Having been advised on this Island of Phuket, it’s cities and beaches by a few experienced wanderers, I was originally headed out of my way to visit some elephants but got that off my list a bit early.

Striking out on a campsite led me into the night a few hours just North of the bridge leading into Phuket, but riding a few km’s chewing on a flashlight has become commonplace lately. Being offered rides to the airport off the road hasn’t, however.

An airport shuttle had pulled over on a truckers sleeping lane  and was waving me over like a scrub hangin’ out the passenger side of his best friends ride, I blame it on my milkshake. I knew it wasn’t the safest time to be riding, even with street lamps and my headlight, but in areas covered in private property you just have to ride it out and deal with traffic carefully.

Stranger-Danger.

The pay off was like laying up before the green with a sweet chip shot next up, I was now within striking distance of Patong beach the following day and rolled into an apartment of a roadside hotel, three litres of comped water, and a couple coffees to start me off the next day. These Ma and Pa operations here throw me off guard every time, and I prefer them 10/10 to a big fancy hotel chain. It’s a taste of family far from home, with a side order of who knows what you’re getting before you open the door.

Underestimating these 70 km, the landscape had turned into rolling hills and the headwind wasn’t letting up by any means but the best was saved for last. The cross road leading to the beach town felt like fighting the big guy on the last level of Double Dragon. Pushing my house up an incline angle that would’ve been illegal in Canada took more sweat and effort than the previous ten hours.

The other side of the mountain was a similar sharp descent, mostly having me wonder if I’d be bucked off the front of my handlebars at the slightest bump or mistake.

The calm, cool environment of  Khao Sok suddenly disappeared from my rear view and a small city lit up the sky like a bonfire. Hustle and bustle replaced jagged white rock faces and the smell of crashing surf was in the air.

The next few days were relaxed, sunny and social if nothing else. Diana and I met on the street as our hotels were kiddie-corner neighbours, did a few dinners and a day in the sand. She was a pleasure to meet and a great conversationalist, touristing around town and walking the beach with her was time very well spent.

I also extended my visa at the authority here in town, and couldn’t pass up the culture of McDonalds which was just a block down the street as I waited for the governments noon hour break to end. Forgetting to have anything photo copied or ready in any way cost me a bit to get cut and dried but within a half hour I was stamped for another 30 days in this great country.

Good luck strikes again

Rolling through to the Islands East side, I was paired up with another ex-pat, with the help of Naomi, yet again. Ms. Bertwhistle and I met up in Phuket city for a walk around the town’s night market and shared a few new foods and company well into the evening. Meeting again the next day for similar experience in the daylight we strolled the trendy streets of Old Phuket town, which had the feel and taste of a movie set.

Classic bikes, giant sea creatures, cool boutiques and a quiet Sunday afternoon lull was the perfect setting for a pigeon to get caught under our table and cause a stir. Stay cool buddy, see you in ‘Stan soon enough.

Onwards and upwards, back the way I came, as there is only one way on and off this island, I had the wind on my back and finally fully rested I didn’t really notice that I’d downed 90 km in seven hours, for nearly a record km/hr ratio on this trip.

I’m now some 100km away from my fourth country and have my sights on the fifth, it looks like rain for the next month or more, and I welcome that fact. The heat has been wearing me down lately, and I’m plainly not used to the high 30’s day after day. I still wouldn’t trade any day of my trip for another day somewhere else, somewhere easier.

This was never supposed to be easy, and not every mile will be fun. I’ll be here though, making my days count towards my goal, some will be mountain tops and some will be river beds, but they will all belong to me.

Life can be short, it’s not always up to us how long we get and some of us are gone too early, or in our prime, and at a great loss to those in our circles regardless of when we go upstairs. You might not be afforded one more chance, a second chance, or one last minute, before the finish line is behind you, or behind someone else.

A great man once said;

“The wealthiest  places in the world aren’t the  oilfields of the Middle East, or  the diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places are the cemeteries. Buried in the ground are businesses that were never formed, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, potential that was never realized, and dreams that never came to pass.” -Rev. Joel Osteen

I’m not only riding for those people in our lives that aren’t here with us, but to give more people in the future a chance to win. To live, and to stay with us and their families, so that they can see another Grandson, to walk their Daughter down the aisle, or to meet their little brother.

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/IFE_MB_Event/IFE_MB_General_?px=13155355&pg=personal&fr_id=25271

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