Bangkok

Bike repairs in Bangkok

It's Monday 19th December and I'm starting to get excited about my trip through Myanmar. I pick up my passport from the embassy tomorrow, hopefully with a pristine 28 day visa attached.

The worst rim crack I've seen, it ran around 50% of the circumference. Don't buy cheap wheels!

Later today I pick up my bike from Bok Bok Bike, where I´m having the rear rim replaced. Then on Wednesday I cycle to Don Muang airport and catch a short flight north to Chang Mai, from where I head to the frontier crossing at Mae Sai. I'm flying with Nok Air as I've heard you just hand over your bike and they just wheel it out and put it on the plane.....saves all the faff of folding and packing.....oh, and they carry it free too!

Things to do:

1. Pick up laundry

2. Get some new small denomination US dollar bills from the bank. 

It's an annoying quirk of Laos, Cambodia, and apparently Myanmar too, that if you want to exchange dollars for local money or pay for stuff in dollars they will only accept completely clean and unmarked dollar bills......even a staple hole or biro mark causes rejection. The joke is that the local money you get in return is often so old and filthy that it's a job to recognise what it is, especially at night. Often shopkeepers get so fed up with me rummaging in my wallet, trying to identify each note that they just dive in themselves and extract what they want. Always honestly though.......in fact when I've accidentally handed over too much (not unusual!) they always point out my error.

I'll get some local currency too, there are 1,369 Myanmar Kyat to the dollar........this is going to be tricky to work out prices! In Myanmar the maximum an ATM will pay out is the equivalent to 50 dollars but the commission works out at around 10% on this small amount. I have gleaned all this useful trivia from my Thai room-mate Maatoom, who has been around a bit on his bicycle and used to live and work in Bangkok. A goldmine of useful information, he has also been wheeling me around the local eateries. Last night we went to a popular Muslim tea shop for some tasty banana pancakes, all nicely doused with condensed milk. It reminded me of Turkey.

3. Decide what I'm leaving behind until I get back

As usual I seem to acquire 'stuff' in Bangkok. Nothing essential, some of it nonsensical, just irresistible at the price. Example: A USB powered electric fan (two) in case I'm hot in my tent at night. Mmm. As an alternative to the tent in the jungle I now have a hammock with mosquito net attached. I actually plan to use this. Clothes.....a few items to smarten me up for Christmas, wherever I might be for that. It's a lot colder 'up north' so I'm going to pop into Decathlon in Chang Mai and get a skimpy sleeping bag. I'm planning on sleeping in temples where possible.....I chatted to one-time monk Maatoom and he has managed to dispel my reservations about this option....the key word is sharing, I like it. So, I'm leaving about 5kg with the Bean Around Hostel until I get back here on 19th January.

4. Pick up visa

Bangkok is a sprawling city of 8 million people and 4,000 tuk tuk's. It's about 5km to the Embassy and there are several travel options. Usually my preferred option is my bicycle and I must have clocked up around 50km of city travel this past week (front brake only because of the rear rim). I've also used the motorbike taxis, which can be scary if you end up with a young rider high on testosterone, but much quicker and cheaper than a taxi. I must check out the (BTS) Sky train before I leave as well. Like most things, it's easy after the first time.

20th December - A bout of self-doubt

I like to plan ahead a little, I'm not good at just heading off into the blue. This morning I did a bit of research into my proposed route from the border crossing at Tachilek to Mandalay following Highway 4. Everything I read tells me that as a foreigner I can't get through via this crossing, that I need a permit just to get to Keng Tung and then will have to fly from there to Mandalay. Google Maps is trying to route me across the border further west on Highway 45...........as far as I know there isn't even a border crossing there??

Mamoot came by to say goodbye and we chatted about my dilemma. He has used the 45 before and interestingly said that the fighting and travel restrictions tend to be in the monsoon season. Anyway, after talking to him I am sufficiently reassured to press on.  After all, the pace of change in Myanmar is so fast that information gets out of date very rapidly.

Mamoot also gave me some other ideas besides temples for camping overnight. Ask at hospitals, health centres, public buildings, fire stations, forestry workers stations, national park offices, schools.............the list was endless.

Mamoot's list of night stop possibilities - cut and paste the Thai into Google maps