THE VERY SOUTH THAILAND RIDE, Day 4 - Leisure time in Trang (5 to 13 August 2015)

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The streets of Trang

The Church

Old world charm

Canal

Typical Clock Tower in the middle of the street

Town Centre

Spooky Koh Teng

Quiet hallways of Koh Teng

Cold staircase of Koh Teng

TRANG

We finally had a great sunny morning. We set out for dim sum breakfast. Alvin, checked out a dentist on our way to breakfast. Satisfied with the price quoted for scaling, he made an appointment.

We soon found our dim sum shop with a giant tea cup at the roof. This shop has been in business for the last 30 years. Besides dim sum, it also offers pork porridge and roasted pork though in Thailand, the roasted pork comes off slightly sweet.

CSI Agent KC was quick to identify our dim sum dolly to the life size printout standee of a Airasia stewardess placed in the shop. She denied she is the girl in the advert but was sporting enough to pose for photos.

After breakfast, we did some sightseeing. We passed by a church, we came up to the closed door of Happy Wheels, we passed the morning market, we went back to the train station, we spotted KC's vomit from last night!!!



Alvin checked out the train schedule and tickets for the next day's journey. 10.30 am, 5 Baht per person for a journey from Trang to Kan Tang. This will save us about 30 km of pedal work.

After the train station the group dispersed. Alvin and Lance went for their dental appointment but not before dropping Celia's breakfast. George and Wendy went to a bike shop and pet shop. YC and Papa Mike went for a massage and so did KC, Alvin and Celia.

It started to drizzle again as the group made their way, on foot to Richy Ice Cream and Cafe during lunch hour. Alvin, Celia, KC and Lance arrived late even though they hailed a tuk tuk. The old driver was hard of hearing and did not know the way. Instead, Alvin was the one who showed him the way!!!

We had a starter course of fried cempedak from the shop next door, main course of sorts and a dessert of mangosteens, on the house! Then we left for more fruits sold on the street, made a mad dash in the rain and had to seek shelter in a government building.

When the rain reduced to a drizzle, we went our way again. This time, we stopped at the Vespa Piaggio shop. George and Wendy could not resist posing for a photo on the orange scooter with a side car.

During all the running to escape the rain, Celia's bedroom slippers finally quitted on her. She went shopping for slippers, looking queer with one foot in a good bedroom slipper and the the other foot in Alvin's Kroks! Papa Mike, escorting her must have pulled a brave front!

Meanwhile, Alvin who was left with one Kroks glided into the Green House Cafe with his chin up. Everyone had a good afternoon tea of cakes, coffee and tea.

Most of us went back to Yamawa again for a short rest before dinner. As usual, Joe was there to greet us. Claudine asked for yet another flask of hot water and additional blankets to pad the very hard bed. It seems the 9 hours of soaking the previous day, hard bed, noise from the main road, menstruation has put her a bit under the weather.

With the caffeine from Green House keeping her up, Claudine and VT decided to check out the 3 bike shops near the night market last night. Jiam of http://www.facebook.com/jiam.bicycle sold very cheap jersey and cycling pants.

Jiam and his daughter

By dinner time, Claudine was sneezing non stop. Dinner was a stone throw away from Yamawa. We had yellow curry, kang Kung, chap choy, fish basil, lemongrass , bah kien, Kau yok. Many voted the kow yok, a dish of steamed pork with yam in red bean curd and tauchu sauce as one of the best dish on this trip.

We walked another night market after dinner but not before securing Loratadine from a pharmacy nearby. Thank goodness, Papa Mike was with us because the pharmacist did not understand Claritine even though the drug was on her shelf!!!

What did we have from the night market??? Steamed corn, durian, ban chan kueh, some thin crisp with coconut cream...

To walk off the food, we did some hotel sight seeing. First stop was Koh Teng Hotel. The front of this hotel serves as a coffee shop so by night fall, the access is through the side lane. The lobby was bare and everything inside spells 50's. A curious Alvin, Lance and Claudine went up the wide old fashioned stairs. A long, lonely and quiet corridor leads to the many rooms. The whole place spells spooky.

Our next stop was Sri Trang hotel near the train station. A nice balcony on the front of the building greeted us, followed by a center court inside, with a hanging bicycle decor. Upstairs, a nice wooden banister leads to the rooms. This place has been in operation since 1952.

Sri Trang hotel also runs a nice cafe. We could not resist sitting down for a night cap while Celia went for yet another massage.