musings&mem'ries: Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) on two wobbly wheels: part 3 of a series

This is a continuation of part 2:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_20.html

Day 2 of Noah's adventure and he is up even before the first rooster crowed. How could he not when he still had some hundred kilometers to pedal before he can be sure that indeed there was a bike shop and the right spare parts to be able finish his ride? Another thing that bugged him was the uncertainty of the remaining spokes not breaking.

Breakfast was some frozen food at a 7-11 shop of a gas station that was nuked in a microwave oven and eaten half-heartedly. Noah was again back on the road with this road sign showing that Aranyaprathet - the last Thai city before the border, was not yet close by.

The morning was crisp and cool and the terrain was opposite of the strenuous uphill climb of yesterday. The only thing that kept this scene from being perfect was the stench from the many piggeries and poultries that dotted the hills surrounding the highway. Roadside eateries were also victims to the flies that apparently bred on the manure of the animals. No wonder that Bangkok had no flies.

One thing that Noah really loves about Thailand highways is the wide paved shoulder that offers space for stalled vehicles and doubles as a bike lane.

Even before an hour passed on this morning's ride Noah's peace was once again shattered by the now feared twang of a spoke breaking. This would happen twice before he got into Aranyaprathet bringing the grand total number of spokes broken to four - all in the same rear wheel. You could imagine the concomitant rise in the level of anxiety of Noah and his constant glancing at the rear wheel while pedaling along. The annoying sound of the rear rim banging on the brake pad and fender gave a rhythmic cacophony.

Rest and food and water stops were now more frequent as it was getting hotter and hotter by the minute. Like what the weatherman said - there was sunshine, sunshine and more of it. Noah lived from one gas station to another on that stretch and the frequent rests gave him time to succumb to the temptation for a selfie:

Aranyaprathet came into view as the wobbly wheel was getting more contorted. First thing Noah did when he got to the border was to check in at the Border Hotel, relieve the bike of its cargo, unlatch the rear wheel and go out hunting for a shop.

If breaking all those spokes and the added strain in pedaling was bad enough for the day, finding the shop was the exact opposite and quite contrary to Noah's expectations. As soon as he exited from the hotel with the damned wheel in hand, Noah bumped into a well-dressed man across the street. The guy took one look at the wheel and asked Noah - in impeccable English, "do you want to have that wheel fixed?" Without hesitation Noah nodded the affirmative and the man shouted at a kid nearby instructing him in Khmer to take Noah to a shop. He also told Noah to give the kid a tip for his effort. The kid grabbed the wheel, hoisted it onto his shoulder and briskly led the way to a shop just one block from the hotel.

At this point the shop owner, the kid and Noah had a Tower-of-Babel moment and the only solution for the communication dilemma was to have the daughter-in-law in Bangkok talk to the shop owner in Thai over the phone - just like at the motel at Khao Hin Son. Noah was told that the 4 spokes + installation and balancing would cost 300 Baht and should be done in 30 minutes. Noah paid up the shop, gave a hefty tip to the kid and smiled at himself for such a good twist in the events of the day. Apparently God had a hand in putting all these together.

With the wheel fixed and mounted Noah was ready for a heavy dinner, a bottle of ice-cold beer and a good night's snore before he would cross the border into the kingdom of ancient temples and happy people.