Settling at the training camp

Flight VA023 left with little delay. The 8 h 45 min flight gave us the chance to watch a few movies we missed this year (Crazy Heart is a must if you haven't seen it but the new Robin Hood should be missed) and we arrived at our destination in the middle of a warm and humid afternoon. I liked it straight away.

The trip from the airport to our accommodation, 45 km, gave us a good indication that riding on main roads at that time of the day should be avoided, although the roads looked pretty smooth and inviting. The main roads have wide shoulders but are reserved for bikes and motorbikes (scooters) and there are thousands of the later. I can imagine myself doing some serious motor-pacing in the next few days.

Did I mention climbing on my last post? Well, the DS chose a perfect hotel because from the small village of Kata to its gates, there is a 200 m climb at 12%, and it is not the only one around here. But there is more to this hotel, the view from our room (and every other room... and pool... and bar) is of the Andaman sea, and a hill...

Settling in wasn't difficult, the people around here are extremely friendly and welcoming. The bikes are ready, we can't wait for the first ride.