Welcome to koh chang...
Start - New Siam hotel, Bangkok
Finish - The island of Koh Chang Distanced travelled - 357 km Words by - Swells |
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With 3 days validity remaining on my Thai visa, it was time for me to leave my Bangkok hideout. Tonight's destination was Koh Chang, a small island off the Thailand mainland just west of the Cambodian border. Having always want to go to Koh Chang - since learning about its existence from a second hand lonely plant guide book I purchased two days ago, now seemed as good as time as any.
Forced to avoid the motorways as motorbikes are not permitted. I was left to navigate the maze of streets out of Bangkok. Weaving my way through the early morning traffic I enjoyed the orienteering challenge as I raced towards the cheese. On the city out skirts I followed directly under a car only motorway. Four lanes wide the motorways' center point rested on top of massive concrete priers which marched off into the distance as far as I could see. Under the motorway there were another four roads each two lanes wide. Riding among the clearly impressive infrastructure I oddly found myself concluding that during a zombie apocalypse a cut off section of the raised motorway would make for a very secure base to hideout from zombies on while practicing a subsistence form of agricultural farming in the slowly acquired dirt from the low lands.
Leaving Bangkok the roads slowly grew smaller as the jungle grew denser. Clouds hung in the sky in the direction I rode. I sense of foreboding arose from within. A car full of friendly faces pulled alongside me at a traffic light asking questions and singing encouragement.
The encounter reminded me that even though I'm on my own I'm still surrounded by rad people, which is lucky for me as the sky broke and I drove into sheeting rain. Willing the Sherpa on I rode up a small mountain range and into a village looking for a place to escape the downpour. I was just feeling the water soak my sock when all of a sudden I rode straight out of heavy rain onto a dry road. Reaching forward I stroked the Sherpa along her front fuel tank flank in celebration then spurred her onwards. Hey ya.
Approaching the coast the jungle started to take over. Turning of the small highway onto the street the ferry operated at the end of I was faced with line of cars. Weaving my way through the cars I rounded a bend to find another long straight full of cars. Soon I had paid for my ticket and was sitting at the very front of the long line of cars waiting on a pier which stretched out past the mangroves and into the ocean.
Boarding the ferry just in time to enjoy a light rain shower I relaxed on the top deck with my good pal tom yum noodles absorbing the serenity. Reading lonely planet I relished my place in the herd of humans heading to the island.
Lonely plants description of the island didn't disappoint. The undisturbed jungle swarmed the road, the wild lush green trees provoked ancient imagery of a land which dinosaurs roamed in a tropical utopia. Trying to remember if the lonely plant guide had in fact mentioned the presence of dinosaurs I threw my bike into the pleasurably steep winding jungle roads. Ascending one of the islands mountain crests the air stayed warm with a hint of dinosaur. Cresting the summit I was rewarded with vast vista of the fancy post card variety. The warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand floated lazily from the horizon to caress the sandy shore where a strip of human dwellings nestled in against the islands character filled cloud covered mountain peaks. Gazing in wonder upwards a sense of vertigo engulfed my balance CPU, diverting my attention down towards the people swimming at the beach added a wet feeling to the overall nature inspired immersion of my onboard sensors.
Riding through the energy soaked street scene people happily went about their business. It was quickly becoming apparent that this Jurassic island was also a happening party scene for local and imported holidaying human beings alike. In a literal splash of realisation I realised that the Thai water festival started today, checking my side mirror I saw kids laughing with joy as they refilled their empty buckets. The wet celebrations continued as I rode further north along the islands coast discovering the contagious party spirit was a island wide epidemic. Reaching as far north as the island allowed the road to go I took five minutes to catch my breath and dry off a little in the setting suns warmth. Retracing my steps I return to a little guest house in the middle of ground zero where I saw the cheapest advertised room rate. Night time settled while I enjoyed an authentic Italian pasta in a small cheap restaurant positioned to absorb the islands ambiance. After cutting a foot lap of the street I returned to my room to plug into bed and recharge.
Forced to avoid the motorways as motorbikes are not permitted. I was left to navigate the maze of streets out of Bangkok. Weaving my way through the early morning traffic I enjoyed the orienteering challenge as I raced towards the cheese. On the city out skirts I followed directly under a car only motorway. Four lanes wide the motorways' center point rested on top of massive concrete priers which marched off into the distance as far as I could see. Under the motorway there were another four roads each two lanes wide. Riding among the clearly impressive infrastructure I oddly found myself concluding that during a zombie apocalypse a cut off section of the raised motorway would make for a very secure base to hideout from zombies on while practicing a subsistence form of agricultural farming in the slowly acquired dirt from the low lands.
Leaving Bangkok the roads slowly grew smaller as the jungle grew denser. Clouds hung in the sky in the direction I rode. I sense of foreboding arose from within. A car full of friendly faces pulled alongside me at a traffic light asking questions and singing encouragement.
The encounter reminded me that even though I'm on my own I'm still surrounded by rad people, which is lucky for me as the sky broke and I drove into sheeting rain. Willing the Sherpa on I rode up a small mountain range and into a village looking for a place to escape the downpour. I was just feeling the water soak my sock when all of a sudden I rode straight out of heavy rain onto a dry road. Reaching forward I stroked the Sherpa along her front fuel tank flank in celebration then spurred her onwards. Hey ya.
Approaching the coast the jungle started to take over. Turning of the small highway onto the street the ferry operated at the end of I was faced with line of cars. Weaving my way through the cars I rounded a bend to find another long straight full of cars. Soon I had paid for my ticket and was sitting at the very front of the long line of cars waiting on a pier which stretched out past the mangroves and into the ocean.
Boarding the ferry just in time to enjoy a light rain shower I relaxed on the top deck with my good pal tom yum noodles absorbing the serenity. Reading lonely planet I relished my place in the herd of humans heading to the island.
Lonely plants description of the island didn't disappoint. The undisturbed jungle swarmed the road, the wild lush green trees provoked ancient imagery of a land which dinosaurs roamed in a tropical utopia. Trying to remember if the lonely plant guide had in fact mentioned the presence of dinosaurs I threw my bike into the pleasurably steep winding jungle roads. Ascending one of the islands mountain crests the air stayed warm with a hint of dinosaur. Cresting the summit I was rewarded with vast vista of the fancy post card variety. The warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand floated lazily from the horizon to caress the sandy shore where a strip of human dwellings nestled in against the islands character filled cloud covered mountain peaks. Gazing in wonder upwards a sense of vertigo engulfed my balance CPU, diverting my attention down towards the people swimming at the beach added a wet feeling to the overall nature inspired immersion of my onboard sensors.
Riding through the energy soaked street scene people happily went about their business. It was quickly becoming apparent that this Jurassic island was also a happening party scene for local and imported holidaying human beings alike. In a literal splash of realisation I realised that the Thai water festival started today, checking my side mirror I saw kids laughing with joy as they refilled their empty buckets. The wet celebrations continued as I rode further north along the islands coast discovering the contagious party spirit was a island wide epidemic. Reaching as far north as the island allowed the road to go I took five minutes to catch my breath and dry off a little in the setting suns warmth. Retracing my steps I return to a little guest house in the middle of ground zero where I saw the cheapest advertised room rate. Night time settled while I enjoyed an authentic Italian pasta in a small cheap restaurant positioned to absorb the islands ambiance. After cutting a foot lap of the street I returned to my room to plug into bed and recharge.
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