As per usual, I never quite know what the Trang Bicycle Club has planned for each weekend, and this one was normal except that I learned there was a ‘Childwren bicycle’ at the Sport Arena and then “we go camping”. You’ve already viewed the kids event in the previous posting and now here’s the “rest of the story.”  Since we weren’t sure what was in store, camping and event-wise, Stanna didn’t come along either on her mountain bike or the scooter.  Ends up she could have enjoyed the Rally in Phattalung, just not the ride over the mountain and back.

As those who’ve followed in past years know: Camping means loading a bunch of boxes, bags and tents on your bike (one guy always straps a good-sized hatchet between his rear hub and rear rack), and sallying off to some location where we more often than not pitch our tents under some building, like a large carport or several times in open-air temples.

Climbing the Phattalung mountain – Khao Pub Pa – between Trang and the east coast is no big deal, a Coal Bank but longer climb, doable by all, just varying in summit times (sometimes by as much as 45 minutes). On the way down, right from the summit, we were in rain, rain and more rain all the way to our camping spot. If I haven’t mentioned it already, riding in the rain is only “wet” with no cold associated with the endeavor.  In fact any rain protection only serves to make you hot inside and thereby wet from sweat, so it’s best to just cycle in a single shirt or jersey and air dry if and when the rain stops.

Coming in ahead of the pack (sorry but it’s a habit) I was given a high-speed escort thru the town to our camping location since I had no idea where we were going, the County Water department headquarters.  Nice grounds, lawns and etc. but the General Manager had the second floor administration office desks pushed aside so we could camp inside with “air-con”.  Bizarre to say the least.  I pitched my tent next to the King, and the only Faux Pas I made was temporarily draping my damp sarong on the Thai flag standing next to the Royal Shrine. (It’s hard when you can’t explain – “it was just until I got my tent up”.) My tent’s in the thumbnail left, between the GM’s desk and the King. Normally camping only requires a tent and air mattress, but I use a silk bag liner just for a little extra warmth and protection.  With the Air Conditioning on I needed the sarong as a blanket, just to hold the body temps in.  I lingered in the bathroom during the middle of the night nature call just to warm up (only the bosses’ offices are air conditioned).

The Rally: but first you know the Thai hosts always provide generously, and dinner was no exception.  That was downstairs in the supervisors’ office where they once again spread the desks, put down newspaper and served a five-course Thai dinner plus bananas for dessert. Fortunately yoga for the past several years has allowed me to sit cross-legged, but only for short periods and never on a terrazzo floor (my lateral malleulos’ just aren’t hardened to that pressure).  I saved face by switching legs often.

Guess I’ll jump to the next post since this is over 500 words already.