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Thailand

Mar
2004-09-14 16:16:21

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The shortcut

What an absolute genius idea, leaving Laos to make a shortcut through Thailand to Cambodia, who's idea was it again?! Never seen an absolute more boring countryside for the full 600km. All elements that make it worthwhile are not to be seen here. Instead, all we get is long roads, no curves, no mountains, not even a single hill (except for one). Very smooth asphalt that provides us with distance information every 350m (painted on the road), and all 600km it's the same scenery: rice, rice, palm trees, rice and more rice.

We try to cycle at least 100km a day although it is really a struggle against ourselves, time and kilometres than really enjoying (now we remember why we don't like cycling in The Netherlands so much). But nothing negative about the Buddha park in Non Khai that we have visited just across the friendship bridge coming out of Laos, and the Dinosaur museum. In fact this area is dinosaur heaven, a lot of footprints and bones of various sorts of dinosaurs have been found in this part of Thailand. This is a very welcome relaxation. Back on the boring asphalt again. I suggest we start a chess game, ''horse C7 to B9"", having no idea if this move is allowed.
Tonight we will have another nice activity: The finals of the World cup Rugby 2003 between England and Australia (played in Australia). I'll be there for the close-ups and the beer; Raymond goes for the match itself. In Surin we find a hotel and also some retired Europeans who have found a Thai wife and can tell us where we can watch the match. We end up in the ''Falang connection'' with 15 ex-pats living in the area. A 60" screen really put is on the rugby field. It's already late when we return to our hotel. We realize it is the first time in four months that we are not in an ex-/communist country. After cycling through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Laos we hungry grasp for the Bangkok Post, watch BBC ...