Day 17: Bike to big town Ubon

Like most of the small towns we stayed in breakfast poses a problem in Khong Chiam. Resorts come with hot and cold water, even the internet, but the B&B concept, so popular in Europe, has not quite caught on.

The trick is to choose a resort that is near a market if the objective is to roll out of town shortly after day break. Usually, the day starts with a strong sweet coffee and a plate of local donuts that you dunk in condensed milk or coffee. It might not be listed in a health and fitness guide, but the alternatives are even less appetising. One is the local porridge known as “Joke” served with an egg floating in a mass of watery rice with minced pork and slivers of liver.

Then there is the staple Khao Tom (boiled rice) with a salty egg and tiny dried fish that your sprinkle as a topping. It’s piping hot and with a few drops of Nam Pla (fish sauce) makes for a nourishing start to the day.

We have two options today. Either we ride southeast to Chong Mek and visit Pakse in Laos, a distance of 73 km or head west for about 90 km and stay in Ubon Ratchathani.

Most touring cyclists head for the border, stop overnight in Pakse and continue south for another week or so to Stung Treng in Cambodia.

We have been on the road now for 16 days so we opt for the excursion to Ubon Ratchathani, which should place us about 80 km short of our ride target of 1,600 km, or 1,000 miles.

The route follows highway 2222 to Phibun Mangsahan where we can, either continue on 2364 north of the Mun River, or cross the town’s river bridge and connect with the main highway 217 for the remaining 50 km to Ubon Ratchathani.

We cross the bridge and take the smooth route to Ubon on a divided highway which has the luxury of a motor cycle and bike lane.

A prevailing Northeast wind pushes us along at a steady 30 kmph over mostly flat terrain; dull and dreary after two weeks following the varied terrain of the Mekong River basin. If  travelling by bus we could have taken a nap, but on a bike, you turn on your Ipod Shuffle and just pedal letting your mind wander through the highlights of the tour and possibly ponder over tomorrow’s final goal. There was just on short diversion to stop and watch craftsman making traditional gongs at small factories on the roadside.

By noon we are looking for Ubon Buri Hotel wondering how it could possibly be just 1 km from town as described in the brochure. It turns out to be 2.5 km away and in an obscure part of commercial Ubon. It is in fact the only attractive building in sight, but isolated with no restaurants or tourist attractions in the vicinity at all.

This was a mistake. We asked the receptionist if the hotel had internet in the rooms. Despite its modern appearance, three-star facilities, tropical gardens and spa, the only spot with WiFi was in the lobby with an hourly surcharge of Bt60. A twin room cost Bt990 with breakfast.

But even the prospect of an American Breakfast was not enough to convince us we should spend a night in this attractive retreat on the outskirts of Ubon.

By now we have a standing rule for the selection of accommodation. They must have free WiFi, or be near an internet café with a fast ADSL line so we could download photographs and they should be in walking district of a market, restaurants and tourist attractions. When in a remote village we parked at a resort as close as possible to the mobile phone transmitter and used the air-card in my Sony laptop to stay in touch.

We moved on cycling to the city, crossing a bridge over the Mun River where we consulted with the undisputed experts on where to stay – the local Sky Lab (samlor) drivers. They had it sussed out in seconds.

“Turn right at the traffic lights, take the next right and try the Sri-Isan Hotel, right next to the river.”

Sri-Isan Hotel fitted the bill perfectly. It stands on a corner with tables and chairs on the side walk, just 200 metres from the river and close to what will be the “Indochina” Market, when it opens later in the year.

Rooms sell for Bt650 and include breakfast. The hotel has WiFi throughout, free of charge, and it worked well enough to download photographs, some quite large files of around 1.5 to 2 MB.

If I had to put this hotel in a category, it would fit Accor’s Ibis brand perfectly. The rooms were clean with a simple, but bright décor and had all the facilities you would find in a modern three-star property –TV, WiFi in the room, stocked mini-bar, air-conditioning and a bathroom with a hot and cold water shower.

It goes to show, Ibis standards flourish in Thailand quite independently, even down to the dimensions, one size up from a shoebox.

But everything worked. Service was impeccable, the place was cycle friendly and genuine Isan hospitality shone through.

Over two weeks, we have stayed in rooms at Bt200 and felt cheated and another destination, a resort chalet at Bt1,600, was a luxury but still didn’t qualify as real value for money. Then there was the Bt350 room in a small resort in Ban Pheang, where we told the owner it was only worth Bt250. He said “fine,” and took our cash. It turned out to be the oldest resort in town with a very tardy reputation.

We didn’t ask anyone for a deal, a free room or offer to write a nice piece in return for a complimentary night. We assessed quite honestly what we were getting for our money. Sri-Isan Hotel came out tops over the entire ride.

Ubon Rachathani came as a shock. I was still harbouring images of a town I visited 10 years ago. The encounter with traffic jams, branded restaurants, shopping malls and crowds jostling in a rush hour was disconcerting.

Of course, the historical temples are still there, the national museum, the park where people exercise, lift weights, jog or snooze on a park bench. It was all there; the provincial city glow survived.

Then, there was the other side of the coin, a city that has embraced all the mega stores, hyper marts and shopping malls you would find in Bangkok. That was a let down.

Ubon Rachathani is a commercial hub for southern Isan and a key gateway for trade to Laos and Vietnam. It is probably a thriving market for agencies promoting outbound travel. You sense there is money to spend, although the houses and building are not lavish and most of the vehicles are practical pick-ups or motor cycles. Yet beneath the veneer, it is still a traditional Isan town with an abundance of fun loving features and the perception that life should be enjoyed preferably in the company of friends, with a bottle of whisky and a few spicy Isan dishes for good measure.

We check our GPS and note we are just 80 km short of our 1,600 target. So in the tradition of Isan folk, we order two more beers, some fried chicken and sticky rice to help us find Si Sa Ket on the map.

Due west on the main railway line to Bangkok we find the black dot on highway 226. We will end the ride there at one of the historical site and then catch the train home.

But before we go to Si Sa Ket to complete 1,600 km, over 18 days, we will make an unusual detour, 15 km beyond Ubon, to visit a Buddhist forest temple where the abbot and monks are all expatriates.

Tale of the Tape: Distance 87.38; average speed 21.2 kph  Cumulative distance 1,511.88.

Our ride is for charity. You can pledge support based on total kms we ride during the Mekong Odyssey, or offer a flat donation.

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