once we reached the coast though the cycle path was a segregated cycle only lane, with a separate footpath and a moped lane. It had signs every few meters saying bikes only no parking and as cars the world over do, it was totally ignored unless it was physically impossible to get on to it to park due to a big curb. I have no idea if this is true,...
Read More12. Road? What road?
We reluctantly left our Christmas oasis of luxury in Phnom Penh after a lovely seven nights rest. Our journey from here takes us back westward to the coast. Once we reach the coast we only have one road option and that’s the main road and it goes up and down a lot. You know what we think of ups and downs, but far worse than this is that the road is being ‘resurfaced’. What the Cambodians mean by this is its actually being laid. The old road is what an estate agent would describe as ‘Laid to pot holes’, though this is stretching the term pot...
Read More8. Angkors away
After a great week at Siem Reap, and having stocked up for the next few weeks with western essentials (cheddar!) at the local western supermarket that stocked virtually anything you could get in England, we moved on! We’ve been a bit apprehensive about the next leg of the journey. Originally we had planned to head to the capital Phnom Penh and then south to the coast, then we saw the hills and the main road we’d have to do with long moutainous rides and thought again! So we’re now heading north temple hopping with a bag full of comfort food supplies. Despite me...
Read More6. Papers Please!
The cycle too the border from Bangkok took a few days taking us though small villages and quiet roads and of course past many Temples.. It’s lovely cycling here when it’s not the middle of the day. Life starts about 4.30am. It’s the cool time of day and people take advantage of that to socialise with friends in groups walking, running and even cycling. Drive through breakfast… It’s also the best time to get up and get going for us so we slowly moved through the Thai countryside towards the border starting at dawn and watching the countryside change as the sun...
Read More4. Farewell Bangkok
And we’re off..leaving Bangkok We thoroughly enjoyed Bangkok, it’s a very western city and you can easily live a completely western life there from Marks and Spencers food and clothes to numerous really high class restaurants. English is widely spoken and virtually ubiquitous in shops and menus and it’s a very easy introduction to SE Asia. Getting out of it on a bicycle however is not like the west. The city is like a bicycle wheel with huge roads forming the spokes out from the city and very few places to cross these 4 and 6 lane spokes. You end up either...
Read More3. Bangkok
Unless we venture to Phuket, this is likely to be the most touristy place we visit and you’re really spoilt here with everything being in English at all the touristy spots. English is widely spoken and it feels a very easy and soft introduction to SE Asia. It’s also very nice. Though the city is built entirely around the car with huge roads bludgeoning their way across town, the drivers themselves are quite polite and given the fact that half the time the roads are just a huge car park they seem very patient. No one hoots. Never. Not even when some idiot pulls out at a traffic...
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