December 29th: Sakon Nakhon to Phang Khon – 57.24 km
Day 77
Oh smooth roads, how sweet you are! It’s amazing how much faster and efficient we can pedal on smooth roads. No more vibration from the road till your hands are numb and your vision blurred. This coupled with winter weather in Thailand, which feels like a warm autumn day in North America, makes cycling a joy. As if to support my autumn theory we came to a market selling pumpkins, cantaloupe and honeydew melons. There we had some of the most perfectly ripe cantaloupes we’ve ever tasted. Compared to what we came through in Laos, Thailand is a cornucopia of convenience.
Learning from our previous mistake, we did a little map research the night before and found a nice clean room without much effort. In Thailand, hotels tend to be located on the less traveled side streets, and with very little advertisement and no English signs they are very easy to miss.
Strolling out to get dinner, we found a Sunday market selling all types of Thai delights just 100 meters away from the hotel. We went crazy for dinner sausages, spicy fish with coconut cream steamed in banana leaves, fried spring rolls in salad, grilled sticky rice, pad thai and sticky rice with mango and coconut for desert. The market food here rivals that of any expensive restaurant.
