Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Betong, Thailand - part 3

Michelle at the hot springs

Enjoying our happy hour beers!

A group photo at Patrick Lim's grand uncle's place near the WF Garden resort in Betong...
Our last day in Betong had dawned. 
Time to part ways with Wei Ling and Debbie who had to head back to KL because they had to work on Monday.
Before we split, we had breakfast again at the same makan area near the hotel.
After chatting with some coffee and Chinese crullers, we made our way back to the hotel, checked-out and rigged up the bikes for a ride to the hot springs.
The other duo was headed towards the border checkpoint.
We started early with the advantage of a cooler day. Riding under the hot sun is no joke,
From Betong town, it took us about 20 minutes to reach a police checkpoint. The gradual climb had proved to be tiring, but our Hulu Langat fitness and strength training actually helped a lot.
We rested for a few minutes and rode to the hot springs. At this point, even a simple 8km ride would be a test as our Dahon Speed P8 and TR were laden with panniers.
Cycling uphill on a gradual slope proved to be a test of our strength and endurance.
Nevertheless, we made it all the way to the hot springs where we rested.
The day before, Wey and I met up with Patrick Lim, another cyclists who also hosted dinner at his grand uncle's farm near WF Garden resort, where we were headed to.
Our plan was to meet up in the hot springs and take a ride uphill to the resort.
While we were at the springs we bumped into a family who owns 'Tukang Basikal Fook Sang' in Sungai Way, Selangor.
I met one of the brothers during my pre-departure preparation and was told that the entire family would be in Betong.
We chatted a bit before heading off to a restaurant there for lunch. And based on recommendations, the pak chum kai (steamed chicken) was amazing!
Our ride to WF resort came in at about 2pm local time and the drive up the dusty trail was something that caught me beyond my wildest imagination.
We reached the resort around mid-day, chilled out at the canteen where Michelle and I had loads and loads of beers.
During our stay, I negotiated with a driver on getting all four of us to the border checkpoint the following day and had agreed on a price.
The rest of the day, we chilled out at the resort, took a short ride to the hills.
Later, we had dinner at Patrick Lim's grand uncle's place - which was a simple night ride and retired after a bloated tummy full of good food..

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