The past days I’ve spent a lot of time on my bike. Following yesterdays ride back to Khao Sok, I have left again and gone further back to the coast. After a stop in Khuraburi I’m now in Ranong – a small town bordering Burma. I chose to take a one day rest here, where I’m now writing long overdue blog updates and do some shopping (my flip flops are worn so thin that they are having “flats” … stones get though the soles). Getting here has been very pleasant, riding along a little trafficked Highway 4. Only one decent hill, but it has been up and down all the time, so it is hard to find a good rhythm on the bicycle. Pretty tiring.

In any case! It’s the effectuation of my plan to cover some ground now. I guess I have ridden a little more than 300 km the past 3 days. From here I plan to do another 2-3 days with more than 100 Km in average.

Some tour cyclist like to keep all sorts of statistics on how long they are riding, their average speed and the cadence they where climbing that last mountain with. I don’t need a computer to tell me I’m not breaking any speed records and at the end of the day I rarely know the distance I’ve traveled. To put it shortly: I’m not really into numbers and statistics.

One number would be fun to have: How many times a day I must reply a “hello” yelled by someone along the road or somebody waving at me. Sometimes I hear a “hello” but can’t see anybody. If I don’t reply with a wave or hello I most definitely get another and slightly louder “hello” and eventually spot a kid somewhere. This is a part of touring I will always remember: The interest and encouragement I receive from the Thais (and before that the Malays). Unfortunately I have never heard of such a “yellometer”, to keep track of the score. But heck, who cares about the actual number.

Speaking about numbers I can tell you this much: It’s damn hot in the cockpit where I spend my time. My computer generally tells me the temperature in the early morning is already some 25 degrees and in the height of the day it’s often maxing out at +45 degrees. Remember, this is in the sun and mowing along makes for just a bit of an cooling effect. And there’s is no variation to this picture – in this respects the weather is remarkably constant.

So it’s generally some very long, hot days at the office I’m having lately. Therefore, when I stopped yesterday to get something to drink and saw some kids having a water fight I didn’t hesitate for long, but encouraged them to consider me a target as well. They hesitated a bit, but once they got started they weren’t too keen to stop again. It was lovely to be cooled down just a bit and they seemed to have fun doing it.

Some witty head apparently nicknamed Ranong “Rained On” as it is the wettest town in Thailand. Apart from a small drizzle as I entered town day #1 was perfectly dry. Day #2 I get a decent downpour in the late afternoon just as I go out to grab some pictures. I manage to get one good picture before I seek shelter in a small restaurant, where I’m soon joined by a Burmese fellow. We chat and he encourages me to visit Burma (or Myanmar, as it’s officially named now). In fact I could go back with him tomorrow! Going now would completely wreck my schedule (having to get a new Thai visa) so I have to refuse. However, I get his address with an open invite and instructions where to find the embassy in Bangkok. It’s tempting but I’m afraid it will have to wait till next time I’m in the neighbourhood. It’s controversial if people should go to Burma or not as tourists. He argues tourists should visit the country and talk to people and promises me I would be welcomed by everybody.

My only picture from Ranong, Thailand. It doesn't really show, but it was taken during a downpour.