Ayutthaya by Kayak : 2

Large clumps of water hyacinth.

Ugh, last night I was thinking about when I needed to start, and misread my plan, it's not 28km today but 33km - 28 was the date.   There's no current at all, such hard work to keep moving, and I'm still not going fast enough.  There's really a lot of water hyacinth floating on the river, I worry the way will be blocked.  Well, I keep going, but this is so hard, it's breaking my brain, I forget my hat twice when I stop to rest and have to go back for it.  I paddle as the sun sets, into dusk and then darkness.  At least, I'm into Chai Nat now, a proper city so there's plenty of light, enough to avoid the water hyacinths, and also thumping music from an evening Zumba session - popular in Thailand - spurs me on.  I reach my hotel at 7:30, a nice riverside place, where the staff marvel at my insanity.  I then find a bar, on the river of course, although I'm too tired to drink much.

Now this is getting ridiculous.

The hotel staff watch me put up the kayak, and off I go, 35km today, oh dear, and there are other problems too.  Such as, five km into the day, water hyacinth does indeed completely block the river.  Well, I had to get out at this point anyway, more or less, there is a dam coming up soon, the only one of the trip at least.  But, now I have a km or so to walk, boat in the bag it is then.  Turns out the blockage is less than 100m, the plants are pushed up against a floating bamboo barrier, I guess this stops them reaching the dam.  Well, I reach it, then on the other side is some kind of secure area?  OK, it looks like I can reach the river on the other side, so I cross  the dam, and then walk through a temple / golf course, a path leads down, but... there's a tributary before the place I thought I could get to the water.  I can't even get to tributary, between me and the water there is head high grass, argh.  OK, back over the dam, I walk through the security checkpoint, it seems unmanned, a bit further and there are stairs down to the water, yay.  But, it's 3 hours since I set off, and only six km done, well, no choice but to keep slogging on.  The river is different now, much narrower, but sadly still has no current, though at least there is no water hyacinth!  A lot of the banks seem strangely high, embankments tower many meters above the river, separated from it by sandbanks, and indeed I pass beach play areas.  New embankments are under construction, maybe they are planning a new dam?  Ah, but this day is so long, I am broken.  I paddle into the dark again, and leave the water at 7:30.  It's a mile walk to my hotel, delightfully situated in a motorway service station, I buy beer on the way as I'm not confident anywhere will sell me alcohol there.  Well, it does have a shop at least, where I buy a 'tasty' microwaved burger...

That damn dam.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Ayutthaya by Kayak : 1

Setting out from Nakhon Sawan.

Another Thailand adventure!  I wanted a change from cycling, so it is time to break out the inflatable kayak.  The plan is to paddle from Nakhon Sawan to Ayutthaya, which was the dominant city state in the region until the Burmese razed it to the ground in 1767, by all accounts a very interesting place.  So, a long train ride from Chiang Mai, a familiar hotel, then the next morning I'm pumping up the boat alongside the Chao Phraya river, which is considered to have its source here, at the confluence of four tributaries.  From here it flows south to Bangkok, I am not going quite that far though...

I have a long day ahead, some 35km, and this is hard work.  The river is mostly very broad, but it sometimes narrows and there's quite a current, this is good.  Sadly the kayak is not healthy, it's slowly deflating, I have to stop to pump it up every two hours or so.  Well, I make it to my planned stop just before sunset, leave the kayak and check into the nearby homestay, but then I get confused when owner shows me a better way to the river, now I can't find the boat, oops.  I end up putting it in its bag in the dark...  As is often the way with kayaking, the homestay is near the river but not anything else, I have to walk a mile to find food...

I took quite a few photos like this.

The owner of the homestay comes to watch me inflate the kayak, he says he might buy one, and why not.  Apparently I am not the first guest with one here.  He also gives me some water, which is nice, though I still don't want the noodles he went to buy for me last night, in a bit of a misunderstanding - I was in fact capable of walking to a restaurant.  Anyway, a shorter day today, only 27km, but still hard work.  My suntan lotion is not working, my ankles are badly burnt, and I have blisters on my hands from the relentless paddling, but still I keep going.  It's pretty at least, there are hills to either side, and many birds, a small one hovers over the water and then dives to catch a fish, most cool.  There are many guys fishing with nets too.  My destination today is another resort in the middle of nowhere, and when I arrive they tell me to go away, won't listen to my Thai, and can't even read the name of the resort, in Thai, on my phone.  Well, I work it out... There's nothing here of course, so I walk five km to Uthaithani, it's worth it for beer and tasty fish curry.

Selfies in the kayak are not easily done.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Chiang Kham to Chiang Mai

Wall with peacocks.

I'm really not feeling much like getting back on the bike, but no help for it, I need to head south.  I guess I am on my route from 2018, but in reverse, it doesn't feel terribly familiar though.  More of the same dry looking fields and low hills, and even a small hill is hard work.  I find myself stopping for a rest at regular intervals, I fear I am a bit out of condition...  Well, it is hot too, and indeed there is a wind against me at times.  Well, I keep going, cross into Phayao province with little ceremony, although later on there is a symbolic wall, with peacocks, at a high point among the hills - peacocks are the provincial animal, it seems.  And of course I am heading for the provincial capital, also named Phayao.  No energy for walking around the lake this time, I lie down for a bit before heading out for dinner.

At Phayao.

As I did five years ago, I head to the lake and take a photo or two, no time for fish feeding though, I need to get on.  There are big hills between here and Chiang Mai, and while I am feeling a bit stronger, before long I am pushing the bike up.  There are at least fine views over the quaintly named 'dinosaur forest', but it's hard work.  Lots of province boundaries here, I briefly pass through Lampang, then back into Chiang Rai.  I am not even going as far as the day I rode down to Phayao last time, maybe 15km less, but the hills don't seem to end, in the event it is nearly 6pm when I roll into Mae Chedi - an actual town, rather than the previous 'resort in the middle of nowhere '.  Hmm, on the last trip I finished a longer day at 3pm?  Well, maybe this way was more uphill, or maybe I am getting old...

Seems to be holding up well.

The last day!  Probably a good thing as I could use a rest, but first there are of course more hills, indeed I start by pushing up a steep slope away from the resort.  Before long I pass the little place in the middle of nowhere I stayed last time, seems it is for sale.  Then a little past that, people are still boiling eggs in the hot springs, and the half built Angkor Wat themed... thing, is still there.  I guess it was also planned to be a resort, and kind of typical of Thailand that after five years it has neither been finished, nor demolished.  Onwards, more pushing, lovely mountain scenery, and I don't make much effort to go quickly.  Sure is nice to reach the highest point, these last few days have been hard work, but it is mostly downhill now.  Checking my blog entry from the previous trip, I am expecting to leave the mountains with some 30km to go, but no... 25km left, I am still going up and down, same at 20, then finally with about 15km left I hit flat ground, and an easy ride into the city.

Well, this was all good fun, even if maybe I am not quite as fit as I should be!  Much of the route was through lovely country, and it was interesting to see a few new places.  I should probably do this again some time, not least it seems I missed a few sights, noticeably that White Temple in Chiang Rai.  I imagine I'll come up with a different route next time I go for a ride though, however before that - a different form of transport.  What could it be?

By a hot spring.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Mae Suai to Chiang Kham

Many things were at the temple, and most of them were blue.

Day four of this little trip, looks like an easy one on paper, only 50km, this is good as I feel a bit tired.  Well, no help for it, and before long I am into the hills again, but it isn't too strenuous.  The road I'm on follows the River Lao, a substantial watercourse which actually flows north to join the Mekong rather than south through Thailand.  So, my route is flat enough, and indeed more downhill than not - very pretty too, the only downside being a lengthy section where they are widening the road.  And after a while I hit flat terrain, an easy few km from here to Chiang Rai.  I've been here before a couple of times, never by bicycle though, good to be back anyway.  Off to a bar near my hotel, and they are having a concert, well that works for me.

Chiang Rai seems a good place to take a day off, not least I feel a bit broken after days of mountain riding.  Plenty to see here, although annoyingly the most famous attraction, the White Temple, is some 16km away, I rode past it yesterday but I really don't have the energy to go back.  Well, there is a Blue Temple too, or to use the real name, Wat Rorng Siua Dten, that is, 'dancing tiger creek temple'.  It is just north of the city, and indeed, very blue.  From there, a quick ride along the River Gok (yes, usually transliterated as 'Kok', haha, but Gok is closer to the actual pronunciation), and I am at the 'Reed Garden'.  This is a park near the university, and it was recently the location for the city's flower and art festival - while titled the 2023 festival, it ran from December 30th to mid-February.  There are still many flowers, and indeed art installations such as a giant tortoise, well why not.  Do I find another bar with live music in the evening?  Yeah, maybe...

It is a tortoise of unusual size.

Back on the bike then, for a long day, 80km, but not a problem after a rest.  My route takes me along minor roads with little traffic, through a part of Thailand unlike any I've seen.  It's dry, almost arid, there are fields of plowed dirt, and wooded areas seem kind of sparse, unlike the lush jungle I'm used to here.  Unsurprisingly it is not a densely populated region, just a few small villages which at least is enough to keep me supplied with fluids.  My destination today is Chiang Kham, I was here five years ago, on my way to my failed attempt to cycle into Laos...  Seems like the place has grown a bit, I can't find the bar I went to then, it might be shut in fact, but not a problem, easy enough to find another.  They provide me with beer, tort man bplaa, and 'cheet born' - that is, fish cakes and cheese balls.

Not sure it rains much here.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Cycling Chiang Mai to Mae Suai

Setting off from Chiang Mai.

Back on my bicycle again then - well, one of them anyway.  The plan is for a nine day trip north of Chiang Mai, taking me out to Chiang Rai before turning back south.  This is mountainous country so it should be good exercise!  Not so hard on the first day though, I ride through flat plains of paddy fields, following the route I took to Phrao a few years back.  This time though, rather than turn right I keep on north, with hills closing in to either side.  Before long I am climbing, it sure is pretty, and actually not too bad, I very briefly push, then roll down to meet a river, which I then follow upstream.  This is actually still the Ping which runs through Chiang Mai, it doesn't look navigable here, but it is most scenic.  Eventually I reach flat ground again, and a little way on today's destination, Chiang Dao ('Star City'), a nice little town surrounded by hills.  And why yes, there is a bar.

Lovely mountain riding.

Only way out of Chiang Dao is up, and sure enough I am soon back in the mountains.  It's hard work, but lovely country, although the hazy air means I don't have a great view of the hills.  I guess this is due to the hill farmers clearing land by burning it, a practice the local authorities put up many signs about, but don't actually seem to be able to stop.  Well, as I climb the air clears and now there are stupendous rock formations towering to either side, it's very impressive.  And, the road doesn't get too steep, I manage to pedal the whole day, it's tiring though.  Today I finish up in Chai Pragan, not a big place and my accommodation is a few km away.  A pretty big hotel, seems to be there mainly for Chinese visitors, something to do with a nearby language school.  Well, easy enough to ride back into town for a beer or three.

Onwards, mostly to the east today and more hills of course.  Kind of rolling at first, and with groves of fruit trees it could almost be southern Europe, well except for the buffalo anyway.  But I keep climbing, past hill tribe villages, plenty of cleared land on the hill tops.  Some parts of the road are too steep for pedalling, but it's worth it for a glorious ride along a high ridge with lovely views.  The roll down the other side is fun too, down to my rest stop for today, Mae Suai.  From the pronunciation this should mean 'pretty river', but the second word isn't quite spelt right - maybe an archaic spelling?  Tiny place anyway, there is at least a restaurant next to my resort, but it shuts early, back to my room with beer from 7-11 it is...

A view!

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Mendip Way

On my way out from Uphill.

Right then, an actual walk, in England even, it has been a long time.  I wasn't planning on doing such a thing given it is September, but it still seems to be plenty warm enough so why not.  The plan is to do the Mendip Way, or more accurately the West Mendip Way and then the East Mendip Way.  The Mendips being a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol, running from the Bristol Channel to the Frome valley, so not long, in fact the route is a mere fifty miles, and it's not a national trail so no acorn signs, still I have my reasons for doing it.

I start at Uphill, and manage to find the sign marking the start of the route hidden behind some bushes by the tidal gate at the entrance to Uphill marina.  The sign explains that the West Mendip Way was laid out by the local rotary club, and opened to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee back in 1977.  From here I walk a way through the Somerset levels, with a nice view of Brean Down, the aforementioned marina, the river Axe, Severn estuary, and indeed Wales in the distance.  It's a nice afternoon for an easy walk, there is a brief climb up Purn Hill but it is hardly strenous, and then down again to Bleadon where as it happens my parents now live.  This is of course the main reason for choosing this route, this first night I get to have home-cooked food and sleep in a bed.  And, I have walked three whole miles!

Trig point!  With Cheddar Reservoir in the background.

Day two, it is cloudy but dry, fine weather for walking in fact.  Off I walk over hills, there are more views, Brent Knoll is not far away at all, and Glastonbury Tor is visible to the south.  Lots of woods today, they are a bit damp but not cold, it sure is nice to be doing this in England again.  It is not long to Cheddar, tonight's stop, just 8 miles by road in fact, but the trail takes a much longer route, partly to pack in many hills of course, but also so that it can approach the town along one edge of the famous gorge, it is most scenic.  I check into an English campsite - haven't done that for a while - good to see it is still open in mid-September.  For dinner I cook up a couple of burgers in the tent, and why not.

Bishop's residence at Wells.

It's raining when I wake up, this is also nostalgic, but it's not a lot fun to pack up the wet tent.  In the event it rains for most of the day, a shame as this is a good route, there are hills of course, without much of a view in this weather, and plenty of nice footpaths through forest.  I descend through another gorge, Ebbor, not as dramatic as Cheddar but pleasantly wooded, from here the route passes through Wookey Hole, I never realised it was a village as well as just a tourist attraction.  Just one more hill, then down on a footpath turned into a rushing stream by the rain, and I'm in Wells, a lovely little place I must say.  England's smallest city I gather, it of course has a cathedral, but also an impressive castle complete with moat, apparently this was the bishop's residence for many centuries.  I did plan to keep going a little further on the way and trying to find a random spot to camp in the woods, but honestly with the rain I am not fancying it, I haven't seen much in the way of suitable camp spots anyway.  A quick search locates a compact and bijou campsite a little south of the 'city' - the castle is bordered directly by fields.  A whole nine pounds gets me a pitch, and it even stops raining so I can walk back to Wells and a pub...

My tent lives!

Last day, and a beautiful sunny morning, although I don't have time to wait for the tent to dry.  Twenty miles today to the endpoint at Frome, this will be the East Mendip Way, a later addition to the trail, and perhaps without as many notable features, nonetheless I of course start by climbing a hill.  Pleasant grassy walking at the top, although many of the fields have cows and I need to be careful where I'm putting my feet - I fear I am not always careful enough.  The weather holds up, I climb down to Shepton Mallet and its impressive viaduct, then up onto more hills, sometimes more grassy fields, sometimes fine walking through woods.  Seems like a lot of these paths are well trodden, but maybe not the route as a whole - a few times I have to struggle through a section overgrown with weeds.  It gets a bit muddy at times too, unsurprising after the downpour yesterday - at one point I slip over, I can cope though, although I am starting to see why growing up in this country I thought proper boots were needed for walking.  Well, my walking shoes keep going, a pleasant last few miles along a woodland stream and I'm into Frome.  Time to take a train to Bristol and a proper bed!

A close as I could find to something marking the end of the route.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Thai cycling - Nakhon Sawan back to Sikhio.

At the resort in Takhli.

I ride south from Nakhon Sawan, through pretty mountainous country, but the route I've planned manages to be flat enough.  I do pick up a puncture, it is only a slow though so I opt for pumping up the tire whenever I stop to take on water, which is often of course.  Not a terribly long day, only 70km or so, I reach my destination, Takhli, early enough.  Time to fix that puncture, and a good thing it was only a slow as I struggle to remove the wheel, it is a quick release of course but I can't budge the lever, looking around the (charming) resort I find a piece of metal rebar which lets me apply some extra leverage, sorted.  More difficulties though, riding off to a bar I arrive to find it shut, and then rain starts to pour down, no choice but to wait around for half an hour.  Then the second bar I try is shut too, these are all several km apart on a busy road, good thing I am on the bike.  Well, the third bar is thankfully open, it also provides me with a fantastic fish curry.

Day six of the trip, another 70km or so, today I follow a railway line for a while, then a nice road along a substantial canal, built for irrigation purposes I guess.  Only problem is that as this isn't a natural watercourse, it doesn't really pass through any towns making it hard to find water, in the end I have to detour away.  I enter yet another province, Lopburi, and follow the canal to my destination, the provincial capital which is of course also named Lopburi.  Again it is a bit hard to find a bar, the route google suggests I take to one involves a road that doesn't exist in reality, so I have to backtrack along a road with many barking dogs.  Then it turns out the bar doesn't exist either, a victim of Covid I imagine, well, I eventually find a place where I am, of course, the only customer.

Pasak Chonlasit reservoir.

A long day from Lopburi, I am now heading east back towards home, but at least for most of the morning I'm going downhill and make good time, the low point being the impressive Pasak Chonlasit reservoir.  I did plan to ride along the dam, but the road is closed, well the minor road below the dam is very pleasant.  From here, the cycling remains flat for a while, then mid afternoon I am a bit disconcerted to see a sign saying it is still 69km to my destination, Pak Chong.  Fortunately it seems that was for a route staying on major roads, well, the route I've planned is only 25km and actually the roads are fine, if rather hilly now, I do have to push the bike a bit.  Seems this is popular cycling country, I see a few others about on my way into town.  Pak Chong is a very popular tourist destination, close to Khao Yai national park, so no problem finding a familiar bar with a proper band playing.

Lovely mountain scenery in Khao Yai.

Last day, good thing too, I feel a bit broken.  Not sure about the handlebar grip design on this bike, both of my hands have gone kind of numb, also I have a few patches of sunburn, well it will heal.  The day is a hard one of course, 90km or so and I am going through that national park - the only alternative being to ride on what is essentially a motorway back to Sikhio.  Well, it certainly makes for very pretty riding, and in fact for much of the morning I am going downhill, southeast rather than directly east towards home.  I can however see a line of steep hills to my left, at some point my route will turn and cross them, well, hopefully there really is a road there.  In the event, yes, there is a very, very steep road - at times I can barely push the bike uphill, let alone pedal.  There is at least a nice view on the way up, and when I finally reach the top, some fun freewheeling down the other side.  Not too far now, more pleasant countryside, including another reservoir, Sap Bradu, on my way back to Sikhio.  And that is that, well, all good fun of course, and I am sure feeling will return to my little fingers at some point.  I shall have to see about a route to the south or east of here at some point.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.