{"id":3023,"date":"2017-01-22T23:26:47","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T07:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/?p=3023"},"modified":"2019-03-31T11:02:07","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T18:02:07","slug":"a-long-days-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffersonscher.com\/ttw\/2017\/01\/a-long-days-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"A Long Day’s Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a lot of road to cover between Bangkok and the pier where we\u2019ll catch our ferry to the Koh Surin Marine National Park (Mu Ko Surin). We\u2019ll shop and eat our way down the Malay Peninsula and overnight in Ranong, as I did in 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2012. But what appears \u201csame same\u201d on paper always seems to have some variation.<\/p>\n

Sunday, January 22, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It seems even when I\u2019m 15 minutes early, I\u2019m the last into the van. Jet lag made for an early getaway, which was strongly recommended due to highway damage after the recent rains. We will eat on the road. Many times.<\/p>\n

Around 6:30, we pulled over at a lonely roadside stand to consider purchases of the locally harvested sea salt and locally made Khlong Khon shrimp paste. This is some of the finest (read: mildest) shrimp paste available, and more palatable to Western tastes than what one might find in a random jar at a market. Many of us started stocking the van with jars we\u2019ll take home, mystifying agricultural officials who might view our haul.<\/p>\n

Around 7:00, we stopped at a \u201cfast food\u201d restaurant, which ladles your choice of two from over a dozen different curries and stir fries over a huge mound of rice (or you can get a bowl of soup and rice on the side). In the past I\u2019ve ended up with mouthfuls of tiny bones so I avoided the fish dishes and stuck with green curry chicken and pork tehpo curry. Kasma also treated us to spongy steamed cakes flavored with palm sugar which were just the right amount of sweet for an early breakfast, and sweet sticky rice stuffed with bananas which took us over the edge.<\/p>\n

\"\"Pre-Dawn Shrimp Paste and Sea Salt Stop<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Roadside Sunrise (Khlong Khon area)<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Well stocked with curries, Phetchaburi<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Two curries over rice, Phetchaburi<\/span><\/a><\/p>

\"\"Steamed Palm Sugar Cakes, Phetchaburi<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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