A Summary of Leg 3 & 4 – Mandalay to Singapore

South East Asia has been great and leg 3 & 4 were both better (and easier) than the preceding two. I didn’t do a summary for leg 3 at the time so I’ll try to do it now..

Leg 3 – Mandalay to Hua-Hin:
Distance: 1022.1miles / 1644.91kph
Riding Time: 71:42:25
Av. Speed: 14.3mph / 23.0kph
Riding Days: 11
Punctures: 1
Other Mechanicals: Snapped gear cable
Leg 4 – Hua-Hin to Singapore:
Distance: 1192.77miles / 1919.58km
Riding Time: 81:14:15
Av. Speed: 14.7mph / 23.7kph
Riding Days: 11
Punctures: 0
Accommodation: I still haven’t used my tent (I wasn’t allowed to in Burma but still)

Food Poisoning: Nothing as bad as I had in Italy or India but I did have a small problem with my stomach on the first day of leg 4… this actually wouldn’t have been much of a problem if the toilet that evening hadn’t been so grim.

Wildlife: I’ve seen a few birds – none of which I found very interesting. A lot of monkeys, which only now I’ve stopped, I realise I didn’t take any photos of. I’ve also seen the odd monitor lizard; one was even walking along the pavement in a Malaysian city.

Food: The food has been good generally. I must say I’m not overly keen on the traditional Burmese food, but it seems there is a large Chinese influence so my meals were generally pretty enjoyable (albeit a bit repetitive – mostly consisting of chicken or pork fried rice). Going into Thailand I was expecting very spicy food but to be honest I had much worse in India. Malaysia was a bit of a mix and I was often presented with western food.

Weather: The weather throughout has been seriously hot but excluding one day in Burma, I’ve coped with it pretty well.

SE Asia has been amazing. The culture obviously takes some getting used to but after India this wasn’t really a problem at all. In fact, after leaving India, progressing through Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and now into Singapore it has become more and more western and easier to handle. For the first time in 2 months I can drink the tap water and speak to most people in English… rather than sign language; so this may as well be London!

The last couple of days in Singapore have been great and I owe a massive thank you to a few people. First and foremost – Richard and Sarah who invited me and my Mum to stay (and no Dad it’s not ‘Mum and I’), and have looked after us the whole time. I really am so grateful.
Secondly to Jim and Mel at T3 Bicycle Gears bike shop. Pretty much all my bike components have now done 7200 miles so a makeover was much needed and they both did an amazing job. Great service as well so thank you for that!
Also, thank you to Alex who recommended the bike shop and helped with advice regarding the route into Singapore and a few other logistical hurdles.

Next up is Australia, I’m flying to Perth tomorrow (Friday) and I’m aiming to start riding again on Sunday. Last, but possibly most importantly, I want to say another thank you to all of you for the continued support. Especially to all those who have donated, I can’t stress how much it means so thank you! A special mention to Chris and Pete, whose daily posts on Facebook have always brought a smile to my face (and I’m sure anyone else who reads them) – please continue, the less PC, the better.

7211 miles down, only 10789 to go…