February 15th: Chai Nat to Si Prachan – 80 km
Day 125
Our constant struggle over choosing the most direct route or the scenic continues today. I don’t foresee either of the two winning in the end. Direct routes are along major highways where the roads are smooth, the shoulders generous, and hotels numerous. Sounds perfect except the most direct routes also have the most traffic, foul smells, and garbage. On the other hand the scenic routes can be faster although sometimes longer. A variety of scenery can make the distance feel shorter and urge on your tired legs to see what is around the next bend. However, this can also backfire and the scenic road can be so bumpy or narrow that you miss the scenery dodging pot holes or passing vehicles on narrow roads without shoulder.
Today we made the correct decision and were rewarded with vast green fields of rice in various stages of growth. Green paddies tinged with yellow were being drained in preparation for harvest while new vibrant, almost fluorescent green shoots stood in their pools of water. Each field depending on its development revealed a spectrum of greens only a painter could put a name to.
