pedalling furiously through indo-china exodus · bamboo-framed houses on seven-foot high stilts...

Source: Evening News (Norwich) {Main}Edition:Country: UKDate: Saturday 25, February 2012Page: 32,33Area: 1119 sq. cmCirculation: ABC 18831 DailyBRAD info: page rate £2,320.16, scc rate £9.23Phone: 01603 628 311

Keyword: Exodus

Pedalling furioussly through Indo-ChinaDespite stifling heat and the odd saddle sore, the 500km bike trip that KATE HODAL undertook through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam turned out to be the ride of her life.When the poet TS Eliot penned, in 1922, his

immortal line that “April is the cruellest

month”, he was not cycling through Indo-China

in 34C heat with 95% humidity.

But here I am on a mountain bike in the middle

of the Thai jungle, cursing the poet, the

sun and sticky heat dripping down

my arms and legs.

It is 10am on day two of a 500-

kilometre cycle tour of

Thailand, Cambodia and

Vietnam, and I wonder if I

have already lost my mind.

The thick air is sweet

with the milky scent of

frangipani, the hills dotted

with endless palm trees.

Bamboo-framed houses on

seven-foot high stilts squat in

rows along the dirt roads,

their thatched palm roofs

blowing in the hot wind.

As I shuffle around, trying to find a

comfortable position for the 95 kilometres

looming ahead of me, I can say with certainty

that my bum will never forgive me for this two-

week bender of eco-alternative tourism.

Eight of us, all strangers, have decided to

pedal our way through Indo-China on a 16-day

tour with adventure specialists Exodus.

If it weren’t for the slight breeze awarded by

our two wheels, we’d most likely be napping

like the locals in hammocks alongside the road.

Even the stray dogs are snoozing in the middle

of the street.

April is the preamble to the monsoon season

in Indo-China (southeast Asia’s peninsula

containing Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Laos,

Cambodia and Vietnam) and as a result

scorching heat can sometimes erupt into

thunder and water droplets the size of cotton

wool balls.

Our motley crew - comprising a German, a

Canadian, a Pole, two Danes and a few Brits -

has prepared for the weather by wearing

breathable lycra, wrap-around shades and

cycling shoes.

I own none of the above, a fact that elicits

clucks of disapproval from the more serious

cyclists when they see my leopard-print dresses,

turquoise sunglasses and large hoop earrings.

But I am here for the views - not to race!

And anyway, the brochure said that this was a

“moderate activity” trip so I’m

surprised, being the youngest in

our group, that I am also the

slowest.

We are such a fast group

(the Tour de Sadists, I dub

them) that our soft-

spoken, 30-something

Thai tour guide Al, who

cycles this route six

times a year and is

unfazed by the heat or

the distance, continually

looks like he’s been

dunked in a pool of pure

sweat.

But in true Thai style he

laughs off the challenge of

ascending hills and long rides, setting

off quickly each day before anyone can

complain.

Our other local guide (we always have two,

throughout the trip) is much more relaxed. A

former Buddhist monk, Sart’s real job is as a

singer in a Bob Marley band. Astonishingly, he

plays Bob Marley.

“I wear a wig,” he confides. “You would be

surprised at how similar we look.”

Sart and I become fast buddies, stopping

together to marvel at the surrounding

landscape: vermilion and gold leaf Buddhist

temples, water buffalo in the emerald rice

paddies, farmers with eight foot-long shotguns,

and children holding out their palms for rapid

transit high-fives.

One day, after feeding a few stray puppies on

the side of the road, I realise the Tour de

Sadists are racing each other - and, even more

bizarrely, motorised tuk-tuks - to the day’s

‘finish line’.

“Now they’ve really lost their minds,” I

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Keyword: Exodus

Kate Hodal was a guest of adventure specialists Exodus Travel (0845 8639601, exodus.co.uk), which offers a 16-day Cycle Indo-China and Angkor Wat. It includes accommodation, transfers, some meals and flights ex-Heathrow for £1,879. Connecting flights from regional airports from around £100.Next departure dates are April 14, July 21, August 4, Sept 15 and 29 and include cycling in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Key Facts - Cycling In Indo-China Best for: Adventure enthusiasts who

appreciate being off the beaten track. Time to go: November to March is the cool

season, monsoons last from May to October. Don’t miss: Local delicacies such as sweet iced

coffee, fried tarantula and Vietnamese Pho (noodle soup).

Need to know: Indo-China is conservative, so dress accordingly.

Don’t forget: Your own saddle, or a supply of padded bike shorts.


Article of 5

206228193 - KRICHA - A12454-20 - 57174750


Keyword: Exodus


Article of 5

206228193 - KRICHA - A12454-20 - 57174750

pedalling furiously through indo-china exodus · bamboo-framed houses on seven-foot high stilts...

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