Sunday - Total distance 1,210 KM
Chumphon (Refuel KM0/R41) - Prachuap Kiri Khan (Refuel KM249/R41/4) - Lunch break at Ratchaburi - Suphan Buri (Refuel K243 R4/321) - Nakhon Sawan (Refuel KM236 R321/340/1) - Thoen [town between Tak & Lampang] (Refuel KM 252 R1) - Chiang Mai (KM 230 R1/11)
After breakfast at the Chumphon Garden hotel, we geared up and went to the nearby PTT to fuel up both my gas tank and my hydration pack. It was a relaxing ride that morning after a good night's rest. I remember I slept quite well. We were lucky to get a good room on our first night. We emptied our first tank after about 3 hours at Prachuap Khiri Khan.
After my first coffee of the day at PTT Amazon cafe at PKK, I wanted to see where was the Hua Hin train station, we went to Hua Hin town and the lady at the counter told me only bikes below 120cc were allowed to be load and unload here (so much about the idea of training down here). Then from Cha Am we proceed to Ratchaburi (the supposing first day destination). Lunch location was just off the R4 highway here. It was a new, clean restaurant serving local spicy pork and noodle soup with rice. Checking google map location shows that they serve seafood as well. That made sense as the ocean was not far away.
The target was set for the day during lunch that Steven insist that we could make it to Chuang Rai. My dilemma then was that I had no intention or any interest to stop for the second night anywhere between Ratchaburi & Chiang Mai. The original plan was to ride there on the second day from Ratchaburi via the 11, passing Phitsanulok & Uttradit. As we were trailing, I suggested to him that maybe we could head toward Chiang Mai and do MHS instead before heading to Boten. Steven immediately shot down the idea and he looked determined to hit Boten first. Only couple of days later on then I realize he has not much interest of doing MHS.
Since we were already backed up on our schedule, Steven suggested to ride at night. Chiang Mai was another option for me at the time as it was at least an hour before Chiang Rai. I decided then to reroute to Chiang Mai via Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Kampaeng Phet & Tak. Steven is under the impression that google map's ETA was just an "indication" and we would be arriving much earlier as we were on motorcycle.
By the time we reach Tak it was already 11.30 pm. I would really flush his motorbike-would-get-there-earlier theory down the toilet. We rode for another 2 hours to reach Chiang Mai in the cold dark night passing stretches of mountain roads and national parks on the 1.
It was a long ride that day as we only arrived Chiang Mai town at nearly 2 am in the morning. We went straight to a restaurant outside the old town to have our dinner. It took a long time to get there but I was pretty content.
It was my first riding experience riding in the dark. It was risky and dangerous.
After dinner, I lead Steven straight to the hotel at B2 Thippanate which was about 20 minutes away. Once we got there only get to know that the hotel was full and no more room left. It was my third time visiting this budget hotel but unfortunately we did not get a room there that night. I took out my phone and start searching for available hotels around. It was not a big problem as we were not picky but it was the fatigue that got to me.
After attempts of checking hotels nearby, finally I found one at the northwest of the gate, next to the Ram Hospital. The room at Tokyo Vender Hotel was cheap at only 550 baht and it has its reasons why. It was the one of the worse so called hotels I ever stayed in. I wouldn't recommend to stay here unless you are wanted by the police or you were hiding from the mafias for running away their drugs. The room was small and dirty, the bathroom and dark, and weird sounds were coming from everywhere. The bathroom ceiling looks like going to fall into pieces and dropping on my head when I was showering. I lit up a cigarette and told Steven that we are just roughing it out tonight and I promise him tomorrow we will stay in a nicer hotel.
After shower I did my laundry and went to bed.
U Thong, Suphan Buri.
Took a break at Uthai Thani where we had a twiggie each which I bought the morning before. We put on our clear helmet visor here to start riding after sunset. There was still another 450 km to go from here.
The restaurant which was still open 2 AM as we arrived Chiang Mai. Picture from Google street view.
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