Monthly Cycling at Ban Kra Chao

 

I haven't written for an unforgivable loooong time - but ... Okay, I really have no excuse. I was busy, making new friends, I kind of ditched blogging for a while, I got a new friend that I eagerly chat with every day (he is Hungarian, too), and I don't know. I just had a lot of Damocles' swords and stormclouds above my head figuring out my life (again and again). I guess, the figuring out stays with us any way, no longer what our age is as life itself always produces some topsy-turvy detours which bring us new questions and new perspectives. 

Okay, before becoming more philosophical, I would like to give one of my excuses why I wasn't that present nowadays: and the main reason is the monthly cycling event! :-) W. invited me to this long before and not knowing what to expect, I gladly joined him on March the 6th! Oh my... for a long time, this was one of my best days in Thailand! You know, I'm struggling with the language, I struggle with the isolation (sometimes), or of being in a small place (not knowing the local language in a small town basically cut me from having friends), so now, to have this intercultural atmosphere buzzing around me for a whole day really made it up! :-) I was so happy to meet so many nationalities (Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, American), but even happier to finally not feel in minority as everyone around me spoke English! :-) I was shy at first and just lagged after W. who immediately made some friends of course, but I just enjoyed the being, the cycling and my smile of that event could only be washed off my face the following Friday (because of some school conflict). You see, the event really influenced and inspired me in a positive perspective, even though we biked around 30 kilometers! :-) Ahhh! 

Okay, let me attach some more pictures. 

This is the park we were biking around.

My bike for the event. On April 3rd, the second event I took part in, I grabbed this one again, immediately, too. It's a good company and very comfortable, too! :-) (And I just realized at the end of the day that it has my favourite number on it - triple times!)

View from crossing the river on the way back.

Again a view from the river - arriving back at Central BKK.

My all-time favourite food (B. showed this to me back in October). It's called "miyeang kap". In April, Ash. helped me locate the food at the floating market. It's a type of food that you can get normally at the floating market. :-) Some leaves (I believe, it's kale?), and you add the ingredients (ginger, fried shredded coconut, powder-shrimp, sauce, lime) and wrap it in the leaf! The multitudes of flavours in your mouth are undescribable! But it's good, (not spicy at all), healthy and .... very Thai. :-) Love it! 

W. my best and only friend in Saraburi. 

I normally was the last one on this trip because I stopped way too many times to take pictures. :-) 

As you can see, it's really difficult to hold a camera AND the bike AND smile at the same time (and the background is not even visible lol).

Just one of the many gates through a bikelane...

... or narrow bike lane-streets.

Another treat the floating market: coconut ice cream served in real coconut! :-) 

Lush jungle... palm mangroves... humid air... infinite lians. Ahh! It was so good to be in touch with the nature after such a long time! And the lady biking behind me put on music, too - it was truly a divine day! :-) 

I really enjoyed myself! Not only because of making really soulful connections that day, but I missed being out in the nature for such a long time by then! It was really nice. And if you ask me, yes, I did feel my legs and thighs the next day but the day of the biking it was really relaxing. We were biking for an hour - and sat an hour and chatted with a cup of tea. Then again we were biking another hour, and then again we went to have lunch. It was definitely worth it waking up at 6, meeting at the bus station at 7 am and taking an almost 2-hour trip to Bangkok, Chatuchak market where we rode the MRT for half an hour to the meeting point. I slept the whole way back but I knew that I would come in April too! 

And so I did and so I went. This time, accompanied by L. as W. was not available for that weekend. Unfortunately, the new friends I made in March were also not there (only except for Ash, and J. with whom I was more than happy to catch up! :-) ). So, my friend came with me directly from Saraburi and his bike fell into the water right at the first stop - and naturally, he swam after it, submerging into the water completely....

Here. But this picture was taken when everyone was still dry. :-) 

Unfortunately, my friend's phone was completely damaged - but for his sake, he still did the entire trip with us! What's more, he even said that actually this way the water cooled him down during the entire trip. Anyway. What's an adventure without an adventure? :D Hahaha. Of course, I felt scared and panicky and even offered him to go home with him, but he still said he had enjoyed the day. :-) I'm glad that nothing serious happened and I hope the next trip will be a little bit less eventful. Well, at least, everyone befriended my friend immediately, and the whole group seemed to be more compact because of what had happened. (Except when we lost another member before the final stop. :D But then the guy said he had been tired already anyway, so he didn't mind being lost. And by the time the ferry left, everyone got back to the pier anyway and again, we left the island with happy smiles on our faces! :-) ) 

Here are some pictures again: 

Yes, I wear the same style of hair like previous time because this is the easiest way for me getting a tan on my back ;-) - you can see my old and new friends, too, most of them fidgeting on their phone above water - foreshadowing? 

First stop - not my coffee though. 

Third stop. Sometimes around the table there are serious philosophical discussions or debates going on. :-) 

April distance done. 

On the way back... 

Maybe you can see that I am tired! :-D 

Ash. and J. Two of the sweetest Thai ladies I've met so far! :)

Isn't it an ideal hideout and getaway? :-) 

Stay tuned for more stories.... I got into the writing spree again and we are teaching online / lockdown feeling is on - so!