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Thailand

Mar
2004-09-14 16:16:21

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that we need to move everything right now, while the train keeps on moving and shaking from left to right. He appears to be the train manager and we only shortly notice his uniform under the training jacket. So, here we go, moving three bicycles and three times 4 panniers through seven passenger wagons.

Cycling Bangkok

It is not impossible and if you take the time it is quite a lot of fun. As long as you don’t doubt your decisions and just place your bicycle in front of the car instead of cycling besides them. Then adjust to car speed and keep on paddling. You’ll do just fine. Here’s your first puzzle. How to get from the far left lane to the far right lane within 200 meters before a roundabout, moving 4 lanes to the right, taking the roundabout halfway and moving to the left lane again to exit? Oh, forgotten to include in the puzzle instructions, the five lanes just before the roundabout change to three lanes.

Bangkok has about 4,5 million inhabitants but no underground. Public transport is with buses or the expensive sky-train that runs only a few lines. In the centre it is like rush hour almost 24 hours a day. The main roads have about 5 lanes in each direction, each lane just broad enough for one car. We have geared up our bicycles after the train ride from the Cambodian border and are now cycling towards the guesthouse area. Luckily we are well equipped with children sirens for on our bicycle, they have a variety of sounds that are so loud that it makes only me death. We arrive without damage and a heart rate of about 145 beats per minute, but that’s normal for cycling in Bangkok.

Since we arrived midday on Sunday we still have some time to visit the famous weekend market. We stroll around the many, many stalls that sell everything one could ever imagine. Dolls, shoes, sandals, plants, jewelleries, all sorts of rice, all sorts of protected rare animals, dogs, etc. China town ...