Day 12 - to Chumphon

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I felt somewhat relieved that this days’ route was only 45 km. However, after that 101 km ride, my body was not so happy to have to sit on the bicycle again, so it felt quite hard.

At first I went to Chumphon railway station because I had read that all the ferry agents were there. Funny enough, googling for the coordinates of the night ferry did not bring up a real location, so I had to ask there. One Thai tried to sell me the speed boat ticket but after I told him that I want the night ferry, he even let me a map and pointed me to the right location. However it must have been the 100^th copy of a copy and so I was quite happy to find signs to the ferry piers in Chumphon. They are all south of Chumphon and for the Ko Jaroen night ferry just follow the 4001 to about 100 m after it hits the 4119.

I arrived around noon and it cost 400 Baht. No matter what you read, it only goes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On the other days it returns from Ko Tao, Sunday it does not run at all. The bicycle cost another 100 Baht. After a while, more bicyclists arrived. I got to know to a couple who had ridden through China and Vietnam until Chumphon. Also three more people arrived later. So far I had only seen one tour rider…

The night ferry has a nice dormitory and with sleeping there I saved one night in a guesthouse. I watched the whole day the loading of the ferry – see the following blog.

At 5 a.m. we arrived and all waited together for the sun to rise and until about 8 a.m. when I rented a room and went to sleep.

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