Day 86 – Border with Nakhon Ratchasima to Wichian, Petchabun
Today was only going to be 40 kms. We planned to stop at the first resort we found, but the day’s ride didn’t end up that way!
Originally we were going to Chai Badan (or Chai Bin Laden as I kept calling it), because it was a bigger town and would have more accommodation. We didn’t get very far yesterday, so today we decided to cut Chai Badan out of the ride plan.
We pointed our Hase Pinio Tour towards Wichian Buri (or Witches Brewery – If you say the name fast enough this way Thai people hear what they think you’re saying and it seems to work) and planned to stop and stay at the first hotel we came across.
The first place we found was 3km from the centre of Wichian Buri, but it had nothing around (food, supplies, etc.,) so we headed closer to town to search out another hotel. The next place we found was 300 Baht and matchbox sized, so we passed on that one as well. We finally found a hotel with a huge room for 500 Baht and settled in there.
The ride was simple. Along the route, there were not many shops or much of anything else to see. At one point, I said to Natt, “Imagine yellow rather than green, no trees over 3 foot tall, and big trucks (road trains as we call them) pulling 4-5 trailers along a bit of road that stretches 200kms/day for a fortnight and you’d have a pretty good idea of what the Nullarbor Plain in Australia looks like.” Obviously, the image I painted for her of the Nullarbor Plain didn’t make her want to ride it, and after the boredom of today I don’t think I want to either.
We made it! It was hot again and that has motivated us to get up early tomorrow. The humidity is down and now it’s just hot, more like Adelaide type of hot. It doesn’t bother me as much, but Natt’s skin is not liking the dry and sunny weather.
