A saying from Bill Bryson:
I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
Our adventures today on a motorbike:
We had a lazy start and wandered over to the restaurant about 9am for breakfast. It was yet another day in paradise sat near the waters edge listening to the gentle little wave lap onto the shore.
We decided to hire a motor bike from the owners (200 bart – about £5 for the day). We had to wait for one of the waitresses to return from the market on the bike. She came back loaded with sacks of coconuts.
Paul took the bike out alone to start with as it is many years since he rode a motorbike. Having returned with a smile I thought it was safe for me to join him. Paul was unsure having a passenger and our maiden take off was like watching a swan take off from a river. His wings flap and his legs run furiously along the water before he is comfortably airborne. Our motor bike started moving and Pauls legs were running along before he was confident to put them up. This did not improve throughout the day. Take off and landings must have been very comical to watch.
Our first stop was the petrol station. Yet another lesson to learn. We had to put in the monetary note for the value we wanted. Who knows???? We started with 20 Bhart and that was virtually nothing. We put another 40 bhart in and hoped that was enough to get us somewhere. We then had problems shutting the seat down and making it latch. The kindly mechanic from the garage came out with a spray can and a file. He sprayed the latch of the seat, poked it about with the file, more spray and shut the seat. Thankfully another mechanic came over to check that it would re open before we left.
There is only one main road through the village and we planned to head south. Off we trundled along the road for some time before we came to a junction. Toss the coin time??? We went left. More road through the forest. Another choice at another junction??? I thought it was only one road!!!!!
The shock came when suddenly we ran our of road!!!!! We were by a river and on the other side I could see a slip way that I recognised from when we first arrived on the ferry (In the north of the island). A quick look at google confirmed that we were in fact in the very north of the northern island instead of the very south of the southern island!!!
This was good for me as I had seen a dress from the bus window as we had arrived. Firstly lunch. We ate at a river front restaurant and then headed to the dress shop. Sadly my dream dress looked like a gone wrong marquee when I tried it on, so much to the owners disgust I left with nothing.
Back on the bike for the journey home. The sun had gone and the sky was looking black. We hadn’t driven far when the heavens opened. We stopped at the roadside and sheltered with other bikers in the shelter of a bar. Lightening and thunder proceeded. As the rain eased off we proceeded yet again. We didn’t get far when the rain became so heavy we couldn’t see. The roads were also starting to flood. Another stop. This time in the front of a grocery shop, again with other bikers also sheltering.
We tried to proceed yet again but before long were forced to stop again. Lucky for us it was outside a lovely coffee shop so a long sit down with coffee and tea.
Another look at google maps and we were only 3 km from the site. Those 3 Km’s were through lots of floods and it was with glee we saw the turning into our bungalows (Green Chilli Bungalows)
A quick change and over to the bar for a beer. We will keep the motorbike for tomorrow and try and head south!!