Road Adventures.

I have had an adventurous week with the bike. On Monday I went biking out the Samoeng Loop. I had no intention of actually doing the loop, which is quite mountainous, but I wanted to go out it about twenty miles. I made it about thirteen miles. I was straining up a hill when SNAP!, my chain broke. That is rather unsettling when you are pressing with full might on the pedal and suddenly there is no resistance. I didn't fall off the bike, but it was a close thing. So I started pushing my bike back to town, wondering where I could find a songtaew. Fortunately a Belgian guy, Maxell, came along and helped me. He was on a really nice road bike. He had a chain breaker, a device neither of us had ever used, but we figured it out and rejoined the chain. I was quite embarrassed because my bike was dirty and the chain was greasy and got his hands filthy. His bike was immaculate. Your mom always told you never to go anywhere without clean underwear, in case you ended up in the hospital and they had to undress you. From now on I won't go anywhere without a clean, freshly lubed and wiped down chain. The chain repair wasn't perfect, but it was good enough for me to slowly make my way home. I then went and bought my own chain breaker, and made permanent repairs to my bike.

Wednesday I went for the longest ride I have ever done. I went north, up the river valley toward Phrao. I made it about halfway up there before turning back. I finished at 61 miles. Quite a ride for me, the day before my fiftieth birthday. I had a flat on the way back, a piece of glass punctured my tire. I tried patching it, but cut was too close to the seam, and it wouldn't seal. So I replaced the tube and came on home. Now I will need to buy a new spare tube before I go out again. I intend to go riding again on Friday, but I don't plan to go so far!

Motorbike

While I am off work I am catching up on a number of things that have fallen by the wayside recently. One of these is my motorbike. I took it in today with a laundry list of things that needed doing. I had the oil changed, a new spark plug and air filter installed, got the speedometer/odometer cable repaired (wasn't working), and got the tail light fixed (wasn't working). They were also supposed to replace the gasket on the gas tank cap, but somehow that didn't get done. They also washed it and tightened up the brakes. It took about two and a half hours. The cost was 270 baht, the equivalent of nine dollars! Vehicle repair is one of the truly good bargains in Thailand. For a lot of things (electronics and other imported things) we pay more than we would in the States, or Europe, but some things are cheaper.

I also notice that the motorbike is running better now, and I feel safer, now that the tail light is working again.

Songkran Break

I am on break from work right now. After working an outrageous schedule the last two months we have a ten day break over the traditional Thai New Year, or Songkran. Since I am planning a trip to the States at the end of the month, I am not traveling during the break. Instead I will stay here in CM, catch up on my house and yard work, exercise and try some new recipes.

I went biking today with three other friends. Two of them are in their mid fifties, and the oldest is seventy-six. We did forty-seven miles, or seventy-six kilometers. At least I did, everyone's mileage varied a bit depending on where their house is.

It was a very nice ride. We left at 6:00 AM, so that meant getting up at 4:45. But the weather was cool, slightly overcast, and the smoke that has plagued us for the last two months was washed away by last night's rain. We didn't ride fast, the older guy has slowed down since his cancer surgery last year. Still, at 76, in an all day ride, he would ride me into the ground. Actually I didn't mind going a little slow. I haven't been riding much lately, because of work and the smoke, so I am a little out of shape. We stopped half way and took a leisurely break to eat our fruit and drink our protein shakes.

I intend to ride everyday of the break, or go to the gym for weight training, so hopefully I am feeling more fit when I go back to work.

Happy Anniversary

I am having an anniversary this week. Last year on December 6th I bought my hybrid mountain bike, a Trek 4300. I took it out to ride for the first time on Dec. 7th. I have been riding ever since. (I did take a longish break during the hot season.) So I marked my one year anniversary as a biker this week. I also hit 1600 miles on the odometer this week. Admittedly that isn't all that much for a year, but I started off riding very short rides. I recently did a 42 mile ride, and I expect to do a 50 mile ride soon. I have to say, riding is the greatest form of exercise ever invented. A recent study rated cycling as the best form of exercise for building endurance. It is also good for weight loss or management, it is low impact, it helps build core strength and improve balance, and of course, you get to see lots of pretty countryside while you ride. I have also started to do more riding in the mountains recently. This is much more challenging, but it is a great way to increase fitness.

I love cycling, and I hope to keep riding for many, many years.

50 Million Blue Whales

The flooding in Bangkok will probably reach a peak this weekend, due to cresting waters in the Chao Phraya River, and a high tide which will slow drainage to the sea. Western Bangkok is largely flooded, as are several districts of Northern Bangkok. But Central and Eastern Bangkok have largely been spared.

Meanwhile the flood of information, misinformation, and disinformation from various sources, both governmental and private continuous unabated. This certainly has not been the Thai Government's finest hour. (Although one would have to search very hard to an hour which would qualify as the government's finest.) The fighting between the Prime Minister's office and the office of the Governor of Bangkok has been comical at times, or would be if the situation were not so serious.

On a lighter note a local film producer and Thai PBS TV Station have teamed up to create a video to explain the causes and solutions to the current flooding. It calculates that the weight of the water trying to pass through Bangkok is equal to that of 50 million blue whales. It uses great graphics to show the whales' attempts to reach the sea. It is on YouTube, and I recommend it. It is quite amusing, as well as informative. (I think it downplays the role of the current government in creating the flood, but that is a topic for another post, perhaps after the flooding is over.)



I have four days off now and am headed out to Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen for a holiday. I might post some pictures when I get back. I have to be back by Friday for an annual in service training day. Although there is no absolute certainty it will come off, as the trainers are in Bangkok, and may not come.