Ban Phai – Khao Suan Kwang – 115 km
It rained heavily all night, but the weather cleared up by early
morning, providing a refreshing ride to Khao Suan Kwang. Here we
stumbled upon a sign midway that pointed to a King Cobra Village.
We were naturally drawn to the village and continued along a
beautiful rural path. The farm trails were perfect for an exciting bike
adventure. However, my Google Map was set to "walk" directions and
led us through minor routes through people's backyards, and at
times, the route disappeared entirely. Despite this, I find such rides
exhilarating, and that day was no exception.
As we rode, we noticed people drying thin pieces of meat in the sun,
known as "Pork One Sun," a traditional Thai recipe. The meat is left
to dry for one day until cooked. Some locals invited us to share their
lunch, while others tended to their paddy fields and buffalo.
We were excited to visit the King Cobra Village, but it turned out to
be a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the snakes' mouths were tied
closed as they were forced to perform. Nevertheless, the ride through
the countryside was beautiful.
After almost 20 kilometres, we stumbled upon a "resort" that must
have been stunning in its prime but was now in ruins and neglected.
Later, a 24-hour establishment caught our attention. Although it
usually only rents rooms by the hour, we managed to negotiate a
reasonable rate. Tania was shocked by the state of the room, which
had only one bed. However, the bed was enormous, and neither of us
was very large. Sometimes you have to make do with what you have.