Kanchanaburi and the Ride Starts

We were picked up from our hotel for the 2-3 hours transfer to Kanchanaburi. Our drop off point was at the famous Bridge Over The River Kwai. This was actually my third visit to this historic location, but the first time that I would exploring it on a bicycle.
After walking across the bridge to the quieter side of the river we set up the bikes and began the ride. The ride itself was a very pleasant 34km ride that at first followed the course of the river. Early in the ride we made a stop at a war cemetery and then after a short uphill left the bikes to squeeze through a cave that sits in the grounds of a local temple.

The remainder of the day took us through farmland with everything from common crops like corn, rice and sugar cane to small patches of asparagus and chillies.

Late in the ride we found ourselves riding alongside the very train tracks laid decades before by prisoners of war. At the end of the ride we transferred to our beautiful accommodation at the Boutique Raft Resort.

Here is my diary entry for this day:
Friday May 17th - somewhere in rural Thailand, near the Burma Railway.

I am currently sitting next to a rapidly flowing river. The hot sun has finally set below the horizon and the mozzies are just starting to emerge. Our home for the next two nights consists of a series of floating rooms (see the pictures). Inside they have all modern cons - air conditioning, fridge, lovely bathroom, etc.

Today we left Bangkok and drove to Kanchanaburi. This is where the famous Bridge on the River Kwai is located, although the true story bears no resemblance to the fictional story of the movie. We then got on the bikes for our first day of tropical riding. As expected, it was HOT, actually VERY HOT, in fact EXCEEDING HOT AND HUMID. This made it a really tough day's riding, even though it was a flattish course. I have never ridden in this sort of conditions before and the only way we could survive was to keep deluging ourselves with icy water. We have an excellent staff and two backup vehicles, so help was never far away. The tropical sun also burned with a fiery vengeance throughout the ride so I suspect that I willglow long after the light in my room is switched off.

Other aspects of the trip are all excellent - great guide, very modern vehicles, great Merida MTBs, fantastic hotels, excellent food. Just a pity about the weather. I will be relieved to get back to a Melbourne winter and feel cold for a change.

Tomorrow we hit the mountains, wow heat, humidity and high mountains - the terror trifecta !Read more