Reflections

Wow!

For me, this was the trip of a lifetime – one of many first experiences, personal challenges, and interesting sights and people. I’d do it again without hesitation. Here are the highlights that stand out particularly:

Traveling with Caroline – what a traveler! She’s knows her way around the world and is pretty much undaunted by the complexities – she just needs food every now and then.

Getting to know Chris better – such a good match for Caroline – equally the skilled traveler and together they make for most enjoyable companions for a pristine beach, a crowed train, scooters, a choppy ferry, an endless queue, a beach-side restaurant, a wild tuk-tuk ride, or a dazzling fire show.

The trials of scheduled transportation – contrasted with the freedom of biking. Given good roads and enough time, biking is the way to really see a country. I’d factor in additional time to make more stops along the way without feeling too pressured to achieve the distance.

The feeling of that first day leaving Chumphon for Ranong – it’s hard to describe the mix of emotions when setting out on an unknown road, just the two of us with all our stuff on the two bikes. The scenery was spectacular, but the feeling of growing confidence in ourselves and our bikes was almost palpable. As with most long-distance travels, the journey is the destination.

The Thai people themselves – there is, without a doubt, no question about the reason for the description, Land of a Thousand Smiles. Almost everyone called out a greeting to us as we cycled past – from young kids to older folks. Even when they had no clue about what we were asking, there was generally always a smile on their faces. Frustrations that impatient Americans might face with hostility and anger were taken in stride without complaint. The general feeling of the country is one of peace, calm, and security. Our bikes and stuff were never tampered with. The bikes were objects of curiosity, but never seemed to be targets for theft. We took appropriate precautions, but I’ve heard stories about wheels and seats being stolen off bikes in the US, and nothing at all happened to our stuff.

Funky and nice accommodations! We have an entire list that I’ll develop some more and then post.

The food – from the waffles in the market next to the mosque in Suk Samran to the fresh pineapple everywhere to the Pad Thais beyond enumeration to the curries to the insects – there is a good reason that Thai food is enjoyed worldwide.

The elephant ride – the pictures pretty much document this experience.

The scooters – even greater freedom and mobility than with the bikes – I just need to remember that they work best upright.

The beaches and the warmth – we soaked up as much as we could, but the blast of freezing air in Beijing quickly extinguished any residual reserves. After getting acclimated, the weather was quite comfortable.

Some of the things that I might improve upon:

If available, take a better map.

Learn more of the language – foods to order, directions, some typical survival phrases

Visit more cultural sites, when possible

Avoid trying to connect between two scheduled forms of transportation on the same day – for example, worrying about missing a bus or train due to a late ferry. Short bike connections were no problem.

Reduce the electronic clutter – I had the computer, which was very handy, especially for grading papers and submitting grades from all sorts of locations; an mp3 player, cell phone, and camera – each with various chargers or cables.

Fewer spare inner tubes – we had six, we used none

Perhaps the spare tire, spare spokes, and assortment of tools were not entirely necessary.

The Costco, jumbo size contact water container was at least three times too much. (“I told you so,” says Caroline)

On the other hand, all of the clothes were worn, except for an extra pair of bike shorts, some first-aid supplies were used when necessary, deet and sunscreen were liberally applied, books were read, lights came in handy occasionally, and the bike locks, although heavy, discouraged any temptations.

Two after-thought items played major roles. The first was a cheap duffle bag that Martha had bought in Bangkok earlier – it was the perfect size for helmets and other gear when we weren’t biking. The second item was a trusty bungee cord. From the back of the tuk-tuk, to the railings of ferries and water taxis, to the backs of pickup trucks, to roofs of pickup truck covers, to the variety of stuff that found its way piled above my panniers, the ever-flexible bungee kept it all together.

Caroline’s Stats:

Favorite curry: Tofu Panang (with honorable mentions to a Peanut Curry that was, very unfortunately, only found once – Arun Restaurant in Krabi)

City with most free wifi: Krabi

Average room price on a busy island: over 1000 baht, $30-40

Average room price when biking: 350 baht, $12

Strangest item carried on a motorcycle/scooter: large tables/doors or dogs balancing on the back of the seat

Number of trains from Chumphon to Bangkok that were completely full in 2+ days: all of them

Length of time to find two available and not super expensive rooms on Koh Tao for New Year’s: about 3 hours with enquiries made at over 17 hotels, guesthouses, bungalows and resorts

Spiciest dish: Massaman Curry in Khuraburi

Days in which the main activity was lying on the beach: 6

Days in which the main activity was biking: 9

Days in which the main activity was transit: 8 (including getting to and out of Thailand with delays)

Worst experiences: The first two sleepless nights (Dad), night of food poisoning (Caroline), New Year’s Day or 6 cold days in Limerick and Heathrow (Chris)

Bike tools Dad brought without knowing the purpose of them: 1