Phone Eats First

Roadside meals from a day on the bike

I know I came to Thailand to bike, but food has become my favorite part of the experience. We pass countless places that look incredible and the smell alone is enough to make me pull the brakes. Some spots are on Google, others just appear. I love rest days because we have more time to research a restaurant, but riding days provide some suspense. We’re forced to find food in places we’ve never been, with no idea what to expect. It’s been a journey of navigating language barriers and trusting the process to see what ends up on the table.

Today, phone eats first.

We kicked the day off with a stop at one of my favorite restaurants in all of Thailand. I think.

This roadside stall makes omelettes in an electric wok, similar to the Thai omelette I’ve come to love. You pick your ingredients, toss them into a cup, hand it to her, and moments later you’re given a perfect omelette over rice. The eggs and filling are mixed with fish sauce here and it REALLY elevates the experience. It’s cheap, delicious, and filling.

After breakfast, there’s always a coffee stop, or two. We’ve been spoiled with great coffee on this trip, and I enjoyed an excellent latte before we finally started really pedaling.

Just kidding! We didn’t make it far before I spotted another favorite! (This happens often..) Fried bananas! I’m not exaggerating when I say we were biking toward a green light when I abruptly pulled over to confirm they were selling fried bananas. I was so happy! I hadn’t seen them in a while, and I think the vendors enjoyed my excitement too.

I love these things. I don’t know how I can eat so many fried bananas without upsetting my stomach. I always tell myself I won’t eat the whole bag in one go, but when it’s hanging right off your handlebars… how do you not? Excellent biking fuel.

I don’t find fried bananas every day, but I almost always find a snack as we pedal out of town. Smoothies, fruit, or 7/11 usually provide the fuel.

After that stop, we biked longer than usual before feeling the call for lunch. After turning off a dirt road onto a two-lane highway, my stomach told me it was time to eat some snacks or find a restaurant. I was about to check Google when we spotted a smoker up ahead. We pulled over, and through some hand gestures we confirmed they sold food, and were motioned to sit down.

No menu was offered, something we have really grown to love. Moments later, we were served a generous helping of pork, sticky rice, and an assortment of incredible sauces.

It was such a great experience. I love showing up with no expectations and seeing what happens. They even let us refill our water bottles before we headed out!

For the final hour of the day, we pedaled toward our campsite. We found a spot along the river, set up our tents, showered, and changed before planning to head into town for dinner. As we were about to hop back on the bikes, Garrett asked our host if he had any food recommendations. He said, “Five minutes,” and took off on his motorbike.

We had no idea what that meant, but five minutes later he returned with a sidecar for us to ride in. I was beyond grateful that my legs didn’t have to walk or bike another step! I also hadn’t been in a sidecar yet and was excited for a new adventure.

He drove us about ten minutes away to yet another feast. We ordered three dishes and waited anxiously. I didn’t even get a photo of the first plate because we devoured it immediately. We laughed about it, calling it our pad kra pao appetizer. This dish is particularly funny because early in the trip it was offered to us at four different restaurants, four times in a row. Luckily, it’s delicious! Rice, pork, basil, spice, and a fried egg on top, what more could you want. Big fan.

We followed that with pad see ew and tom yum soup, proud of the diverse feast we put together. The spice level was perfect that day, too. People never believe us when we say we like spicy food, but this time they listened. While we ate, we chatted with the staff and laughed about how wild it is that we’re biking through Thailand. Don’t I know it.

Our host drove us back to camp, lit a fire, and we spent the evening relaxing before calling it a night. The kittens at this site were particularly friendly.

All in all, a very typical day. Most days look like this, and for that, I’m incredibly thankful.