To Yala - Short Time in Southern Thailand - CycleBlaze

April 4, 2018

To Yala

So, I’m keeping this journal and you know I thought it was going along pretty good, the entry prior to this is a classic, and makes me chuckle every time I read it, and then today happened. And what today was, was 103 km with 1900 meters climbing. By the time I got to Yala I was destroyed.  I was destroyed to the point that after washing up, I managed to eat and then go to bed.  But even more, just nothing really happened, it was just a struggle. Here let me explain.

The dawn broke, and I did not feel enthused about the coming day.  I had it figured at 85 km which after yesterday was about the right number.  

The first 17 km are along the main highway, number 42.  55 meters past the Darusulam Mosque I turn to the right onto a Rural Road.  This is where things go wrong. I quickly come to a series of three hills, but rather than up down, they go up flat up flat up up some more then down. Normally, this hill would make me feel tired just a bit.  But after yesterday, my legs are a bit sore, and this compounds to my misery.  At 20 km in on the ride my legs are shot.  Not to spoil the story, but there were a couple navigational errors that added on an extra 18 km, so from the point my legs are shot until I check into the Park View Hotel in beautiful downtown Yala, I still have 83 km left, and my guess would be 1600 more meters of climbing.

So, I’m writing this journal, not the day that it happened but three days later, at the Tara Regent Hotel in Sungai Kolok.  Yesterday, which if you’re reading this journal is actually tomorrow was a long day if much less taxing , but anyways, I’m writing this journal.  What has me baffled is how to make something out of nothing.  Actually, this had me baffled until I realized that it just doesn’t matter.  I don't want this to sound harsh, but I actually don't care what you, the reader, thinks.  Me, I don’t care, because I look at this as a creative exercise, but you know I’m just an amateur, I don’t have the writing chops of someone that does have chops, and thus I hold myself to a very low standard.  

My role model for writing this journal is this old TV show called Route 66.  Martin Milner was in it along with some other guy.  They had a Corvette, and they drove around and had adventures.  When I’m writing this, or another journal, I don’t want to dwell about driving around in my Corvette, I want to talk about the adventures, just like the show.  Honestly, a whole season of that show would be nothing but them driving from LA to Salt Lake City.  No fights, no romance, just “how far to the next gas station Chad?”. That would not make for compelling reading or watching.

I hope for the best.  Not for you, the reader, but for me, as a prospective writer.  

Darusulam Mosque
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Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 250 km (155 miles)

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Andrew FatseasWhen your journal disappeared for a couple of days my little heart sank. So glad to see it return.
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6 years ago