STR Adventure Day 5 - Ranong at last! Easy 55km.

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Pic from Le Ranong website

Its nice to wake up to deep blue skies and bright sunshine. We were not in a hurry to leave as today's distance was an easy 55km or so. Loading up our bikes, we made our way to the town market for a spot of breakfast. It was great to see smoke, which meant BBQ chicken satays and we had that with sticky rice. Though this was the cheapest and simplest meal we have had so far, Pete reckoned this was the best breakkie of the entire trip so far, and he was not wrong. As we chomp on our food, we had good conversations with the locals including a policeman who was having coffee too.

Pulling out of Kapoe, there was a song in my heart at being able to cycle on this brand new day. We must not take our health for granted. One downside of a non rainy day in the tropics was the humidity, o yes and the heat. This was fine until it got nearer to noon where temperatures hit 33c. Fortunately, the roads we took were largely shaded and this made it so much more pleasant.

We rode together often side by side just enjoying the scenery whiz pass before us, with not a care in the world. Knowing that we would be in Ranong by lunch time was a comforting thought and sometimes, it is just nice to ride short distances for the day.

Ranong is located near the mountain range and it is good that the road skirts around these otherwise, it will be a hard slog climbing. We passed by a lovely lakeside area (which I regretted not stopping) and some waterfalls. There was also this interesting area called Bald Mountain.

Upon arriving in Ranong, Ying Chang with his trusty Garmin took over the lead. It was strange to be riding through busy streets after being in the quiet country for so many days but civilisation = good food. 

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Our destination was Le Ranong - a charming boutique hotel that our friend Chris Wee highly recommended not just for its good value, nice amenities and friendly owner, but for Butter, the pet dog. Here he is as a puppy when Chris was there 2 years ago.

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Butter as a young adult. Still playful!

The charming lady owner of Le Ranong, Khun Nok, welcomed us with a warm and open heart, and many opened mangosteens, all carefully cut and served with a plate and fork.  Giveaway sign of an uppity upbringing which we appreciated very much. 

There were also welcome drinks all round and for US$32 per night with 2 breakfasts, we were all absolutely in love with Le Ranong. Le Ranong also boasts of a beautiful bakery on site and looking at all the amazing pastries and Danishes, we were bowled over. The expression on these faces say it all when we checked into our rooms!

There are heaps of eateries in Ranong and just around the corner of our hotel. We chose a bright and cheery Thai eatery that had a Som Tam (papaya salad) kitchen just outside its shop. The friendly owner really knew how to make a great Som Tam and we enjoyed every piece of it!

Ranong is also famous for hot springs and we cycled there after a short afternoon siesta. As we were cycling there, we saw a little Nissan Micra honking at us. Turned out to be Khun Nok who wanted to make sure we got there safely. If there ever is an award for Hospitality of the Year, Le Ranong will certainly win hands down. 

We were amazed that the beautiful Raksawarin Hot Springs was free! No charge, opened to everyone to enjoy. A rarity indeed and it was obviously very well maintained. Kudos to the Thai local government. It was so good to soak our aching legs in hot 40c water in the cool evening of the day. We all voted that Ranong is certainly worth another visit and some of us even wanted to retire here!

Khun Nok recommended us to have dinner at a hole in the wall eatery, run by a Thai Chinese family. It was just 1km away from the hot springs area and easy to find. Just look out for the flaming wok! As it turned out, this was by far, the best meal we ever had. All the dishes we ordered were amazing in taste and quality and I discovered my fav dish of all, fried cat fish in spicy sauce called Pla Too K. 

The service was also first class, very attentive without being intrusive and kudos to the Burmese waitresses. What was even more astounding was the price - 750B or US$25 for 7 of us for 7 dishes with beer. We nearly fell off our chair and reported excitedly to Khun Nok when we returned to the hotel, who was pleased as punch to hear that. More eating followed when we discovered some dessert stores just before reaching our hotel, and this was truly food paradise!

All in, it took us a day longer to reach Ranong and in some sense, I wish we had come here earlier. But we still had another day in Ranong to enjoy and tomorrow, we shall be going for a spot of boating across to Burma. Ranong rocks!

STR Adventure Day 4 - To Ranong! Well... almost. 75km

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We woke up to pouring rains but that didn't deter us as it just meant we could eat at Greenview's excellent restaurant once again for breakkie. They made excellent rice porridge which we all enjoyed thoroughly. The rains continued and when it eased a little, we took the opportunity to fly downhill to Kuraburi, some 10km away.

It was great to be on the road again this time at a faster than average speed thanks to gravity. As we entered Kuraburi, we were blessed to be welcomed by a huge procession of school children all dressed up. I believe it was some Royal festival, perhaps the Queen's birthday.

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With loud music and lots of pomp, we were taken in with the excitement together with the large crowds, all lined up on both sides of the road. It is moments like these that make touring so special.

We stopped at the local 7-11 to top up our supplies and proceeded to a local cafe to enjoy amazing coffees and teas. As usual, we were greeted with much curiosity and warm smiles. The clouds were still dark and the roads still wet but that not deter our caffeine-nated spirits that were so bright and high. Our ambitious aim was Ranong, straight up north along Highway 4 for another 110km.

The ride up for most part of the morning was excellent as the rains were light and intermittent. Despite the slight rolling hills, we were able to move along at a good speed. I appreciated the wide bike lanes, not that they were needed as traffic was almost non-existent and that made for a most pleasurable ride.

The heavens soon began to pour about 30km into the ride and we had to take shelter at a Muslim family's house that had a small business selling drinks. The kind lady offered us unlimited supply of mangosteens and was rather shy about taking pictures. With the rains pouring, we were literally stuck there for hours but the family didn't mind it one bit. We appreciated their warm hospitality very much.

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We decided to press on as the rain was relentless and cycled till about noon when we chanced upon a lovely resort for lunch. Business was obviously slow during this low season and the first question the staff asked was would we need rooms. We didn't but we do need a big lunch! What fascinated in this restaurant were the owner's collection of 2 Harley Davidson motorcycles and a postie bicycle.

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As we were taking off our footwear, poor Pete realised a very slimy leach enjoying a Bloody Mary on his account. That got everyone to check themselves thoroughly! A simple flame thrower courtesy of KC's ciggie lighter soon solved the problem. Strangely, that didn't affect our appetites one bit.

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With our bellies full, it was hard work to be on our foldies again and it didn't help that we were greeted with a climb. Poor George realised Wendy's water bottle was left behind in the restaurant and turned back, accompanied by our good ole dynamo powerhouse KC while the rest of us pressed on.

With the weather getting a bit challenging, we were not making good time. Riding in the rain and sometimes muddy roads really took a toll on our bikes.  We encountered some road construction too that caused some delay. Our goal to hit Ranong today was fading as it meant riding in the dark, something we were not keen to do. So we aimed our sights at Kapoe, not knowing if there were any hotels in this small town.

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We took a break at a coffee shop and waited for George and KC to catch up. However, after 30 mins we got really worried and Ying Chang turned back to look for them. As he set off, there they were cycling with bright smiles coming around the bend. Apparently, the ever friendly George had a chat with some soldiers at the road block.

Riding into Kapoe at about 5pm with heavy rains, I got KC to wait for the rest while I went to scout for hotels. At the 7-11, a very kind lady hopped on her Honda scooter and led me to one. It was really hard to communicate as the hotel staff could not speak any English. That hotel turned out to be unsuitable and as I rode back 2km to town to meet the rest, my Bike Friday hit a patch of slime on the road while making a turn. Before I knew it, I was on the floor in amazement. Tried standing up and the road was so slippery I fell again. Really thank God that none of us who had spills were injured! Gingerly, I picked the bike up and met the rest of the gang taking shelter at the local goldsmith shop, drinking hot teas and munching happily on fried chicken.

While waiting for our sumptous dishes to arrive at dinner, Ying Chang and I went to check out a newish place called DD Resort. This is located about 1km from the town centre at the back of the big school field. We struck gold! It was spanking new and ran by a lovely Thai family. I immediately paid a deposit and returned excitedly to the group who were just about to start eating.

Everyone was so happy to check into DD Resort as we all had beautiful chalets. Most importantly, we could wash our bikes and gave it a much needed lubrication. The 3 single boys shared the VIP one, and that had large, comfortable beds with cold aircon. We somehow managed to un-VIP the room with all our hanging laundry but no one minded one bit.

Though we didn't quite make Ranong today, it was perfectly ok as we were not in a race. Such is a beauty of a tour, where sometimes it's great to just go where the wind blows or in our case, where the rain falls.

STR Adventure Day 3 - Wet wet wet to Khura Buri. 70km

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Khuraburi Greenview Resort - Pic KC

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We woke up to dark skies. Not good news when we are setting off but this was what we came for - to cycle in the rain. This as we found out later, was easier said than done. After such a beautiful and indulgent rest day, we were eager and ready for a long spin. Our target was Khura Buri - some 70km away.

Leaving Aspara Resort, we were in top spirits. Of course, some like Ying Chang were more prepared than others with his ultra long range 5 litre water tank, and that got us cracking!

Just 3km out of the hotel as we cruising along the quiet country road out of our hotel, I carelessly ran over some metal object and heard a loud whoosh. My rear Schwalbe Supreme, even with built in puncture guard, got cut and was flat in no time. It is in times like this that necessitates lugging a spare tire. However, the ever skilful KC managed to salvage the situation by some precision taping of the inside tire. I was surprised that just with a simple tape, all was well again and we were on our way.

It was also amazing to be on the receiving end of kindness and help from everyone in the team. There is scriptural truth that two is certainly better than one, and 7 even more so!

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Our next stop was the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Center some 14km away, and just at the turn off we spotted a bike shop. As my newly repaired tire needed some serious air, we stopped only to be warmly greeted by the owner, a spritely 80 year old gentleman. He used his own home made air hose and got my tire rock hard. Never in my life had such a distinguished and elderly man done this for me, and I felt today to be a very special day.  

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He and his family ran this shop for over 50 years and it was a real joy to just bask in their hospitality and to meet their youngest member, a chubby 4 yr old boy on a small tricycle. George got himself some snazzy bright red handlebar tape too.

The ride to the Memorial Centre was about 3 km and we passed through a Tsunami Evacuation station. It was a shame that it was not built in 2004, as some victims could have been saved. Still, it is good that it is there now.

It was really sad to know people happily frolicking on the beach one moment, and perishing with very little warning, the next moment. Reading through the little pictorial memorials, it made me reflect on the fragility of life. 

I said a prayer for the victims with a heavy heart. Indeed we do not know when our time is up, but that is not as important as knowing what we should do with our life while we have it. As we left the memorial, I felt grateful to my maker for this golden opportunity to do this STR Adventure, and with such wonderful folks.

As we did not have breakfast, we were famished. Entering the hamlet of Takua Pa, I spotted an eatery with these words, "Clean Food Good Taste!" Definitely can't go wrong with that so all 7 of us parked our iron steeds outside the restaurant for a good feed. 

The CFGT restaurant was run by a couple of elderly sisters who were thrilled to learn we came all the way from Spore & Australia. They fussed around us like we were some important guests and recommended their signature dishes. We just went along and were not the least disappointed with the great food. Fruits were complimentary too! Soon, their photo albums started coming out and they proudly showed me the various countries they have visited. Such is the friendliness of the Thais and it is these experiences that make every trip to the Land of Smiles so amazing. We left them a big tip which they did not expect and felt embarrass to receive but I said, "This is our small contribution to your travel fund."

It was hard to proceed with a full stomach but we had to push on. It was a good run until the afternoon rains came in buckets and made the road rather slippery. Both Wendy and Ying Chang had a little spill but thank God they came out relatively unscathed. We continued on whenever we could and when it came down again, we took shelter in a school. Little did we know that it was a kindergarden and filled with excited, curious young children. This added to the fun, and it was great just seeing the joy and hearing the laughter of happy hearts on a wet and dreary afternoon.

With the rains continuing, we decided to head for the exclusive Khura Buri Greenview Resort which was just at the 70km mark. The town was another 10km but there comes a time when even the toughest have to fight the battle another day. Soaking and dripping wet, we made our way to Greenview's excellent cafe for hot drinks. Felt rather embarrass at our sorry state but the staff did not seem to mind one bit, even offering us umbrellas.

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While the gang were sipping their lattes, I made enquiries hoping that the low season rates of this rather upmarket resort would be reasonable. I was surprised that they were willing to give us their chalets for only 800B and we were only too grateful to check in. Turned out there is a reason for it being called "Green" as nature abounds everywhere. 

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The chalets, though a fair hike from the front office, were absolutely gorgeous and quaint. Japanese style Yukatas were provided and it had an open shower. So with it still raining, we literally had a shower during a shower! The decor of our chalets were nothing like I have seen, tastefully furnished with so much warmth.

We were so thrilled to stay here and finally be in dry clothes. Outside our chalet was a small waterfall that was gushing out tonnes of water. That got us a little worried if we would be flooded in with the torrential rains continuing.

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It turned out that the resort served a very good Thai dinner and that made all of us delighted. We were like the only customers for the night and were given superb attention. Our table also had a most beautiful view of the resort's beautiful grounds down below. We could not have chosen a better place to end a hard and wet day of riding. Somehow, I knew we were well looked after despite the bad weather and I slept with a very grateful heart.

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