Travel Log at a Glance

JUNE 16- Thank you, Gy, for driving us to Chicago. Departure for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a layover in Tokyo Japan on ANA airlines. No charge for transporting the bicycles.

JUNE 17- 11:00 p.m. Vietnamese time we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City and stay at Ha Vy Hotel.

JUNE 18- Official day one in Vietnam. We put together the bicycles and went sight-seeing in crazy motorcycle traffic on foot.

JUNE 19- First day biking! We cycled in crazy motorcycle traffic to the bus station and took a bus out of the city to a small town called Mi Tho. We rode 10 miles from Mi Tho to Ben Tre. HOT weather! We cannot speak a word of Vietnamese and there is NO English anywhere!

JUNE 20- We cycled 50 miles from Ben Tre to Can Tho. Lots of construction with NO SHOULDER to cycle on and heavy cement truck traffic. Difficult ride because of the heat and the construction.

JUNE 21- We took a tour of the floating market-- local people sell fruits, vegetables, and nearly everything from small canoes on the river!

JUNE 22- We cycled all day around Can Tho- lush vegetation, small rural communities, people were surprised to see us and said "hello!" and smiled at us as we passed by. 40 miles.

JUNE 23- We were aliens landing from Mars, cycling the rural long route from Can Tho to Chau Doc, Vietnam 100 miles.

JUNE 24- Bye to Vietnam and Hello to Cambodia-- boat ride on the Mekong River to cross the border and enter the capital city of Cambodia: Phnom Penh

JUNE 25- Wander/adjustment to Cambodia. We visited the Royal Palace and cycled to the killing fields 15 miles.

JUNE 26- We cycled out of the capital city of Phnom Penh to a small rural town called Skun 50 miles.

JUNE 27- We cycled from Skun to Kampung Thom and met a fellow cycler (Charlie from S. Korea) on the road. Scenery- rice fields and lots of friendly people waving at us as we pass 50 miles.

JUNE 28- Kampung Thom all the way to Siem Reap. Lots of rice fields and a long hot day of cycling 100 miles!

JUNE 29- Relax day, wander around Siem Reap and ate Korean food for the first time with Charlie.

JUNE 30- We explored the famous Angkor Wat Ruins with Charlie and enjoyed the gentle breeze riding our bicycles around the ruins 15 miles.

JULY 1- We visited the local life fishing museum and had a rest day in Siem Reap. We enjoyed Indian cuisine :)

JULY 2- We cycled with Charlie from Siem Reap towards the Thai border and stayed in Sisophone. The ride was on a HORRIBLE gravel road bumpidy bump the entire way.

JULY 3- It rained in the night and the gravel road become ankle deep mudd road. 50 miles out of Cambodia and Welcome to Thailand and its PAVED roads :)

JULY 4- We part ways with Charlie and head south on a quiet curvy road, stopping to visit a cave. We had a tour of the cave all in Thai language and didn't understand a word but enjoyed it anyway :) 40 mile day from Wattanapram Thailand to Soi Dao.

JULY 5- 50 miles from Soi Dao to Chantabury-- our first big city in Thailand. We stayed at a cute guest house on a river.

JULY 6- 60 miles from Chantabury to Ban Phe. First time at the ocean. We stopped at a store to get peanuts and water and met a scary Italian Mafia guy.

JULY 7- 60 miles from Ban Phe to the mystery dot on the map, Pattaya-- that should be renamed disgusting, nasty, sex tourist sin city.

JULY 8- Pattaya rest day

JULY 9- 40 miles from Pattaya, Thailand to near Samut Prakan. A frame cottage resort in the middle of dumpsville.

JULY 10- It rained all morning and turned into a light sprinkle around noon. We cycled into dark and stayed at a honey-moon suite in polluted-nastyville. I supose that even factory workers need honey moon suites?! 50 mile day.

JULY 11- Samut Songkhram to Phetchaburi 40 miles. While eating dinner, we saw a man walk by with an elephant.

JULY 12- Phetchaburi to Hua Hin 50 miles (where the loved King resides-- he really is loved-- his photograph is absolutely EVERYWHERE and on road signs). We enjoyed staying at a guest house built on stilts directly over the ocean. I could see the sea in between the spaces in the wooden planks on the floor.

JULY 13- Hua Hinto Pranburi- visit with Thailand peace corps volunteer, Angela. We rode our bicycles to the mangrove forest. 30 miles

JULY 14- Pranburi to Prechuap Khiri Khan (quiet fishing village with Buddhist temple on a hill owned by hoards of monkeys). We enjoyed a long walk on the beach and saw a HUGE jelly-fish! 48 miles

JULY 15- Prechuap Khiri Khan to Bang Saphan 60 miles- We got lost on the beach roads and eventually found a nice bungalow near the beach! I enjoyed veggie tofu soup for dinner after a long day of biking!

JULY 16- 72 mile day from Bang Saphon to Chumphon. We took a mid-night sleeper fairy boat to an island called Koh Tao

JULY 17- We landed on the island at the wee morning hours and road a few miles to a nice bungalow called SILVER BUNGALOWS, overlooking the sea. We spent the day hiking around the island.

JULY 18- Snorkeling tour where we met a couple from Sweden on their honeymoon. We spent the rest of the evening with them for dinner on the beach.

JULY 19- Relax and hiking around the island before taking the midnight ferry boat to Suratthani

JULY 20- 100 mile long cycling day. Off the fairy boat, sleepy eyed, we started the long ride across the peninsula and made it before night fall to Phang- Nga-- a beautiful town with cliffs everywhere!

JULY 21- Island tour in Phang Nga to James Bond Island

JULY 22- 60 mile day from Phang-Nga to Phuket tourist island (a bridge connects it to the mainland). We stayed at Karen beach and met an American, Tim, a retired man who lives in Phuket with his wife.

JULY 23- We cycled from Karen Beach the viewpoint and into Phuket town 24 miles. Beautiful views of the ocean on all sides.

JULY 24- Phuket to Phi Phi island rocky boat ride.

JULY 25- Swimming in Turquoise waters on Phi Phi Island

JULY 26- Boat from Phi Phi island to Krabi (VERY ROCKY boat ride, I was SOOOOO happy to reach land again!) We hiked up 1,254 steps to the Buddhist temple overlooking all of Krabi!

JULY 27- 80 miles from Krabi south to Trang.

JULY 28- 90 miles- a long cycling day to Satun -- our last stop in Thailand before heading to Malaysia by boat!

JULY 29- Welcome to Malaysia! Boat from Satun to Lankowi island (Malaysia). 15 mile ride from boat dock to guest house

JULY 30- Cable car ride and bike around Langkowi-- Lots of beautiful breathe-taking views 30 miles

JULY 31- Langkawi to Georgetown (Penang) 3 hour boat-ride. I got worried when they handed out black barf bags... and WOW was it a rocky three hour ride. I really don't like ocean boats! Again, I was REALLY happy to reach land! We enjoyed Indian Cuisine in Georgetown and a nice hostel for the night!

AUGUST 1- Crazy mountain ride from Georgetown to Gerik! The hills slowed us down so much that we found ourselves riding through jungle roads at night! We were so happy to arrive at a town at around 9:00 p.m.! 75 miles

AUGUST 2- 80 miles on hilly jungle ride with iron legs from Gerik to Jeli! We saw yellow warning road signs for elephant crossings and saw lots of monkeys!

AUGUST 3- 30 miles from Jeli to train stop town called Tanah Merah.

AUGUST 4- JUNGLE TRAIN!!! We put our bicycles on a train and spent all day on the jungle train! Gorgeous ride and a great way to see into the local life and small villages. We stayed the night in Jerantut-- the last small city before heading into the jungle national park!

AUGUST 5- We took a boat three hours up the river to the national park entrance and we left out bicycles in storage in a hotel in Jerantut. We hiked a few hours in the jungle and took a jungle night walk/tour.

AUGUST 6- We walked on the longest canopy walk in the world and enjoyed hiking and seeing monkeys. We took a night river ride, looking for glowing eyes on the river's edge. It rained at night...

AUGUST 7- The night rain invited the leaches to come out and they tried really hard to crawl up our legs on our six hour hike into the jungle! We pulled off the leaches with salted peanut shells and enjoyed a stay in a wooden hut in the middle of the jungle spying for animals.

AUGUST 8- We took a river boat back to town from the jungle and REALLY enjoyed a shower.

AUGUST 9- We hiked into a cave and saw lots of bats! we took a night four-wheel safari and saw jungle cat, birds, snakes, spiders, and a slow monkey!

AUGUST 10- Cycled from Jerantut to Raub 60 miles

AUGUST 11- 65 miles Cycled from Raub through the jungle (beautiful ride) to Kuala Lumpur. I really expected the ride to be ugly and polluted leading into the city but it was goregous!!

AUGUST 12- Visit to the Petronas Twin Towers and walk all over Kuala Lumpur..oh yeh, also my doctor visit to cure unhappy belly.

AUGUST 13- KUALA LUMPUR, capital of Malaysia We found boxes at a bike store and enjoyed shopping and eating in Small India



AUGUST 15- Fly from KL Malaysia to Bangkok, Thailand

We plan to enjoy a couple of days in Bangkok before...

AUGUST 18- 11:00 p.m. our flight takes off to Chicago U.S.A with a layover in Tokyo, Japan!