World On Board: Day 21: The Essence of touring

Round the world on board
Day 21: The Essence of touring
Thailand: Thung Wa to Trang
Distance: 74.8km
Time on Board: 5 hour 13m

Cumulative Distance : 1159.3km

Didn't have a good night of sleep at monastery. Thanks to cats and dogs barking all night. I can't complain since the monks allowed me to sleep for free. Woke up 6am to start off. Tried searching for monks to thank them but they were gone. Got my breakfast at 7-11 then i spotted them walking around collecting food alms. On the contary, the monks can eat meat. They can't buy and kill for meat. Whatever food they collected, must be finished whether it is meat or not. Of course, no idiot will donate meat to them. Thanked them for the sleepover. They even offered me their food but i refused.

Rode off my way through 416 route around the mountains. That means beautiful scenery on the way. The thing about touring is not a race to see who is faster or cover more mileage but rather an experience to feel, see, eat and ride. Whenever i see an interesting sight, i say why not. Anyway probably i won't come here again. Who visits such rural area. Stopped at Khon Pi Caves with buddha statues manned by a single nun and few other caves along the way. It is like 3 km, i had to detour. But that is the essence of touring. Not surprisingly i covered only 12km in the first hour on board.

Once i left the mountains, into more town areas, i picked up speed. By noon, i covered 50km at Ya Tan Kao, just in time for lunch.

Another encounter of kindness, a car stopped ahead of me, a lady brought bottle of coke and soy milk and waved me to stop then she handed me the drinks. Even offered me food but i already had lunch and my backpack is already full with her drinks. If this goes on, i really had to refuse people's gift cos my backpack is already full and heavy enough. But i really appreciate the Thais and Malaysians for their Kindness. Shortly, another stopover, this time the Driver is a skateboarder as well, he took his skateboard from his car to show me and offered me a ride to Trang and invited me to stay with his family. Too bad, i already booked a hostel. Seriously i can really live for free if such encounters keep appearing.

I realised Singaporeans or any one esle should not only travel more for sightseeing or shopping or food or just backpacking. Tourists and backpackers most of the time remain in cities and move on buses. Local tend to see them as just tourists and Cash Cow. But when locals see me on the road, skating hard just on my effort, they really respected me as who i am, and not just a tourist Cash cow. Hence, the gifts of food, drinks or even accomodation offered from locals. That is what i feel a genuine moment from them. The essence of Touring.

I realise also, thailand placed much importance on cycling infrastructure. Wide shoulder lane for cyclists and motorcyclists and also skater like me. Just 2 days in Thailand, i am in love with Thais

Arrived in Trang and found my hostel at 3.22pm. Now time for me to be a tourist cash cow.