The tide that left and never came back...

It was only few paces for a morning wee and a swim in the warm Andaman sea as the day broke before 7am.

Following the now obligatory breakfast bowl of noodle soup it was off on a scooter, borrowed for the day from one of the waitresses. For 100 baht and the proviso that we would put some juice in it we went for a nosey around the 34 square kilometres of the island. The sea was well out today for some reason? 

Maybe something to do with the earthquake in Indonesia last night?

The purpose built Dugong watching tower, over the rickety pier by the small stilted Muslim fishing village, provided no sign for us of the strange elusive creatures.

Smaller dusty tracks only led past the rubber trees, probably used for making condoms, deeper into the jungle where the macaques were happily swinging about noisily in the coconut trees.

Back up at the pier in the north, much to everyone's hilarity, a young bull was arriving 

by boat and being persuaded along to its new home, later to be found wrapped around a tree!

A transaction was then woven over an iced green tea that involved a 'Captain King', a 7am pickup from the south and a seaworthy long tail boat off to Koh Kradan for tomorrow. Many hands were shook, backed up with smiles and nods of approval seemed to seal the deal....watch this space!

Playing footie with the kids was fun but it's now far too hot....hammock and cold Beer Chang anyone?

Now on the south west it was an ideal place to watch the sunset.

Track by another indie band, the 'Veils' and a track off their debut album that questions

todays sea quite nicely.

Got a Keep Movin'...

Trang is incredibly HOT....it's a baking 35 degrees!

A fellow train traveller on a bike kindly showed us to a nice guesthouse in a quiet part of the town and saved us the time and effort of looking for somewhere ourselves.

There was no way you could ride in this heat without ending up with third degree burns so getting to the ferry port will need to be done early tomorrow morning when it's a lot cooler. This gave time to pig out down the quite wonderful night market on spicy catfish and a local speciality 'Moo Yang'.

Leaving Trang at 6am gave a better temperature to ride the 50k along the 4008 to the port of Hat Yai. The markets were already in full swing and the lines of monks were out on their daily morning pilgrimage to collect the free stuff and give out blessings.

This was a nice easy ride and we had soon done 32k before a coffee stop. Continuing on down the rural traffic free road we were bombarded with 'Hello's' from the quizzical locals as we passed by. As we arrived at a deserted Hat Yai beach around 10am it was time for the first dip in the Andaman sea....and it was well worth it!

The long tail ferry boat was ready and waiting for us, so once we had paid the 70 baht fee we then had to manhandle on the bikes along with a moped and a load of melons. 30 minutes later we were arriving at the little pier on the first island, Koh Libong....home of the infamous and elusive dugongs!

On arrival we opted to head down to the quieter south of the island and here we first rejected a plush resort with rooms starting at 6000 baht for a nice little beach bungalow for 800 baht and ideal for a spot of snorkelling.

A track from American singer songwriter Willie Mason and the title track off his first album 'Where the Humans Eat'.

Blame it on the trains...

Our last day in Prachuap Kiri Khan. 

It was time to say goodbye to the beach and the langurs, the  seafood, the temples and the smiley faces and the Honda...

It was time to head further south...

Arriving at the station around 22:30 with a ticket for the midnight train, all that was left to do was to get a luggage ticket for the bicycles....unfortunately, the station master had other ideas as there wouldn't be room for the bicycles tonight but they would probably go on one of the next trains and maybe arrive in a couple of days time!

 A few minutes of contemplation ensued then another plan developed. 

As it always does in Asia...Same Same but different...as they say around here.

We now had tickets for the earlier 23:16 to Thung Song Junction. A sleeper train that would get us in at 08:15 with room in cargo for the bikes so we could get a connection on arrival to Trang in the morning. This is exactly what happened and after a nights slumber we had made our way further south during the early hours.

The 08:55 left Thung Song on time the next morning and arrived at Trang one and a half hours later but we paid the price...the ticket cost a whopping 15 baht!

We were once again the only 'Falangs' in town.

(farang=westerners: but Thais can't pronounce an 'r' )

It was greener here.

The jungle was closer.

This track comes from Art Brut off the aptly named album 'It's a bit complicated'.

Just another ordinary day...

Sunday today and next to nothing to do so the lazy morning was spent zipping about on the Honda like a couple of twokkers with asbo's around a council estate. Riding down through the chaotic maze of narrow market stalls and then hitting the highway like a battering ram we flew once again, using another pseudonym, to Wing5 Air Force beach.

It's been quite windy so the surf is up and the sea is warm. 

Returning back for the pre arranged revisit to the torture chamber for another hour of sharp elbows digging into tendons and little brown feet walking up and down your spine trying to realign the vertebrae to bring the Ying in line with the Yang.

A song by  'Patrick Watson' and the title track off his debut album.

Earthly Pleasures...

The jungle was alive with noisy creepy crawlies croaking in the dark at 6am when our lift arrived to take us back into civilisation. The Park Ranger dropped us back on the main road which now meant we had only a leisurely 44km morning ride down to Prachuap Kiri Khan, past the cows and along the coast.

Before 10.30 we had found a nice place to stay, dropped off the laundry and swopped the bikes for a Honda...

Ao Manao was the destination for the afternoon. A strange place on a military Air Force base where you have to gain entry past the guards and sign in. On doing this, and as long as you abide by the rules, you get access to a wonderful beach. Now you can then get as crispy as KFC or until you get bored to death...

Symptom

Tongue swelled up to the size of a cows, eyes watering, gasping for breath, palpitations and sweating profusely.

Diagnosis

Som Tam too hot...

On a quiet part of the base the friendly langurs were fed banana's before it was back to town where an old woman slapped a lemongrass and chip phat infused oil on to you and mercilessly rubbed and pummelled into your bare bumcakes for an hour in the form of an invigorating Thai massage for earthly pleasure.

Meanwhile, down the road the walking nite market was up and running selling everything from insects to a Toyota Land Cruiser under the neon lights and a background of loud Thai music.

A strange little song from 'The Villagers' lesser known second album 'Awayland'.

Wild, Wild Life...

The morning dip in the pool was refreshing then the bikes were packed and ready to go before heading for breakfast. Without ordering, we were treated to eggs, toast, assorted MRM's along with a grated carrot and salad cream combo on the side, the closest equivalent to a western breakfast in these parts.

We left the surf crashing in on Dolphin Bay and headed south. Today we were aiming towards Kui Buri National Park but riding through Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park along the way. It was here we spotted the first monkeys of the trip and continued on counting all the dead stock squished on the road that included snakes, birds and an unknown furry mammal.

Kui Buri park is a 1000 square miles and claims to have up to 240 wild elephants and a 100+ gaurs.

 https://www.thainationalparks.com/kui-buri-national-park

By mid afternoon it was very hot and we were still 16km from the park so we blagged a lift in a pickup from a local family, getting us up to the ranger station just in time for the 4pm safari.
We ditched the bikes and climbed on to the back of a pickup with the Chief Ranger and a stern looking bloke in uniform with an elephant stopping weapon. Soon we were bumping along the dusty tracks and into the jungle for a couple of hours of wildlife spotting. Our Chief Ranger had little rangers all over the vast jungle and by communicating with radios we were able to find a place where we found some nelly's to watch. Not a massive marauding herd but a select few, giving the occasional trumpeting call through the trees. 

It would have to do.

Before dark we were shown to our accommodation for the night- a spacious hillside bungalow retreat right next door to the Chief Park Ranger who would also end up providing us with a meal and transport back into town with the bikes if we were to make the 0600 hrs start?

The track today from the 'Talking Heads'.

Are you a Souljah?...

The problem with an evening in the girly bars of Hua Hin is that you can't tell what is male or female and who is going home with who so in the morning it was time to move on.

Our tuk tuk found the bike hire shop around 10am and the helpful guys soon had a couple of newly serviced Marin touring bikes fitted with panniers and all the repair kit required to last the couple of weeks hire. The last advice was where the best noodle soup in town was and after indulging we were off under our own steam. Pedalling south out of Hua Hin, it wasn't long before the bespoke tour took us by some massive bronze statues and we could not resist a closer look. It was Rajabhakti Park, some kind of military shrine to past Thai kings and rumour has it that they had been scandalously purchased from donations by corrupt army officers demanding up to 45 million baht per statue!

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/12/rajabhakti-park-controversy/

During the afternoon we managed 45km mostly along the coastal roads and cycle paths and after a few refreshment stops along the way we arrived at Dolphin Bay. We were the only customers at a quiet little Thai resort, La Mai with a swimming pool but just across the 

 road from the beach....ideal!

Another instalment by a favourite band of mine, namely 
Alabama 3 and another opportunity to crowbar in another great track in from the album M.O.R. With vocals 
by the lovely and sadly missed from the new lineup, Devlin Love.