58 km

We started the day with body surfing, then ate a big Thai lunch and got on the bikes. Early on we are faced with dogs that set our nerves on edge, so right away we decide we need sticks. YES! Beware, dogs, we shall defend ourselves, and you will run in fear before you even get close enough! We each find good sticks that are just the right size, about 3 feet long and an inch around, and secure them under the bungee cords that hold our camelbacks on the rear rack. They are ready to draw when needed. We set off with new confidence.

We get to practice our stick weilding several times throughout the day, and sometimes even ride side by side, with Dave on the left and me on the right, each using our dominant hands to whack our way through when there are several dogs at once. It sounds worse than it is, but it still gets our adrenaline up. However, we have found a new way to pacify some of the dogs that are on the fence about being vicious: we make fake motorcycle noise as we ride by, sounding like a space car on the Jetsons. That seems to make some of them assured that we are not alien life forms, just another couple on scooters. Honestly, I think it works for all but the meanest.

Having passed up a great beach camp spot yesterday, we planned to be prepared today. We decided the best possibility is just south of Hat Ban Krud on the same long beach. We passed a big port with a steel mill nearby and a village, then the huts and houses thinned out to nothing. We were again on a quiet road with little traffic and an empty beach to our right just on the other side of a line of feathery pines. We choose a spot with a big shady tree and take our bikes down the hill to the beach. We have just enough beach to camp on above the high tide line, right under that shady tree. It’s perfect! We set up camp and go swimming. No body surfing today, as the ocean was too calm. But it was a long, refreshing swim after a very hot day. We didn’t have much of a sea breeze so it was fairly warm, but our tent was comfy and the rhythm of the waves was soothing.