The route today was a little longer but mostly on small roads so we started out looking forward to todays cycle.

There was a short stretch on the main road but we quickly turned off this onto side roads. The side roads were very quiet to traffic free and had the usual mix of tarmac, potholed tarmac, concrete, potholed concrete and dirt (with everything).

Banana tree lined road

We passed through rubber plantation after rubber plantation with the occasional palm thrown in for good measure. Everyone smiling and shouting “hello” as we passed. You had to smile all the time when cycling today even when Janet had another puncture (maybe not a very big smile at than moment).

Rubber trees everwhere

The dirt road goes ever onwards

The occasional glimpse of hills in the distance

Cooling shade (all relative as it is a cool 35°C)

Clearing out an old plantation

It was 60 km later we cycled up to the “Cupid Hotel” where we were looking to stop tonight, where the prices were at lot less than using one of the booking websites.

The town is along the main road the 416 and a very busy place it is, no tourists at all (no English menus) so we ended up kind of making ourselves understood at a restaurant to get pork and fried rice with a plate of stir fried vegetables. It was very nice.

Main street Ban Thung Yao

Towel folding at the hotel, pig or dog?

Then back to the hotel via the market where we restocked on bananas, mangos and sapota fruit this tastes like a kiwi fruit / fig mixture. Wikipedia link https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouteria_sapota.

The Strava route today.