Ride #11: Khao Lak to Patong

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The last day, horaaahh. After following a route I found on a web site for all of the way to this point I thought the 38 km ride was a bit soft so I doubled up and decided to head all the way to Patong. After my sleep-in that day I struggled to get to sleep that night, hotel was on a little bit of a noisy spot too not very loud but enough to keep you awake, so it was a late start. I think I got on the road at about 9 am and it was hot already. Some days it doesn't really heat up till about 11 or 12 am and others you are sweating putting the bags on your bike at 8 am. This was one of the early mornings, at least my cycling shorts were dry. Handy tip (not sure if I've mentioned this one before) but when you arrive at your hotel if you get straight into the shower with all your clothes on and give them a rinse they don't stink when they dry out. imagine a bag of gym clothes that has been left for a day or two, well you avoid that stench. You can use them for another day too. After two days they tend to smell a bit but more from the water in the showers. Rubbing them with soap helps a bit but the max you want out is two days in a row. I was taking enough rest days that laundry stops weren't such a problem. Not sure what you would do if you weren't taking rest days, smell I guess, not that I didn't smell at times...... Laundry day is great. Fresh underwear. Ya, I've been wearing clothes for a few days more than they were supposed to be worn. I'll be throwing everything away as soon as I get back to bangkok. I don't even think I could burn them, the evil spirits released would be to much for the world to handle. Ghostbusters? no, we need bryan's Underpantsbusters. "arrrgghhhh, I've been slimed...". Anyway, back to the cycling.
Sorry, blank for most of this ride. It started to get back to a more built up area, more houses and factories and little towns and more traffic. After the intersection where the road from the east coast joins the road I was on it was mostly highway type riding with lots of traffic. After some small undulates the road flattened out when it got close to phuket. I had planned on following the coast round around to patong but the signs where pointing me in another direction. I figured it was safest to follow the signs and not chance that the coast road was overly hilly (which it was). The route the traffic is directed in is usually the flattest, usually. The road to patong split of from the road to phuket town. Still a flat nice road and I was holding a nice pace. The road started to wind through some smaller towns and houses and the road became narrower. Then the hill appeared. The hills to date had been steep (i thought) but not much more over 12% and if it was over 12% it wasn't for very long. The first section of the hill peaked at 14%, made it through this section with a bit of grunting. Then the road turned and I thought 'feck', this looked even steeper and there were trucks struggling to get over it. At 16% i got off and started walking, walking was tough enough. When it flattened out I stopped and got my breath back and tried riding again. It went straight to 14% then up to 18%, I got off again. Not far to the top though. I'd like to know what is going through the heads of people traveling passed me when I am off and pushing my bike. They tend to look at you with an expression of pity and "what the hell is he doing". Especially the overweight tourists as the tuk tuk struggles to carry them up the hill.
At the top I got my breath back again and then enjoyed the descent down into patong. Took a little longer than usual to find a hotel. The one I had in mind was full, first time a hotel had been full on my trip. It took me an age to find the place, down an alley that was down an alley. Eventually I found a place that was ok and right in the centre. It took it and went drinking.........
I was only intending on staying 2 days in patong but it is surprisingly easy to find people to go drinking with in patong. All you had to do was sit in an irish pub and somebody would sit next to you. After 3 weeks of having mostly no one to talk to it made for a welcoming change, probably to welcoming as it became my downfall. "I'll just head to the irish pub to use the wifi and then I'll go back to the hotel to get and early night to leave in the morning...". hmmm, when an australian soldier on leave from a 6 month alcohol free stint in afghanistan sits next to you, you know you are in trouble. Man, this guy could drink. He had a video where he picks a wine carafe (containing 2 bottles of beer) up with his mouth and downs it in about 1 or 2 seconds, 3 gulps and it was gone. His missus turned up a little later and she could drink too, doh. Anyway, I had to extend my stay by a few days.
Ride #11 done.

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Comments

[Elvis Presley]

Suspicous minds
Hey ThyBryBry I think I may have seen you fly by my thai fried chicken stall on your way to that irish pub in Patong. Anyway call back if you can, it is just beyond that stretch of jungle in a small clearing off to the right near the entry to town. Look out for the sign 'The Kings Wings'. To paraphrase on old fav of mine 'We can go on together, with suspicous minds'. We are not caught in a trap ThyBryBry, so come on down for a wing with the king. Elvis Presely - alive and well living in Patong