It’s been an interesting couple days, firstly and most importantly, I have a bike. Yet another 2001 Yam 1100 Dragstar, the third I looked at. I met Terry (the guy from Asiabike.com) on Wednesday evening and he took me to a bike shop near his home in Lat Prao in the north of the city. This meant a journey which involved both the BTS (Skytrain) and the MRT (Underground). The MRT has just been open 4 years, I don’t know why but when Kwan told me about it ( and she said it was very good ) I had mental images in my head of a mixture of the squalidness of the London underground and carriages stuffed to bursting point. Of course it was nothing like the sort, It is almost identical to its counterpart above ground, except the concourses are if anything bigger. The trains are regular, they are quick clean and efficient. The other thing I realised which applies to both the BTS & MRT is no scardy weirdo’s which is always part of the London Underground experience.

Anyhoo, Terry met me at the Lat Prao MRT station we both hopped on to his step-through and made off on the 20 minute journey to the bike shop. The conversation which followed got more and more freaky as we wobbled out into the maelstrom of traffic. In a round about way of ‘Where you from?’ ‘What you doing in Thailand?’ It transpires that Terry used to own a house in Peterborough UK,, 20 Percival Street to be precise. The reason this is freaky, I used to own 25 Percival Street, virtually opposite, we missed each other by about six years or by the sound of it but just plane freaky.

Arrived at the bike shop which to be honest by western standards was a bit squalid, a bit clutered and with the overall charcoal coloured effect you get when you never clean your garage. However I have seen bike workshops in both Malayasia and Thailand resemble the top of barrel of tar , so this one was pretty good. I’d actually come to have look at look at a Honda 600 steed which are quite popular in Thailand but we found out that he had a 2001 Dragstar for sale as well. I took the Steed out first, it was OK but with a very spongy front end, I suppose you are always going to get that feeling after riding a Duc and then stepping onto what is a factory low rider, but it did feel excessive. Then I took the Dragstar out, I’d never ridden a toe and heel and running boards bike before and Bangkok traffic is being thrown in the deep end, however I thought it was easier to handle than the Steed. And no problems with the heel and toe. I am not going to go into the Harley Clone/ Poor Man’s Harley debate now, that could go on all-night and to be honest I was just after a bike which is fit for the task. Low to the ground, capable of carrying all my stuff and comfortable to do a few K’s on. Either would have done but I was sold on the Dragstar. He was even going to make me a rack for the top box at a bit of an extra cost. Anyway price agreed, the next blog should have me on the road.

I am switching hotels on Tuesday, Ad has recommended the Hotel Florida (why isn’t it Hotel California, great opportunity missed there) which is right next to the next Sky train station along out from Siam Central. It’s about half the price but no swimming pool. I still can’t get over the uneasy feeling I get at the Asia Bangkok, OK there’s the Elvis in the bar three times a week which is just odd, they have even taken to advertising his presence with a repeating video on a large LCD next to the bar. The footage they have used is the actual Elvis doing his Las Vegas thing, now there false advertising and there’s false advertising. I think my main problem is the other guests, I’m not saying they are bad and certainly well behaved, but it would be considered an exclusive hotel if you were booking a holiday through a travel agent it has certainly got far too many golf references for my liking ( Golf and Elvis what are these people thinking ?) But striking up conversations with them is impossible. The only people I speak to who I meet in the pool at 7:00 AM every morning are a French couple who are in their 70’s or could even be their 80’s and are disgustingly healthy. They don’t speak much English (no comment required) but do speak a smattering of Thai, so our common language is Thai. This is worth it just to see the expression on the staff faces, a mixture of bemusement , incredulity and deep suspicion.

The other good news is my parcel has turned up, 12 days to get here but I was just wondering out of the hotel to grab some breakfast and I saw it strapped precariously to a step-through, so I am re united with my boots , gloves and other odd items such as the presents for Kwan’s friends and family.

Anyhow's, next blog should have me on the road

Keep upright.