Pedelling back in time
The coastal town of Sichon is 60km north of downtown Nakhon Si Thammarat. The first time I heard this name was 35 years ago when I was 14. I must admit that back then I didn’t know much about places beyond the Bang Rak-Sathon area where I grew up, let alone distant parts of the country. But like virtually every teenager of my generation, I “knew” Sichon. That’s because a famous music duo of those days named their band after this otherwise unknown town in the South.
Over the years I have travelled past Sichon many times, both by land and by air. The sinuous course of the Sichon River that flows into the sea, the unusual, repeated concave shapes along the shoreline just north of the river mouth and stretches of beaches to the south make Sichon easy to distinguish even when seen from the sky. (Look up Google Earth if you don’t get the picture.) However, it was only recently that I got to finally stop by the town and see it up close.
Tagging along with Nok Air’s Don Mueang cycling team on a three-day trip to Sichon last week, I learned more about this town and surrounding areas. This is such a wonderful, unspoiled place. I think I’ve fallen in love with it.
From a beachfront resort called Sichon Cabana, which served as a convenient base, the group explored the area north of the property on the first day. Local riders, including Palm, the resort owner who’s an avid cyclist, accompanied the visiting Nok Air riders in bright yellow jerseys through the town, across the Sichon River and along the coast passing coconut groves, orchards, lush woodland and a long beach. The sand ends at the foot of a hill called Khao Phlai Dam but the road doesn’t. It continues up the hill. Soon after the first climb, the group was led off the main road onto a driveway that descends towards the sea.
At the end of the driveway, we found a few huts that belong to fishermen. Flanking a small cove where the fisherfolk moor their vessels are outcrops that jut into the seawater. From the rocks, the cyclists enjoyed a great view of the sea and the long beach that they had ridden past a short while ago.
After having taken selfies and “groupfies” to our hearts’ content, we returned to the road and continued further up Khao Phlai Dam. On one of the steep ascents, if you look back you’ll see the beautiful coastline again, this time from almost a bird’s eye view.
The cyclists braved through a series of tough climbs until they reached the highest point of the road where they made a U-turn and rode back to the resort.
Early next day, the Nok Air cyclists biked southward to Ban Plai Thon, a Muslim fishing community. Every morning when the fishermen return from the sea, their wives would collect the freshly caught fish and other seafood from the boats and sell them at a beachside market where there’s no building but coconut trees to provide shade. Apart from the produce of the sea, you can also find villagers selling fruits and local snacks, all goods displayed in trays or bowls laid on the sandy ground. It’s such a scene it makes you feel as if you had travelled back in time.
After visiting the market, the group cycled westward to Si Khit Waterfalls. It’s
a long ride and took the group almost the entire afternoon to finish. Actually, Sichon also boasts other attractions, from caves to temples. But with limited time and diminished energy, the Don Mueang team chose to travel to some of those places by van instead.
We left Sichon the next day. I was impressed by the undisturbed natural surroundings and people’s traditional ways of life. I just hope that the charm and beauty of Sichon will never fade with time, just like the songs of its namesake band.
Well, see you here again next Thursday. Until then, if you have questions, news or biking insights you wish to share, please feel free to send an email to pongpetm@bangkokpost.co.th or go to Freewheel Bangkok community page on Facebook.