The outbound leg was to be an easy ride as I had most of October free.
My route with overnighters and kilometers travelled-
Bangkok to Hua Hin - 170
Hua Hin to Chumphon - 250
Chumphon to Krabi - 310
Krabi to Hat Yai - 180
Hat Yai to Penang - 200
Penang To KL - 300, (KL to Sepang Circuit - 50)
Total 1,460 kilometers
Rama II road was pretty awful as usual but once out of that it's open throttle all the way. Hua Hin was uneventful. Low season blues. The Pueng Pen hotel opposite Mickey D's at 980 Bt a night was good value. Big pool and in-room safe.
Chumphon? Why do I keep stopping in Chumphon? I never learn. No redeeming qualities whatsoever though I've heard the surrounding areas have some nice resorts.
Chumphom to Krabi was a nice ride with surprisingly little traffic though the odd float and parades around the villages slowed me down.
Scenery was eyeopening though these pics don't do it justice.
Used Adobe to make some panorama images here, hence the joins.
Deserted highways were a huge relief from the traffic nightmare that is Bangkok.
Krabi town was nice and .. er ..quiet. Actually it appeared completely deserted.
WHERE IS EVERYBODY!?
Sunset from the town center.
Krabi to Hat Yai is a very good ride though I got my first soaking in the mountains just before Trang, I managed to dry out (except crotch, natch) before arriving in Hat Yai.
Once in Hat Yai, I checked in to the Siam Center hotel. My grand ideas of checking out the nightlife disappeared as I hit the sack early, tired from my the wet twisties earlier in the day but it was tempting to call out for a takeaway.
A room with a view. (Another dodgy Adobe panorama effort).
Crossing the border the next day was a bit of a runaround but after being given contradictory directions by Thai customs staff, I eventually got the two pices of paper needed. Handed one to the Thai customs on departure and just showed the other to uninterested, sleepy Malay customs guys and then sped through onto Penang.
The Malay roads were excellent tough the trip was fairly bland. No potholes here.
I decided to take the ferry over to Georgetown and the long bridge on the way back.
The Penang Bridge in the distance is 13 kilometers long apparently, making it the longest 'something-span' bridge in the world. Okay, whatever!
I like Penang. Old-world charm a plenty. The view from the Cititel Hotel on Penang Road. About 1,700 Bt (or 170 ringgit) a night. Excellent hotel!
Excellent Indian curries on Penang Road though thoroughly unhygenic as I was to find out later while in the saddle.
Strangley enough, this place isn't a temple but a hotel. I must have been drunk when I took this photo!
Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of staying at the Eastern Hotel in Chulia Street (as I did back in the 80's), besides being a dump, it's next to a mosque so you have some tone-deaf Imam screaming away at some ungodly hour, hence the loudspeakers.
Well, finally on to KL. What a traffic disaster KL is. A thoroughy miserable experience upon entering the city. Gridlock and a rainstorm. And no idea where the hotel was.
Met up with two Ducati riders from Singapore but got separated in the traffic.
Followed the signs and eventually arrived at the Capitol Hotel in downtown KL soaked to the skin. And no parking area so had to park inthe adjascent shopping mall's basement carpark. Grrrr!
My mood was somewhat improved as the Capitol was again a very nice place to stay but I don't think they were impressed at the puddles I left in reception.
I've been very lucky with hotels so far with the exception of Chumphon.
Nice view of the Petronas Towers on a misty day.
At night.
Part 2 to follow....
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