The Golden Triangle Rider

[Colin]

I left Trat in the morning and took the 3 then the 344 and back on the 3 again into Bangkok, What a boring journey. As I didnt get into Bangkok until about 15:00 hours I didnt feel like riding to Kanchanaburi so I stayed at Apple guest house in Samsen road for the night. Next morning it was over the Pinklao bridge and on the 4 until I hit the 323 which goes all the way to Kanchanaburi, I also found this an uninteresting journey, Too many big vehicles. Stated at c&c guest house, Had a floating room on the Kwai for 70 Baht a night. The Jolly Frog restaurant is brilliant in my opinion, A large pizza for 85 Baht, Spaghetti Bolognaise for 30 Baht you cant fault the food either its cheap and delicious. Next morning I got on the 323 and rode all the way to Sangkhla Buri, Once you leave Kanchanaburi the traffic volume drops right off and its a very pleasant journey with a good surface virtually all the way. After you get past Thong Pha Phum it gets hillier and twistier and more interesting. I have never stayed here before and find a good place called the Burmese Inn owned by an Austrian named Armin. He is a nice guy and the place is very pleasant too, I get a room for 80 Baht for a double bed and outside shower. Western food is harder to come by up here but they do a nice Burmese curry with chicken and potatoes which filled me completely. The rooms are on the edge of the massive reservoir and has good scenery, I ride up to the three pagoda pass next morning for a look around and then explore a road going the other way. I get my first kill on the wave today, I expect my first coming off accident will be a dog but today a cat got me. I am riding along at about 45kmh when this large cat comes running out of this garden and goes head first into either my forks or front wheel. The bike wobbles but not enough to bring me off, Luckily the cat wasnt a couple of seconds earlier or it would have gone under my front wheel and I would have come off. I stop and go back to where puss is lying in the road twitching with a lot of blood around the mouth and nose but dies within a minute. One nil to the wave. I go back to Kanchanaburi after two pleasant nights here, I will definitely come here again its that pleasant. It is certainly not cold during the daytime riding near to Nam tok, I am sweating. Sangkhla Buri is hot by day but quickly cools down at night

[umike]

Kanchanaburi is alawys good value and driven to Thong Pha Phum many a times.

At Thong Pha Phum if you turn left (instead of right to the 3 pagodas) there are many nice rides and (local) places to stay.

I have rode about 50,000 kms in Thailand but only managed to run over snakes. Pehaps I ride too fast.