Like a rocket 21/02/2011: Prachaup Khiri Khan to Phetchaburi 160.76km

I got up a bit early to try and catch the sunrise with Loony, unfortunately clouds where the sun would rise up out of the ocean blocked this spectacle so it was on with business of covering about 160km which is approximately half way distance to Bangkok, but google maps disagrees with the road signs so we’ll see.

Myself and Loony

I was riding with my new pal Loony who set the pace and was riding like a loony, he was flying, I showed him how to do it when going uphill by grabbing onto the side of a truck full of pineapples for a free ride, however we were stopping frustratingly almost every hour but we were making good time. He was like I was when I first began cycle touring, ride like mad to get to your destination as quick as possible but eventually I learnt from experience and mainly from others that just coasting along at a merry speed is the way because life is too short to let it zip by. It’s the old tortoise and the hair but its very true, cycle touring you can cycle flat out but will need to stop a lot as you’ll be a lot more tired whereas take the tortoise approach, the distance will come you’ll have a pleasant day on the bike and probably beat the speedy hair.

By 230 I was feeling shattered as I’d had a crappy night sleep and the sun which for a nice change had been kept behind clouds for most the day was showing itself. We stopped at a service station where to the amusement of the locals I slept on the floor in front of the 7/11 but boy did I need it. When we got going we only had 35km to get to Phetchaburi, a decent tail wind had kicked up, I thank the bike gods for the generosity, we covered the ground in an hour, mainly because of my desire to chase a slow moving motor bike which seemed to yo yo getting close then would pull away, we never did quite catch it but it was fun trying.

Sleeping at the petrol station

We found ourselves a guesthouse for 120 baht each, for once instead of having to go through the daily hassle of taking the bags off the bikes, taking them to the room, we managed to roll the bikes into the room complete with bags attached. Loony showed me the days stats from his super cycle computer, in 10 hours cycling when had about 3 and half hours worth of breaks, but also means we covered the 160km in 6 and half hours which is good. Tomorrow is Bangkok, the end of the first leg of the trip as I see it, the next time I will see the ocean will be Europe! If I make it that far.