Along the border – Khemarat to Bueng Khan

Weather start getting cooler. But heavy wind, almost storm.
Not fun in Thailand as strong wind means a lot of dust.

We started early this morning, at 6.30 am. It was a pleasure to ride on small highways along the Mekong river on Hwy 2242 and 2034.

Not far from Khemarat in Don Tan there is a nice temple at the Mekong river bank. In this temple , two Nagas watching over the river and the people.

Seems it was formally a famous place. They have a very big parking but the temple itself and the statues need some love.

We started 6.30 am so at 9 am it was rally time to find some coffee.
Those who travel in Thailand know that, different to other countries, coffee shops open late. Lucky us that the owner of Kubpuang coffee is diligent and opens early. Meaning before 10 am.
The Interieur itself is cute, the coffee tasted so so. I tried one with cannabis, also the tea was a cannabis tea. No feeling for me, Sang got a bit dizzy. What not mean that I am used to cannabis.

After the coffee break, the boring riding part of the day started. Hwy 212 is the only continuous road along the Mekong river.

Strong side wind, a boring road and lots of dust is what we got for many many kilometers.

Should take a break and get some culture. Best spot on the route was Nakhon Phanom.
Nakhon Phanom has a ritch Vietnamese culture. Ho Chi Min stayed close to Nakhon Phanom for one year. Many immigrants from Vietnam settled in Nakhon Phanom. That’s why the city is known for delicious vietnamese kitchen and restaurants.

What we did, we walked on Ho Chi Mins footprints and visited the Ho Chi Min museum in Ban Na Chok.
Also known as Uncle Ho’s house, this important building is located in Ban Na Chok village, Nong Yat sub-district. Ho Chi Minh, former president of Vietnam, spent his time here when he entered the Kingdom of Thailand during the reign of King Rama VI. Between 1924-1931, Ho Chi Minh led the struggle for Vietnam’s independence from France, and when he was forced to flee his hometown, he secretly hid in Nakhon Phanom, where began to plan his resistance movement. The site is a one-storey wooden house similar to an old-style garden home and the tools and utensils used by Ho Chi Min in his daily life are exhibited inside. There are also trees planted by Ho Chi Minh himself, such as star fruit and coconut, as well as an ancient barn. Not far from the house, the Thai-Vietnamese Friendship Village was reconstructed and opened as a museum exhibiting Ho Chi Minh’s biography.

The staff is friendly and the free entrance is always welcome!

HUNGER (German for hungry) was the next I heard from Sang. When Sang says that, then you should be careful, it might get dangerous and she is not happy anymore.

So, checked Dr. Google and found a nice Vietnamese restaurant to solve that problem.
Look at her face, how happy she is!!!

We visited a nice place and learned something new….check.
Filled the stomach with yummy food….check.

Time to continue the trip – it seems like the Laos side of the Mekong is more nice than Thailand??!!

After Nakhon Phanom the ride on the Hwy 212 was still boring, windy and dusty. And what the bigger problem was, not one attractive resort along the way.

We stopped somewhere and Sang asked Dr. Google (very concentrated).

In the end we decided to continue to Bueng Khan…there the selection of accommodation should be larger than along the road or in some small villages in the middle of no where.
8 km from the city we found a brand new resort. A perfect place to stay and take a rest.

413 km In total was way more far than what we planned at the beginning. Anyways it was a great day as always when traveling together.

Find the trip details in the Calimoto link.

Ride safe and enjoy yourself!!!

#dustysocks #fortheride #thailand #buengkhan #khemarat #triumphtiger1200 #tiger1200