Bike Ride in Thailand, Jan 2016--End of ride and few days in Bangkok

Ride completed on Friday, Jan 22, then to Bangkok for the weekend, returning to the US and our snow storm on Monday evening. Total length was 554 miles with 10,000 ft of elevation (which is fairly flat for that length of ride).  Total weight gain not determined as yet. 

Total crashes, bad events, getting lost, feeling ill or dehydrated (90 deg + in the shade and we were forever in the blazing sun) = ZERO

Unique floating 'raft' hotel reached after an hour long ride in a longboat.

My cabin and my room in this 'raft.'

I don't want to make too much of the rooms as the idea was a bike ride, but the overnight stays were almost always ultranice, with AC, wifi, hot water and great breakfast. The raft only had the great breakfast but it definitely was an interesting experience.

The room below was part of a suite I had on my own, and included a 20-30 ft swimming pool viewed from the bedroom. Also, a hot tub jecuzzi, sitting room, and an outdoor shower midst tall plants. Highly recommended to all hedonists in waiting.

My private pool and hot tub viewed from the bed.

The sitting room in the suite. The plants in the window are part of my outdoor shower!

Nearly the end of the ride. In a town wiped out by the tzunami (10,000 died)

view at the last night of the ride

I flew from Phuket, where the ride ended back to Bangkok for a few days of sightseeing. One pleasant dinner was with a friend of a friend of Garys'.  I got around on canal boats, taxis, tuc-tucs (colorful jitneys), a lots of walking. Never felt threatened, never was bothered by beggars, never saw homeless sleeping in the street, and got a lot of pleasant smiles for unclear reasons, except the people are just friendly.

Stayed at a bicycle themed hotel in Bangkok. I did not get on one, however.

 The largest reclining Buddha in the world, located at Wat Pho.  The pictures below are more scenes in this huge temple, comprised of so many areas that I got lost getting back. I took many dozen pictures.

Finally, a visit to a contemporary art museum with some terrific items on its 9 floors and a visit to the Jim Thompson House, an American architect who came back to Thailand after being there in WWII. He helped establish the silk industry, collected ancient Thai art, built a complex composed of ancient houses moved to the site, and disappeared on a trip to Cambodia at age 61, without a hint of what happened ever appearing.  Interestingly, he had a fortune teller warn him to be careful at age 61, the forecast being made nine years before his disappearance.

This is just a sprinkling of the photos and a too brief description of the bike ride and visit.  I did keep an illustrated daily diary, but no one wants all those details. 

Stan