Day 78: Sichon - Nakhon Si Thammarat - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

April 18, 2018

Day 78: Sichon - Nakhon Si Thammarat

Routing: #401, 4012

Expectations for the ride today? Zero! I was determined to get over and done with this hopefully last headwind section and didn´t even look into possible minor-road options. Little did I know this ride along Hway 401 was going to become a very emotional day for me.

When I was sitting at the morning market opposite my hotel with a most delicious massaman curry I saw a Thai guy pushing his bike out of the market. He was obviously touring as he had a full set of panniers mounted. Plus huge flags, a big bunch of flowers and big signs in Thai script and temple photos on the rear rack. I narrow-mindedly thought: "Please don´t spot me, I just want to have a quiet breakfast." And he didn´t see me and started cycling south. Soon to be followed by several small groups of Thai cyclists with the same unusual setup. That´s when I first realized it should be some sort of either pilgrimage or charity ride.

I quickly caught up with the first of the groups as they were permanently stopped by passing cars handing them over some money. At the first 7eleven I stopped for some electrolyte drink and sure enough there were a bunch of them too addressing me with the typical Thai hospitality and excellent English on top as they predomiantly had some sort of academic background. I learned at that PTT station they were a group of approximately 100 Thai cyclists from all provinces and with all religious backgrounds pedalling from Ubon Ratchathani to Pattani demonstrating for peace in the three troubled provinces (Songkhla, Pattani and Yala) in the southeast. I would have mentioned that I got injured in that particular conflict myself and I was seriously embarrassed about my negative attitude earlier at the market, solely based on my conservative opinion what a touring cyclist should look like. Over the next 40 kilometers I had many more opportunities to talk to members of this fantastic rally which was almost therapeutic to me as the ghosts of that August 6, 2012 incident are still haunting me.

Once on the #4012 I time-trialled into Nakhon ST as the immense heat /headwind combination is really getting on top of me. The reliable meteoblue site said it was actually 34 degrees C but due to the humidity the "felt temperature" was 38. I assume I don´t have to tell you what sort of impact it has when the heat is above your body temperature - the sweat runs down your body in streams and all my clothes and boots were soaking wet.

I had booked myself a room in the almost brand-new Supachai Inn for 430 Baht through agoda and can only recommend this hotel. Nakhon itself has never really impressed me but the smallish nightmarket a few hundred meters from the hotel provided me with all the food options I was longing for. Which is just soup in those conditons. I do try to have some sort of solid food in the cooler morning temperatures but am on the way of loosing too much weight again.

Let me start with a restaurant recommendation in case you should visit NST: This first place on the right of the morning market is run by an extremely friendly muslim family and the father (photo on the banner) does outstanding food like...

....this massaman curry. But anything else I saw coming out of the "kitchen" looked most appealing too

The first member of the peace rallye I passed

I guess my offering to them is better for my karma than the daily donations to the Leo Brewery...

If you read Jan Houtermans´ journals you will be aware he is addicted to Thai post offices but I cannot recall him showing one from the well organized interior. Here we go: On the occasion of me desperately trying to get some relief from the headwind by reducing weight in randomly posting some more of my gear

That´s when you know it has been hot out there: Salt/minerals all over the legs

I usually enjoy their freshly deep fried chicken but do simply not have any appetite for that sort of food currently

Sichon - Nakhon Si Thammarat. No need for details of the actual route so a larger scale again to show my current position. From tomorrow it will be southwest towards Trang where I will meet "the rest of the gang"

Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 5,762 km (3,578 miles)

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