TANDOIDS
Distance travelled: 7,629 km
Backside rating: Judy the Stoker 7/10, Mike the Captain 5/10
Biggest bike problem: Spokes breaking on front wheel, necessitating
rebuild
Most interesting place in Thailand: Old capital of Ayutthayah
The stain on the sheet said it all, but it was getting late
and we needed a roof over our heads.
Darkness had closed in as we reassembled the bike on the
platform at the Prachin Buri railway station after our journey from Bangkok. A
nice railway man gave us some rather vague directions to the Sophia Hotel, which
he said was ok. But when we came to follow them it turned to custard and the
hotel was nowhere to be seen.
Party time in the cathouse with potato chips and iced lemon tea. |
We rode along in the dark, trying to keep out of the way of
the traffic and hoping to find any hotel or any sign with a word that looked a
bit like “tsunami” but means “hotel” in Thai.
Eventually, Judy spotted one and we turned down a poorly lit street.
Eventually, Judy spotted one and we turned down a poorly lit street.
A disturbed night and planning our escape the next morning. |
When we ventured outside our door to find something to eat, two young women, overdressed and over made up, were lounging in the foyer with a male minder. Awful music poured from a bar. Judy gave the threesome her usual, confident "sa-wut dee ka" but they ignored her. Something made me keep my eyes averted but I glimpsed high heeled gold shoes cast on the floor, long orange hair and Angelina Jolie lips. It was terrifying.
We walked out to the main road and tried unsuccessfully to
find a place to eat. The dogs roamed and I picked up a couple of broken pieces
of masonry as potential weapons.
The only place open looked like a small family run business
where the family was on the turps. A couple of bottles of whisky sat on the
table and a third bottle, possibly rum, was almost empty. We bought potato
chips, two small packets of biscuits, some strange looking baked things and
something to drink.
Back at the cathouse, business must have picked up because
one of the women was missing. The other continued to ignore us.
After a simple meal the previous night, we were ready for breakfast. |
When we went to bed, the plastic bag under me rustled every
time I moved and I had trouble sleeping.
The next morning we set out early. Two hundred metres up the
main road we spotted a sign. It said Sophia Hotel and in Thai there was a word
that looked like “tsunami”.
South East Asia Without a Tent
For nine months our tent has been our safety blanket. We
slept in it most nights in Europe and loved the shelter, privacy and comfort it
offered. We are camping people.
Shadows from an olive tree on the walls of our tent, Greece. |
Packaged up and ready to go. Our tent and our multi fuel stove about to be posted in Bangkok. |
Our decision has been driven by the desire to get rid of weight. The tandem’s front wheel has had to be rebuilt and any weight we can get off the bike may reduce the chances of further problems. It feels like throwing away our safety blanket, but we still have a mosquito net if we ever get really stuck. And at a pinch, we may even find a brothel for the night.