Alor Setar, Where in the World is That?

Zoo, Ani, and Radzi, my hots in front of their bike shop

What?!?! Where is that?!?! Is that the name of a city? Indeed it is! I wouldn’t have even considered stopping here if it hadn’t been for a Warmshowers listing and the fact that it was the perfect distance from the Thai-Malaysia border the day I crossed.  You won’t find Alor Setar in any guidebooks, but for me it will always be a memorable stop on my Malaysia route.

I had contacted Muhamed prior to my visit.  In his profile, it showed he was a new to the cyclist network.  He had joined the 30^th of December 2013.  He owned a bike shop and when I wrote him, he mentioned he had already been visited by his first guest. It turns out his first guest, Max, was the reason why he had signed up for Warmshowers.  Max was a young Dutch tour cyclist who found his shop and was in desperate need of a new wheel set for his bike.  However, he needed to wait for it to be shipped from Holland from his sponsors and so he ended up staying in Alor Setar for 2 weeks with this kind, wonderful family.  I heard so much about Max, that I feel like I know him personally and I actually emailed him to thank him for getting them to sign up for Warm Showers.

One of my many delicious homecooked meals by Ani

It turns out my host, wasn’t named Muhamed, but Radzi.  In Muslim culture the last name goes first.  Radzi and his son “Zoo” run a great little bike shop with all European brands. Radzi’s wife Ani, or “Kaka” is at the shop frequently as well.  In fact, the family spends the majority of the day at the shop, and Zoo actually sleeps at the shop at night. 

I rolled up on Saturday afternoon and my intention was to stay one night and then head on south to Penang and see Georgetown.  Little did I know what was in store for me in Alor Setar.  In my first couple of hours I learned about the history of the shop.  Radzi also gave me a brief overview of the history of Malaysia, particularly his region and the confluence of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and the mix of their three very distinct religions.  It was truly fascinating to learn about the region.  I had already picked up on the diversity as I could see plenty of Chinese and Arabic writing and noticed veiled and unveiled women.  Radzi helped me make a basic cheat sheet for my necessary vocabulary and phrases in Malay. Just before dinner time, he asked if I needed any bike maintenance.  I was so enthralled in our other conversation, I had forgotten all about getting my bike looked at by the pros. 

Zoo taking extra good care of my bike

I had switched out my bottom bracket just before entering Bangkok, but since the city was on “shutdown” I couldn’t get my hubs replaced.  I didn’t think it was such a big deal, as I didn’t notice anything in particular as I pedaled.  However, he had one look at them and was appalled by their poor condition.  The bearings were incredibly worn and the whole hub needed to be replaced.  The problem was that tomorrow was an official government holiday and the wholesale warehouse with all the bike parts for area retailers was closed.  But that didn’t stop Zoo and Radzhi from coming up with a solution.  They would have to polish the bearings and clean the hubs and change out the cassette and chain as well.  It meant I would have to stay an extra day, but that didn’t bother me, I knew I was in good hands and so was my bike!

That evening Zoo took me around town on the back of his moto.  I felt like I got a lot of stares behind him.  There are plenty of unveiled women in Alor Setar with the Indian and Chinese population, but not too many with blonde curly hair and short shorts that reveal a funny bike tan line!  We brought me to delicious Malay food which appeals to me more than Thai because it isn’t so spicy. Zoo was so patient as he went through each of the pots full of food and pointed to the ones that were definitely spicy and identified what was in each. In Thailand I had a few “not so spicy” dishes to choose from, but here, it seemed that almost everything was pretty mild.  Even if my lips started to burn, I soothed them with the delicious iced milk tea, which still exists in this country along with coffee and milk.  I think I’ll be switching to tea and milk here as all three cultures drink more tea than coffee.  Zoo also brought me to the local night market where we bought durians, my substitute for jackfruit in this country.  They are much more smelly, but ohh so good!!! 

Can't get enough of these Durians

We made it back to the shop around 11pm where Radzi and Ani awaited our arrival with their teenage daughter. She was going to stay in the shop with me that night rather than Zoo.  Radzhi and Ani apologized profusely for not inviting me into their home.  They said their house was half the size of their small shop and half of that space was occupied with bikes.  I kept assuring me that a small space on the floor in their bike shop was more than enough for me. They had a bathroom in the back, and fans to keep me cool, what more could I ask for? Not to mention I was spending the night in a bike shop.  Kids dream of getting locked in a toy store over night, and for a cyclist geek like me, spending the night in a bike shop is sort of the same.  Although, I didn’t have much desire to stay up all night playing with the bikes, I just enjoyed their beauty by my side. 

I slept 10 straight hours the first night and probably would have slept another 10 if it wouldn’t have been for the fact that they had to open up shop and here I was on the floor.  Poor Zoo had to sleep at home the 2 nights I was there because according to Muslim law, an unmarried man and woman aren’t allowed to sleep under the same roof.  I can’t believe they offered their bike store to me for the two nights as I took over Zoo’s bachelor pad.  Not only did they confide in a total stranger, but they treated me like I was part of the family.  I had to be careful with what I told them.  If I mentioned how much I loved a certain food or wanted to try a particular dish, the next time they showed up to the shop, Ani had with her that food or dish for me to try, plus something else.  For breakfast Radzi arrived with 4 different tupperwares full of food and a pitcher of tea.  For lunch, came another 4 tupperwares, along with all sorts of snacks for me to try.

Simple, clean, and comfy!

Loved my basic bathroom set-up

My second day in Alor Setar was an unplanned day off for me and truly delightful!  I spent hours talking with Radzi and Ani.  She shared some recipes with me and I learned a lot about bikes from the two men. Zoo spent a good amount of time polishing my bearings, which would hold me over until Singapore along with a few other minor tweaks.  Radzhi and I used google maps and his Malaysian atlas to plan the rest of my route down south to Singapore.  I even managed to have a Skype date with the CC Gracia bike Club in Barcelona who were together with at their annual presentation of the season’s rides and upcoming events. 

Before I knew it, it was 7pm and I hadn’t stepped out of the small bike shop the entire day!  That night, again Zoo and I went to cruise the town on moto, run errands, get dinner, and pick up another Durian or two on the way back to the shop. Radzi and Ani were waiting for us again, with more little gifts and presents to take along with me tomorrow on the ferry to Langkawi.

Radzi, myself, and Ani

It’s people like Radzhi, Ani, and zoo that make warmshowers such an amazing network for tour cyclists and make my trip so memorable   I’m miles and miles away from home yet I feel like you’ve been adopted by a family for a night or two.  They took such good care of me, as if I was their daughter. The morning of my departure, again, Ani made the most amazing breakfast and even brought food for me to take along to Langkawi.  She gave me a typical sari, and the contact information of her brother who lived on Langkawi in case I needed any help.  Zoo, then rode on his moto by my side (giving me an occasional push)12 kilometers to the ferry terminal and made sure I boarded without any problems!

Kind, generous, hospitable, loving, humble, genuine, and sincere…..the list goes on and on for adjectives I could use to describe this incredible family in Alor Setar.  It makes me angry that the majority of people in the western world associate the Muslim culture with terrorists.  All we know, usually, it what the media wants us to see, and we use this to form a general opinion about this culture.  It is a shame because that is the last thing that now comes to my mind regarding Muslims!  Some of the most hospitable families on my trip have been Muslims and the truth is, it makes me want to visit more Muslim countries and experience their culture even more. 

I don’t know how I will ever repay Radzi, Ani, and Zoo for all their kindness, and all the other hosts who have invited me into their home for a night or two and taken such good care of me.  Someday when I settle down and have a place of my own, again, I will hopefully be able to take care of warmshowers guests and other travelers with the same hospitality that others have taken care of me! 

Where Oh Where Will I Be Tonight?!?!?!

The golf course greens

Part of the adventure of tour cycling is the fact that no two days are ever the same.  Yes, I have my daily routine: pedal, eat, pedal, eat, pedal, eat…..and I have a vague idea where I want to stop, but I never really know where I’ll end up at the end of every day.  In fact, I haven’t made a single hotel reservation during my entire trip.  I had a rule that I wasn’t allowed to stop at the first hotel or guest house I saw, but, basically I did away with that one long ago.  When I’m tired, and done with pedaling for the day, I will basically take anything now for an accommodation.  Usually they ask me if I want to see the room, and I don’t even do that anymore! I’m pretty easy going these days,...Ok, my standards have gone down considerably, I guess you could say.  But really, I'm appreciative and happy just about anywhere and everywhere.

Heather Naro & family close to Chonburi, Thailand

Take this week for example.  On Thursday night I visited a teacher friend-friend-of-a-friend in the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand, 120 kilometers south of Bangkok.  I followed the directions I was given and headed into a golf club and resort, which is where the teacher housing for the school was located.  WOW!!!! I felt like I was in Palm Springs or somewhere similar in the states.  My hosts was a very nice Canadian/American family who had been living there in Thailand for 9 years.  I can understand why after seeing their set-up.  Their backyard was the gulf course, their house was huge with great views out of every window.  If you wanted to golf,…you stepped out your front door, going for a run,….you could follow the 3 kilometer circuit of the golf course, and there were roads galore for cycling.  They had a western BBQ for me and I stuffed my face with delicious chips and dip, hamburgers, and yummy salads.  I was in heaven!  Each family member had his or her own golf cart to get around the complex.  At night the two kids took me for a ride.  I asked them if they missed North America and wanted to live back there.  You can imagine their answer.

The following night I had a unique experience staying at an Eco Farm run by an American about 90 kilometers away from Bangkok.  On his farm he had an alternative school with about 15 students.  The school and farm are based on the philosophy of permaculture, meaning that they integrate ecology and holistic education through hands-on learning.  Is spent the day visiting the school and participated in the events related to the celebration of Thailand’s Children’s Day.  At night I slept under a mosquito net in a very basic but comfortable set-up with a lot of the local farm workers.  It was definitely no golf course resort, but an equally interesting and enjoyable experience!

Circle time at The Mosaic School, Chonburi, Thailand

The following day I was off to Bangkok to stay with the sister of a colleague from Barcelona.  Her husband works for Chevron and they had been sent to Bangkok,….not a bad place to be stationed with all the perks they had.  They lived in an amazing luxurious apartment on the main drag in the center of Bangkok with a huge park and playground on the ground floor for the kids, a large swim pool and indoor play room on the 6^th floor, and a huge workout facility as well.  Again, I had my own room and bathroom here.  Their  building was so safe they never locked the door, their kids were in heaven with all the on site entertainment, and they had a driver who took me to run some errands.  What a treat!  We went out for a delicious dinner followed by drinks with the ladies, and the following morning I was the guest of honor at their company brunch at the Bangkok Grande Sheraton Hotel.  It brought back memories of the Marriott Istanbul and the Park Hyatt Ho Chi Minh.  What a restful and enjoyable stay I had there and a delightful family.  If it wouldn’t have been for the shutdown and protests, I would have stayed longer.

Living the life in Bangkok with great company & delicious food

How many times did I hit up the buffet? I stopped counting after plate #5.....

The following night I found myself on the night train to a city 400 kilometers south of Bangkok,….something I’d never do if it hadn’t been for the fact that I rode the exact same route last year and it was the smart way to high tail it out of town quickly with the protests.  I knew I was tired enough I could sleep on the train, but I wasn’t expecting to have to put up a fight just to get on.  You see they told me my bike could go in the cargo car, no problem, I’ve done it before.  What they didn’t tell me was that they sold me a ticket on an express train that didn’t have cargo, so the bike wasn’t allowed.  I played “innocent” tourist and boarded with my bike, and basically wasn’t going to get off that train.  The inspector was livid with me and it took a lot of negotiating before he finally agreed to let me stay.  Once we found a place for my bike, I sat down next to my lovely seat mates, a bunch of young “blokes” who had just flown in to Bangkok from London/  They’d been here long enough to make a trip to the super market and realize that beer was so cheap they loaded up on two grocery bags full for the train ride south…..so delightful, is not the word I’d use to describe that night of sleep, but with the sleeping pill at least I got some rest.

Great shared bungalows with Pascal, Pascal, & Jer

That same day I cycled 100 kilometers when I came across 3 French cyclists: a couple and a solo guy, who they had met the day before.  It was perfect timing because they were looking for bungalows and so was I.  With 4 people, we had more leverage for bargaining a good price.  Poor Pascal, my roommate for that night.  Before even saying bonjour or nice to meet you, I laid down the rules and expectations for sharing a room…..Experience on this trip has taught me, men will be men, even on a bike (yes, I’ve left out some key details in prior posts about my experience with my riding companions)!

Unbelievaby hospitable Warmshowers hosts in Nakhon, Thailand

Last night I stayed with an amazing warm showers Thai family.  Toon and Keo have been on Warmshowers for about 2 years and they have rave reviews from all their guests.  I knew I was going to be treated well when Toon and his brother met me on the road and escorted me home, where they had a cold beer waiting for me, lychees, and JACKFRUIT!  Keo, his wife prepared a delicious meal with various types of fish and rice and after dinner they took me sight seeing in Nakhon, one of Thailand’s most historical town.  We went for tea and banana pancakes as well before heading home.  It was great to talk with local people and learn about their culture.  Toon eventually wants to build a guest room at his house for the warmshower guests, but for now, they convert their kitchen and dining room into a sleeping quarter and I slept like a log on my air mattress.

Couldn't ask for anything more: a mosquito net and my air matress 

Tonight,….where will I be?  Who knows?!?!  Whether I stay in a luxury resort or the most basic accommodations, with locals or ex-pats, each experience is unique and enjoyable and makes for good memories.  I’ve learned to appreciate each day as it comes, making few plans. 

I have a little challenge going for myself to avoid hotels at all costs for the rest of my stay in SE Asia.  I feel so incredibly safe and comfortable in the south and there are ideal places to camp all along the way. I want to use my tent as much as possible for my remaining time in SE Asia, especially since my route follows the more remote Eastern coastline in both Thailand and Malaysia.  Toon has written sentences in Thai for me to ask people if I can camp.  To establish some trust, I will ask people to pitch my tent in their yard or behind their restaurant.  The people are so incredibly kind and open-minded here, I think I could even approach the police station and ask if I could pitch my tent behind and they’d be fine.  I would love to try a temple as well, especially since no one can give me a clear answer on whether or not women are allowed to use the temple quarters for sleeping.  So I go back to the question I started with…..Where oh where will I be tonight?!?!

My Upcoming Route

View from my host's apartment, all seem calm now......

Bangkok & Southern Thailand

As you might have heard there are some serious protests planned in Bangkok starting this coming Monday and continuing on through the week.  My luck of course….It happens to be the exact time when I planned to be here?!?!?  I wouldn’t be worried except now I have been warned by too many people to be careful and avoid the city at all cost.  My plan?  I will cancel my school visits, as they are closing down as well for a few days and head south as soon as possible. I needed some bike maintenance in the city and was looking forward to just relaxing but with the situation as is, I don’t think it will be relaxing at all!  I spent an extra day down south and got my bike all serviced, visited a school, and made some new plans taking into consideration the Bangkok protests.

Planned protest areas in Bangkok for Monday

I’m also working on my route through the southern part of Thailand and trying to avoid the last three South Eastern provinces.  Again, a lot of local Thais have warned me about the Muslim extremists down there and advise me to avoid those areas as well.  I do have a couple of route options depending on the situation the further I head south.  I would like to cycle down the Eastern side of Malaysia because it isn’t so developed, but again, it might mean taking the Loong way to get there!

Click here for more information regarding the protests http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/asia/thailand-protests/

Oceania

I’m starting to think about the next continent I will be cycling shortly and spread the word to friends for support.  I’m looking for hosts in New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia, as well as schools to visits.  Yes, those are huge countries, so to give you a better idea of my route, here is a brief description of my itineraries.  I will fly into Christchurch and make a loop of the south island, counterclockwise direction.  Then I will fly to Melbourne and ride out on the Great Coastal Road for about 300 kilometers and come back through the interior to Melbourne.  From there I head to Tasmania and do a circular loop for about three weeks.  At the end of March, I head up to Sydney where I will fly to San Fransisco, mid-April. 

I am hoping to do a get-together with friends and Thomson Bike Tour clients in both Melbourne and Sydney, where I already have a lot of people who have graciously offered me a place to stay.  I’m excited to start using my camping gear again, but would also love to be hosted from time to time if you know of anyone along the described routes.  Also, if you have friends or family who teach at schools in any of these areas, I would love contacts here as well.  My school visits have been few and far between in Asia due to the holidays and the longer distances.

Thanks so much for all your support, I hope 2014 is off to a good start!

Thailand: Heaven on Earth

I was sooo excited to get to Thailand, I cycled an all time record of 173 kilometers from Battambang, Cambodia to Chantburi, Thailand in one day.  I know, crazy, right?  I wanted to see if I could do it..... a little challenge to change things up on my trip.  I left bright and early at 6:30am and stopped 2 times to fuel up before reaching the Thai border. You see the day before I had a true day off.  I was stuck on a ferry for 10 hours so my legs were well rested.  Imagine how far I could ride if I were to take two days off in a row……

I was so excited to get to Thailand, I didn’t even stop at the Cambodian side to stamp out of their country. I didn’t see their border crossing because I was so focused on Thailand.  A Cambodian border officer had to chase me down on his motor bike and escort me back to Cambodia to get my departure stamp. I was laughing, he wasn’t.

I'm pointing to the border  control sign, my photographer left it out of the picture

For the first 2 kilometers in Tahiland, I road on the right side of the road, before it dawned on me that all the cars were coming head on and getting awfully close to me on the shoulder.  From then on, during my first two days in Thailand, I sang a little song that I invented and call “Stay on the Left”, that goes to the tune of the Adam’s family soundtrack.  So far it has worked!

I rode for another 30 kilometers after crossing the border to find a town that had an ATM machine so I could actually buy some of my favorite Thai treats.  My intentions were to withdraw $100 from the ATM in Thai Baht, but somehow, I calculated wrong and I accidentally got $650.  How did I do that?  It’s times like these where I wonder if I’m really a Pritchard?!?!  I come from a family of math whizzes, accountants, and economic oriented people.  The most dreaded dinnertime conversation growing up in my family were when our Dad quizzed us on math problems.  Every other Pritchard sibling is blessed with the "Pritchard Math Gene", but for some reason I could never successfully balance my checkbook when I lived in the states.  I will just go ahead and attribute the mistake to the fact that my brain is fried converting so many foreign currencies to dollars or/and or euros.  At least now I can buy all the iced teas and coffees I want, without worrying about having enough money.  After all, they are only 40 cents!

But actually, I think Thailand has that "honeymoon type" effect on people.  Not that I’ve ever been married, but you are just off in Lala land taking it all in, fascinated. My mind can’t help but relax and turns off.   Everything is so easy and comfortable here and not as intense, so my guard is down.  You see, in my opinion, this Southeast Asian country has it all!

Front row joe parking on the beach, I look for the empty beaches..... the tan lines

Thailand…..The climate is unbeatable: sunny and warm.  Actually it is a bit too warm and humid for cycling.  I get a lot of stares with all the sweat on my shirt, people look at me as if they’ve never seen sweat marks on anyone since they walk around in long sleeves and pants all day long. Who should be sweating! Today I hit an all time record high, 39.5C (103).  Therefore I’ve added a new routine to my day: frequent beach breaks.  I find the roads that follow the ocean shore, ride along the water, stop when I get hot and hop in!  I have to work on the changing in to the bathing suit bottom technique as I can’t seem to do it without getting a ton of sand in my bike shorts, which defeats the purpose of a chamois.  As of now, I my route through Thailand and Malaysia is right along the coast for about 1,700 kilometers, so I have a lot of swimming breaks to look forward to!

Going to have to start keeping track of my beach breaks and compare them to my coffee breaks

The people are incredibly kind and pleasant.   Not that I haven’t found that in the other countries, but here, they seem completely stress-free, always have a smile on their face, and go out of their way to help me.  Every time I stop at a local market even if I buy a pineapple, they always make a little place for me to rest, fill my water bottle, and give me a towel to clean my hands when I finish.  More than the other countries, they want to know where I’ve come from and where I’m going, and they have a good sense of Asian geography.  Before when I repeated the words Hong Kong and Singapore, I usually got a blank stare.  Now I say those two words to the vendor and in 30 seconds all the vendors in a 50 meter radius are talking about my bike trip and giving me thumbs up and have a big smile on their face, while the words Hong Kong and Singapore echo in the background.

Don't know if that was really a bench or a display but they let me to take shelter from the heat here to enjoy my coconut

Thailand is Asian “Tapas” at it’s best.  Other countries had day markets and night markets and local restaurants, but in Thailand, they have even more variety and the choices are endless!  If Bosnia had “Vulcanizers” ever 500 meters, and Vietnam had motorbike repair shops every 200 meters, in any one small Thai town, there can be a handful of markets all in a 300 meter vicinity with a selection of sweet and savory treats.  You never go hungry here and the prices are cheap, cheap, cheap, unless I’m doing the wrong conversion!  After my 173 kilometer day, dinner #1 cost $2, and dinner number #2, $3, plus a meager another $2 for desserts, juices, and beer.  You can’t beat that!

"Tour Cycling" size iced coffee and tea in Thailand

I know I said Vietnam was coffee paradise, Thailand has just beaten them as I’ve discovered the “Tour Cycling” to-go cups.  When I got my first iced coffee I thought she had mistaken my order with the family next to me because she handed me this huge bag filled with coffee.  It was so big, I couldn’t finished it, so I filled my water bottle with what remained, a brilliant new idea!  I carefully examined the lady make my first coffee…..no wonder they are so delicious.  In every cup of coffee there is about a half cup of sugar, a third cup of condensed milk, and the Thai secret, a dollop of coconut cream.  Upon arrival.  It’s no wonder I had energy to push through the 173 kilometers! 

My fuel for the morning kilometers......

Jackfruit is everywhere in Thailand.  I honestly think I could live off of iced coffee and Jackfruit until my teeth root.  Here in Thailand, it is a relatively inexpensive fruit and it comes entirely cleaned, pitted, and prepared to eat.  I’ve had to start enforcing a daily limit of 1 kilo, if not, I won’t have a balanced diet!

The roads are divine!  On google maps there is a huge network of roads and even the faintest grey line is a paved road with a decent shoulder.  If I’m lucky the road will even have a marked bike path.  Thailand has excellent rural roads and there is little traffic. It’s no wonder why I’ve seen more recreational cyclists here in the last two days than I’ve seen in all the other SE Asian countries combined in the last 2 months. There is so much selection I have to be careful not to get lost.  In other countries there were so few roads, sometimes I had to search long and hard to get from Point A to Point B, and then many times it wasn’t paved.

No comment, roads couldn't be better!

The little Thai I learned last year has come back to me and I can easily communicate the basics: Hello, thank you, no spice, Sweet? Savory, and how much?  The latter is really pointless because they tell me a number and they all sound the same to me with a long exasperated Baaaahhhht at the end.  However, nothing ever seems to be over a 100 Baht that I buy!  I’m going to have to try really hard to spend all that money I got out at the ATM before I leave Thailand.

The plan is to ride up to Bangkok tomorrow and then head south next week, down the eastern side of the coast as to not repeat the route I did last winter. I have a good two weeks of riding here and I can’t wait!  What a fabulous country for bike touring!

New Year's Deja Veux

Last year, in 2012, for New Years Eve, I was in Southern Thailand on a bike tour.  It was my “test trip”.  If I could manage a SE Asian foreign country for 3 weeks, I was set to go for a year in any country, or at least that was my thinking.  For New Year’s Eve, I couldn’t stay awake until midnight.  I woke up to the fireworks, figured it was 2013, and went back to bed.  The next morning I was off on a guided tour to see Phang Nga Bay, where the famous “James Bond Rock” is located.  I enjoyed my half-day tour very much, and in the style of Melissa, I wanted to get some riding in afterwards.  I set off at about 3pm and my guide told me I would find a hotel about 2 or 3 hours down the road.  Sounds familiar, right?

I pedaled and pedaled, as fast as I could, knowing that I was taking a chance with the my limited hours of light.  I pedaled to the next town about 2,5 hours away and didn’t find a single hotel or bungalow.  I was getting nervous, so I pulled over at what looked like a market and asked the first person I saw.  Wouldn’t you know, this person spoke perfect English, and even more ironic, they went to go get their friend, who was a young guy from the states, on vacation visiting his “host family” from when he was a high school exchange student.  He was waiting for a bus to go back to Bangkok to fly home.  I was lucky they did speak perfect English, but unfortunately they couldn’t think of a hotel in the next 10 kilometers.  They talked and talked and finally the younger girl in the family said, “Come stay at our house for the night, you can have Nick’s room.”  They were my saviors! I couldn’t believe how lucky I had gotten.  I didn’t hesitate in saying yes, as the only other option was to wait for a bus to come by and take me another 50 kilometers or so. 

Koontida's family where I ended up New Years Day 2013. Her grandfather just passed away this Christmas

For my Southern Thailand tour, I wasn’t using Warmshower hosts, so to see the life of the locals for one night was a true treat.  Koontida, and her family were incredibly hospitable, fed me, took me on a tour of their land, introduced me to all their family including their 100 year old grandfather, who had me sign his guestbook that he kept of everyone he’d met in his later life.  I was thrilled to meet them and spend an evening with this Thai family.  The next morning, January 2, 2013, I cycled off and continued on my way, cherishing the unique manner in which I started off the New Year.  I’m not religious, but I do think that night was a sign of how the 2013 year would go, filled with spontaneous adventures, caring people, and trust.

January 1, 2014 started off in a similar manner.  I was going to do a full rest day in Phnom Penh, after Ed left.  However, I was itching to get on my bike and get out of the big chaotic city.  The city had been built up for a good 20 kilometers coming into town from the south, so I figured it would be the same way up north.  I would ride two hours or so and stop at a guesthouse along the main road.  A brilliant plan that would make reaching Angkor Wat more doable in 2,5 days.  Getting out of Phnom Penh wasn’t as difficult as I imagined, but the roads were in terrible condition once again.  Luckily I spotted a small little road parallel to the main highway and the Mekong River, that was paved and basically only used by motos.  I rode on that for a good 30 kilometers until dark approached and headed for the main road to find a hotel. 

The view of the Mekong from the peaceful road I found heading north from Phnom Penh

I could hardly see 20 meters ahead of my front wheel on the main road because of all the dust being picked up by the trucks and cars.  There seemed to be a paved surface at some points, but the dust and dirt was unavoidable.  I stopped at a gas station to ask for a guesthouse because my choices looked slim.  They told me “oh,…very very far!” But when I threw out some numbers, it seemed it was only another 10 kilometers.  I pedaled and pedaled and reached 10 kilometers.  No guesthouse.  I stopped once again to ask for the nearest guesthouse, this time right by a pagoda, thinking I could also ask them if I could sleep there. 

Ly Peng, my host, calling the police to get the "Ok" to have a foreigner at his house

It was then that I realized a year ago to this day, I was doing the same thing in Sothern Thailand.  I had managed to ride to an area with no accommodations and it was getting dark when I met Nick, Koontida and her family.  I don’t know how I got so lucky, but there standing on the side of the road was a teenage boy, Ly Peng, with two other girls.  Ly Peng spoke really good English and told me there was a guesthouse 5 kilometers away but didn't advise cycling on at this time and with the road conditions as they were.  The pagoda wasn’t an option either as he said they don’t like foreigners because they don’t trust them for the entire night.  Instead he invited me to stay with his family, he told me they have foreigners with them frequently.  This town was nothing more than 150 meters of little shops and stands on the dusty main road, 40 kilometers north of Pnhom Penh.  How and why on earth would other foreigners stop here, and more unusual, how would they ever find Ly Peng? 

Ly Peng's aunt's house, his was tucked under off to the left.  I slept upstairs.

I knew I could have kept pedaling 5 kilometers and found the guesthouse, but for some reason, the sound of staying with a local Cambodian family sounded so appealing.  I think I needed a little bit of family loving!  To my surprise, we first had to clear my “visit” with the local police.  They had closed for the day, but Ly Peng called them and they were quick to arrive at his house.   They were enthralled with all the stamps in my passport and must have taken about 20 pictures of it and sent it to all sorts of different local authorities.  In the end, they gave me the "ok" to stay.  Ly Peng was 17 years old, the second oldest of 6 in his family, the youngest was 3 who he took by the hand anywhere he went.  His parents were out working at a factory in another town and wouldn’t be home until tomorrow.  The guys all slept in a small little house tucked under their aunt's huge house on stilts.  In his aunt’s house, there were at least 6 other family members, including a 70-year-old grandmother and a one month only newborn.  In each house, all the members slept together on a long mattress covered with mosquito nets, all but Ly Peng’s older sister who slept upstairs alone.  She had just lost her husband in a motorcycle accident and was needed her own space.  That is where I slept, upstairs with her. She was very pleasant and spoke good English as well.

Simple but comfy sleeping

Ly Peng's grandma, 70 years old living in a house with now 4 generations of family

I had a refreshing cold bucket bath, and believe me, it was refreshing after the heat from the day and the dust that covered me.  Neither family eats at their house.  They have a small little restaurant where I pulled over on the main road and this is where they all go for all their meals.  The middle sister runs the place and also sleeps there with some of the other girls in the family.  But as Ly Peng told me, most days they don’t eat very much, as they don’t have a lot of food. Today, however, being the New Year, was a special day.  Ly Peng and I were the only ones to eat except one of the siblings.  The others watched TV, us, and just hung out.  The grandmother was busy bringing us more dishes and swatting flies and mosquitoes. 

Ly Peng with some of his siblings

After dinner we headed back to Ly Peng’s house where he entertained his siblings with his laptop computer and a few DVD’s, a DreamWorks movie in English.  Even his grandmother gathered around the laptop to see the entertainment and brought us bananas for dessert.  I learned a lot from Ly Peng that evening as he explained his life in Cambodia.  He went to a language school, which is why he spoke such good English.  He wanted to study IT at the university, but he didn’t have enough money to pay for the degree.  In the IT field, he could make about $400 a month, compared to about $80 to $100 in a garment factory, which is what most people in the area do for work.  He kept insisting his friends were “more clever” than him but with his big heart and open mind, I know he’ll go far in life.

Factory workers at a shift change at a factory on the main road.  There were handfuls of trucks like this one and people lining the road

While talking with Ly Peng and learning about the daily life of Cambodians, I couldn’t help but feel ridiculous thinking of where I had spent my last week on the road.  On New Year's Eve, I was at a luxurious hotel in Phnom Penh sleeping in an air-conditioned room and tonight I was sharing a mattress under a mosquito net with no fan or air conditioning.  What more did I need? Was I safe, in good company, comfortable, indeed I was.  Ly Peng’s family didn't even have electricity during hte day.  They can only turn on the light and appliances from 6 to 11 pm every night.  With the money I blew in a week, Ly Peng and his family probably could have lived comfortably for about 2 or 3 months.  Talk about gaining perspective on life, I was in disbelief. 

I slept great that night. I must have been really tired as I went to bed with dogs howling and woke up to the roosters crowing at 5am.  Oh how I missed my meager, simple, and local lifestyle on the road!  What an experience staying with Ly Peng’s family.  Every one was up at the crack of dawn and I was ready to ride at 6:30 am.  We went for an iced coffee at the restaurant first, and then I set out at 7am. 

Ly Peng, a young boy with a big heart

I left Ly Peng’s house with a familiar sensation inside, similar to how I felt when I left Koontida and her family in Southern Thailand, exactly one year ago.  I had a little leap of faith and trusted the random local people on the side of the road and let them take care of me for a night. 2014, I’m certain it will be filled with a lot of unexpected positive experiences and adventures, random acts of kindness from strangers, and joined in the company of caring people.  I can't wait!

My Holiday Company

Other than the big city decorations there was no sign of Christmas and New Years around

The holidays have come and just about gone and my week cycling with a companion has flewn by, literally.  I can’t remember the last time I went so fast on a bike……in fact, I forgot I could go fast on a bike!  Usually I hop on my bike every morning and start pedaling thinking about how many kilometers I’m going to do before I stop for my first iced coffee.  Everyone goes about tour cycling a bit differently and it was refreshing to experience someone else’s style this past week.

www.warmshowers.org JOIN!

Ed came on Christmas Eve from Hong Kong to ride just under 1,000 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, exploring the Mekong Delta and Southern Cambodia. Who is this Ed guy anyway? I know you are all wondering…..a boyfriend, roamantic fling,….Actually he was my warm shower host, I know, that sounds even better, right? I know, it needs a bit of explaining.  Careful if you Google warmshowers, you might be surprised with some of the sites and images you find, but add that dot “ORG” and you’ll see what it is all about.  Warmshowers.org is the next best invention to the bicycle.  It is a network of cyclists that take in other cyclists in while they are out on the road traveling.  In the modern world, it is like couch surfing, I think, but just geared toward tour cyclists, so you know that you will at least have the bike in common.  Not that we don’t like to have a beer at the end of your day or crash on each other’s couches, we DO do that, but we have one underlying interest in common: the passion to pedal!  We love to talk about bikes and share stories from our tour travels, look at roads and routes on maps for hours on end, and eat and drink our hearts out.  To someone who doesn’t like to cycle, we might bore you, but regardless of our culture, the different languages that we speak, or the places we’ve traveled on a bike, we have plenty to keep and exciting and engaging conversation going all night long!

So that is how I met Ed.  He was my host in Hong Kong when I was stuck without a bike and trying to figure out how to get my SE Asia route underway.  He came to the rescue and took me in for a couple of nights, helped get my bike up and working, and since then we stayed in touch.  He’s an avid cyclist and has done some touring himself, but never in SE Asia.  Therefore, the idea to meet up with me over the holidays sounded appealing.  It was a bit of a challenge to figure out when and where to meet up.  I didn’t have my route of SE Asia completely outlined, but given his arrival date and the places I wanted to see, I was able to use Ho Chi Minh City as a destination goal for my holiday itinerary. 

After out last day cycling through the dust and dirt entering Phnom Penh

We met up in Ho Chi Minh City on Christmas Eve day, where we stayed for one night before setting off to explore the delta. Santa must have know I’d been a good young lady this year as he even found me in Ho Chi Minh City and gifted me some necessary items.  I got new bike shorts, and a sports bra and underwear to replace the ones from my previous mishap and for stocking stuffers, the Spanish elves visited and brought me some Spanish cured cheese, olives, and membrillo (quince), and even some bars of dark chocolate (a big “Thanks” to Ed, Aglae, and Quim).

We set out on Christmas morning, when things had “calmed” in the big city.  I led the way for maybe the first 10 kilometers and then I passed my duties over to Ed, and he became the navigator for the rest of the trip.  He had internet connection which was a huge treat because we could reserve hotels along the route during the day and update our route and distance as we went riding. 

The first day was a bit rough….I had a little crash, that has been a long time coming.  As most of you know, I am not the best at staying on someone’s wheel.  I get ansy and like to move around rather than hang out behind. I know drafting is more energy efficient, but I just don’t sit still, not even on a bike! Eighty kilometers into the first day I got a bit too close to Ed’s wheel and couldn’t keep my handle bars under control. I ended up face planting in the gravel, with my bike on top of me.  I skinned up my knee and elbow pretty good, got a minor cut on my forehead, a huge bruise on my thigh, and a stiff neck.  It looked a lot worse than it actually was. I laughed as I got to my feet because I couldn’t believe I had actually crashed!  I think I gave Ed a good scare and I’m sure he questioned who his riding companion was for the week and how sh’ed managed to go 10,000 kilometers on her own. Funny thing is, I’ve never crashed on my bike, before except for a silly clipping in or out mishap or chain problem, but those were in the first few months of road biking.  Here I had been on the road for 10,000 kilometers on my own without any problems and all of a sudden when I have company, I bite it!

             

The bruise, day 4

The skinned knee, day 4

The only good thing about that accident, besides not having done worse damage, was the fact that we decided to get a go to a nice hotel that night, and from the first night on, continued at luxurious hotels, or at least luxurious, in comparison to the places I had been staying.  The Mekong Delta and Southern Cambodia are pretty developed relative to the places I was previously up north, hence there was a lot of selection in terms of hotels.  I’d been staying in the most basic of basic places, sometimes I had hot water, other times just a faucet and a bucket.  Really my only standard on my trip is that my hotel be relatively clean and quiet.  Usually clean is easier to find than quiet because there will always be a rooster crowing at the crack of dawn in a big city or a small village.

The pool and view from our bungalow at The Vanna Hill Resort in Kep, Cambodia

On a two person budget, we opted for staying at 4 and 5 star hotel resorts for a reasonable price. These hotels had a huge breakfast buffet, modern facilities, thick western mattresses, down comforters, air conditioning, swim pools, and fancy restaurants/bars.  I felt incredibly spoiled for the week when it came to our accommodations, but hey, after all it was a special week with the holidays, and the only week I have really splurged on my entire trip, so it was easy to justify! 

Rice paddies, Southern Vietnam

Floating Market, Can Tho, Vietnam

After a 100 kilometers or so, the scenery in the Mekong Delta all starts to look the same.  There are a lot of palm trees, flat rice paddies, far land, lots of livestock, and canals and little fingers of the Mekong everywhere.  You get a little bit of elevation with the short bridges, and a bit of stop and go with ferry crossing on the widest parts of the river, In fact, you can even predict where the little cafés are selling iced coffee.  It was a good thing the scenery was rather monotonous, because I spent the majority of the time looking at Ed’s wheel and backside!

My view every day,....well Ed's back side.  We had the coast in most of Cambodia and rivers in Vietnam

Like I said, the riding was fast.  In my non-touring mode, I can normally keep up with the strong guys in the CC Gracia club.  Obviously when their testostrone kicks in and they decide to attack for no reason, I fall behind, and on the hills as well and usually I opt not to participate in the pace line.  But I am a strong enough rider to be able to hold on to the A’s.  Unfortunately that strength has disappeared over the past 4 months of tour cycling and I’ve gotten pretty comfortable riding at a comfortable 20 to 22 kilometers per hour.  In fact, I usually don’t even look down at my speed and can basically tell how fast I’m going by the way I feel.  I don’t have to huff and puff, nor is my tongue hanging out.  I can’t be bothered to push myself past my limits, because I know I have to ride again tomorrow, and the day after, and the next, and the next…..  Therefore, I just keep a constant steady pace and manage with 100 to 120 kilometers a day in about 5 and a half  to 6 and a half hours. 

I could tell Ed was a strong rider from the start, just by his positioned on a touring bike.  He looks like a road cyclist, with a wee bit of extra weight.  He is way more aerodynamic than me and less capable of being distracted than myself.  While I’m off looking at the local vendors and waving and smiling at the kids and curiously observing my surroundings (I guess only one crash is lucky!)  Ed is pedaling fast and hard, and if I’m not careful, he gets away!  I tried my best to stay right on his back wheel, and take advantage of someone else doing all the hard work.  I hadn’t had many days of head wind since I started the trip, maybe a handful of days at most when I really noticed the wind.  Unfortunately, we had strong head and cross wind every single day, which makes for challenging cycling with an extra 20 kilograms of gear on your bike.  We rode like this for 7 consecutive days, putting in anywhere between 115 and 145 kilometers a day.  Poor Ed, he did the majority of the riding into the head wind, and by the majority, I think I rode in front for about 20 kilometers out of 882 total! 

A typical pit stop for us.  Our fuel?!?! 1 kg of mandarins, 1kg of apples and 2 iced coffees each

Twice the cyclists, twice the audience starring......

He deserves a prize for all his hard work, which is why I delegated myself as the “Fruit Fetcher”.  We’d spot a café together, he’d sit and order two iced coffees (Yes, the iced coffees and condensed milk are that good I even got an English bloke addicted) while I scurried around in search of fresh fruit and snacks.  Our pit stops consisted of about 2 kilos of fruit and about 2 to 3 drinks each, juices, iced coffee, coke, you name it! We drank anything and everything in order to keep us hydrated and get some calories into our bodies.  Just from my sweat marks and little need to pee, I know I was burning and sweating far more than I did at my normal touring pace.  I still had to make a few bathroom stops along the way, but Ed cycled 850 kilometers before having to search for a place to pee on the side of the road.

Poolside lounging, a rare occurence for Melissa

Mekong riverside hotel 

At the end of the day, we were always worthy of a nice ice-cold beer and some snacks, and a bit of R & R by the pool,…. again, another reason or need for the nicer hotels.  We did a bit of exploring in the evening and might walk around the town where we were staying.  One morning we got a later start as we went to see a floating markets, which was interesting, but a little too touristy for our liking.  Our favorite places were in Southern Cambodia along the coast, although the roads were in much better condition in Vietnam.  Riding into Phnom Penh on New Years Eve was chaotic to say the least, and it was also our longest day on the bike!  A sewer had burst with about 5 kilometers to go.  We were sooooo ready to be at the hotel, but here we were dodging potholes filled with sewage and dirty water on a gravel roads.  Then with about 2,5 kilometers from tour destination there was a massive accident.  Ed saw the victim from the motor scooter, dead and ripped open,  thankfully I was spared.  I have too many kilometers to go in this country to see such a sight.  Really, we can’t believe we didn’t stumble upon an accident earlier due to the poor road conditions and terrible drivers! 

Some go for ice cream to ring in the new year, others beer,....we did both!

All-in-all, we had a fun week and I was thrilled to have some company along my route.  We cycled 882 kilometers together in 7 days.  We celebrated Christmas Eve in Ho Chi Minh City, and New Year’s in Phnom Penh.  Unfortunately, I feel like we just got in our riding groove together towards the end of the week, which is a shame because we could easily do another week together, now that we have figured out how we ride best together.  For anyone else who might be thinking of joining me (come on,….I know you are out there with vacation time to burn), know that a week is welcomed, but ten days or 2 weeks is better to actually develop a riding style together! I actually wish Ed would meet up with me again in the final stretch of my SE Asia route as I have one long straight road to follow from the Thai border to Singapore and I could use his wheel for drafting.  What a treat!  Thank you Ed!