Tania took to life on a bike like a fish to water, as no sooner was her
shirt washed than a line was strung.
Lopburi – Pak Chong – 103 km
In a haze of smoke from breakfast BBQs, we departed Lopburi, a far
more substantial town than expected, as the well-visited touristy area
was in the old part.
It took forever to clear the city limits. Eventually, our chosen route
led along farm tracks, a beautiful stretch through the countryside
dotted by tiny hamlets. Sadly, our rural road spat us out on the
highway, which shocked us as the traffic was terrible. The way was
hilly as we biked over the pass in the midday heat. However, all
uphills come to an end. Eventually, we descended into Pak Chong,
reaching almost 60 kilometres per hour. Clouds gathered, making it a
considerably cooler ride towards the end of the day.
Pak Chong signalled the end of the day's ride, mainly because of the
sight of washing machines. I desperately needed them as I hadn't
done any laundry since departing Bangkok, and even the stray dogs
kept their distance. The dogs appeared to respond well to the word
"voetsek" as they retreated to a safe distance if uttered with enough
conviction.