Ayutthaya to Suphanburi

This is the second day on my bicycle. I left Ayutthaya at around 7am and arrived at the Mind Hotel in Suphanburi at around 12:30. Hot weather plagued the whole ride, but I was thankful not to be riding this afternoon. I had a slight headwind again but nothing to bad. Mostly everything has been good.

I paid 400TBH for my room at the hotel. A little steep for my liking but hey it has air conditioning. My bike will sleep beside me again in my room.

Here is a link to the tracking of my route for today.... http://www.movescount.com/moves/move54135717

I traveled for almost 5hrs and went almost 68km. I didn't go any further because the next city would have been at least 90km away. This city seemed like a good in between spot. So the trip total is now at 183km. Not to bad!

Tomorrow the plan is to get to Kanchanaburi. I should start to see a transition in the landscape to a more mountainous and jungle area, rather then rice paddies and farming.

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About 20min outside Ayutthaya. The sun hanging low over the landscape. Pretty flat around here. 

It can be a bumpy ride when you get off the beaten path.

The surly taking a break near the rice paddies.

 

My Time in Ayutthaya

It's a city of temples from another era. Old ruins of temple fortresses dot the city mingling with the hectic city pace. The tranquility of the green against old stone and birdsong is washed away by roaring motorcycles. I wonder what led these great civilizations to fail and how this one will manage. I see very little beauty in this manufactured landscape of concrete. I seek the open road and gentle contact of my tires with the pavement. I want jungles wild and rivers flowing free. I hear of a land to the east called Kanchanburi. This is where I point my tires tomorrow, however two days on the road it will take.

I guess this will be the first leg of my tour; Bangkok to Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya to Kanchanburi. The latter means a new landscape of mountains and quiet roads. I can only hope, but from my experience so far I don't hold them high.

Koh San Rd Bangkok to Ayutthaya

   Its three in the morning and I cannot sleep anymore. My sleeping pattern is messed since traveling to Thailand. I guess that's what happens when traveling across the world in a day. I am in Ayutthaya (I cannot spell that for the life of me) after a very long day of biking from Bangkok. Below is a summary of the trip all recorded on the Suuntu Ambit2 watch:

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move53991007

   The weather was prefect, sun and the occasional cloud. I had a moderate headwind at times but mostly it was not noticeable. However, the temperature was unbearable, well I bore with it, but I guess I'd rather not have to do it again, and well I am going to so I should just accept extreme humid and heat. I have no nags and pains in the old body but my legs were growing tired by the end of the day. I am staying at the Goodluck Guesthouse on Soi 2 on the Th Naresuan rd. I have a decent room (fan, hot shower, western toilet) for the price of 350 baht. I will stay another night here to recuperate from the days riding and give my ears the chance to heal from the sunburn.

  I haven't taken many pictures as of yet. I mostly have been transfixed to staring at maps and riding my bike. However, tomorrow I plan on seeing some of the temple ruins around the place and hopefully snap a couple good shots.

One of the many canals I passed riding through Bangkok. Serenity and calmness in a gridlock of traffic.

Introduction

    This is the first post to the blog. This blog is going to be the trip diary to my 57 day cycle tour in Thailand and Cambodia. This is also going to be a trip for photos since I am bringing my nikon d5200 and two lenses. Both are nikons, one a 20mm prime lens and the other a 55 - 300mm telephoto lens. The goal of this tour is to explore parts of Thailand and Cambodia that are the most scenic and more off the tourist path. I am not a professional photographer nor a professional cyclist. However, I do my best and hopefully some of you readers will enjoy the journey.

    Here are some details about the trip. I bought a round ticket flight from Ottawa to Bangkok for about 1270 Canadian dollars. I arrive in Bangkok on the 24th of February and leave on the 20th of April at 10:30pm. I will pack up my Surly LHT in a cardboard bike box and fly with it. I will also be sporting four panniers to carry my gear.

    The route is not set in stone but I do have a vague idea of the way I will go. I will depart Bangkok and head north to Ayuthaya which is about 85km. I then will go west to the city of Kanchanaburi and then north  skirting the eastern side of the Si Nakharin Reservoir. I will then head back east to the town of Loburi, and continuing east to explore the Khao Yai National Park. I will then head south to the northern coast of the gulf of Thailand heading southeast all the way to the Cambodian border. In Cambodia I haven’t did much planning so I will keep that open. However, mountain roads and tiny villages are in the plans.

    You are probably saying that the above mentioned cities and towns are not actually off the beaten paths, which is true. However, the routes I have planned to get to each follow no major highway. I have spent hours squinting my eyes following small google Earth roads ( I hope they exist in real life).
   
    I have never biked outside of North America so this is going to be a true adventure for myself. I hope some of you follow along!

Taking a break on the coast of Florida 2014

A stealth camp somewhere in Florida 2014

A tour around the Cabot Trail.  2014