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Kate & Kieren

@places2pedal

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We made it to BANGKOK!!! 🇹🇭💪

It’s been 18 months since we left our home in Ireland. In this time we have spent over a year of our lives as homeless bicycle wanderers, covering 15,000km just by putting one foot in front of the other. We pedalled our way through deserts & rainforests, farms & cities, sailed across seas; crossing 2 continents & 15 countries in the process.

We set out without a destination in mind & have been enjoying the freedom of seeing where the road takes us. Now after all this, we are tired. We have gotten to the point where we are not fully engaging with our surroundings as much as we should be, travel fatigue is perhaps the clinical term. Luckily it is rarely a terminal. Most importantly we are content with what we have achieved and we are looking forward to working on new projects and adventures. But first a good, long sit & a big, BIG cup of tea.

We have had a heck of an enjoyable time. We have seen some beautiful landscapes & eaten delicious foods but it has been the people we have met along the way that have made this journey so amazing. Massive thank you to everyone who has waved, said hello, smiled, stopped for a chat, offered a meal or a place to stay. Each of these meetings is a constant reminder that the default interaction between people is kindness. We know that we will never forget the kindness we have experienced on this journey & we will forever endeavour to give it back.

And thanks to all YOU armchair supporters reading at home and fueling our journey on our BuyMeACoffee page (see link in Bio). You have been a big part of our motivation from day 1. Your encouragement & support has kept us sane on some of those long lonely nights in the middle of Australia.

If you have enjoyed reading about our adventures, our advice to you is to GET YOUR OWN DAMN ADVENTURE! Seriously. You all have something you want to do but are putting off for one excuse or another. It was not easy for us to leave a secure home and employment but we do not regret it for a second and chances are neither will you. The world is not as scary or dangerous as you think it is, so just GO OUT and DO IT 💪

Stay tuned for more adventures to come 🚴‍♀️🚴 taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 91 - A SE-Asia Stew

Our day into Bangkok was a diverse one, somehow managing to squeeze all aspects of riding through SE-Asia into just a few short hours.

The morning started off pleasantly through quiet backroads; narrow pathways that tunnelled through thick green tropical foliage. We weaved through peaceful villages that were just starting their day & passed temples that gleamed red & gold in the morning sun.

On the rivers & canals fishermen stood in perfect stillness. With 6ft crossbow cocked they waited on the bank for a promising ripple. Their statuesque stance would not be disrupted by a dorky cycle-tourist stopping for a snap.

The landscape and our diet were now one and the same. To our right; a patchwork of man-made lakes, below which lurked the aquatic life that makes up the dominant protein of the Thai’s diet. As we rolled over another river hump, we could look left to the endless pancake plains of rice paddies.

Into an industrial area we rode alongside the workers making their way into the factories. At the change of shift people were coming and going in all directions. The roadside filled with stalls selling pre-packed lunches for those heading in & shaky restaurants served up big bowls of soup for those on their way home.

Next we hit the main road into Bangkok; a consistent construction site of noise, dust and fumes. We took shelter in a restaurant that awkwardly positioned itself on the side of an exit ramp. The servers took pity on our sweat stain clothes, sliding an extra bowl of soup onto our table for our troubles.

Soon we were off the highway and into the busy roads of Bangkok. Skyscrapers were still in the distance and we were passing massive indoor markets with smells that make you question whether that next breath is worth it. To get off the busy roads we turned into the endless maze of backstreets that often ended without warning. Dodging tuk-tuk and taxis that could shoot out from any corner & twisting through alleys barely wide enough for our handlebars. We eventually emerged from the labyrinth and were surrounded by buildings that stretched up to the clouds. There was no doubt that we had arrived.

#bangkok #cycling taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 89/90 - Tentative Trainspotters 🚇

This was a day of cruising through the fish farms. Not particularly interesting to see the same black tarpaulin pools for mile after mile but we can’t really complain with the amount of fish, squid & prawns we had been eating. Justified punishment.

A floating pondock that doubled as a restaurant seemed a fitting spot for lunch. A single bowl of curry was more than enough for the two of us when the chef insisted on bringing us out extra prawns on several occasions. The gesture, at first, was taken at face value but some later unpleasantness caused some thoughts of reconsideration.

We found ourselves in the satellite city of Samut Songkram. Sitting just 80km from the capital of Thailand, it is known for its floating & train-track markets. Unfortunately we did not arrive on the weekend for the floating markets so we headed down to the train station to watch the track-side stalls quickly pack-up at the arrival of the carriage. The market was unfortunately a thoroughly spoiled affair of touristy trinkets & without fighting for a prime spot to get that signature shot we were forced to watch from afar. It was without doubt a train arriving into a train station.

Away from this central station we tried to get some lunch at a recommended vegetarian restaurant. When we arrived the roller door was definitely down & a couple of women were quick to shake their heads at us “No, no! Close! Close!”. Our puppy-dog eyes must have hit a nerve as we were gestured to sit. An open palm was waved in front of the spread of fruit on the table. We learnt that one of the lady’s was the owner & cook of the restaurant & the other was the sister. We sat, & ate, relaying the story of how we got to where we were. The restaurateur offered to make us a bowl of noodles “Yes Please!”. Soom after we were treated to dessert from a neighbouring stall. We exchanged photos & continued to learn more about each other over Iced Coconut Cendol. As nice as it was. We thanked the lovely ladies for the food, stopped for a selfie & got back on the bikes.

#cyclingthailand #biketravel #biketour #bicycleworldstyle #cyclingseasia #storytime #trainmarket taken in Samut Songkhram, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 87-88 - Blood Broth 🍲

Our quiet coastline was far behind us at this stage. Towns & villages were becoming larger & more frequent. The coastline was now almost exclusively for foreigners with English named venues with “Pad Thai” on the menu. Even still in the off-season the roads were mercifully quiet; the odd western family could be seen walking the beach or sitting in their rope swing.

We received a welcome break from the towns & cities as we rode through Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. It was a rare open range of those abrupt Thai mountains, interspersed with ancient temples which still managed to gleam gold & red despite the overcast skies.

Our first major city was Cha-am. This was condominium territory; heavily guarded apartments & hip white restaurants with cursive neon signs. The roads were a multicultural mix of nationalities with tourists making a mess of the traffic by insisting they walk everywhere. It was lunchtime & though we could be easily swept up by the novelty of English menus, local spots were a little easier on the pocket. Sure it may be difficult to work out what was on offer, but the result is never disappointing & far more satisfying.

Today’s Thai treat was Boat Noodles. A potent blood broth with your choice of noodle & accompanying pork varietals. Stuffed with a few handfuls of bean sprouts & the amazingly aniseedy Holy Basil & we were onto a winner. Following the crowd, we decided to wash this down with two ice-teas. And while we may have complained about the sweetness of drinks throughout SE-Asia, somehow Thailand was able to top the rest when it comes to tooth-achingly sweet drinks.

From Cha-am we followed the canal out to a guesthouse-come-mushroom-farm that provided air-conditioned rooms with a fantastic fungi-filled fare for dinner 🍄

#cyclingthailand #worldbybike34 #bikewander #bikestories #travelbybike #cyclinglife #biketouring taken in Cha-Am by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 85 & 86 - Coconut Cowboys

As we edged closer to Bangkok the coast began to schism between local farming communities & dedicated tourism towns. Emerging from the patchwork of shrimp farms, beaches were decorated with white cotton hammocks, raked sand & glass-front restaurants with idle workers longing for customers that just weren’t there. The number of LED signs made it clear that there was some kind of tourism industry but during the off-season it resembled a getaway dystopia. The only tourists on display were lonely white men sitting at beach side bars accompanied by a young Thai woman, or just a bottle of Hong Thong Whiskey. Turning another corner we once again found ourselves in a living village where locals laid out their baby squid on wire racks angled to the sun.

Between the villages we cycled through endless coconut groves that were worked by mysterious masked men (see last photo for ref). Perhaps due to colder weather (<30℃) the field workers resorted to covering their heads with self styled balaclavas, usually constructed from old chequered flannelette shirts. Cowboy hats were worn by the supervising authority to distinguish them from the lowly workers. We’re not quite sure how this fashion came to be but we are certain that it is a strange sight to see these balaclava cowboys waving enthusiastically from the base of a tree as they attempt to articulate their 20m knife-tipped bamboo pole delicately through the upper canopy.

Even more disconcerting still were the one-handed scooter drivers who transport these poles around the plantations. As they come speeding around the narrow bend, the first sight is the 6-inch blade, bouncing precariously at the tip of the pole. Next comes the driver, one hand operating the vehicle the other securing the lengthy pole from pivoting at his shoulder. Once he disappears you really need to watch out as there is still 10m of unattended bamboo bobbing through the air.

The prevailing winds were still punishingly strong & as the fatigue compounded in our bodies we found ourselves in need of more rest. Fortunately in Klongvan we found a homestay that truly appreciated our efforts. Half price for cyclists. taken in Coconut Tree Homestay by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 82-84 - Chillin in Chumphon

We spent a couple of days off the bikes in Chumphon. The city itself was not your typical tourist destination but we found ourselves charmed by its sensible size, logical layout & frequency of food. It was the perfect place to relax. There was no subconscious pressure to visit any grand attractions because there wasn’t any. Just shops selling practical wares; homewares, hardwares - things that people needed to ease the struggles of life. And between it all, and often directly in front of these stores, were stalls selling an unconscionable variety of food. An incredible assortment of colours, smells, smoke, steam & oil covered the markets & streets. The vendors dedication to their craft was admirable; individuals would be found stirring the same wok or flipping the same Khanom Bueang (crispy pancakes) from morning to night.

It was often difficult to avoid fried foods, due to both their frequency & irresistibility. We could only walk past so many windows filled with crispy roast pork before caving in for a plate. The difficulty in sourcing vegetarian options though made those eggplant currys, stir-fried morning glory, bamboo shoots & radish omelettes all the more satisfying.

After Champhon, we continued our way up the Thailand Riviera. The weather was getting significantly dryer the further we travelled north, but we found ourselves contending against prevailing NE winds that would not let up. We were overlooked by the domineering mountains of Myanmar as we made our way through a particularly narrow stretch of the country (15km wide!). This meant we were meeting more & more cyclists on the road & they were not shy in letting us know “You’re going the wrong way!”.

Pick-me-ups were often needed & these were easily sourced through Thailand’s exotic network of coffee concoctions. Coffee & orange juice might seem like an odd pairing at first, but that is only true of people who have never tried the two together. Alternatively coconut coffee or simply iced with condensed milk make for a deliciously refreshing rest, with enough caffeine & sugar to keep you pedalling for a few hours at least.

#cyclingthailand taken in Chumphon, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 79-81 - Employed Primates 🐒

We were hosted by Patty for some rest days; a professional hostess of cycle tourists in the area. We got to know each other over a slice of freshly prepared pizza - homemade with a locally inspired Massaman twist, before we were left to relax in her homestay setting surrounded by tropical fruit trees. For breakfast Patty served up a traditional Thai breakfast of Jok (rice porridge), Mu Ping (BBQ pork skewers) & Khao Niao (sticky rice) & joined us for a quick ride back to the road before waving us off.

From here we hit the coast & had our first proper peek at the Gulf of Thailand. This far south the coast was an unspoilt affair of smelly fishing villages & river estuaries lined with traditional boats. Families sat out front tending to giant pots of boiling water that received crabs by the shovelful. Empty shells stacked in 6ft mounds sat at the end of the street, spewing foul fumes into the air.

At first the terrain was tolerably undulating, just enough to produce some wonderful views over the sheltered bays & green cliffs. Afterwards, things flattened out as we dropped down to a coconut coastline with hazy views out to the islands that occupy the gulf.

We had these perfectly smooth, extra-wide roads all to ourselves as we followed the picture perfect coastline. Occasionally a truck full of plantation workers would pass; the humans waving cheerily from inside the cargo bed, while monkeys hung from the outer railings; their wind-flattened faces staring blankly ahead.

Animals continued to keep things interesting. Whether it was dogs by the dozen running out to greet us, two cocks in a sprightly standoff, or an unfortunate elephant chained to an electrical pole.

#cyclingthailand taken in Chumphon, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 77-78 - Basketball Fruit 🐓

From Nakhon Si Thammarat to Surat Thani we had few options but the main roads. It was our first time completely dry since entering Thailand & without the haze of drizzle there was plenty to see. Glittering rooster statues embellished every shop, restaurant & temple & the roadside was lined with stalls stacked with basketball sized fruit. The, aptly named, Citrus Maxima (Pomelo to us regular folk) is grapefruit's much larger but less bitter cousin.

Kieren thought he was getting a handle on the spice-laden meals served up in this region. There hadn’t been a dish that had caught him out for some time & his confidence had peaked. It was perhaps in reaction to this confidence & the stark dismissal of the waitress’s warnings that the kitchen this lunchtime added a little lesson to his Papaya salad. The spicy-sour salad made with unripe papaya, pork & vegetables had been a go-to favourite since entering Thailand. But this one was loaded with a kind of chilli that’s brilliant taste but perfectly delayed onset allowed the victim to consume half the dish before suspecting something was wrong. This was not the sweat-inducing, dull-ache from the neck up that Kieren could handle. This was more of a precision attack; a sharp pain that focussed solely on the mouth. His pride was too great though, unable to admit defeat, he plunged into the second half of the meal. The waitress came to collect the empty plate & asked whether the meal was to our liking. Kieren, through gritted teeth & a wide-eyed stare managed to reply with “Xr̀xy (Arr-oy - Delicious)” before sealing his lips to numb the pain.

After Surat Thani we had a quieter time through manure splattered, rural backroads. Through the coconut, rubber & palm-oil plantations we could peek up at the monolith mountains that defiantly erect themselves against the pancake flat landscape. Dogs by the dozen would run out to greet us as we zoomed past. Cows & birds worked side-by-side in the fields; each bovine hosted several birds who eagerly watched the freshly upturned ground for loose worms.

#cyclingthailand
#thailandtravel #biketour #bikewander #rooster #worldbybike34 #bikestories taken in Surat Thani, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 76 - Cycling Underwater 🤿

We awoke to bright skies & wasted no time getting on the bikes. Evidence of the previous days was all around; families waded through knee deep waters back to their homes & children played in wooden boats where their front yard used to be. Entrepreneurial individuals had set up temporary ferry services to transport people across deeply flooded roads.

We had our own difficulties cycling through rushing river crossings but things got really interesting once we got to the rice fields outside the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
In these lowland plains, the entire network of roads were completely submerged. It was clear this was no extraordinary occurrence though. People had places to be & simply got on with the job, why should we be any different? We turned into the floodwaters & kept pedalling. As we pushed on the road got deeper & deeper until we found our feet completely immersed, albeit one at a time. But, surprisingly, we kept moving. With resistance increasing, we tentatively changed down a few gears. To our amazement, our submerged gears clicked on queue. We were cycling underwater!

Our next obstacle was a bend in the road. There was no distinguishing the edges of the road from the river so we instinctively moved into the centre, no one was speeding around this corner after all. Just keep pedalling. This underwater adventure continued for a kilometre or so but it felt like ten. Eventually we surfaced & things returned to normal, if only for a moment.

A crack came from above & we knew we were in trouble. We were sitting ducks in the middle of the open rice fields with nowhere to hide. We had conquered the water from below but now came the assault from above. A monstrous monsoon swept over us that we could barely see through, let alone cycle. Bullets of rain were ricocheting off our helmets as we pedalled through the onslaught. “AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”. Dark shapes appeared through the haze; buildings; cover. One last burst & we slid under a narrow verandah where we were at last safe. Then, as quickly as they came, the clouds retreated, defeated. We made our way through the steamy city with golden statues & temples shining. taken in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 75 - Frog Folk 🐸

When we woke to a second morning of persistent precipitation, we knew there was no point in waiting around. With no end in sight we simply donned our ponchos and took off into the mist.

Everything was grey, everything was wet. The rain cycled from torrential to trickle but never ceased. In this kind of environment there is no such thing as waterproof and by lunch we were soaked through. We took our time to try and dry off over another bowl of Pork-Noodle soup and hope for some kind of change.

The only folk that appeared to be enjoying this weather were the frogs, and they let you know about it. What we thought was the groan from a field full of howling heifers was actually the noise from the near invisible Asian Banded Bullfrog. From the comfort of their puddles, their croak could not be escaped for miles around. This combined with the cries of the Cicadas provided quite a stirring soundtrack (turn up the volume for video on the last slide).

The afternoon did bring some relief, if only brief. We were able to remove our useless wet-weather clothing to see our surroundings properly for the first time; flooded fields & rushing rivers. This blissful period was not to last though and again we found ourselves ducking for cover under the nearest restaurant. The restaurant must have been owned by the worst businessman in Thailand or perhaps the most empathetic, as there was no charge for our red curry, omelette & stir-fried vegetables.

#thailandtravel #cyclinglife #worldbybike34 #bikewander #storytime #cyclingthailand #rainyseason #poncho #biketour #bicycleworldstyle #biketourforever #cyclingadventures #ortliebwaterproof #surlybikes #frogs #asianbandedbullfrog taken in Amphoe Cha-uat by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 73/74 - Soi Street
Thailand was revealing more of the contrasting culture within its Buddhist Kingdom. The most obvious difference was a gender neutralness that we hadn’t witnessed for some time. Hardy husbands & wives would often be seen travelling to work side-by side, both ready for a hard day's labour. Gals were just as likely to be seen on the tools in mechanical workshops & construction sites, or working the fields of rubber plantations.

There were far fewer cars cruising the roads, the vehicle of choice was now the side-car. Motorbikes were frequently equipped with these asymmetric appendages that acted as everything from the obvious passenger seats & cargo carriers to full on roaming restaurants & even baby carriers (zoom in on the last photo).

Snakes were now one of the most frequent wild-life on show, we would pass a handful of squished serpents every hour with another dozen slithering away into the grass as we approached. We were on constant guard, no stick or strip of tyre could be disregarded as harmless around here.

On the domesticated front, dogs ruled the road around here. Though we had plenty of forewarning about these infamous Thai Soi Dogs (Street dogs), we found these to be one of the friendliest & healthiest canine communities we’ve come across. Most gave us a gentle panting smile as we rolled on by or a little gruff to make sure we knew our place before they returned to their snoozing. There are always a few bag eggs of course, but as usual, stopping the bike and talking them down in a respectable manner avoids most conflict.

We were well and truly in the wet-season at this stage. In the late afternoon we pulled into our accommodation just as the skies dimmed & the sprinkling started. Fortunately we were safely inside before the rain really began & from that point it wasn’t going to give up easily. This persisted audibly throughout the night & the next morning we woke up to the same dreary drizzle. We decided we might as well sit this one out.

#thailandtravel #cyclinglife #worldbybike34 #bikewander #storytime #cyclingthailand #rainyseason #poncho #biketour #bicycleworldstyle #biketourforever #cyclingadventures #dogsworld taken in Amphoe Khao Chaison by @places2pedal

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3 years ago

SE-Asia Day 71/72 - Time for Thailand 🇹🇭

After a simple border crossing to start our day we were officially in Thailand. We were gaining new sights, cuisine, culture but losing our ability to read. All our efforts learning Bahasa Indonesia & Malay were thrown out of one ear as we attempted to articulate the basics of Thai with the other.

Our surroundings were still predominantly agricultural, but now it was the rubber tree that dominated the landscape. We rode past row after row of trees that are slowly skinned alive to extract their syrupy white inner fluids. Thailand is the world's largest producer of the bendy black stuff that separates us from the pavement after all.

The green wall from the trees would often break to reveal the shining golden points of Thai Buddhist temples. These elaborate & extensive institutions were surprisingly frequent, each with unique golden sculptures of the man himself. Outside, locals brought offerings to shrines whose spirits are apparently partial to red strawberry Fanta.

After a short ride to the city of Hat Yai, we spent the next day sorting out our usual new country C’s; Currency, SIM-Cards & Cuisine. There was no Pad Thai or Green Curry here though. Just Pork. After 3 months in Muslim countries, the persistent presence of pig was truly a shock. Would you like some vegetables? Pork. Soup? Pork. It wasn’t a major issue, the food was delicious, but the extent to which this meat had infiltrated itself into every dish was always interesting.

The city itself was like any other we’d visited recently. A vast concrete jungle with a threatening mess of tangled power lines above & pot holes below that would swallow you whole. Unique though was the inner city temples sat like lonely islands amongst the madness. Passing through their high walls brings you into a peaceful courtyard where only noise is the soft bristles over gravel as a monk sweeps up falling leaves 🍂

#thailandtravel
#cyclingthailand
#worldbybike34 #biketour #bikewander #surlybikes #hatyai #rubbertree #biketravel #travelblog #storytime #adventure taken in Hat Yai, Thailand by @places2pedal

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3 years ago