http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Bikepacker/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Bikepacker en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:06:50 +0000 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:06:50 +0000 FIVE YEARS AFTER 10th April 2007.Time is an elusive thing you canrsquot touch or hold it you canrsquot speed it up or slow it down it deposes kings it moves mountains it fades our memories it strengthens bonds. Fives years after the England to Singapore bike trip the five core members of the team have stayed in touch met up for a reunion and changed their lives completely. In this http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Rhineland-Palatinate/blog-139012.html Day 302 29th March Around Singapore Today was our rest day the first of a few that would shape our futures and a good day to nurse a welldeserved hangover We went for breakfast at the Fat Frog and then to check email. I had nothing from Kathryn which was a surprise still I sent her a mail and a block sender to everyone on my list to say wersquod made it. The guys went to the pics while http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-139009.html Day 300 27th March Johor Bahru SINGAPORE This was it our 300th day 13700 miles cycling Singapore in our sights. We woke up at the crack of dawn all excited oand anxious about our last dayrsquos cycling together. Mr Chow cooked breakfast for us at the hostel and then we left at ten. John a guy from the Singapore Sports Council had arranged to meet us at the Caltex petrol station jus http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Sentosa-Island/blog-139002.html Day 298 25th March Melaka Muar Batu Pahat We awoke at around seven or was it eight and went for a slap up breakfast dowstairs. This was the day that we would travel again together as one group after 6 weeks apart. We packed our panniers loaded our bikes and there was an amazing amount of arsing about before we set off just after eleven on our final leghellipWe had people from the h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-138997.html Day 294 21st March MelakaThis is it Irsquove come this farhellip Itrsquos the last real stop on the odysseyhellipnext big stop is the culmination of 10 months of Blood Sweat and Tears Singapore. By pumping the pedals day after day 13000 miles brings me to Melaka. I now have the first inkling of how those first Portuguese Dutch or British colonisers must have felt after such a hu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Melaka/Melaka-City/blog-138993.html Day 291 18th March Jeram Kelang Morib As I dozed off last night there was a strobeeffect of distant lightning on my tent that lasted more than an hour but no thunder. Animals kept me alert last night. All kinds of beasties were lurking around my tent having a nosy at the lsquoNew Arrivalrsquo in their jungle realm. I remembered a guy in Gergetown telling me we had crossed the socalle http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-138957.html Day 288 15th March Georgetown Butterworth Simpang Jaram Mas It should be less than two weeks now before we arrive in Singapore and we are all alone doing our own thing The trip is nearing completion I wonder how Irsquoll feel when I actually arrive there Actually I feel a mixture of emotions happiness sadness excitement and a fear of the unknownhellip I awoke before anyone el http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Perak/Ipoh/blog-138595.html Day 285 12th March Georgetown It felt great to spend the night actually sleeping and not having to think about wild animals and gunmen attacking me in my tent. So I got a lie inhellip. Today was the inevitable lsquoLazy Dayrsquo doing virtually nothing apart from wandering around town buying food getting stamps eating food writing letters eating more foodhellipand so on. All that http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-137941.html Day 283 10th March Kaki Bukit Kangar Alor Setar Yan The bear didnrsquot return again last night and I surprisingly slept well despite nearly being mauled to death. So when it was light enough I hurriedly packed my tent loaded my bike up and decided to get the hell out of this jungle before anything else crazy happened.Back on the small road I had a twomile climb which I didnrsquo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-137778.html Day 281 8th March Ko Lanta Sikao Trang I awoke at first light on the beach. Packed my tent got on my bike and set out early taking the little longboat over the water to the small Ko Lanta island and then crossed to catch the big ferry to the Thai mainland. Ther were two Dutch couples on the ferry all retired doing a twomonth bike tour of Thailand respectOnce on the mainland I battl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Trang/blog-136205.html Ko Lanta Woke up with an hangover at first light 80 empty Chang botlles around the tent and I counted 710 Baht strewn across the tent floor and in my panniers from my little business venture last night hmmm maybe Irsquoll stay for another night here on the beachI watched the sun rise over the hills behind my tent it was a magical sight. I spent the rest of the day lazing round filling in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Lanta/blog-135600.html Day 275 2nd March Ranong Kapoe Khuraburi It was a fairly early start and even though I spent 2 hours using the internet before Stephane was ready we managed to set out at ten. Not far after cycling south of Ranong the dualcarriageway ended and the road became very rural again. We were heading into the muslim part of Thailand as mosques began to appear along with covered women. The journe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Lanta/blog-134526.html Day 274 1st March Ranong ferry to Kawthaung and back Ranong Yes This is a Memorablog So donrsquot think the following info is still valid check before you go. Anyway the point is back to 2002 that this is the beginning of the last month that us guys will be cycling together. Four weeks from now hopefully we will arrive in Singapore and Irsquoll be booking a flight to jet off an http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Victoria-Point/blog-134037.html Day 272 27th February Ta Hong Chumphon Isthmus of Kra Khao Fachi We awoke at sunrise to a breakfast our Thai hosts had made us. The kids were vying for attention so I showed them the ldquoSeveredThumbrdquo trick which both freaked them out and amazed them. After eating we said thanks to Jatupon took some pics promised to send them from home and left at eight.Ranong was well withi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ranong/blog-133930.html Day 268 23rd February Hua HinAfter a short sleep we were up for just after 4am and outside our prearranged meeting place the Hilton for our 5am departure to Phetburi by bus. Wersquod cycled through this town a few days before and the filming was taking place there in one of the kingrsquos palaces. There were over 100 westerners recruited from different hostel and hotels. We had our brea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Western-Thailand/Prachuap-Khiri-Khan/blog-133339.html Day 265 20th February Don Tum Samut Songkhram Khao Yoi The sun rose bright red above the palms. We had survived our tiger encounter luckily. We quickly packed our soaking tents and followed the dusty track back onto the road narrowly missing a bikehelmetsized land turtle on the way. Although it was early the humidity level from the jungle was immense and we were soaked with sweat by th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Western-Thailand/Hua-Hin/blog-131700.html Day 261 16th February Muak Lek Saraburi Ayutthaya Awoke on the temple floor after the 6am prayers and shortly afterwards sunlight flooded the room. We ate breakfast with the monks rice. But itrsquos strange what these Buddhist monks eat I meanhellipI thought they were vegetarians but the eat fish and buffalo meat. Last night I saw some of them drinking beer and smoking cigarettes even http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Ayuthaya/blog-131313.html Day 258 13th February Ubon Ratchathani Si Saket Sikhoraphum Our group is finally breaking up. Nick who joined our bikepacker group in Beijing left us a week ago to go north and Scott who Irsquove spent 8 months cycling with disappeared a few days ago near the Mekong. Still no sight nor sound of him. We decided that he knows how to look after himself and not to contact the authorities. Mor http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-128254.html Day 256 11th February Nam Thaeng Pha Taem National Park Khong Jiam Somehow I canrsquot imagine life not ontheroad. Itrsquos a scary thought to think of the end of this journey. The most asked question from nontravellers in the last 8 months has been ldquoArenrsquot you scaredrdquo The answer has always been a resounding ldquoNOrdquo They have obviously meant cycling and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Eastern-Thailand/Ubon-Ratchathani/blog-128213.html Day 254 9th February Savannakhet THAILAND Mukdahan Chanuman Woke up with a bit of a hangover but still managed to get my stuff packed up by 8am. We went off to the cheapo sandwich caf and gorged on greasy egg sandwiches with chill sauce. Man Irsquom really going to have to cut down on my chill intake itrsquos getting a bit ridiculous now Irsquom putting chills or chill sauce on http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/blog-126979.html