Thailand - Divine Mountain to the Bats

We have 16 days left on our Thai visa. We’re making our way up to Nong Khai on the northeast Thai border where we’ll cross into Laos. To get there we have a total of 465 miles to cover. From Divine Mountain we’ll cycle 9 days heading north - with 1 day’s break at Phu Pha Man to see the bats - before we reach the Mekong. Then over 4 days we’ll follow this famous river east to Nong Khai.

185 miles took us from Divine Mountain to the bats. Miles of mostly rolling agricultural rural roads through the harvesting of sugar cane, cassava and tamarind trees.

Across 4 cycling days we stayed in:

• Watabaek - stopping to see another giant naga, this one a powerful serpent belonging to the noble family of Black Nagas: the Kanhakotama lineage. We learnt there are four naga lineages in Buddhist cosmology - black, gold, green, and rainbow (the one we’d previously seen at Wat Tham Chaeng). Black nagas are characterised by their immense physical strength and as fierce protectors.

• Nong Bua Rawe - On route we shared the road with lots of double lorries loaded up to the hilt with sugar cane, loaded so high they spilled detritus on the road which was hard to dodge and slippy to cycle over. Today our timing was impeccable, dodging a hammering rain shower whilst we ate lunch (thank you to the dining policeman who helped translate our non-meat request), and again reaching our motel before the second rain blast hit. That night we wandered up the road to a German themed restaurant, run by a German and his Thai wife - our sometimes Foreign Food Friday moved to Monday to enjoy availability of pizza!

• Phu Lan Kha National Park - a short but mighty day, with the last 5 miles up a 1185ft climb to get to our elevated camp at the national park headquarters. The day started buying provisions and grabbing a delicious fluffy coconut pancake breakfast from a cart next to the 7-Eleven. As we stuffed our faces a smartly dressed policeman came over to say hello. Apparently not much crime in the area: mainly he is called out to domestics. For lunch, in Ban Khwao, after trying two places unsuccessfully for veggie options we turned a little off the highway and found an unassuming road side eatery, dark underneath a large canopy shielding the sun. Little concrete round tables, plastic chairs, and a woman who at first was hesitant agreeing to cook for us, but then warmed to the idea of simple egg fried rice. At the end of our meal she presented us with two little parcels wrapped in banana leaf: some sweet gelatinous rice treats. Now we were firmly under her wing, she told us she had three bikes at home and she cycled a lot locally, and showed us colourful pictures of her riding her bikes.

Glad of the treats, our sweat as we chuffed up the endgame hill was washed away by rain. We sheltered in a small wat, and then again under a pavilion along with some scooter riders, before getting to the NP. We had the campground to ourselves, and so set the tent up under a pavilion (clearly stating no camping) and watched the lightning show light up the trees around us as we ate our dinner. Heavy rain thundered down through the night, making us very glad of the roof above us, as we fell asleep listening to the elements rage around us.

• Phu Pha Man - we stayed two nights here to rest after nine days straight cycling and to see the bats. Could not wait to see the bats! Getting to Phu Pha Man was a long day for us (64miles/104km), but easy along flat rural roads. Our climb up to the national park the night before rewarded us with a refreshingly gloomy start and a descent first thing. As we cycled down out of the low grey clouds cloaking the upper reaches of the surrounding hills we could see across a flat plain stretching for endless miles below us. At lunchtime a lovely family restaurant fed us and the father took us to see his elderly mother at her loom under the house next door. We watched as she deftly operated the loom making a floor mat which would take her three days to complete. The afternoon found us cycling through industrial scale sugarcane fields being harvested by machinery (not by hand as we’d so far witnessed). I was keen to get to our accommodation by 5pm so as to have time to check in and unload before we hopefully saw the bats at dusk. 5pm and we were still cycling, trying to find the obscure accommodation I’d booked. We made it just in time - obligingly the bats took flight just after 6. We raced up the steps to our roof to watch them fly.

The bats. Were. Mesmerising.

They emerged from Tham Khangkhao cave in the limestone cliffs that towered behind us. Millions of small bats streamed together across the sky forming a fluid, 10-kilometer-long ribbon. We held our breath as we watched this living smoke play out. And then had to exhale as the bats continued for about 15 mins. Like a starling murmuration they shape shifted, painting swirling patterns before us. It was over too soon. Luckily we’ll get to see them again tomorrow night.

Our rest day was welcome, but dull. We went to a laundrette and had an attendant show us how to use a washing machine. We shopped for food for our camps ahead. The most exciting thing we did was wash the bikes, using the cool car wash machines playing with all the different buttons for foam, water and air! Simple things.

The next five days would see us cycling highway 2216, a backwater rollercoaster road through stunning hills, to finally reach the Mekong.Read more