What to do when you don't pedal

In my last blog post, I wrote about "pedal power" in Thailand - the use of bicycle-powered rickshaws to get around the city.

I did a quick trip myself in Chiang Mai. Really enjoyed it.

But while I like cycling when someone else is pedalling, I'm not a huge cyclist myself. In fact, I've cycled once since 2002.

Like I tell people, "I'm a paddler - not a pedaller."

So when flooding in southern Thailand scuttled the planned elephant back ride as well as a canoe trip down a river, trip organizers scrambled to find a new itinerary.

The one they came up with involved mountain biking.

Like I said, I'm a canoehead - not a gearhead. So I opted out of Friday afternoon's biking excursion.

Instead, I went to the Sankhampang Hot Springs to sweat by soaking rather than spoking.

The source of the springs is a pair of geysers, spouting red hot water in a nice park setting. But you don't dare soak in those, as they're hot enough to boil eggs in (which people actually do, I'm told).

You can  sit along a rail and soak your feet in a small stream that leads out of the hot springs basin. Or, you can go sit in a private tub that has "hot" and "hotter" faucets coming directly from the mineral pool.

If you're me, first you stop at the massage facility located in the park and get a Thai massage or foot massage. Then you go soak your bod.

It's hard to say which one is more relaxing and beneficial. It may require additional study on my part over the next several days. But I think I'm up to it.

Besides, I owe my readers - I'm sure they're dying to know ....