Thai hospitality was on full display throughout our stay at the Navakiri Boutique Resort. The staff stored our bikes safely in their laundry room.
The breakfast buffet opened early to accommodate our early departure. Our destination was Hat Yai.
We were all present as planned at 8:30 a.m.
As expected, the roads were excellent to ride on.
I did give the group a short taste of gravel for variety’s sake.
Immediately after this gravel section, we stopped at a Bangchak petrol station. L had a flat tire. caused by a staple rather than the gravel.
It took forty minutes to change the inner tube. First, we had to figure out how to unscrew the through axle. A rubber O-ring covered the indentations a hex key fits. It took a phone call to Pegasus Cycles to discover that a size 6 hex key pushed past the O-ring would do the trick.
The tubeless-ready tyre was a very tight fit on the rim, and it was a battle to get one side of the tyre free of the rim.
There was no shortage of observers!
It was another 38ºC and high-humidity day. We struggled to find shade at times. B and K did a sterling job handing out a variety of ice-cold drinks every time we stopped.
Our last stop before Hat Yai was this Delicafé at the Shell station on the Phet Kasem Frontage Road. I needed that iced latté.
We had lunch at the Jae Lek restaurant before checking into the Centara Hotel. It would not be the first time a waitress said “Sorry Ahhh” to H because we were served and charged for more food than he had ordered.
It was a 91 km ride to the Centara Hotel. The hotel has a swimming pool, but I decided I needed a nap more than a swim. Some others had a massage. I showered and slept.
We had a late lunch. Nevertheless, we ate a lot at Ar Restaurant that evening. The stewed goose was especially delicious.
There was some partying after dinner. That is all I can say. What happens in Hat Yai stays in Hat Yai!
Old Roots, New Routes 