Killing in the name of....

Election Day - February 2 tomorrow.
On the day I biked into Bangkok I saw the protesters that we're trying to rid the current ruling government of power and went on to buy a 'shutdown bangkok' T shirt on the train from a hawker. Not because I supported them because I didn't know if I did or not, however if it meant I supported people who thought the current lot are corrupt and are shafting the people and living decadent lives then I do. Now my problem is that I don't know where or if I can wear this shirt? I don't want to upset anyone, I don't want to be grabbed by the Talibans and neither do I want to be beheaded by the king so I thought I'd better look into to current political unrest and see if I can resolve it diplomatically, that way I can work out if i should leave the T-shirt in my bag unworn?
The democratic elections are on February 2 and basically the current temporary government want you to vote for them. They came into power on a temporary basis after a coup in 2006 when the brother of the current PM got ousted and is now exiled in Dubai following allegations that he was corrupt and nicked most of the brass from the pot. His sister is now in charge of the current lot and wants her brother to be allowed back probably so that they can both have a share of the wealth and spend it on luxury items like football clubs and knickerbocker glorys....they have the support of the rural areas who don't seem to mind them squandering their hard earned taxes.
The other gang who want an end to this corruption are supported by the educated middle classes who have an eye on the finances and aren't too happy with their taxes being spent on gold taps and lavish topless parties for family pets so they have been trying to rally round in the city to put a spanner in the works and drum up a bit of support for a change.
They also have the support of the army I think?
The old king who is reportedly worth about 30 billion quid seems to be keeping his head down as he isn't going to be able to spend what he has in the last few years of his life and probably has everything he needs by now, slippers, pipe, sky telly...
It's strange though that with all this wealth I can't think of many major Thai businesses that could generate and make investment in this country, Thai Airways of course, the alcohol giant Chang maybe? So where is all the money? Who finances Bangkok? They don't manufacture do they? Grow and export rice? Is Investment from outside countries? China?
China are investing heavily in Laos so is the profit going back there?
What is Thailand famous for producing that makes them loads of cash? Tourism...
There obviously is money and tourism must bring in a big lump but within and outside of the city there appears to be mass poverty with people living in third world conditions. In rural areas an uneducated population tend to fields with little mechanisation probably for slim profits. They have had no major wars so where is the wealth and why does it not appear to be getting to the people? Most of the new schools I have seen have been built with money donated from the king.
My brain needs to de-frag......
I will post this as I watch on tv live feed of it kicking off in Bangkok and people getting shot....Aghhhhh!

Previous blog post title inspired by...Maccabees :  MED  2 points
Didn't give u much time on this one but ...breaking news!

Happy Faces...

Had an early start so it was cooler and quiet on the 408.
Because Thais don't really ride bicycles, the novelty of a thick northern farang going past them is what I hope is a highlight in their day. It's taken a couple of kilometres but I'm getting used to the many greetings along the way. Sometimes it's just a friendly nod and smile from an old lad or an excitable high five from the grinning kids or maybe a full on moped horn honking, lively "hello" and a massive wave complete with huge beaming smile. I'm glad they seem to be happy that I'm here...I am!                      

         

                When people are so genuinely positive it's infectious and I've really appreciated this warm welcome.

Chinese New Year has kicked off around here, will be in town for the celebrations tonight in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 170km completed on the bike so far.
I'm going to have to watch the finances as I've just worked out that with all this extravagance of hotels, trains and eating out I've nearly spent a hundred quid and I've only been here a week...!
Saying that, I've just spent another 445 baht on tonight's digs at the Nakhon Garden hotel.

Previous blog post title inspired by...Athlete :  MED  2 points
From first album - saw these with Snow Patrol supporting them.

Vehicles and Animals...

Shell garage

After a good nights sleep I left the hotel Suk somboon, Songkhla at about 7.30 and decided not to backtrack to go over the bridge to Ko Yo, instead I went north to take the small ferry as a short cut.

On the ferry from Songkhla

Beware - Gloucester cattle!

Here I met a Thai biker who had done 50k before I'd got up. He was on his way home so he rode with me the 8k back to his home before saying goodbye as I headed on up the 408 and after the shell garage there were many signs warning cows about.

One that lost...

      

Noodle stall on 408

Are you from Texas, boy?

Off again and passed up through Sathingpra district, a semi rural area with people keeping cattle by their houses and cockerels in woven baskets for  the sport of fighting. Stopping off for a drink a bloke was proud to get his            cock out and show it to me.

Look at my cock!

I stopped off at this Wat for a snooze when it got too hot. In the shade of the grounds....nice and peaceful here.


                                                                                       

Just one girl in the gym!

The main road was getting hot so I decided to hang a right and head about 2km to the beach for a dip in the sea. The  main road runs parallel all the way up the coast here.


I stopped off at the municipal gym!

     

 

Nice Thai place for 450 baht

Refreshed I kept on the back roads for a while along the coast past untidy fishing dwellers before joining back up with the main 408 and then stumbled across a nice place to stay for 450 dobbers. 74km done today.


Previous blog post title inspired by...Less Than Jake : HARD - 3 points
Sorta train related and with the line "I'm the lucky one, I'm getting out of here" will wake u up if you ever did manage to get some sleep.

Don't fall asleep on the subway...

I was awake at first light as I didn't sleep much thru the night due to the shake, rattle and roll of the bumpy train but from my window I was pleasantly surprised to see mainly thick green jungle interspersed with small houses and small fields with cattle roaming free and streams meandering along. Occasionally a road comes in to view and it's traffic free and flat. Everywhere is green. Muddy paddy fields and planted palms are now frequent and rubber trees line up in parallel for easy harvesting of the sap.The residents are living at the very edges of the jungle in wooden houses and clearing bits at a time to grow produce. The hawkers start to come round with their wares to provide breakfast for the stirring travellers, mainly Thais. I've had my brown custard and it was sweet and tasty. Soon be at Hat Yai.
Noodle soup and then biked 30 clicks to Songkhla by the sea.

Passing thru to Hat Yai

A big fella on the roadside

Previous blog post title inspired by...Eels. - MED : 2 points
Gravely voice in a great little song - "I know I can walk along the tracks, it may take a little longer but I know how to find my way back...."

Railroad Man...

Leaving Bangkok on the train from Hualamphong station on the 15.10 to Hat Yai about 50km from the Malaysian border gives me time to blog, especially when it didn't leave til after 4 but hey, who's in a rush? My bike got its own ticket and got passed thru the window of a carriage towards the rear, no doubt to be secured again by a small length of string with the rest of the cargo while I found a/c carriage number 2 seat 6 across from John, a fellow scribbler and a retired teacher originally from California but cycled up from Singapore through Malaysia back in the 70's and fell in love with Asia.....have I heard this one before?
As we rattle out of the suburbs leaving the skyscrapers and elevated expressways behind I am pleased to be leaving the madness as I find it overwhelming. Bangkok sprawls out with ever expanding building work extending the city with housing that ranges from the affluent mansion to roofing sheets and fabric under the newly constructed rail link for the less well off. Palm trees and jungle scrub make the place look greener than it actually is until it gets a little more rural and paddy fields become common. The train is stopping at every large built up area and as it starts to become dark the street stalls start to light up as they crack on with the nightly task of making tea for everyone. Sellers clamber on at each stop with baskets of various foods which I took advantage of but now I need to stop as I've bought enough 'baggin' to last me a week, I have a tray of rice,chicken and a cold fried egg, a tray of a grapefruit looking type fruit and a tray of brown custard wi nuts on the top....now I don't need pick anything off the buffet car menu so that will annoy the fella who I promised I would choose something later on to...

I had a shower for 20 baht at the station and now I can sit comfy in my seat that has just turned into a bed by a man in a uniform and wonder if you can get H5N9 from a cold fried egg?
Ok. I need to get this out of my system....literally!...Having a pooh on a moving train is quite an experience due to a few uncontrollable factors....you still here?....I realise now that is probably also best to go early because after about 5 hours into the journey most folk have been a few times so you need to start by cleaning up after all the dirty gets! Then, when you get as settled as you can in a lurching about style while trying to hold on you realise that there is no tank underneath so it's going to plop down a gaping hole onto the tracks...because of this gaping hole there is what I can only describe as a vortex of wind that blows back up and not only rattles yer cobblers but complicates the whole process of what should be straightforward gravitational pull....Sir Prof. Brian Cox.MBE could probably explain in a little more detail but that's the best I can do....it was awkward OK, let's move on, I'm over it now...don't say I don't cover ALL aspects of solo travel in my blogs.

Previous blog post title inspired by...Paolo Nutini.. - EASY : 1 point
" these streets have too many names for me" a song about being in an unfamiliar place.

These Streets...

Ok, so now I'm awake again....but it's now after 8am and I can see the sun thru the curtains, so much for an early start! A quick bite to eat and I'm packed and off.
Maybe setting off for Bangkok at this time will be less busy, hopefully everyone is in work by now....Maybe not, it would appear that most of the residents have also had a lie in and seem to be in a rush now to get to work....how inconvenient!
Having packed the bike for the first time is always a worry that everything is screwed together and the weight is distributed fairly. Turning left down Lat Krabang road with 20km into the city to do I remember how horrendous the traffic can be and ride nervously, trying to avoid pot holes, mopeds, dogs, people, trucks that all seem to want to end my life early. After a mile or so I sort of relax and get into the groove, you have to cut your own groove here with elbows and knees out making you a bigger target but giving yourself a few more inches of life. I start to think that if I get pinged now it would be a shame, as I pass a sign for a hospital....maybe I will visit it later?
I have memorised the route from maps, as last time I took the train, and now I'm getting braver. With one finger on the brake lever it's just a matter of keeping going, go with the flow and don't be indecisive. If there is a gap, fill it or 3 guys on mopeds and a small van will. As I get closer I start to wonder about the route, I don't need to, just keep going,,,it's getting hotter, more fumes and even more traffic, still I'm now as good as they are....on a push-rod!
At Lumphini Park a wall of tyres and sandbags block the 6 lanes of the main road Rama1V with protesters camped and barriers that let only people and blokes on push bikes thru. Now in the temporary pedestrianised area a massive sound system and screen inform the listeners seated on the road what's happening in the political strife of the city. I stop to wonder but then press on - I need to find Hualamphong railway station. Again, I needn't worry as I get to a massive roundabout and recognise the building in front of me.....how good am I?
It's only 11am and inside I easily buy a ticket for a sleeper train to Hat Yai leaving at 15.10. Time for a coffee. A local bobby admires my bike and whips out his iPhone to show me his bike, then offers to look after it while I go upstairs for a Black Canyon Iced Coffee....

Personal bike security

Hualamphong station, Bangkok

All in a days work..

Previous blog post title inspired by...Feeder.... - MED : 2 points
I remember seeing these Welsh rockers in Llandudno of all places....a good mosh to this song was had by all as I remember.

Insomnia...

This is def NOT going to help...I now have this raucous song as an earworm* and it's 2am, been asleep for about 3 hours and now have just signed up for the 'wide-awake club'...jet- lag is a weird state of flux and now makes me feel like setting off now! I can't yet, it's pitch black out there so I will have to try to return to sleep for another few hours....

* an earworm is a song that gets stuck in your swede and repeats and repeats and repeats!



Previous blog post title inspired by...Editors.... - MED : 2 points
Picked for the the line..."you came on your own, that's how you'll leave!"...I really like this band, pack a load of emotion into songs with thoughtful lyrics...worth a listen!