i'm boycoting blogger for a bit for google riping me off with addsence.
sorry.
fuck you blogger, fuck you addsence
15 years ago
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
jhor bhru
i had a pounding head ach, couldn't find my sun glasses, legs were aching from riding all yeaterday, and got a late start.
had some places i could have cheked out in town, and up the east and west costs..
fuck it, took the train to kl.
i'll blab about ita bit in the blife blog..
had some places i could have cheked out in town, and up the east and west costs..
fuck it, took the train to kl.
i'll blab about ita bit in the blife blog..
Saturday, May 16, 2009
singapore to jhon bharu (spelling?)
so last night was intresting, bloged about it a bit in my blife blog, sleapt suprisingly ok, got up in the morning chatted with some folks (i guess the beniffet of a dorm type set up, i supose in my future travels i'll be hitting those places more often as i go to more expencive countrys)
anyways chattd with some folks and then took off to check some stuff out.
hit the raffles hotel, a old 1900's pith hat and white linnen suit place, kinda neat it's been around for ever and still has a tad of that feel, cheked out there musium, and poked around in there overpriced girt shop for something for my girl without much luck, at that point i relized i was just about out of singapore $ and was hoping to avoid hitting an atm again due to stupid servis charges.
net i whent to the long bar at thesame hotel, reminded me verymuch of the bar in bermies days, had a singapore sling, it's the bar it was created in, that was a bit weird seeing how i don't drink, and it's been quite some time since i had drank at all, but no biggie. from there i when out and it was poring outside so i sat under an overhang for awhile and finaly just set out, i don't have the time to wait around, though after the jungel i was a bit sick of being soggy all teh time , fucking squishy shoes ect...
but the rain let up soon, and i continued south,, from what i could figure out on my map if i whent south till i hit the bottem on the islan and then headded weat i would come across haw nag villa (selling/name?) it's the end result of the tigerbalm fouturen) but on the ride there my eye calugt sight of a sigen "secret tunels".... "SECRET TUNNELS!!" i shout and startel some folks at a bus stop.. i can't just pass that by, so i head into a park inserch of some tunnels and forafcations that had been lost/forgoten about for about 60 years,, they just found them in the last few years.
the entrinces i found were locked up.. poo, not that i think i could have braved going in along too far by myself, into the creepy pitch black..
i wated around for a tour, but when the time carm for the tour they just changed the time to the next future hour.. weird, but they let me just go in and look around, which was cool becase i really didin't have the cash to spare for a tour. it was disapointing, but still a undergound bunker, so still kinda neat.
after that i spent an hour or so serching for the haw nag villa, , it was neat, very gaudy, and very very vibrant, i asked some people to take a few photots of me with the weird satues ect, but then i took off for the sinces center for teh lernado davinci exibet. it was a long ride, i cant' belive my legs still hurt peddling, after alll therse kilos.. wtf
the exibit was a bit disapointing, alont of the mecanisims (recrations) had do not touch things on them, though you could tell they were made to be used so you could see how they work. but really you can't take the designs of a genious and 1/2 ass build them, it's not like they were built really crappy, but his designs deserve to be pin stankingly created by masters..
all and all ok, think it would probaly been a bit cooler to just check out the regular center, but it's probaly the same as the exploritorim.. really all of singapore felt like sf, not ina bad way, but just like most the things to do were expencive and i could do them at home..
at that point it was 6pm, i had the choice to try to peddle to mylaisa or head back to little india and try to find a bed, and seee if i could trade work for a bed, or just hit an atm and get outa tiny amout.. err..
fuck it, so i started peddling north.. needed to cover the whole island south to north (not a huge feat)
i finaly get to the border, there were 1000's of motorcycles crossing, sitting in lines of ass to tip scooters, for about an hour.. not fun, and when i fainaly get to the gate im at the wrong place, even though it's were i was tonld to go by the cops.. err, thats just the way it gos, and after awhile of bull shit i really didn't pay much atention to they let me pass to have to navagate twisty hilly concreat over under wrily pases to teh malaysin side of imagrations where they give me the same run around, but at this side every motorcycle is laying on there hor the whole time, and madly swerving around like a fucking rino is chasing them... fcking stupid insae.. whats the rush ass holes.. so tryig the compunacate witht eh imagaration people over thousands of reving engins blaring hors and squiling tires as everyone is barly avoiding smashing into eachouther..
bla,,
but i got into town on this side, got an over priced hotle room, but for somereason there all expencive here. 50rm compared to 15rm at some of the shabber guest houses i've satyed at,, but oh well, it's cheaper that if i stayed in singapore another night.. tomorow..? no idea, say a dance school on the way in i'd like to cheak out, but in reality i should just get biking, or on the train nort to KL, so i can start training, and serch for some sailing lessons..
bla, pooped thats all for now, hope it was somewhat intresting to read..
so last night was intresting, bloged about it a bit in my blife blog, sleapt suprisingly ok, got up in the morning chatted with some folks (i guess the beniffet of a dorm type set up, i supose in my future travels i'll be hitting those places more often as i go to more expencive countrys)
anyways chattd with some folks and then took off to check some stuff out.
hit the raffles hotel, a old 1900's pith hat and white linnen suit place, kinda neat it's been around for ever and still has a tad of that feel, cheked out there musium, and poked around in there overpriced girt shop for something for my girl without much luck, at that point i relized i was just about out of singapore $ and was hoping to avoid hitting an atm again due to stupid servis charges.
net i whent to the long bar at thesame hotel, reminded me verymuch of the bar in bermies days, had a singapore sling, it's the bar it was created in, that was a bit weird seeing how i don't drink, and it's been quite some time since i had drank at all, but no biggie. from there i when out and it was poring outside so i sat under an overhang for awhile and finaly just set out, i don't have the time to wait around, though after the jungel i was a bit sick of being soggy all teh time , fucking squishy shoes ect...
but the rain let up soon, and i continued south,, from what i could figure out on my map if i whent south till i hit the bottem on the islan and then headded weat i would come across haw nag villa (selling/name?) it's the end result of the tigerbalm fouturen) but on the ride there my eye calugt sight of a sigen "secret tunels".... "SECRET TUNNELS!!" i shout and startel some folks at a bus stop.. i can't just pass that by, so i head into a park inserch of some tunnels and forafcations that had been lost/forgoten about for about 60 years,, they just found them in the last few years.
the entrinces i found were locked up.. poo, not that i think i could have braved going in along too far by myself, into the creepy pitch black..
i wated around for a tour, but when the time carm for the tour they just changed the time to the next future hour.. weird, but they let me just go in and look around, which was cool becase i really didin't have the cash to spare for a tour. it was disapointing, but still a undergound bunker, so still kinda neat.
after that i spent an hour or so serching for the haw nag villa, , it was neat, very gaudy, and very very vibrant, i asked some people to take a few photots of me with the weird satues ect, but then i took off for the sinces center for teh lernado davinci exibet. it was a long ride, i cant' belive my legs still hurt peddling, after alll therse kilos.. wtf
the exibit was a bit disapointing, alont of the mecanisims (recrations) had do not touch things on them, though you could tell they were made to be used so you could see how they work. but really you can't take the designs of a genious and 1/2 ass build them, it's not like they were built really crappy, but his designs deserve to be pin stankingly created by masters..
all and all ok, think it would probaly been a bit cooler to just check out the regular center, but it's probaly the same as the exploritorim.. really all of singapore felt like sf, not ina bad way, but just like most the things to do were expencive and i could do them at home..
at that point it was 6pm, i had the choice to try to peddle to mylaisa or head back to little india and try to find a bed, and seee if i could trade work for a bed, or just hit an atm and get outa tiny amout.. err..
fuck it, so i started peddling north.. needed to cover the whole island south to north (not a huge feat)
i finaly get to the border, there were 1000's of motorcycles crossing, sitting in lines of ass to tip scooters, for about an hour.. not fun, and when i fainaly get to the gate im at the wrong place, even though it's were i was tonld to go by the cops.. err, thats just the way it gos, and after awhile of bull shit i really didn't pay much atention to they let me pass to have to navagate twisty hilly concreat over under wrily pases to teh malaysin side of imagrations where they give me the same run around, but at this side every motorcycle is laying on there hor the whole time, and madly swerving around like a fucking rino is chasing them... fcking stupid insae.. whats the rush ass holes.. so tryig the compunacate witht eh imagaration people over thousands of reving engins blaring hors and squiling tires as everyone is barly avoiding smashing into eachouther..
bla,,
but i got into town on this side, got an over priced hotle room, but for somereason there all expencive here. 50rm compared to 15rm at some of the shabber guest houses i've satyed at,, but oh well, it's cheaper that if i stayed in singapore another night.. tomorow..? no idea, say a dance school on the way in i'd like to cheak out, but in reality i should just get biking, or on the train nort to KL, so i can start training, and serch for some sailing lessons..
bla, pooped thats all for now, hope it was somewhat intresting to read..
Thursday, May 7, 2009
jerantut to tama negura
today i started out early and headed back to the restarant where the guys were so nice the night before, took awhile to get my berrings, it's a crazy town, but found it ok, felt bad about not making it the night before, but was a bitt worryed to ride in the dark for a few reasons, and wasn't too sure which way was witch.
got some food (after sitting in the restrant for over an hour trying to convince them to feed me, still can't speak any, err)and booked on over the the pier where i'll take a boat up to tama negura forset. 150 million years old, the preavious ice ages didn't get this far, i think it's from after the last snowball earth, too fucking cool!
it'll be good give my ass a few days to recouprate..
going to go and try to add some photos to some older blogs..
Gua Musang to Jerantut
I took of early in the moring arund 7, not as early as i would have liked but it was going to be a mellow relaxing day maybe 80km or something.. well the first milage marked was saying 120km , crapsticks but still not too bad, can't really take any real breaks, but keeping a slow but stedy pace i should be fine.
(ok seems this jank ass computer dosen't want to work with my camra.. so no pictures for you.)
anyways was biking my happy ass along, stopped to scavance off a bumper o the side of the road when a super friendly trucker stoped and insisted i ride with him
to the next town. so why not..
he was super nice and we talked a bunch, then he wanted me to go on to KL with him but i was preaty set on getting into the jungle so he droped me off ata road heading to Jerantut saying it was only 30 km.. it was 60.
so once again there i am riding all fucking day into the pitch dark night.. now getting chased by monkeys
and have givven up to just pushing the bike up the ass steep hills.
like this one..
and it keeps going...
and going....
i'm fucking worn out.
but at the end i was able to cling on to logging trucks and get pulled up a bit of the way, but it was kinda scary
tonight i go to check out a Silat class, tought the last thing i want to do is spend any time on that bike.
esp after spending al this morning riding looking for the old town area here.
tired.. very tired, but at least i think tomorow the ride should only be about 30km then i can park and take a boat up the jungle river.
hopfully find a few day trek. the i think roll on the train for a bit while i let me ass heal.
theres a buch of photos i tok to add to this, but the coumpter is acting twitchy, and has probaly given my camra a virus..
eh, going to work on relaxing today! going to go see if anyone has emailed..
till next time.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Kota Bharu to Gua Musang
eek.
I started out at 6:30, got up earlier but thats what time I started biking south.
got to Kuala Krai about noon. it seemed silly to stop so early in the day to i continued onto Gua Masang, where i'd have more than just one over priced choice of were stay.
about 15 hours in all (220km), through heavy rain fall, up and down steep hills, up and down and up and up and up.
all was fine in till i had about 40k left to go, it started dumping rain. my shoes filled up into soggy buckets.
every huge truck that barreled by sprayed my with foul road grime.
and it seemed like it was all up hill from there.
at about 20k to it was pitch black. and my left knee was giving me trouble.
10k till the city and i was fueled by pure frustration at myself.
it was one of the hardest things i think i've ever done, i think that my only restricting factor was myself was the problem, if my legs started to give out on me on a steep hill i'd just get pissed at myself.
finaly rode into town but turned the wrong way so spent a few hours looking in the wrong area, but fianly found a dingy musty room for not too much..
but now my left knee is feeling all crunchy, 1/2 my left hand is just numb. really hope I'm not doing permanent damage, if these don't get better may just have to ditch the bike.
I took today off to try and dry out my gear, recover and try and fix/adjust my bike which is a little worse for ware.
tomorrow I'll try to ride to Kuala Lipis, body don't fail me now.
yesterdays ride was beautiful, and interesting, should have brought my camera to the Internet to try and post some pics, though that was a compleast failure last time i tryed..
tomorrow I'm going to the worlds oldest forest. which wasn't effected in the previous ice ages..
I don't remember how many hundreds of millions of years old (or thousands of years if your a christen) I hope to get to do a few day trek into it, all the cool reclusive animals stay away from the edges (as far as i could make in a few days) but still would be nice to be surrounded in ancient rain forest..
still having tons of problems with the cell connection.. so rairly can get online with that, so no one the road updates.
this town is a trip very middle east feeling with all the ladys in veils and the call to prair over pa's, and script from the Koran posted everywhere...
Saturday, May 2, 2009
nappy rash, thailand into mayla
ok, i had a simple plan,
train to the border, hang out at the border and traid guide books with someone going the outher way and figure it out from there..
no problem right...
fucking wrong!
no one.. i meen no one was going the outher way.
i wated around for an hour.. not a singel person..
biked around town, no one outher the people who had been on the train with me.. and they all looked at me ike i was insane
bnack to the borded to wait arund mpore.
nothing
look around the litle border town..
nothing,
ok, fuck
well, i'd guess if i bike to th next closer town, which will be bigger i an find something, someone...
so i start rideing.. its' about 11am, I haven't eaten except somesnaks i brought with e on the train.
so i'm riding, i've got no guid book, o i don't know whre i'm going, or it'll be more thna donky there, no mayla money, so can't stop for a snack. have seen no atms.
don't know a lick of the langae... and here i am..
biking past police check points and women ni ful black vails crap what have gotten myself into./.
after a few hours find some police who tell me to go to a difrent city.. so after about 4 hours of biking i come to a small town,, abut where the killo making say the town i'm looking for is.
check the book store nothng.. and the people there say it's the only opne around.
back and forthe nothng..
find a atm ad it makes a angry ound at my card and sez fuc no
now its raining preaty heavly..
but i find a 7/11 and i get some $ from the atm, so a soda and i find an internet caffee.
but i try to find out about where i am and there say long pants and long shirt are must ...
and then i'm told i'm nt even in the right town..
fuck..
so i bike on.
another hour or so.
get to a bigger city, 1/2 of everything is closed..
toursem office closed.
book store closed.
so if i rie around long enough i'll find something..
couple hours of that nothing..
try a few difrent shops. nothing..
finaly when i'm sitting in fromt of a small book shop that i had gone to hours before, and thy said they don't have anything ad tough luck for me..
the old lady look out and can see i look misrble aso tells me f a mall.
at this point i'm just fuckn bummed. i had ar\lready spent the majority of the day ass scared, confused an ost.
i bnike arund fr a long time and finaly find the mall. and after too long tryng to get through corows. faind an overprice guide book, but at least i can try nd fnd a room now.
out side i loose my bike for bout 1/2 an hour.. finaly find it in time for the rni to just dump down, then spend the next 4 hours lost trying to find the gust houes.. but i do get some food now that i'm nolonger too pised to eat.
late at night, in the dark i find a room.
after 12 hours of serching.
today i spend about 4 hours looking or internet, finaly at the tourest center that was pen this time they let me use the computyer in the lobbby.
tomorow i head south west to KL.
i'll bike for a fw days then get train i think..
eh.
so thats that, or at east some of it.
at least today i got to poke around at an arrmored car..
oh yea, and i've got nappy rash, awesome..
train to the border, hang out at the border and traid guide books with someone going the outher way and figure it out from there..
no problem right...
fucking wrong!
no one.. i meen no one was going the outher way.
i wated around for an hour.. not a singel person..
biked around town, no one outher the people who had been on the train with me.. and they all looked at me ike i was insane
bnack to the borded to wait arund mpore.
nothing
look around the litle border town..
nothing,
ok, fuck
well, i'd guess if i bike to th next closer town, which will be bigger i an find something, someone...
so i start rideing.. its' about 11am, I haven't eaten except somesnaks i brought with e on the train.
so i'm riding, i've got no guid book, o i don't know whre i'm going, or it'll be more thna donky there, no mayla money, so can't stop for a snack. have seen no atms.
don't know a lick of the langae... and here i am..
biking past police check points and women ni ful black vails crap what have gotten myself into./.
after a few hours find some police who tell me to go to a difrent city.. so after about 4 hours of biking i come to a small town,, abut where the killo making say the town i'm looking for is.
check the book store nothng.. and the people there say it's the only opne around.
back and forthe nothng..
find a atm ad it makes a angry ound at my card and sez fuc no
now its raining preaty heavly..
but i find a 7/11 and i get some $ from the atm, so a soda and i find an internet caffee.
but i try to find out about where i am and there say long pants and long shirt are must ...
and then i'm told i'm nt even in the right town..
fuck..
so i bike on.
another hour or so.
get to a bigger city, 1/2 of everything is closed..
toursem office closed.
book store closed.
so if i rie around long enough i'll find something..
couple hours of that nothing..
try a few difrent shops. nothing..
finaly when i'm sitting in fromt of a small book shop that i had gone to hours before, and thy said they don't have anything ad tough luck for me..
the old lady look out and can see i look misrble aso tells me f a mall.
at this point i'm just fuckn bummed. i had ar\lready spent the majority of the day ass scared, confused an ost.
i bnike arund fr a long time and finaly find the mall. and after too long tryng to get through corows. faind an overprice guide book, but at least i can try nd fnd a room now.
out side i loose my bike for bout 1/2 an hour.. finaly find it in time for the rni to just dump down, then spend the next 4 hours lost trying to find the gust houes.. but i do get some food now that i'm nolonger too pised to eat.
late at night, in the dark i find a room.
after 12 hours of serching.
today i spend about 4 hours looking or internet, finaly at the tourest center that was pen this time they let me use the computyer in the lobbby.
tomorow i head south west to KL.
i'll bike for a fw days then get train i think..
eh.
so thats that, or at east some of it.
at least today i got to poke around at an arrmored car..
oh yea, and i've got nappy rash, awesome..
catch up...
ok, no internet for few days.
i cycled west to the town of.. umm, something like chem sum, not sure the exact spelling now, but it's a main travel hub, the ride was nothing specal, got into town got a hair cut and found a non creapy massage place.
for some reason the post office was closed.. wanted to mail some stuff back to my self, like black t shirts are fucking usless when bicycling in 30c sun all day..
anyways. got there and got a train south (at 2am) fuck i can't remember the name where we went, kolok or somethng, i'll add a comment with the right names. later if anyone cares.
just wanted to throw this u so i can get started on the next days blog
i cycled west to the town of.. umm, something like chem sum, not sure the exact spelling now, but it's a main travel hub, the ride was nothing specal, got into town got a hair cut and found a non creapy massage place.
for some reason the post office was closed.. wanted to mail some stuff back to my self, like black t shirts are fucking usless when bicycling in 30c sun all day..
anyways. got there and got a train south (at 2am) fuck i can't remember the name where we went, kolok or somethng, i'll add a comment with the right names. later if anyone cares.
just wanted to throw this u so i can get started on the next days blog
Thursday, April 30, 2009
east
tomorow I decided to head west twards the train junction south.
this will get me on a train to Maylaisia, I'll be sad to say goodbye to Thailand, but...
I'll post more next time I hit a town with internet.,
(here's tohoping that i can trade guide books with someone at the border (not that they have any of the small citys that i'm hitting)
this will get me on a train to Maylaisia, I'll be sad to say goodbye to Thailand, but...
I'll post more next time I hit a town with internet.,
(here's tohoping that i can trade guide books with someone at the border (not that they have any of the small citys that i'm hitting)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
sichon to nakhon si thammarat
it's been a long day, so i'll try and make this short.
lert sichon around 6am took back roads checking my coumpess often to continue heading south and east. ended up doing alot of dips it tawards the sea then back as roads didn't go through. after a few hours of that and some nice small villages and dirt roads folloed the highway and turned into kun lom (spelling) natanal park, it was a loong ride in, but there was a nice waterfall (i'll try and add a photo) (ok blogger being a bitch.. it's up on my facebook.)
then i had to bust ass to make it to nakhon si thammarat, i dipped in east looking for a musuium but couldn't find it, travelsd back roads for awhile and got to a dead end at a harbor, so had to back trackk about 20 min.
pulled in to town and found a suprising nice hotel room at thai lee hotel, for about 140b
think i may stay an extra day to rest up after the ride, it was between 150 - 180 k
my bike computer thoough i fixed it is not showing the corect speed or distance.. its a pice of crap $10 bell.. may try to fine tune it some outher time..
lert sichon around 6am took back roads checking my coumpess often to continue heading south and east. ended up doing alot of dips it tawards the sea then back as roads didn't go through. after a few hours of that and some nice small villages and dirt roads folloed the highway and turned into kun lom (spelling) natanal park, it was a loong ride in, but there was a nice waterfall (i'll try and add a photo) (ok blogger being a bitch.. it's up on my facebook.)
then i had to bust ass to make it to nakhon si thammarat, i dipped in east looking for a musuium but couldn't find it, travelsd back roads for awhile and got to a dead end at a harbor, so had to back trackk about 20 min.
pulled in to town and found a suprising nice hotel room at thai lee hotel, for about 140b
think i may stay an extra day to rest up after the ride, it was between 150 - 180 k
my bike computer thoough i fixed it is not showing the corect speed or distance.. its a pice of crap $10 bell.. may try to fine tune it some outher time..
Monday, April 27, 2009
koh tao to sichon
first off sorry i haven't been updating this, but haven't been cycling too much, and no one reads it anyways..
last night took the night ferry over to the mainland from koh tao, ost of people looked on with interest as i broke the bike down and bungees it all together with strips of old inertube (theya re so handy)
after a restless night of ward sleep, feeling like i'd wake up every 20min to roll right left r somewhere trying to be comfy..
got into surat tani pier around 5 am
stuck the bike together, tryed to find a somewhat Private place to get on my biking undershorts.
and headed off, it took quite some time to get my headings out of town, lots of going one block stopping trying to read the crap map in the lonely planmest, repeat, but finaly did it, big thanks to the compass i have,
i think for the most part as long as i continue east and south i should be good.
today i stuck to the high way, kinda crappy with traffic big trucks ect, but it's the only road shown on my map. and i left my thai road atless in bkk, along with my gps.. fucking smart hu.. but i wanted to pack light and will be in maylaisa soon where they wil be useless, and take up wayyyyy to much space.
rode from around 530/6am to 130pm, and am i frigging tired, trammadol 1/2 way through has kiled some of the pain but i'll hurt later, gonna really try and sped some quality time stretching.
just pulled into sichon, and now am going in the search for a room (probably over priced but it's something)
my bike computer is broken (pice of crap anyways so couldn't really keep track of the kilos, thinking 60-80 today...
it's still early and if i was a bit more conditioned and knew i'd find a place to sleep before sunset i think i could get alot farther..
anyways, later today i'll try and take some time with the bke, see if i can figure ut why the back brake keeps sticking, the high gear cog rubs, the water cage is broken and in need of some more tape, and going to dick with the computer, it shouldn't be tough to rewire fix if i can just get my head around it.
i'd be afully happy to pass a real bike shop , saw one in surat tani, but didn't want to waste the cooler hours of the morning waiting around for them to open.
i'm hoping tomorrow to more just follow my nose, keeping south and east most the day then as need be i can try and navigate to a town.. may be a disaster, with lots of dead ends, ect but i'd really like to do some smaller back roads, screw this high way crap... maybe google maps has gotten to this area , but i doubt it.. (love you iphone!)
anyways hope this is of some help or of interest to someone out here..
I know i spend alot of time searching online for bits of info and am happy when someone takes the time.
last night took the night ferry over to the mainland from koh tao, ost of people looked on with interest as i broke the bike down and bungees it all together with strips of old inertube (theya re so handy)
after a restless night of ward sleep, feeling like i'd wake up every 20min to roll right left r somewhere trying to be comfy..
got into surat tani pier around 5 am
stuck the bike together, tryed to find a somewhat Private place to get on my biking undershorts.
and headed off, it took quite some time to get my headings out of town, lots of going one block stopping trying to read the crap map in the lonely planmest, repeat, but finaly did it, big thanks to the compass i have,
i think for the most part as long as i continue east and south i should be good.
today i stuck to the high way, kinda crappy with traffic big trucks ect, but it's the only road shown on my map. and i left my thai road atless in bkk, along with my gps.. fucking smart hu.. but i wanted to pack light and will be in maylaisa soon where they wil be useless, and take up wayyyyy to much space.
rode from around 530/6am to 130pm, and am i frigging tired, trammadol 1/2 way through has kiled some of the pain but i'll hurt later, gonna really try and sped some quality time stretching.
just pulled into sichon, and now am going in the search for a room (probably over priced but it's something)
my bike computer is broken (pice of crap anyways so couldn't really keep track of the kilos, thinking 60-80 today...
it's still early and if i was a bit more conditioned and knew i'd find a place to sleep before sunset i think i could get alot farther..
anyways, later today i'll try and take some time with the bke, see if i can figure ut why the back brake keeps sticking, the high gear cog rubs, the water cage is broken and in need of some more tape, and going to dick with the computer, it shouldn't be tough to rewire fix if i can just get my head around it.
i'd be afully happy to pass a real bike shop , saw one in surat tani, but didn't want to waste the cooler hours of the morning waiting around for them to open.
i'm hoping tomorrow to more just follow my nose, keeping south and east most the day then as need be i can try and navigate to a town.. may be a disaster, with lots of dead ends, ect but i'd really like to do some smaller back roads, screw this high way crap... maybe google maps has gotten to this area , but i doubt it.. (love you iphone!)
anyways hope this is of some help or of interest to someone out here..
I know i spend alot of time searching online for bits of info and am happy when someone takes the time.
Friday, March 27, 2009
bkk - nong khai - vientine
officially the first leg of this silly bike trip.
I dragged my bike to the train station with out much time to spare, and of course I go all the way across the train staiton carrying the bike taken apart to be told to go to the opiate side to pay a bike fee (90b) then have to go to the exact opiate side I was just at to board the train, by the time i got to the correct car I was a sweaty frazzled mess. (had some old honkys look at me weird and ask if i was lost)
at first i was amazed how very light the bike is, and how light i'm traveling, by the time i got to my seat i felt like i drag a boat anchor the whole fucking way!
anyways got on the train, bunggied my bike into a lugae rack and fell asleep rather early. in the morning me pulled into nong khai, this time I was a bit less than gracefully getting the bike off the train, but finaly got it out, together and started peddling myself the 25k or so across the thai lao friendship bridge to Vientiane. it was an ass long hot ride but not unpleasant, I was trying to take it easy still need to used to riding again, and didn't want to make myself too sore.
navigating is easy enough so far (though i didn't get a chance to pick up a map in Thailand) but it's easy enough to say the next city's name and point in a questioning way.
it seemed my tires had gotten quite low on air, and my bike pump is ass tiny, really only for emergency's, got a tiny one that would fit into the rear racks support tube. but there are many motorcycle shops that are kind enough to add air.
I tryed to get to the Laos geograpical instuatue, or some such place but think i missed it by about 5min so now i have to wait till after the weekend to get a map.
probably ok, seems like theres a storm rolling in anyways.
I've got a new sim card for my phone seems my last Lao sim is dead, unluckily that meant i missed meeting my friend at his folks house which is the opiate way from Vientiane from the bridge that enters the country. got set up in the guesthouse i normally stay here (wow it's pouring down rain, glad I decided to bring my rain jacket to laos) next I need to go get water bottles, cut the tops off and put the feet of my bed into them with some water to try and keep out the bed bugs.
eek, ok pooped out.. that's all for now, going to go try and get music on my newly restored iPhone.
I dragged my bike to the train station with out much time to spare, and of course I go all the way across the train staiton carrying the bike taken apart to be told to go to the opiate side to pay a bike fee (90b) then have to go to the exact opiate side I was just at to board the train, by the time i got to the correct car I was a sweaty frazzled mess. (had some old honkys look at me weird and ask if i was lost)
at first i was amazed how very light the bike is, and how light i'm traveling, by the time i got to my seat i felt like i drag a boat anchor the whole fucking way!
anyways got on the train, bunggied my bike into a lugae rack and fell asleep rather early. in the morning me pulled into nong khai, this time I was a bit less than gracefully getting the bike off the train, but finaly got it out, together and started peddling myself the 25k or so across the thai lao friendship bridge to Vientiane. it was an ass long hot ride but not unpleasant, I was trying to take it easy still need to used to riding again, and didn't want to make myself too sore.
navigating is easy enough so far (though i didn't get a chance to pick up a map in Thailand) but it's easy enough to say the next city's name and point in a questioning way.
it seemed my tires had gotten quite low on air, and my bike pump is ass tiny, really only for emergency's, got a tiny one that would fit into the rear racks support tube. but there are many motorcycle shops that are kind enough to add air.
I tryed to get to the Laos geograpical instuatue, or some such place but think i missed it by about 5min so now i have to wait till after the weekend to get a map.
probably ok, seems like theres a storm rolling in anyways.
I've got a new sim card for my phone seems my last Lao sim is dead, unluckily that meant i missed meeting my friend at his folks house which is the opiate way from Vientiane from the bridge that enters the country. got set up in the guesthouse i normally stay here (wow it's pouring down rain, glad I decided to bring my rain jacket to laos) next I need to go get water bottles, cut the tops off and put the feet of my bed into them with some water to try and keep out the bed bugs.
eek, ok pooped out.. that's all for now, going to go try and get music on my newly restored iPhone.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
today
went for a second ride around the banglumpoo area of bkk, wasn't too exciting, just dangerous, and hot. but i was out riding just to ride with no goal, last ride was to the stadium to pick up some boxing gear so I guess it made more sence.
if nothing ealse i'm getting the seat slighty broken in, the bike computer seems to be working kinda. but i still haven't found a southeast asia on bicycle lonly planet, which is odd because there are a ton of street venders selling lonly planet copys out here.
now it's becoming quite aperent that i need to get a front and rear tail light. was hopiing to save some cash and 1/2 ass it with a head band light on the bars and a small led fasher i found, but they don't seem up the task.
if nothing ealse i'm getting the seat slighty broken in, the bike computer seems to be working kinda. but i still haven't found a southeast asia on bicycle lonly planet, which is odd because there are a ton of street venders selling lonly planet copys out here.
now it's becoming quite aperent that i need to get a front and rear tail light. was hopiing to save some cash and 1/2 ass it with a head band light on the bars and a small led fasher i found, but they don't seem up the task.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
fixy fixy
got into BKK, and needed to get the bike fixed, the rear rim was still so bent it was quite unrideable, not to mention the fact that the spokes were sticking into the tubes and poping them.
I pulled the bike out of storage, carryed it in the baking sun the 15min to my guesthouse and unpacked it. seemed to fair the trip rather well.
I got it put back togeather, and after about 20 min of trying talk taxie drivers into driving me and the bike (a fustrating ordeal) i was off towards china town to a biek shop.
the first bike shop i got to was quite fancy.. da ja vu.. i think i already told this whole story..
I pulled the bike out of storage, carryed it in the baking sun the 15min to my guesthouse and unpacked it. seemed to fair the trip rather well.
I got it put back togeather, and after about 20 min of trying talk taxie drivers into driving me and the bike (a fustrating ordeal) i was off towards china town to a biek shop.
the first bike shop i got to was quite fancy.. da ja vu.. i think i already told this whole story..
Monday, March 9, 2009
so..
I bit more back history to try to catch up-to-date.
before I left the USA I tryed to get some miles on the bike, but with bent /untrue rims that rubbed on the breaks it was a bitch, I tryed to true them, but failed rather spectacularly! making one of the ass wobbliest rim you've ever seen. (this was out of the trail after i blew out a tube)
but in the end i was able to go out for about 4, hour long rides, and got a chance to true untrue and trueish my rims again, adjust the derailers and breaks a few times to get a better understanding of how they work.
and rigged up my seat post rack, including modifying it so i could add tire spoons, a patch kit, and a air pump into the main support tube of the rack.
added a water bottle holder (which i'm preaty sure will break) a bicycle computer which sometimes, kinda works.. a small bag that holds some tools, a tube, and an eye dropper of oil.
I threw on some over priced pep boys reflective tape (yea I'll look like a tool, a risk i'm willing to take!)
I round my spokes were popping my tubes, so with out getting to test the new brooks seat (or break it in at all) I pulled the bike apart packed into a shipping box and throw it in my truck!
(the guys at el camino bike shop were nice enough to save an old box for me so i didn't have to buy one at the airport)
(also got the tip from bonefinder to wrap the rear derailer with bubble tape)
bla, more later
before I left the USA I tryed to get some miles on the bike, but with bent /untrue rims that rubbed on the breaks it was a bitch, I tryed to true them, but failed rather spectacularly! making one of the ass wobbliest rim you've ever seen. (this was out of the trail after i blew out a tube)
but in the end i was able to go out for about 4, hour long rides, and got a chance to true untrue and trueish my rims again, adjust the derailers and breaks a few times to get a better understanding of how they work.
and rigged up my seat post rack, including modifying it so i could add tire spoons, a patch kit, and a air pump into the main support tube of the rack.
added a water bottle holder (which i'm preaty sure will break) a bicycle computer which sometimes, kinda works.. a small bag that holds some tools, a tube, and an eye dropper of oil.
I threw on some over priced pep boys reflective tape (yea I'll look like a tool, a risk i'm willing to take!)
I round my spokes were popping my tubes, so with out getting to test the new brooks seat (or break it in at all) I pulled the bike apart packed into a shipping box and throw it in my truck!
(the guys at el camino bike shop were nice enough to save an old box for me so i didn't have to buy one at the airport)
(also got the tip from bonefinder to wrap the rear derailer with bubble tape)
bla, more later
Thursday, March 5, 2009
start..
ok, here it goes...
I'm gonna bike my way through some of south east Asia.. but i'm not a high fluting bike snob. a bikes a tool, not an excuse for a personality. ok....
I've already dealt with way too many people way too proud of themselves because what bike they ride ect.. kinda makes me want to puke on them.. ok that's out of the way..
lol
so I was about to head off to Asia to travel: http://noble-matthew.blogspot.com/
and train boxing : (blog not set up yet)
at the last minuet I was offered a free bike, my father bought a bike on a whim and never used it, and now due to old Martial art injury's can't ride.
so I asked some Friends for tips, ordered up some bit and pieces on the net. and now here i am in Thailand with a bicycle.
still not sure if it was a huge mistake or not but we shall see.
so here's my plan..
train Muay Thai in BKK for a week or so, go to Chai Nat where my friend Pee Voot is being ordained as a monk, back to BKK more training and get the bike repaired (lol kinda fucked it up before i left the usa.. opps) more boxing, then go down to Kho Tao island. then to Sisket to a friends village (close to the Cambodian border) for thai new year, back to bkk to take care of a few last things then start biking south towards Malaysia, in Malaysia I have a contact to train with.. other than that it's all up in the air and i'll just play it by ear.
I'll be trying to travel light. so no pannier racks, just a backpack. sadly this means I'll probably have to ditch 90% of my boxing gear as well.
I'll pretty much only have a change of cloths, tiny eee pc to blog with, steri pen (water purifier) and some bike stuff.
anyways. just wanted to get this blog started, it should get better, lol. we'll see.
I'm gonna bike my way through some of south east Asia.. but i'm not a high fluting bike snob. a bikes a tool, not an excuse for a personality. ok....
I've already dealt with way too many people way too proud of themselves because what bike they ride ect.. kinda makes me want to puke on them.. ok that's out of the way..
lol
so I was about to head off to Asia to travel: http://noble-matthew.blogspot.com/
and train boxing : (blog not set up yet)
at the last minuet I was offered a free bike, my father bought a bike on a whim and never used it, and now due to old Martial art injury's can't ride.
so I asked some Friends for tips, ordered up some bit and pieces on the net. and now here i am in Thailand with a bicycle.
still not sure if it was a huge mistake or not but we shall see.
so here's my plan..
train Muay Thai in BKK for a week or so, go to Chai Nat where my friend Pee Voot is being ordained as a monk, back to BKK more training and get the bike repaired (lol kinda fucked it up before i left the usa.. opps) more boxing, then go down to Kho Tao island. then to Sisket to a friends village (close to the Cambodian border) for thai new year, back to bkk to take care of a few last things then start biking south towards Malaysia, in Malaysia I have a contact to train with.. other than that it's all up in the air and i'll just play it by ear.
I'll be trying to travel light. so no pannier racks, just a backpack. sadly this means I'll probably have to ditch 90% of my boxing gear as well.
I'll pretty much only have a change of cloths, tiny eee pc to blog with, steri pen (water purifier) and some bike stuff.
anyways. just wanted to get this blog started, it should get better, lol. we'll see.
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