Visas were duly extended in Surat Thani and Dean and I waved Andrew and Tim off on their way. We would take an afternoon's rest before beginning our journey once again.

We have received mail from England on the subject of our forthcoming Sea Adventure. Gary has been putting the final touches on our schedules - well in truth he has been working them out in detail. As I flick thru the message I get a distinct sinking feeling - Gary is not confident on the way things are looking. It feels as if we have come such a long way, and yet from the sound of the report from Gary on our route ahead - we have the hardest part to go. I'm not sure if I like the sound of this!!!! We have a horrible choice - to make the 250 mile crossing from Timor to Melville Island - or to see our plan for our arrival in Sydney disappear off into mid 2001 - and we certainly don't have money for that !!!! Keep watching this space!

After 4 days resting Dean had fully recharged legs and was firing along at a hitherto unknown pace. We swiftly zipped through tiny villages and made the 70 or so kilometres to the town of Sichon.

Our route continues to hug the coast - and according to the maps the road runs directly by the sea. Maps however can be deceiving in this regard - and although for many days now we have followed the coast - we have barely had more than a few miles of uninterrupted sea views.

Nakhon Si Thammarat our next city stop is celebrating a 75th Anniversary of something that we can't be quite sure about. As Dean and I ride into town we are surrounded by a myriad of pickup trucks each piled high with frantic schoolkids - eager to stretch out hands to us - waving and screaming at us. The kids are such a colourful and exciting sight - dressed in bright tracksuits - all matching - or in Scout uniform with neck scarves and caps. Each time we ride by we are quizzed 'Hey you - where you go?' - not that there is any particular interest in our destination - but it seems to be the commonly learned phrase in these parts.

In our southwards journey we head for Songkla - which according to the road signs is just 160km from Nakhon Si Thammarat. We plan to split this down the middle and camp after about 80k's. For some reason though we find the going particularly hard - maybe the road surface - maybe the weather - maybe the continuous headwind that we push against all day. And so after 60km we pull up at a small guesthouse to rest. Here we spy the distinctive shapes of two recumbent bicycles propped up outside one of the beachfront bungalows. We have only seen 2 Recumbent (sitting down - pedaling with feet in the air type) Bicycles on our journey. First we crossed their paths in Eastern Tibet - in the forbidden zone, then again in Bangkok - and now for a third time here in the South of Thailand. The 2 Dutch owners - Eric and Nushe - are really friendly and are also having a fantastic adventure. Sadly Eric's girlfriend is ill tonight - and so we eat out as a threesome. Dean is horrified (an I can't say that I'm delighted either) when we come across rats scurrying backwards and forwards all around us on our way home. It seems that the locals are quite at home with their grey furry friends. Indeed at one night stop we are both disgusted to see the rats running directly into the kitchen where we have just eaten. I point out the rat to the woman who runs the establishment - only to be met with a head thrown back in laughter......as if to say 'oh yeah - we get those all the time'.

Dean can sense the end of her cycling journey coming to a close and so decides that she will attempt a new record distance of 100k's - just enough to see us into Songkla for our rest day. Spirited by the challenge Dean drags us out on to the road at around 7.30 - eager to get underway - and to get some kilomtres done before things start to hot up. We're rolling along nicely in the early morning - and for once we can actually see the sea on our left hand side - shimmering in the early morning sunshine. We clock up 20k's and are on the point of pausing for a well earned drink - when we coast past a distance sign. Dean's eyesight is not quite as good as mine - and so I know well before Dean does that this is not good news. 'Well that's just ***** great that is isn't it!!!' and other more choice language ensues. The sign now has increased our total distance from 100k's to some 120. This is the cruelest trick that can be payed on a cyclist - and neither of us are impressed. Somehow though Dean summons extra reserves, and puts on her most determined face to push us along at an even faster pace. The sweat pours off both of us - but we have little choice - if we don't ride through the middle of the day - we'll never make it by dark. So on and on we pedal - eventually reaching the outskirts of the city - 20km before where we had expected it - in fact there seem to be 2 routes - the short one however takes a ferry...........and we all know the rules of the challenge........Dean could obviously take the ferry - but generously offers to ride with me.

We take the long route which crosses a spectacular chain of bridges - to come around the other side of the city. Both dehydrated and with painful throbbing headaches that are the most obvious symptom of this condition that we can't seem to get away from. We collapse exhausted into our hotel - and treat ourselves to an aircon room - a topsy turvy shelter from the heat and humidity of the street.

Songkla is a great location for a rest day - and Dean and I swim on a wide open deserted beach just minutes from the town. The salty water is enough to keep us afloat - and we bob on the small ripples - tired cycling limbs suspended in the warm clear water. The weightlessness is a perfect relaxation.

Our next day however is not quite so relaxing. We ride to Hat Yai - the biggest city in the south of Thailand. Its not far - but the ride into the bustle and dirt of this big hot and congested city is enough to get us sweating again. Just a night stop here - before continuing southwards. We have pulled away from the coast now and are making our crossing from East to West - but also making our crossing out of Buddhist Thailand and into Islamic Malaysia.

We pause briefly in the small town of Sadao before the border - and the next day we ride on again - with the excitement of a new country. Even before we have left Thailand we have seen increasing signs of the influence of Islam. We have heard the waling sounds of the call to prayer, seen the veiled heads and faces of young girls and women, and ridden past the majestic shapes of the rounded rooves of Mosques. After 6 months away from Islam - amongst Seikh, Hindu, Tibetan buddhists, Lao Buddhists, and finally the Thai Buddhists - we once again find the followers of Mohammed. It seems a little strange to find this enclave here in the bottom right hand corner of Asia - away from the main stronghold of Islam in North Africa and the Middle East.

Dean celebrates our safe passage through Thailand with a couple of Singha beers - and lives to regret it the next morning. It’s a warm ride to the border - but one filled with anticipation - the country we know so little about - but we know will be crucial to us - for the rekindling of our Seaborne adventure