March 1st: Ban Na Doem District to Song Phraek, Chai Buri – 70.5 km
Day 139
With temperatures exceeding 38°C / 100 F, we had to make a decision – either stay at the little horrible place we were at or keep moving. It was so hot that dogs who chase us in packs in the cool morning hours, barely lifted their heads to note our passing. On our map, this was the last hotel that we saw before we arrived in Krabi, which is another 65 km away. Google maps was already 10 km short, probably not accounting for the multiple hills we climbed today. Despite the fact there wasn’t any air-conditioning and the room wasn’t really enclosed, we decided to stay.
It’s amazing what heat, thirst, and hunger, and exhaustion can do to your perspective. Standing in the shade compared to being on the road was such an enormous relief that we failed to see the smeared walls, cracks in the masonry, large enough to let geckos come and go freely, the drop ceiling close to the tops of our heads sealing in the heat and the single small window which let in only a trickle of fresh hot air. We reasoned that it was cheap and would be good for the budget and got ready for some cold showers, then the water wouldn’t turn on. We attempted to leave, and had our helmets on, but just as we were ready to demand our money back the water turned on.
Once the temperature reaches 38 or 39, everything the sun touches continues to radiate heat well into the evening. We took a walk around the corner to take our minds off the heat and found an air-conditioned hotel 30 meters away for 400 baht. Cher was melting by this point and was certain this was some time of cosmic practical joke at her expense. We debated relocating, but we would have to pay for the 3 hours we suffered at the shit hole already, so we decided to tough it out. The main problem was that our room received the low sun of the late afternoon, while the permanent residents had chosen the rooms with the most shade throughout the day. So while they were relieved by the setting sun, our room continued to radiate heat well into the night. We were sweating until about 10pm, and then at 2:30am we were freezing cold. We huddled together under our blanket, no larger than a beach towel, and slept until morning. It was the first time in months that we could not wait to get out of the bed.
