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Thailand/Narathiwat Round the world trip 2007
7/28
This morning we left the guest house after two cups of coffee and two pieces of toast. Not quite enough for a 100km day. We followed a small road out of town looking for the village of boat builders. What a treat to see the gorgeous fishing vessels. We saw models of these Kia boats in Narathiwat. On the small roads, we were stopped and warned how dangerous the area was. We were offered a ride, but declined and headed out to the main highway we had been told was secure.
There is less population on the main roads, but we managed to find a delightful little spot to stop for lunch. We took out our guide book with foods listed and managed to order bananas and yams deep fried with coconut coating and a terrific soup with veggies and goat meat and ???. Each bite had sweet, savory, spicy tastes in the mouth!
When we arrived in Pattani and found a new hotel ($20) recommended by our guest house owner last night, we showered and stood in our seventh floor window watching the afternoon/evening storm approach. After a bit of rest we went downstairs to the huge dinning room and with the aid of our guidebook ordered another amazing meal of green curry chicken. Many of the vegetables are unfamiliar but the meats are very good (no bones or knuckles like in Malaysia) and the spices are incredible. We think we have finally found the country with our favorite foods! Yeah! But little English is spoken and the alphabet is indistinguishable to us. So we will probably continue with mystery meals – delicious mystery meals!
After dinner, we explored some cabins next door to the hotel, appearing as part of the complex. Much to Judee’s chagrin, the prostitutes use the area. Many of the hotels we house the prostitution downstairs, regular guests upstairs. Strange in an area so strongly Muslim. Drinking and nightclubbing is also prevalent. Tomorrow we’ve been told we will have a police escort to Songkhla as it is too dangerous due to the Islamic insurgents. We’ll see tomorrow what happens.
The time changed as we came over the Thai border. The sun comes up an hour earlier which gives us more morning daylight, but we are ready to go before any restaurants are open, and we lost one hour in the evening. We seem to have some long days of riding ahead of us. There is so much to see in Thailand. It is difficult to plan a route, as we will inevitably miss sight. We just can’t see it all.
The scenery is lovely pastoral scenes of cattle or goats lounging in green low land fields bordered by jungles of vines, flowering bushes and many varieties of trees, including coconut palms - the result of this hot, wet climate. Thailand is called the “land of Smiles” and we are certainly experiencing those welcoming smiles from passing scooter, autos, trucks and giggling children.
July 29 Thailand/Songkhla Weltreise 2007 >
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July 27 Thailand/Narathiwat Weltreise 2007
This morning we left the guest house after two cups of coffee and two pieces of toast. Not quite enough for a 100km day. We followed a small road out of town looking for the village of boat builders. What a treat to see the gorgeous fishing vessels. We saw models of these Kia boats in Narathiwat. On the small roads, we were stopped and warned how dangerous the area was. We were offered a ride, but declined and headed out to the main highway we had been told was secure.
There is less population on the main roads, but we managed to find a delightful little spot to stop for lunch. We took out our guide book with foods listed and managed to order bananas and yams deep fried with coconut coating and a terrific soup with veggies and goat meat and ???. Each bite had sweet, savory, spicy tastes in the mouth!
When we arrived in Pattani and found a new hotel ($20) recommended by our guest house owner last night, we showered and stood in our seventh floor window watching the afternoon/evening storm approach. After a bit of rest we went downstairs to the huge dinning room and with the aid of our guidebook ordered another amazing meal of green curry chicken. Many of the vegetables are unfamiliar but the meats are very good (no bones or knuckles like in Malaysia) and the spices are incredible. We think we have finally found the country with our favorite foods! Yeah! But little English is spoken and the alphabet is indistinguishable to us. So we will probably continue with mystery meals – delicious mystery meals!
After dinner, we explored some cabins next door to the hotel, appearing as part of the complex. Much to Judee’s chagrin, the prostitutes use the area. Many of the hotels we house the prostitution downstairs, regular guests upstairs. Strange in an area so strongly Muslim. Drinking and nightclubbing is also prevalent. Tomorrow we’ve been told we will have a police escort to Songkhla as it is too dangerous due to the Islamic insurgents. We’ll see tomorrow what happens.
The time changed as we came over the Thai border. The sun comes up an hour earlier which gives us more morning daylight, but we are ready to go before any restaurants are open, and we lost one hour in the evening. We seem to have some long days of riding ahead of us. There is so much to see in Thailand. It is difficult to plan a route, as we will inevitably miss sight. We just can’t see it all.
The scenery is lovely pastoral scenes of cattle or goats lounging in green low land fields bordered by jungles of vines, flowering bushes and many varieties of trees, including coconut palms - the result of this hot, wet climate. Thailand is called the “land of Smiles” and we are certainly experiencing those welcoming smiles from passing scooter, autos, trucks and giggling children.
