ESCATI TIGER TEAM WALKING FOR THAILAND - WALKING TO KAMPHAENG PHET

Tuesday 23rd June, 1998. We left at dawn stopping at ’Salok Bat’ for coffee and to withdraw 900 baht from the ATM machine at Bangkok Bank. We had an enjoyable 26 kms walk to ‘Khlong Khlung’ where we found the ‘Khlong Khlung’ guest house and got 2 rooms there for 150 baht each. This was beside highway 1, with cafes for our meal close by. We arrived at the guest house at 17.00 hrs and it poured with rain at 17.15 hrs. Another close escape for us from getting wet! William commented that “The Lord Buddha Is Keeping Us Dry” and I agreed with him completely.

Wednesday 24th June, 1998. We left the guest house at dawn for our long walk today. The big signpost on highway 1 said 30 kms to Kamphaeng Phet and the roadside whitestone marker said 43 kms. It was 43 kms! One takes careful note of these small details when ‘Walking For Thailand. The countryside was changing from intensive rice paddies. We arrived Kamphaeng Phet before dark and a new distance walk record as all 40+ kms had been completed in darkness:

http://thailand.sawadee.com/kamphaengphet

Then we had a break at a bar in town which had a ’singha draft beer’ promotion with the yellow tents and tables and chairs with many local people. We broke all our rules of no alcohol and drank beers because we just felt like it. After 10 minutes there, it poured with rain and everyone had to move inside. Word spread fast about our walk and it was suggested we stay at the ‘Chakrungrao River Hotel’ (The old name for Kamphaeng Phet). We were expected on arrival and given a 950 baht room for 550 baht. (As a note here: we never got free accomodation until we arrived in the true ‘north of Thailand’. This was due to more publicity as well as ‘northern hospitality’) We were about to enter the north and were looking forward to Tak, where William was a Monk in a Temple next to the river for 3 years. Our hotel was opposite the park, close to the river and near the market. A very good location. We had a meal and suddenly we were very tired, probably due to walking 45 kms and the beer! We never heard the tremendous thunderstorm during the night.

Here are ‘Our 1998 Walk Experiences & Publicity:

http://www.walking-in-thailand.com/1998.htm

Yours truly,

Escati Tiger Team Walking For Thailand.