Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019

March 2019 - April 2024

This tour will be through a small part of SE Asia, starting in Thailand, Cambodia, and finishing in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon). The route will mainly follow the coastal area where I hope to do some scuba diving Read more

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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Mar 29, 2019
- ⛅ 34 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- Thailand Bangkok Khlong Maha Nak 13.75788, 100.5030813°45’28” N 100°30’11” E
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Johannesburg - Bangkok
March 29, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C
Being a "daylight" flight made it very difficult to sleep. Two flights (transit in Singapore), airport Express train, Metro train, and then a 30 minute walk. Bike for the meantime is stored at the Bangkok airport.Read more
You're incredible to travel so light
4/8/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Mar 30, 2019
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- Thailand Bangkok Khlong Maha Nak 13.75508, 100.5026913°45’18” N 100°30’10” E
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Bangkok
March 30, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
Exploring Bangkok like the rest of the tourists (Note to self - don't forget sun protection next time). Made use of the Skytrain, and the Chao Phraya River Express to reach most of the landmarks.
The Grand Palace was jam packed with tourists, and with the heat I flew through there and was glad to be out. At least on the river there is some breeze and also you get to see see the city from a different angle.Read more
incredible ...so big,,,so colourful
3/31/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Mar 31, 2019
- ☀️ 33 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- Thailand Bangkok Bangrak 13.72897, 100.5266813°43’44” N 100°31’36” E
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Bangkok
March 31, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Started the day by going for a walk in the park not far from the hotel. Didn't take me long to realize that I needed to be back on the river where its much cooler.

Took the Skytrain to the pier, and then took a ride on a longboat (big automotive motor at the rear with a direct drive to an extended propeller. Steering is done by swivelling the complete assembly). Meanandered through the canals (khlongs) seeing a different part of Bangkok "Venice of the East".

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) is decorated in thousands of tiny sea shells and pieces of Chinese porcelain.Read more
Two worlds......amazing temples and abject poverty
3/31/19Reply
Amazing Jenni
4/1/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 1, 2019
- ⛅ 32 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Cambodia Siem Reap Phum Spéan Thmei 13.35509, 103.8540613°21’18” N 103°51’15” E
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Siem Riep (Cambodia)
April 1, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
What was meant to have been a 1 hour flight, ended up by being 2 hours with one aborted landing due to bad weather.
Good or bad, the lady next to me said that I looked like a pilot. Then the receptionist at the hotel asked if I was 30 years old, and I had to correct her and told her I was 40 !
Found an ATM that dispenses Riel (KHR) with many 000,000. Next step was to find a SIM card. Hired my bicycle to explore tomorrow, and now time to quench my thirst.Read more
No more dead skin on your feet now - Jenni
4/2/19Reply
Incredible - Jenni
4/2/19Reply
Well you are in excellent shape and look much younger. What a flattering comment. Jenni
4/2/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 2, 2019, 1:55pm
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- Cambodia Siem Reap Svay Dangkum 13.36059, 103.852313°21’38” N 103°51’8” E
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Angkor Wat - Day 1
April 2, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
To put Angkor Wat into perspective, I covered 55km today exploring all the temples, and probably walked at least another 15km.

Angkor Wat is an enormous Buddhist temple complex located in northern Cambodia. It was originally built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple. However, by the end of the 12th century, it was considered a Buddhist site. Spread across more than 400 acres, Angkor Wat is said to be the largest religious monument in the world.

When it was built, it served as the capital of the Khmer empire, which ruled the region at the time. The word “Angkor” means “capital city”, while the word “Wat” means “temple.”Read more
Intriguing
4/8/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 2, 2019, 5:00pm
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- Cambodia Siem Reap Phumĭ Koŭk Dong (2)Bayon 13.44144, 103.859113°26’29” N 103°51’33” E
Angkor Wat - True Story
April 2, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
True story. I had hosted a young American touring cyclist who had been on the road for 18 months. Cycled from his home in North America, through South America, and then flew over to South Africa.

He then cycled to Cape Town, then up through Africa, and across into Europe. Two years later I bump into Mike Dits, in of all places, the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia 😳

I guess it was meant to be. He had seen me earlier and thought "impossible". I then saw him entering a temple and thought "impossible". In the vast complex we met again and realized we did know each other 😳Read more
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 3, 2019
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- Cambodia Siem Reap Phum Trâpeăng Séh Khang Cheung 13.41232, 103.8653113°24’44” N 103°51’55” E
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Angkor Wat - Day 2
April 3, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
The Angkor Wat temple is surrounded by a 15-foot high wall, with a moat 5 km long and 4m deep to protect the city, the temple and residents from invasion. A sandstone causeway served as the main access point for the temple.

The entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined, and occupied an area significantly greater than modern-day Paris.

This city contains hundreds of temples. The population may have been over 1 million people. It was easily the largest city in the world until the Industrial Revolution. Angkor had an urban core that could easily have held 500,000 people and a vast hinterland that had many more inhabitants.

Another temple here, Angkor Thom, famous for the movie "Tomb Raider" in which Angeline Jolie featured.Read more
incredible detail -Jenni
4/3/19Reply
Very informative narrative. Truly amazing. Nature taking over-Jenni
4/3/19Reply
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- Apr 4, 2019
- ☀️ 34 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Thailand Bangkok Muban Chunlamat Winla Khlong Khwang 13.70281, 100.7488613°42’10” N 100°44’56” E
Bangkok - Airport (BKK)
April 4, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
Arrived back in Bangkok airport, and first did a recce of the airport layout before collecting my bike.
During the recce I came across some sleeping capsules. I guess if you are claustrophobic these would not be a good idea.
Collected my bike box, headed over to an elevator that I found earlier, and assembled the bike. Went up two levels and stepped out into the lobby of the Novatel Airport Hotel, thanked the staff and left.
Finding a road leading away from the airport was painless and I was on my way in no time.Read more
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 5, 2019
- ☀️ 31 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- Thailand Changwat Chon Buri Ban Phatthaya Tai Hat Phattaya 12.9309, 100.8808512°55’51” N 100°52’51” E
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Pattaya
April 5, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Leaving any big city is never easy and always a bit of a slog. Never did I feel unsafe, but what I never expected as I headed SE was the infrastructure. For 70km there was an overhead carriageway, a lower carriageway, and then a service road that I was using.
Then for the next 60km this became a three lane motorway in both directions.
Although hot, I used my Ninja face mask for the whole ride. I felt invincible, at the junctions I would be given right of way, and even the scrawny dogs would run in the other direction (secondary purpose was that it helped with the dust and fumes).
Never before have I seen free condoms together with the coffee and tea in a hotel room.Read more
love it Jenni
4/8/19Reply
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Patrick Leary Pat’s Cycle Tour - 2019
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- Apr 6, 2019
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 16 m
- Thailand Changwat Rayong Ban Tha Banthuk 12.68436, 101.2192412°41’4” N 101°13’9” E
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Rayong
April 6, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
The road leading out from Pattaya was still busy with three lanes in either direction. Eventually the traffic became less.
Took a detour down to a fishing village, drying on racks in the sun were fish scales, which I later figured out are used to make wind chimes.
Around 2pm I called it a day and found a decent cabin across the road from the beach.
Lunch was a chicken and rice dish, on the beach from one of the local kiosks, and served at a table and recliner in the shade of the trees. Couldn't resist a nap on the recliner after lunch, I think the beer helped.
Took a walk along the beach later followed by a swim, my first swim in the Gulf of Thailand. Life is bliss.Read more
What lovely cabins sure you were sad to leave Jenni
4/8/19Reply
unusual architecture Jenni
4/8/19Reply
Traveler Hi Patrick I really envy you What an adventure
4/8/19Reply
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