Roadside cottage – Chumphon – 90 km
The rain continued throughout the night and it was still drizzling by
morning. Not particularly good at waiting, I donned my plastic
raincoat (cut in half to make cycling easier) and headed to
Chumphon. Fortunately, the weather soon cleared, and the day
became pleasant biking.
I came across ladies selling steamed palm cakes which made for a
perfect breakfast. Thailand is aptly known as the land of smiles, and
during the day I encountered tons of smiling faces, from fruit sellers
to plastic bottle collectors. As always, my route went past countless
beautiful temples and the ever-present durian vendors.
Chumphon offered digs at the Farang Bar, which looked a tad worse
for wear. The rooms were basic, but one couldn’t complain about the
price.
While cycling, I noticed a severe wobble in my wheel, which led me to
search for a bike shop. However, I decided to first grab a bite to eat.
Fortunately, in Thailand, you can smell the food sellers from miles
away.
Eventually, I found a bike shop but, unfortunately, the language
barrier made it difficult to communicate my needs. However, I did
come across an extensive array of dim sum, which made up for the
lack of success at the bike shop.