Ban Phanthai Norasing, Samut Sakon: 28 August 2011

Breakfast of avocado and goats cheese sandwich with cappuccino at Dean & DeLuca in Silom, followed by a ride to my favorite rural area - Ban Phanthai Norasing, Samut Sakon (Latitude : 13° 34' 39" N Longitude : 100° 20' 35" E). Heavy rains overnight so roads remained flooded in some districts.

Lovely area, lovely ride, and I made a new friend (think he was just looking for a free lunch !). Mileage on return 3,723.

Krung Thep: 20 August 2011

Hugely enjoyed a delicious breakfast of smoked salmon / avocado bagel, and cappuccino with good friends at Dean & DeLuca in Silom (Thanon Naradhiwas next to the Chong Nonsi BTS Station). Over breakfast we discussed Ban Suan beach which is about an hour south of Bangkok on the road to Pattaya. Without prior planning or the GPS, I set off to find this resort.

The road out of Bangkok was easy enough to navigate as I back-tracked to take the Talat River crossing ferry which joins Route 3, Soi Sukhumvit, south – east from Bangkok (my understanding is that Sukhumvit can be followed all the way south - east to Cambodia). Sadly, I was obviously not concentrating and became lost in Samut Prakan, the next province to Bangkok. Google Maps on the iPhone and a good 3G reception soon found my location. Unfortunately I was completely disoriented and miss-read the north and south. 30 minutes later I found myself back in Bangkok and the middle of Sukhumvit's Saturday morning traffic. At this point decided to call it a day and make for home. Nevertheless, an enjoyable ride and I was able to try my Italian Spidi body armour,  purchased the previous weekend while in the Philippines. I found this very cool, comfortable and secure - excellent for around-town riding. Mileage upon return and after the regular car wash - 3,650 kilometers.

Training Day - Kawasaki Rama IX: 7 August 2011

Arrived at the Kawasaki Dealer Rama IX at about 7:40 a.m. after leaving home by 7:23 a.m. with mileage of 3,478. Training was free and aimed at basic riding skills. It included motorcycle safety, a run-down of the motorcycle, general maintenance and care, how to pick-up a dropped bike (see below), and general handling. The instruction was good and professional (albeit in Thai language but fortunately the Kawasaki staff and other riders were very patient and helpful, and translated where necessary).

Glad to say I was not asked to pick-up a dropped bike! Most of the training consisted of riding the Kawasaki KRS or D-Tracker motorcycles around a series of cones. The KRS is a mini 110cc sports bike and the D-Tracker is a little bigger at 125cc. Both motorcycles are light and easy to ride. I didn't fall-off (many did) but I was far from the most proficient and seemed to get lost at times wiggling in and out of the cones. Nevertheless, a hugely enjoyable day and without a doubt my riding skills a have improved.
Many thanks to Kawasaki Thailand, Motoaholic Dealership, and the many individuals who gave-up their Sunday to make this an enjoyable and educational day - much appreciated.