Tasks for the day: exchange some currency, rent a bike, see about insurance. All three are either accomplished or are under way! A good day.

I walked one of the streets and checked three currency exchanges / banks within a reasonable distance and picked the most favorable spot to do the exchange. Done. Now to walk down for the bike. Oh, another tip - when getting U.S. currency for a trip abroad - only accept bills that are in PERFECT condition. They need not be new - but no marks or rips. I've had several U.S. bills get rejected at currency exchanges due to these blemishes.

It's getting reasonably hot out and walking in jeans isn't a joy. On down and the bike is there. The workers are out washing the bikes - washing the tires even - so they at least give them some care. I found the gent from last evening and I read the contract while they photo copied my ID (passport). I would not be leaving the passport as a deposit on the bike - 5,000 Baht will be left ($135 US). I'll probably have to currency exchange this money back to US$ when I leave. I spent some time, before signing or paying, going over the bike. It is a reasonable machine - not perfect - but it seems to be in decent mechanical shape - with few cosmetic blemishes.

Ahhhh - to be back on wheels. Getting used to this machine will take a few miles but it's lightweight enough to handle at low speeds. Easily flat-footable for me. I will see about moving the rear brake lever down a bit - it's too high for my comfort. The left mirror needs to adjust. The clutch lever could use some lube - it squeeks and could be smoother (does not seem to be a cable issue). I'll do a double check of the cable at each end - but the initial glance did not see any fraying of the cable strands. The owner checked the oil and coolant while I was there. He was satisfied. I should do an oil change in 1000 or 1500 kilometers (I wonder how he figured I'd do that with a non-working speedo/odo as he hadn't seen the GPS as yet).

Getting used to the "drive on the left" traffic is perhaps a tad easier on a bike than in a car. On a bike the "driving position" is the same whereas in a car they are right hand drive. No foibles in my driving about today - some follow the crowd and some "remember to stay to the left". No goofs at intersections - though we'll see if I slip in the days to come. The only thing that catches me off guard is the occasional motorcycle driving against traffic. That makes me perk up and double-check that I'm driving on the correct side of the road.

I'll be staying in the hotel tonight and again tomorrow night. Tomorrow I'll see about lubing the bike a bit, making some adjustments, then heading out of the city, somewhere, for the day. Perhaps I'll follow the coast south a bit before heading back, maybe inland, to the hotel for one more stay. Then it'll be stowage of extra bags at the hotel (or maybe with the rental guy - he seemed genuine) and start the journey (and photos for you!).