How happy can you be with a simple plate of food

Ayutthaya – A warm afternoon in the dry season. While it is a daily sport for me to find an affordable accommodation with air conditioning, I receive the message from home that windows have to be scraped again in the Netherlands and the first snow is on its way.

Sinterklaas, Christmas, but also a fresh slice of sourdough bread with cheese, a frikadel special or a nice fresh herring at the stall are relatively small things from home that are slowly becoming more and more needed. But the other way around, there is a small chance that I would have experienced such a great and special cycling adventure at home.

I've been on the road for a month now and I can say that the experiences so far have exceeded all expectations. It started with a blissful stay in Chachoengsao where I was warmly welcomed by Fha's family. I know Fha from a competition organized by Tourism Authority Thailand (TAT) in which she eventually won a 3-week organized trip to various volunteer projects.

The underlying goal was to blog about the visited projects on the project website www.thelittlebigprojectthailand.com. Of course I would have liked to have won that prize too , but in retrospect following the winners has inspired me to continue with my current project .

During my stay in Chachoengsao, thanks to the good care of Fha's family (photo 1, left), I was able to prepare myself well for the first cycling stage towards Pattaya. Thanks to Thailandblog I have already come into contact with several Dutch people living in Thailand, including Henk who lives with Kai in Chonburi (photo 2, right). This became the first stop on the way from Chachoengsao to Pattaya.

It is always nice to hear the stories of emigrated Dutch people. In particular, subjects such as love, corruption, waste and the cost of living always do well. It was no different with Henk. With regard to cultural differences, we were in complete agreement that mutual respect for norms and values ​​is the most important key to a pleasant existence.

After my short stay in Chonburi, the journey continued towards Pattaya. There I became acquainted with the call of the Thai ladies during the first days as a tourist. It's fun and seems innocent, but during my project visits in Pattaya I heard a completely different sound.

In The Pattaya Orphanage I met volunteer Timo (photo 3, left: On the bike with Timo at The Pattaya Orphanage). He spent his first years in this orphanage and was later adopted to Germany. Through volunteering he can give back what he has previously received. When I saw the children, one thing immediately struck me: the vast majority are half Thai.

One reason newborns are abandoned is because parents don't have enough money to care for them. However, it is the rule rather than the exception that the child comes from a single mother. Drawing a conclusion is then child's play.

My visit to Openaid was no less revealing. This organization is concerned with preventing and combating trafficking in young girls. Together with volunteer Krit we cycled past two villages they work with. The main activity is the development of teaching programs that teach the children to build a successful life within their own living environment. (photo 4, right: Visiting a school in one of the villages in which Openaid is active)

For example, in close cooperation with the village council, fish tanks and professional breeding tanks have been installed, with which the children learn in a practical way about earning a living. There is also an active dialogue between Openaid and the parents of the children. Volunteers provide information to girls to give them a stronger position in society. That this is necessary is evident from the large number of problem cases that still report to the organization every day.

Prostitution is inextricably linked to Pattaya and provided it is properly regulated, there is nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, that is not the reality and the problem will continue, certainly as long as there is a demand from tourists for services that are (just as) punishable in their own country. The bike ride with Krit is therefore one that should actually be mandatory for this specific group of tourists.

After the burgeoning project visits in Pattaya, I continued the journey back to Bangkok. The route was on Sukhumvit Road, one of the busiest roads in Thailand. In my blog post Pattaya by tandem you can read more about cycling in Thai conditions. In Bangkok I visited the embassy to meet ambassador Joan Boer. Together we cycled a few blocks through Bangkok and briefly discussed the potential of the bicycle for Thailand (photo 5, left).

In short, it comes down to the fact that, no matter how mediocre the facilities for cyclists may be, it starts with using the bicycle for daily activities. It is customary in Thailand to use the car or scooter even for short trips. The extremely small group that uses the bicycle usually do so as a form of sport, with flashy bicycles and special sportswear. I noticed that cycling is gaining popularity in Thailand at the well-attended event Bike Fest.

Bike Fest is a big bike fair that took place on two floors of Makkasan station. Of course I cycled here on the tandem and took the opportunity to introduce my tandem to the public. In addition to a prominent place on the exhibition floor, I was also invited for an interview on stage (photo 6, right). I explained my project in detail and was immediately interviewed for it The HumanRide Magazine.

Naturally, many enthusiastic cyclists were present at Bike Fest, including clubs that organize bicycle tours through Bangkok on fixed evenings during the week. So I cycled with Alley Cyclists on a Tuesday evening and with the Pantip Bikers on a Wednesday evening. It is not only fun to cycle through Bangkok at night, you also meet enthusiastic locals who, incidentally, guide you safely through the city with the utmost care.

Before my departure from Bangkok, another big challenge awaited me: the Bangkok Marathon. I can now look back with satisfaction on a special marathon of which I report extensively on my blog.

My bike and I are now in Ayutthaya from where the journey continues eastwards to eventually arrive at Ubon at the beginning of December. I must say that I really like the combination of sport and travel. Although I've only been on the road for a relatively short time, every new destination feels like a small victory. And, a day of cycling makes the small things big again.

How happy can you be with a simple plate of food, a simple bed or even a cold shower? I look forward to it more as the day progresses. For lunch I usually eat a plate pad thai and preferably rice with a fresh curry for dinner. For the price I can't pass it all up. I almost always eat at a local market and rarely do I pay more than one and a half euros.

Apart from a good bed, the daily half liter of Leo beer is perhaps the most expensive, but also what I enjoy the most. Follow me through Facebook or my website. Do you have tips, suggestions for my trip? Then send me one e-mail.

Thomas' first report 'On a tandem through Thailand for charity' was published on Thailandblog on 17 October.

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