THE VISA RUN (AND OTHER HAZARDS)

By "run" I don't refer to the constant stomach ailments which continue to plague us. Also, the cycling conditions are not at all hazardous, with wonderful roads which are well-signed and usually have a shoulder designated for bicycles. Since my last update Leana and I have cycled from Phuket up the Andaman Sea coastline via the town of Ranong, and we are now back at Chumphong on the Gulf of Thailand (East Coast). The West coast area through which we have just been is very lush and green, maintained by the daily rain showers. That area was also one of the hardest-hit by the Dec 2004 tsunami, and now the tsunami "hazard" and "evacuation route" signs are a constant reminder. Another possible hazard (especially when camping) is snakes, and there are more trodden snakes on the road than I've seen anywhere else since Zimbabwe (don't be concerned, the snake Leana is holding in the photo is very dead!). As our 30-day Thai visa was about to expire, we exited the country at Ranong and took a long-tailed boat across the Gulf of Martaban to Kawthoung in Myanmar (Burma). We mistakenly thought that we were only being allowed over on a day-pass, but discovered that we could have stayed for 2 weeks!). On the return trip the engine of our boat (which didn't sound too healthy from the start) blew up, spewing bits of engine casing and oil all over the boat. Fortunately we were able to signal one of the many other boats for help, which arrived before we could drift into one of the several rocky islands. Back at the Thai immigration office we received a rather nasty surprise - instead of the expected new 30-day visa, we were only granted 15 days (new law). This means that we have precious little time to reach our next planned destination, Cambodia. Another major problem is that Leana is considering flying back to Cape Town from Bangkok in order to sell her house (funding for a "faulty" tax rebate which the "Reciever" is now claiming back - she heard today!). I'm still trying to attract the interest of sponsors, but if that doesn't happen soon I may well be joining one of the impoverished Cambodian communities. Daily distances cycled since Phuket are:- Thai Muang 106 km; Khao Lak 56 km; Karaburi 83 km; Ban Ben Beach 88 km; Ranong 65 km; Kra Buri 60 km; and Chumphon 68 km. Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town on this journey is 40 211 km.

BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

Leaving Bangkok wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd anticipated. We just had to pick the correct exit route, and the good roads and well-behaved traffic did the rest. In no time Leana and I were on the highway heading South-West to the "Gulf of Thailand" coastline. The climate is hot and humid every day, with rain showers just about every afternoon. So far we've been fortunate, with the rain often falling around us or arriving once we've already found shelter. Besides the beaches the inland scenery is also very lush with forests, as well as rubber and palm plantations. In certain areas there are impressive "limestone pillar" hills rising out of the surrounding forest. Cruising down the coast we were able to find many beautiful spots, where we stayed in beach-side huts (popular with the local tourists) or in budget hotels (popular with foreign travellers - who are referred to as "Farang's" in Thailand). We became so laid-back that we even stayed over for 3 nights in one place on at least 2 occasions. Then I heard that my friends from Cape Town - Rossouw and Dawn - were holidaying in Phuket for a few days. We got the bikes (and ourselves) into gear, and cycled over 450 k's in 3 days to meet the 2 "Farang's" at their resort in Patong Beach on the Andaman coast in the South-West of the country. The occasion was due to Dawn's 50th birthday, and last night the 4 of us enjoyed a pleasant evening out in the touristy town. From here we intend to move North up the West coast so that we can do the "visa run" across the Myanmar (Burma) border (upon our return we hope to be issued another 30 days' stay in Thailand). In the mean time I'm gaining weight as Leana finds vegetarian food rather scarce (or hard to explain), and as a result I've often had to consume 2 meals at a time! Daily distances cycled since Bangkok were:- Samut Sonkhram 78 km; Puktian Beach 78 km; Hua Hin 49 km; Prachuap Khiri Khan 110 km; Bang Saphan 115 km; Praia Bay 94 km; Chumphon 43 km; Cheya 142 km; Au Luk 170 km; Phuket 140 km; and Patong Beach 21 km. Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town is 39 685 km.

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK . . . . .

. . . . . is not enough! This city of about 12 million is a breath of really fresh air after where I've been for the past 6 months or more (even my cough and snotty nose have just about disappeared). I'm still in some sort of "shock" due to a number of factors. Firstly, I thought I'd developed a serious hearing problem, until it dawned on me that the traffic here is silent (unlike India and the rest of the Sub-Continent, where "the louder and more continuous the AIR-HORN, the better"). Also, the Thai people are very polite and helpful, and they have a good concept of a QUE - not something that resembles a thousand-man rugby scrum! This city is also spotless, as though there may be "hygiene police" lurking around every corner (and here are actually rubbish bins - plenty of them!). This is a large modern city, with skyscrapers forming the background regardless of which direction you happen to look. There is also a lot of history here, largely involving either the Buddhist religion and the Royalty (very impressive palaces and temples). In the past few days I've tested the impressive public transport system extensively. Firstly, Leana and myself have taken the express ferries up and down the river, which snakes roughly from North to South through the city towards the ocean. Today I took the ferry South, transferred to the amazing sky-train all the way to the North of the city, transferred to the underground Metro, and back to the sky-train and another ferry back to my abode (all comfortably in about 2 hours). I say the sky-train is amazing, as it runs above the crowded city roads and highways amongst the buildings - sometimes as high as 6 or 7 stories up (the Metro is, conversely, probably about that same depth below the surface at times). Another thing about Bangkok is the food, which I find rather to my liking (poor Leana, last night was the first time she actually had an enjoyable meal - not too vegetarian here!). Thinking ahead, it may be problematic for us to get out of here (just a rumour). Many of the city highways don't even allow motorcycles - let alone bicyles. The intention is for us to leave for the Southern coastal areas early tomorrow morning, and hopefully we don't still find ourselves here in the city by evening! So, optimistically, I'm looking forward to experiencing the rest of Thailand.

SAARTJIE GETS WINGS

As the title of this report may indicate, it's the bike who got wings and not me. We didn't fly up the hills, of which there were plenty - but we did fly downhill! From Kathmandu Leana and I cycled N-West through Nepal as far as Pokhara. This was my 50th birthday (see photo of "high fifty") - what a way to spend it! On that day we cycled up the gruelling 8 km climb to the historic hilltop village of Bandipur - off the main road (photo of village / photo of me in red shirt looking down to where we climbed up from / photo of Leana with Himalaya in background upon leaving the village). Pokhara is the second largest Nepali City (and also very touristy), just below the Anapurna Himalaya. One morning I cycled up the very steep road to the hilltop viewpoint of Sarankot (to get there at dawn) and found there was no view at all - hazy and cloudy in the direction of the mountains. From Pokhara Leana took a bus back to Kathmandu (she'd already cycled part of the route on her way into Nepal), while I spent 3 days returning to Kathmandu and staying over in some interesting places. Now for the real "Saartjie Gets Wings" story:- We flew from Kathmandu to Bangkok (Thailand) yesterday. (I didn't want to travel by air, and I hate to admit it, but it seemed inevitable - at least it's the first time so far). Cycling from Nepal to China via Tibet was not possible, and the few other options were discarded in favour of the one we chose. I am thankful to Leana for sponsoring my air ticket to Bankok (I certainly don't have that kind of money). My aim was to reverse the route from here through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, and then Tibet back to Nepal - apparently easier that way around. I'm not sure what the plan is right now, as it is very hot and humid, and Leana seems set on the beaches of the South. On arrival in Bankok I was immediately semi-disorrientated as the place is large and a rather organised city (compared to where we've been recently). We landed at the ultra-modern brand new gigantic airport, where everything (immigration, baggage collection - including bikes - went extremely smoothly). Now Leana and I are staying in the tourist region of Bangkok (Banglamphu), where the action doesn't seem to stop (eating, drinking, and everything else you may have heard about this city). Distances cycled since first arriving in Kathmandu have been:- Mugling 115 km; Bandipur 34 km; Pokhara 80 km; Sarankot 26 km; Mugling 98 km; Galchin 63 km; Kathmandu 52 km; and Airport 26 km (someone clever is going to tell me that the airport is much closer than that - this distance also includes the airport recce of the previous day). Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town on 27 March 2007 - 38645km.

TWO YEARS TO KATHMANDU

Well, it's not quite 80 days around the world, but then Mr Fogg wasn't travelling by bicycle! I found it quite appropriate that 2 years to the day (27 March) since the start of this journey, I should cross into a new country (Nepal) and also clock over to 38 000 km. I just felt a bit sorry that Leana wasn't with me on that day, as we'd left Cape Town together and have been cycling together for most of these 2 years. After leaving Varanasi I went back East to pick up a parcel at Patna containing a new rear axle. Leana preferred to spend as little time as possible on those hazardous roads, so she headed North to the nearest Nepalese border post (I may as well have joined her, because after wasting 2 days in the rather miserable city of Patna the parcel had still not arrived - so I decided to forget it and head for Nepal as well). And so it happened that after a few more days in India of poor roads and more TV interviews, I crossed into Nepal. I took an instant liking to the Nepali people, particularly those along the small mountain roads. Yes, I said "SMALL MOUNTAIN ROADS", where I was also surprised to find myself. I'd intended to take the direct route to Kathmandu as it would save me almost 200 k's and I would also avoid the heavy traffic (the road is too steep and narrow for trucks and busses). Somewhere along the way I received faulty directions and soon I was on an unpaved rocky track, battling up and down steep mountains (with a broken rear axle!). There was hardly any traffic though, and I got to meet the wonderful local people - I even camped in a tiny village right at the top of a mountain. My route turned out to be a shortcut, and when I reached Kathmandu I discovered that Leana wasn't here yet (apparently she was enjoying herself, riding elephants in game parks, etc.). She eventually arrived here a couple of days ago in the pouring rain. Since then we've wandered around the city a bit, taking in some of the sights such as Hanuman Durbar Square (a world heritage site). We're also trying to make plans to continue cycling, but the only place to proceed from here, Tibet, seems to be a problem (where to from here?). Fortunately I've found a replacement axle - after cycling almost 3000 km with the broken rear axle which was held together only by the "quick release mechanism". Today is Leana's birthday, her 3rd birthday on the road (the 8th will be my 3rd as well). I expect that tonight we'll celebrate by splashing out for a pizza - we're staying in the touristy area of Kathmandu called Thamel, where there are many western-style restaurants, etc. (the cheap accommodation is also in Thamel). Daily distances which I've cycled since my last update from Varanasi were:- Buxar 135 km; Patna 139 km; Muzaffarpur 74 km; Motihari 94 km; Simara (Nepal) 84 km; Kulekhani Mtn 67 km; and Kathmandu 51 km. Total distance in 2 years since leaving Cape Town is 38 151 km.

HOLY COW!

Varanasi, one of the most holy Hindu sites, is a chaotic place where thousands of pilgrims flock to each day in order to wash their sins away in the polluted Ganges River. It is also a place where the dead are cremated at the riverside ghats, and those who die in the city are liberated from the continuous cycle of death and re-birth. For me the cycle seems to continue - I was here at Varanasi in October, and 5 months later here I am again. In fact, recently I've been back to a number of places I've previously visited on my way through India. On the other hand, as Leana and I have been working our way North towards Nepal, we've had the time to divert from the main roads and have seen many interesting things which I'd previously missed. Amongst these are the Lord Jagarnath Temple at Puri (photo), and the Sun Temple at Konark (night photo). We've also cycled through areas where foreign tourists are seldom seen, particularly in the States of Bihar and Jharkand (even in the capital cities of these 2 states - Patna and Ranchi - most budget hotels don't accommodate foreigners). On occasion we were again swamped by the media, with exposure in both the local papers and the TV news. Earlier this month we witnessed the national celebration of Holi (Hindu Day), where everyone rubs paint on each others faces and coloured liquid is thrown on clothing. Tourists aren't spared in the process (I was pleased to find that the colour washes out), and neither are animals (see photo of pink duck). During the couple of festival days it's fairly common to see cows, goats, and dogs sheepishly sporting bright technicolour coats. Our original intention was to take the shortest route North to Nepal via Patna, where I've had some cycle spares posted. Unfortunately not all of the spares had arrived, so in the mean time we diverted to Varanasi, which Leana has not yet seen. The Old City area with it's riverside ghats and chaotic narrow maze of alleys, is quite an interesting place (Holy Cows and Holy Men included - No, that's not a recent photo of myself!). We will soon return to Patna, and I hope the rest of the cycle spares will be there, as I've now cycled about 2000 km with a broken rear axle (with my fingers crossed). Daily distances cycled since my last update from Visakhapatnam have been:- Srikakulam 109 km; Palasa 89 km; Gupalpur 93 km; Balagoan 86 km; Puri 169 km; Konark 45 km; Bhubaneshwar 64 km; Chandikhol 81 km; Balasore 137 km; Baripada 58 km; Ghatsila 99 km; Jamshedpur 50 km; Bundu 94 km; Ranchi 47 km; Hazaribag 95 km; Bodhgaya 126 km; Patna 135 km; Ara 65 km; Buxar 74 km; Varanasi 135 km. Total distance cycled since Cape Town is 37 507 km.

BREAKING NEWS

Well, I suppose the news is that I'm still in India. Both Leana and I have decided to head North from Chennai, in the direction of Nepal. Two months ago I was charging down this coast in a Southerly direction, mostly along the highways as I was in somewhat of a hurry. In some of the towns we've even stayed in the same crumby lodges which I'd occupied a couple of months ago - didn't expect to see those places again. Now we're travelling in a more relaxed fashion, and where possible have deviated onto smaller roads along the coast and through endless rural villages and towns. We've lost our way a few times, mostly due to the inventive nature of local directions. And now, the real news story: We were stopped and interviewed by local newspaper reporters every day for about 5 consecutive days. Most of those reporters were apparently working for the biggest-selling daily newspaper in this state - Andhra Pradesh. (I can just imagine the editor receiving yet another photo of us and exclaiming "Oh No - not these 2 again!"). However, people started running up to us with newspapers so we could see the reports, and the attached 4 pictures seem to be from 4 different papers (although I have no idea what is written there). To crown it all, when we arrived in the town of Tuni 2 days ago we were stopped in the main street by the TV News (causing an immediate traffic jam). We were filmed and interviewed by the local Andhra TV channel, as well as by TV5. The next day people were asking for autographs and offering us fruit along the road. Now we're taking a rest in the port city of Visakhapatnam, about half way between Chennai and Kolkata on India's East coast. Daily distances cycled since Chennai are:- Nayadupeta 118 km; Kavali 130 km; Ongole 71 km; Voderevu Beach 70 km; Challapalle 96 km; Narasapuram 128 km; Yanam 79 km; Tuni 105 km; Visakhapatnam 109 km. Total distance cycled since leaving Cape Town is 35 656 km.