Bike Trip - Kanjanaburi to Sangklaburi

I will now do trip reviews in 2 separate posts.  I know I write a ton of details, too many to read in a quick 5 minutes…

So I’ll write one with a few quick comments and a lot of pictures, and then a second post with cultural stories, different pictures and then add the route notes.

For those interested, by bicycle/motorbike, the trip is written out in detail here - (www.godmadethedurian.blogspot.com).

Bike Trip: April 3 - 7, 2015.

Kanjanaburi Town --> Amphoe Sai Yok --> Tong Pha Phum --> Amphoe Sangklaburi --> Huay Ma Lai

Climbing and descending these hills in the April-morning sun was almost child-like happiness!

Just before reaching the largest hill, 10km outside of Sanklaburi town, you cross a beautiful causeway bridge.  This checkpoint was full of smiling and friendly soldiers!  They were surprised to see a biker when most of the traffic is motorbike, and they invited me to have a breakfast of Kao Thom with them!  Just in time, it was about 930am - I was hungry and the old guy there was a great chef!

The view from the Soldier's Checkpoint mentioned above.

I recently took the train from Ton Buri station in Bangkok, up to Kanjanaburi, for a lovely 5-days in a little town in the hills of Sangklaburi.  This area is a gem, extremely diverse, due to its being one of the largest points of immigration between Myanmar and Thailand.  I have been here several times previously, but not by bicycle.  The total distance from Kan town to the border is 280km, and aside from one large hill just before reaching the destination, literally 10km before, a novice biker wouldn’t have much trouble (I took 3 days to do it, carrying about 8kg of baggage with me.  Strong bikers could do it in 2 days without too much problem).  And wow the hills of Kan are still just as stunning as I remember!!

I am not trying to reach every province, definitely not wanting to try to just "hit them all!"  I am more interested in seeing what each province has to offer, visiting not only the province but several towns besides the Provincial Capital as well.  I'm not leaving anytime soon though, so if it eventually happens then I guess that would be pretty cool...

BUT just to talk about the beauty of Kanjanaburi, I think I am now at 56 out of the 77 Thai provinces, so I have traveled quite a bit in Thailand - I live in Nakon Ratchasima, but if I have a chance to travel then my top 3 favorites are: Chiang Rai, Nakon Panom, and Kanjanaburi.  My favorites due firstly to diversity within culture and the people I have met, a close second would be the food I have had there :), and then finally the large parks and natural areas still to be found... for its size, Thailand is just packed with sights, both historical and natural beauty.

So what I am saying is, I highly recommend Kanjanaburi.  If you're a tourist, the best thing about Kan is that its only 2 hours from Bangkok by bus, 3 by train (or about 6 by bicycle!)...

On a motorbike, this trip all the way to Sangklaburi would be 1 long day, or maybe 2 relaxed days.  By bicycle, I thought that 3 days would be a good bet.  I rode 4 hours each morning, no straining, no soreness, able to enjoy every step of the way, and just relaxed all afternoon and evening.  Motorbikes are easily rented from Kanjanaburi town, if you are there backpacking or even just on a weekend trip from Bangkok, you might be up for this! 

Finish Line!  Lunch at the central Sangklaburi market.  I couldn't wait for my personal favorite power meal... See next photo

Classic Esaan lunch!  For whatever reason, my power meal is Korat-Style Som Tam (medium spice, medium amount of Nam Bla Raa), Plain White Rice (not sticky), and a Basil Omelet!!  I have kept track of my performance after a variety of meals, both Thai and Farang Food... and I have never felt better on an afternoon ride than I do after this amazing combo!  Today I rode a bit further than usual, and the extra calories from an additional bag of rice, and some grilled chicken, were a welcome yet necessary addition!

In the months of April, May, June, July, and August, pretty much any day can see temps of 38C, (100F), anywhere throughout the country of Thailand.  Each day of this trip I saw 35C by lunchtime, so I was intent on finishing my riding each day by 10AM.  A few years ago I met a couple in Laos, 9 months into their trip of cycling from London to Singapore, and they said that they rode 80km a day, taking 4 hours to do it, setting out at 530AM each day.  I have stuck to this schedule for both weekdays and special trips, and its working out well!  At this pace, an average rider will only require one day a week for rest, and while on a long trip, everything is much more enjoyable without the soreness or strain.  In this part of the world specifically, I think dehydration is a real concern if you are regularly trying to ride through the middle part of the day...

There are only a few buses per day from Bangkok for travelers, but even local buses are few and far between in this area.  Locals walk considerable distances, and the nicely paved roads are much easier on the feet, so this scene is quite common :)

So, Western Thailand.  Only 5 provinces but covering a huge area of land - the largest province, Tak, is the least inhabited area of the country.  This place is unique to Thailand, unique to the world!  Each time I visit I am amazed at how many languages are used in the area, and how many different types of food you will pass along the way!  Finally reaching my destination, I had passed people working in the area who used Thai Ner, Esaan, Thai Central dialect, and even true Laos language…  this was only the Thai half of Kan!  Also living in the area are Mon, Karen, Karieng, even some Nepalese refugees, and a few full Burmese (Bamar people)!  An incredibly diverse area, I think only the provinces of Loei (Northern Esaan), and Chiang Rai (Northern Thailand), could compete for such ethnic diversity found in a single area of Thailand.

I had SUCH a great time hanging out with the kids here, seeing what they get up to each day, practicing some Burmese with them and loving how they spoke Thai better than I… one day we had fun learning how to make a few simple bracelet designs.  Within a few hours they had each made about 10 bracelets, and I wish that my own students in Esaan worked half as hard as these kids.  Not only in bracelet making of course, but they all spoke English better than my students, actually spoke Thai as well as plenty of the Laos kids in my class (Burmese is only structurally related to Thai whereas Laos and Thai are quite similar…).  Of course they spoke Mon and/or Burmese as their native language, so with a minimum of 3 languages each, as well as their ability to handle the living situations that refugees are usually forced to handle the world over - these children were, needless to say, Very Impressive.

All of these people were born in Myanmar, but here you can see half of the group (kids that have been in Thailand for awhile) teaching a song, in THAI, to the other half (more recently moved).  While the countries do share a border, their languages only share some rarely used religious terminology.  Everything in daily life is totally different...

Actually the first time coming here in 2009 with Migrationology Mark Wiens, to participate in a trip for another friend Dwight’s project In Search Of Sanuk, we stayed at a place not 100 meters down the road from where I stayed on this trip!  I cannot even BEGIN to relate, to others but even more to myself, the ways in which I have changed in the time between, but wow… Even how much Thailand has changed in just 6 years!  it is always fun to see where you have been, where you’re going, and continue to wait expectantly for the surprises life will throw at us next!

I did ride my bike, had a total blast and had been wanting to do so for awhile now, but I actually came to visit another good friend who has since moved from the city of Nontaburi near Bangkok.  She is now living up into the hills around Sangklaburi, and she came to work with migratory peoples; specifically their status-less children and growing families.  The people in this area are usually just the measure of hard-working, low-paid farmers, trying to gain citizenship in a country that is not too excited to have them, but there are of course many families dealing with the inner-family turmoil that such situations and their resulting mindsets can bring.  In a country with an already ridiculously high divorce-rate, this area seems to be even higher still, leaving simply terrible amounts of one-parent homes or even completely orphaned children in the area.  Without legal status, these kids are taken in by relatives who are already strapped to provide for their own kids, and life just gets really tough for them.

A little bit of history on the area:  Traditionally Mon, an ancient people from Myanmar, a people who have had their lands divided up by the modern Thai-Myanmar border, controlled this area for almost a thousand years.  They are actually one of the first united peoples to ever come into this SouthEast Asian area, many thousands of years ago!  They have their own language, written and spoken, and even after becoming almost totally incorporated into Thailand, people with pure Mon heritage still number more than a million in the world today!  They are mostly split in the area here between South East Myanmar and Western Thailand… and they still have their own wonderful cuisine (pictured below :) ) and many more of their own customs.  Mon were actually the first culture to receive Buddhism when it was brought over from Sri Lanka, and are responsible for the Dvaraviti (Therawat) culture of Central Thailand and Esaan today.

Somewhere between Tong Pha Phum and Sangkla... The morning haze just clearing up.

I did not ever stay long enough to really dig into this culture, but I met a few volunteers working in the area who had been there for years, and they loved it!  They mentioned sub-cultures even within the greater Mon culture, just amazing how much more diverse this country gets as I dig deeper and deeper over my six years here.  And humourously, how much more diverse than its government is willing to admit!  

Thai people usually do not want to talk about such things, but really the tension between Thai and Myanmar should be unnecessary today.  Without the occasional direct conflict over some natural resources in border areas, the two countries do share a common heritage…  But lets talk about something more fun right now, like how they differ in terms of cuisine! :)

Young, Un-ripe Jackfruit at the top left, some grilled pork in a sour sauce below it, a fish curry on the top right, a different type of fish curry on the bottom right, Thai-style fried Mackarel on the bottom, and in the center - an unbelievably flavorful ultra-sour Mon Mango Salad!

I enjoyed some lovely Mon Fish Curry, made by the family in who’s house I was staying.  The mother made sure that I was stuffed after every meal, crying from the heat of her chili peppers, and ready to relax for a few hours and be back for more!  Our first meal consisted of my favorite vegetable, okra (pictured to the left), some super spicy and salty fish, and finally some awesomely spicy Mon dipping paste tasting very similar to Thailand’s Nam Prik Gapi.  Both Myanmar and Thailand enjoy this shrimp paste, usually eaten as a dip with steamed vegetables, and the Mon prefer it the same way I do in Esaan, eating it with baby jackfruit!  There was also a spicy and intensely sour mango salad that I had never had before, much different than the Thai style mango salad exchanging sour mango for papaya, (Yam Ma Muang)... unbelievably tasty!

Other meals included some dishes that I had known from a previous visit, and a few new ones!  There is always the super spicy Barking Deer Curry, and then the Burmese style Fermented Tea Leaf Salad (Lah Pet Thoke) eaten with rice or one of the many types of Roti breads or Naan from the mini-tandoor, and then some awesome Mon-style roasted Eggplant.

One place where I know to find Roti Ong - the cheap yet wonderful, most filling Thai/Burmese "breakfast food" that I know of...  I remember the first time visiting this market in 2009, Migration Mark and I each had 4 of them, they were an unbelievable 6 Baht each!  Now the price is 15 Baht, but I thought it was still fair for this awesome, fresh-made, oven-cooked snack.  Kind of like an Indian burrito!

After a ride, its common for Thais to have a
"Kai Luak," a nearly raw egg (dipped in boiling
water for 8-10 seconds), seasoned with a dash
of soy sauce and a dash of pepper.  My love for
all snacks that are served paired with coffee has
started me on a mission to see how many different
provincial styles I can find for this simple yet
powerful breakfast supplement.  In Sangklaburi,
they take theirs with milk tea, not coffee.

This young guy was really into testing my bike gear,
he did his best to ride but couldn't quite reach the
pedals.  The helmet made him happy enough though
while we chatted with his parents.

An awesomely spicy version of Lah Pet Thoke that I had for the first time here in Sangklaburi!

I enjoyed my second durian of the year down on the new floating footbridge over the Sangkla lake, a moment of pure delight being able to purchase it at the local market.  I had been a bit disappointed striking out before leaving my town of Chumpuang the previous week, ok honestly I was extremely disappointed haha... I couldn't leave for the summer to visit my family without first enjoying a few pods from a golden pillow!  But luckily, thankfully, the bike race I participated in down in Korat town on my way out provided access to a few larger markets, and we were able to throw down on not one, not two, but 5 small ChaNee Durians!!

Ok so, I had durian once already... but not a Mon Tong!  This is my favorite durian, one of the most common types but still impossible to find in my small town when out of season, and so I gladly and immediately paid a somewhat-high 80 baht per kilo for this spiky and beautiful green monster...  I took it down to the bridge, picked a spot to the side of the huge bamboo floating bridge, and had to laugh while listening to every single Thai and Chinese person who passed note with surprise how fast this lone white dude was going through a 3.5 kilo durian.  I continued to immerse myself in the awesomely creamy fruit, while some small part of my brain hoped in the background that the glorious smell did not make them too jealous!

If you get a chance, you should try to visit the early morning Mon market across the river, across the wooden Mon bridge.  I do mean early, it closes a bit after sunrise.  During previous visits to Sangklaburi, people were still able to walk across the old Mon bridge, foot traffic only!  In 2013 however, this bridge collapsed, and it has since been rebuilt.  Much stronger and wider than before, and then construction is even now finished on another floating bridge next to the high wooden one.  If there is ever an increase in water level I don’t know what will happen to this one, but for now it was ok to walk across.

The amount of tourists on this bridge is a little much, and if you’re wanting a serene picture of this specific area then you will have to go pretty early in the morning.  In my opinion that is the best time anyways though, as the weather in this area can get pretty warm from mid-day onwards!

Mon Skillet-Style Coconut Pancakes!  Cooked over coals, I wonder who else has named them... 3 Baht Each! (10 cents)

Coming up from the town, using the cement bridge, you will quickly reach an intersection with a few policeman hanging around.  Turn left to come down to the Mon Town (you can reach this by foot after crossing the huge wooden bridge), and if you turn right you can make your way an hour further into the hills, eventually reaching the town of Huay Ma Lai.

Riding into the woods on some gravel roads, we eventually came to the washing/showering/water access of a medium sized village.  My friend did some work monitoring the education status of the children here, this little guy is not old enough for school yet so I'm sure he spends most of his day looking like this :) !!  I chose to blur the photo slightly to give him some dignity here, but he was definitely not ashamed, posing proudly as the owner of this great jump-off point into the river!

I rode up from Tong Pa Pum, arrived at about 1030am, and immediately knew that just 1 day was not going to be enough to enjoy this lovely town.  The next day I rode in and around the hills surrounding the town, found a super cool swimming spot with my now-local friend (and her new friends), and then rode about 50km out to another town closer to the border with Myanmar.  For cyclists/motorbike riders I highly recommend taking this additional leg as a day-trip, or only a half-day trip if thats all that time allows… The name of the further town is Huay Malai.  There is even camping here if you would like…  very lovely town, definitely did not want to leave.


Things to come back for:
A day trip to Pi Lok, about 60km from Tong Pha Phum, a place where, on a good day, one can look over the entire peninsula and get a view of the Indian Ocean!  The way there, it was told to me, passes through 399 switchbacks.  Thai people love the number 9, so who knows the true number, but you can know that it is bound to be quite a ride if you are wanting to take your bike!  There is also tent camping available, but you have to reserve first due to both seasonal and spatial limitations.

A multi-day trip leaving Kan town and heading up to Si Sawat, passing the Erawan waterfall along with many others, visiting the giant Sri Nakarin Reservoir, and continuing on to the huge Phu Toei National Park!  Continue on to the province of Supanburi, loop back to Bangkok, or maybe even if you want to come from that direction, maybe taking the train down from Chiang Mai, finding a bus that takes this road, you wouldn't need to even waste time coming all the way down to Kan town first, and then continue on smoothly up to Sangklaburi...  Visit Kan town on the way back!  Yeah that would be a great loop for sure!


And a final photo gem... :)

Bluetooth Hack!  Learning it from a Monk!

Thanks for reading, have a great day!  Please respond, leave a comment below, with some other areas of Thailand just begging to be explored by bicycle!  I know there are thousands upon thousands… :)  I know I am lucky to be working in such a country.  The little that I have given of myself, this country and its people have repaid me a thousand times over with these experiences I have been blessed to have...

-Joel