Phimai – Ban Phai – 119 km
Getting away early, coupled with the cloudy weather, made for
relaxed pedalling. Our route took us through the rural areas of
northern Thailand, passing by many small villages, each of which had
a temple and a herd of buffalo.
We followed a dirt path to a unique community of silk weavers, where
we witnessed women weaving silk threads by hand. They didn't speak
English, but they were eager to show us their craft. The rest of our
day was filled with scenes of women cutting reeds, which we learned
were used in weaving sleeping mats.
As we continued our journey, the landscape around us started
transforming. Adjacent to the tarmac was a no-man's land that was
bustling with activity, with villagers harvesting lotus flowers and
seeds. We were surprised to stumble upon bee farming just before
Ban Phai. Vendors lined the streets, selling honey and honeycombs.
Despite its size, the quaint village of Ban Phai boasted a modern
hotel, where we settled in for the night. We wasted no time in
heading to the mobile food carts to get our daily fix of noodle soup.