 |
|
Day 11 - Thursday 26 March 2015
Auychai Grand Hotel…….. The Auychai Grand is a large multi-story hotel located 1 kilometre or so north of the main intersection serving Lang Suan. It’s situated on the right-hand side of the highway running north at the rear of a large frontage area used by mobile kitchens. It’s an older building competing with newer resorts that are abundant in the area but it’s location near shops makes it attractive for the long distance traveler. It ticks all the boxes for a short stay but I have to admit its relatively modest and walking to the room reminds me of walking down a hospital corridor. I’m awake quite early and make good inroads into recording yesterday’s events but I have to keep one eye on the clock.
Pak Nam Lang Suan……..The distance from Lang Suan to Bangkok is 534 kms (331 miles). It’s not a short hop is it but I’m still in no hurry to get started as I take breakfast in the dining room. That consists of coffee, toast and jam but I add to that something from 7Eleven nearby. Yesterday I declared the tour over in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. I lied! Lang Suan is located 10 kms from Pak Nam Lang Suan which has a harbour for fishing boats. At 10am I’m ready and make my way to the beach. I recon it’s the last time I will see the ocean for some time so I’ll just fill my lungs with sea air. I locate the harbour, a typical picture postcard scene, but the beach area is pretty nondescript. What I do find is a large concrete model is Thailand’s aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet (911). This model, the length of a football pitch, reinforces this area’s connections with the sea. This little excursion over, I find a local road which reconnects with Highway 41 bypassing Lang Suan.
Auychai Grand Hotel…….. The Auychai Grand is a large multi-story hotel located 1 kilometre or so north of the main intersection serving Lang Suan. It’s situated on the right-hand side of the highway running north at the rear of a large frontage area used by mobile kitchens. It’s an older building competing with newer resorts that are abundant in the area but it’s location near shops makes it attractive for the long distance traveler. It ticks all the boxes for a short stay but I have to admit its relatively modest and walking to the room reminds me of walking down a hospital corridor. I’m awake quite early and make good inroads into recording yesterday’s events but I have to keep one eye on the clock.
Pak Nam Lang Suan……..The distance from Lang Suan to Bangkok is 534 kms (331 miles). It’s not a short hop is it but I’m still in no hurry to get started as I take breakfast in the dining room. That consists of coffee, toast and jam but I add to that something from 7Eleven nearby. Yesterday I declared the tour over in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. I lied! Lang Suan is located 10 kms from Pak Nam Lang Suan which has a harbour for fishing boats. At 10am I’m ready and make my way to the beach. I recon it’s the last time I will see the ocean for some time so I’ll just fill my lungs with sea air. I locate the harbour, a typical picture postcard scene, but the beach area is pretty nondescript. What I do find is a large concrete model is Thailand’s aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet (911). This model, the length of a football pitch, reinforces this area’s connections with the sea. This little excursion over, I find a local road which reconnects with Highway 41 bypassing Lang Suan.
Done and dusted……..Now surely everything is done and dusted. The driving conditions are obviously easier than last night but it’s likely I won’t be in Bangkok before dark. At least looking for accommodation won’t be an issue, neither should driving through Bangkok on the toll ways in well lit conditions. The route north is as straightforward as it can get. Highway 41 joins Highway 4 at Chumphon which heads through the province into Prachuap Kiri Khan Province. Accepting that I cannot reach the capital before dark I use up an hour in Hua Hin, chatting to friends I visited on the way south. It’s now 5.30pm but at least there shouldn’t be any more holdups as I pass through Petchaburi Province and take Highway 35 for the last stretch into Bangkok. However I do need a break for something I can call dinner, after which Katoon takes over the driving again and makes easy work on approach to and through the toll ways of the metropolis. I arrive back in Kubon at 8.45pm. I still have half a bottle of red wine. Should I really be celebrating the end to my epic 19 day double tour? Next Page.