Thungwualaen Beach – Bang Saphan Beach – 95 km
Feeling lethargic, I soldiered on, past heaps of beachside
accommodation, all looking extremely inviting as they were right on
the beach. The road ran past many beautiful temples, all immensely
colourful and ornate. A few temples featured a Buddha in the shade
of a multi-headed king cobra, known as the Naga Buddha, which is
believed to have protected the Buddha from the elements while he
attained enlightenment.
My route followed the coast, and the recently resurfaced road was in
perfect condition and sported a lovely bike lane. The way crossed
numerous rivers where fishing boats were lying side by side,
sometimes three or four deep. Smoke billowed from mobile carts
selling grilled fish and other delicious looking eats. The smoky aroma
was enough to make anyone hungry.
Bang Saphan Beach was reached early, even though the way was
slightly hillier. I only mentioned this because southern Thailand is flat,
and one seldom encounters hills.
I spent an extra day in Bang Saphan as enough time remained to
reach Bangkok and meet Tania for a six-week touring holiday in
Southeast Asia. So, I went for a jog but didn’t go far due to the short
beach, which was only about five or six kilometres.
Early morning the weather was already boiling, and the locals must
have thought I was insane for running. Thais, generally, prefer indoor
sports like badminton, table tennis and Muay Thai. If they found me
strange cycling (while they all have bicycles), you could imagine their
surprise seeing a person running.