Rest Day 1

Chiang Rai

Today is our first rest day and we're spending it in Chiang Rai where we are also enjoying a little respite from the heat. The first days we have been peddling out in the heat and direct sunshine, but today it's raining and cooler.

We have been out of Singapore for 5 days now, clocked up a few Km's [see The Narrow Shoulder for actual numbers] and seen some amazing sights already. I ticked off one of my 'Lifetime Must Do's' yesterday when I traveled downriver in a longtail boat. Just sat back and enjoyed the view.

Just laying back after a few days of riding, pointing the camera and seeing river life represented so much of what I'd wanted from this trip.

I wanted this to be a mix of a physical challenge along with a visual stimulus, something for the eyes and camera.

The Logistics

One of our biggest concerns had been getting the bikes safely on and off the plane. But big cardboard boxes, panniers and masking tape solved that the night before we left.

However, the next morning I had to open the box to check I had my helmet, so I opened it up then 're-maskingtaped' it.

At the airport I realised I'd forgotten to let the air pressure out of the tyres, so I opened it up again then 're-maskingtaped' it, again.

Finally at the ticketing desk I found I was well overweight, and so was my bike box. 2 Months riding around South East Asia should take care of my weight problem and $120.00 sing dollars should take care of the bike's weight problem.

Building the Bike

This was not as hard as I first thought it may be. The bikes were in good condition when we unpacked them so all we needed was an Allen Key and a Swiss Army Knife.

The Allen Key helped to tighten all the nuts on the bike, while the Swiss Army Knife undid the top of the Chang Beer bottle enough to loosen up the two nuts riding the bikes.

See ya

Cpp