TRAVERSE 140
caged birds and a half dozen small dogs that clearly didn ’ t love us , evident from their constant fouling in front of our door .
Hung by bureaucracy and bike maintenance , our stay in Bangkok was too long , as we sought to be out of site amongst the many blonde and relaxed people who came to Thailand to spend money and ‘ enjoy ’ life . Our depression increased as did the price of spare parts , in Thailand big bikes are considered something for the rich and all parts must be imported .
The good news from Yut , the best mechanic in Thailand , was that the twenty thousand kilometres using car lubricant hadn ’ t damaged the clutch . We ’ d had little option as it was all that could be found in Iran . Things would be better with the right oil .
Visiting numerous cities , losing ourselves amongst the weird markets of Chinatown or the provincial outskirts , made us realise that the basic rule of Thailand is work hard from morning till night , collaborating with others whilst not tripping over one another . It works like this in Mae Klong Market , which has grown over time along a railway line . Wheeled stalls are moved four times per day when the train passes , no one sees it as a disturbance .
Food is inexpensive in Thailand , the people are kind with the tourists paying the same price as locals , most of the time . Paying for sex is not considered immoral in Thailand like it is in many Western cultures . It is easy to see why many people come back , repeatedly , especially around the age of retirement to establish themselves locally to see out their time .
Once away from the country ’ s central plain we found ourselves riding through a river landscape of dense vegetation full of bamboo and palms . Climbing over dozens of green hills , we were northwest bound in the direction of Sangkhlaburi near the border with
TRAVERSE 140