couple of days in Bangkok: preparing for the next part of our trip - Racpat RTW 2015-2017 - CycleBlaze

January 22, 2017

couple of days in Bangkok: preparing for the next part of our trip

"One regular and one Senior" Patrick has learned quickly to request two different tickets from the ticket lady. The first time buying a ticket for the skytrain, we were asked if one was a senior, looking at Rachel. Rachel remembers the first time when 55 she was asked...at a Sizzler Restaurant in Vandalia Illinois...if she wanted the senior discount. Today, different from back then, she embraces the discount. Bangkok is a huge city, the best way to get around is with public transportation.

Day One: Goals today are retrieving the bike parts transported in a couple of trips from Holland to Bangkok by a friend of Patrick's, and picking up Patrick's new passport from the American Embassy.

Krasin drives us to the skytrain. He has mapped out the sequence of transportation to the American Embassy. First, the skytrain to the end of this section not yet completed, to a free shuttle bus that takes us to the subway, then getting off the subway at an inter-connection to the city skytrain. This takes an hour and a half.

We walk to the Embassy, Patrick goes through security and eventually reappears with the new passport. He had run out of pages in the old passport since so many countries now have visas that take a full page. Then we walk back to the skytrain to take a few more stops closer to the place where the bike parts are being stored. A year ago, Patrick asked a friend who made regular trips to Bangkok to take new bike parts for us. At the time, our plan was to go from Thailand to Australia. That plan changed, so the bike parts will be put on the bikes before we return to Holland for a family visit.

On the way back to Krasin's retracing the steps, we first stop for lunch at a Sushi all you can eat restaurant. Ten years ago, we had the first experience with these, a huge conveyor belt goes around each table with small plates of different food that you would just grab as it zipped by, to be cooked in a hot pot at your table. This restaurant also had a large selection of sushi and tempura foods, drinks and ice cream. We ate plenty.

Day Two: Krasin takes us for a drive through Bangkok and Chinatown. We find out why public transportation is a much better option in this city.

Day Three: Working on the bikes and meeting up for drinks

Patrick is working on replacing the old parts on the bike, Rachel helps with some the cleaning. Patrick has a system on how to box the bikes. Mid morning we set out again on the public transportation system, this time feeling like locals, got it down on buying a ticket from a person or using a machine. We do a little site seeing before going to the restaurant suggested by Paul and Karen arriving early and find that it isn't open until later in the afternoon. We go next door to wait, and also email Bill Weir about the change. Paul and Karen were the warmshowers hosts we stayed with the first night out on the trip April 1, 2015 and they are vacationing in Bangkok. Bill, is also a CGOAB and Facebook friend who also joined us for a drink.

Day Four: Final boxing of bikes

Patrick has completed the boxing of the bikes. Krasin has gone out of town yesterday and will return today. He arranged for his neighbor, Mrs. Ang to take us to the shopping mall when we needed to do some shopping. She picks us up at noon, and takes us to lunch for Duck Noodle Soup near the mall. Then instead of going into the mall, we walk around the market to pick up some food for the travel to Holland.

Day Five: Goodbye Pad Thai...hello Croquettes

Krasin has been fantastic helping us with all the tasks needing to get done for the flight. The final one, transport to the airport, he arranged for a friend to pick us up at 630am. Our gear is loaded in the truck. Unfortunately, the pictures Rachel took of the neighbors stopping by and Mrs Ang saying goodbye did not take. Everyone was so nice and friendly, curious about us and watched as Patrick worked on the bikes the past few days.

The ride to the airport took about an hour and half. Being Sunday, the traffic is light. We are dropped off, unloaded and inside the terminal to wait until check-in.

This goes smoothly enough, after we board, we wait. The flight departure to Kiev is delayed by at least a half an hour narrowing our connection time for the flight to Holland.

Our chainwheels need to be replaced after almost 28,000 km. Here are the old and new ones; you can see the wear caused by the chain slowly stretching. A new chain on these old chainwheels would not run smoothly or at all.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Krasin's carport is an ideal place to work on our bikes for a couple of days.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Our bike shoes have also come to the end of their road. The soles and cleats are worn. Patrick's repair from Chiang Rai has held up very well.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Four used Schwalbe Mondial Evolution tires and one new one to see the contrast. Most of these have about 17,000 km on them, alternated between the front and rear wheels. Patrick's front tire (second from top) developed a hole in the thread that had to be plugged first with a patch and later with a red duct tape boot you can see. Rachel's front tire got some deep unexplained cuts in the sidewall that were controlled also with a duct tape boot since Chiang Mai.
Heart 0 Comment 0
We have found bike boxes at a nearby bikestore. Bikeboxes seem to be always a little different. These are a couple of inches longer than usual which makes it possible to leave the front racks on the bikes.
Heart 0 Comment 0
One of our tasks is to go to the US embassy in Bangkok and pick up Patrick's new passport that was forwarded from Chiang Mai Check off that box!
Heart 0 Comment 0
Krasin's place is in Bang Yai on the far western outskirts of Bangkok. It has a good connection to the city though. A new leg of the skytrain was recently opened that connects this huge shopping mall in Bang Yai with the city center.
Heart 0 Comment 0
King Rama the ninth bridge.
Heart 0 Comment 0
We just have to see one more temple. This one holds the worlds largest golden Buddha.
Heart 0 Comment 0
5,500 kilos of gold are in this Buddha statue. It is not sure when it was created, but it is thought it could have been cast in the 13th or 14th century in India.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Golden Buddha statue. At $1,400 per troy ounce the 18 karat gold in this statue is worth about 250 million dollars.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Downtown Bangkok.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Reflections in downtown Bangkok.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Old and new architecture in downtown Bangkok.
Heart 0 Comment 0
We meet up with Paul and Karen, our warmshowers hosts on the first night out of this trip. Also present is fellow CGOAB cyclist Bill Weir.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Lunch with Mrs. Ang, a neighbor of Krasin who studied in England and helps us out by driving us to Bang Yai center.
Heart 0 Comment 0
A friend of Krasin has a pick-up truck. He drives us to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The bikeboxes and all our luggage are loaded in the back, Mrs. Ang says goodbey.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Huge steel trusses create a large box inside of which is the Suvarnabhumi airport departure hall.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Rate this entry's writing Heart 0
Comment on this entry Comment 0