Our plan was to head to Kanchanaburi today, but while reassembling the bikes yesterday at the airport, I recalled all the maintenance I had been putting off. I decided that today was the day to get the work done. We were way overdue for an oil change, since we'd covered nearly 4,000 miles since our last one in Ooty. I also wanted to check/adjust the valves since we hadn't done that since Malawi (over 6,000 miles ago). Re had also mentioned that her chain was making noise on the ride to Kathmandu. So all this needed to be done today.

After we got up and had breakfast, the first task was to actually wash India off the bikes, particularly the engines, to give me a clean work surface. I had spied a hose out front that the hotel staff used each morning to wash their shuttle vans. While Re asked if we could use it to wash our bikes, I walked to the Tesco and bought what I assume was a toilet brush with which to remove the caked on dirt. The mud that had solidified on the bottom of the bikes so thickly covered the cylinder heads that you couldn't actually see the bolts that secure the valve adjustment ports. When I returned, Re told me we could use the hose, so I wheeled the bikes around while Re got a rag and the soap we bought in Zimbabwe. Re got busy washing the bikes while I reviewed the valve adjustment procedures in the shop manual. Re finished washing duties around 11:00 am, so we left them in the sun to dry. Since we had a little time before lunch, Re made use of the washing machines in the hotel and washed our Dariens. With clean gear and bikes, we should be free of the India poop-mud.

Then we went out in search of some lunch. A few blocks down the street, we found a soup vendor who was doing a booming business with the locals. We weren't really sure what kind of meat was in the soup, but we ordered two bowls of it anyway. When it arrived, it had the familiar look of some soups we've eaten before, with some pale meatballs that have the texture I imagine a Superball would have, some sliced, pressed meat, some minced meat, and a stuffed wonton. All the meat tasted vaguely fishy, and I still don't know what it was, but it was good and at 75 cents a bowl, it was budget-friendly to boot.

After lunch, we got out the tarp and the tools and got to work. We started with an oil change for my bike. With Re's assistance, we soon had the oil changed, the filter screen cleaned, and everything bolted back together. Because of the Symbas' nearly horizontal motor configuration, it's less messy to adjust the valves while the engine is drained of oil. Before refilling the bike with 800ccs of the semi-synthetic motorcycle oil I purchased at the gas station, I checked the valves. Both the intake and the exhaust on my bike were an RCH tight, but still within spec. Since I was already in there, I reset them. With all the covers back on, we filled the bike up with oil and reinstalled the leg shields. Then we started work on Re's bike, where the first order of business was to investigate the source of the chain noise. Re's chain case was mangled pretty severely when the bolt backed out of the rear hub outside of Windhoek, Namibia, and it occasionally needs a little “adjustment” with the hammer to keep it from rubbing. I assumed this was the case again, but when I removed the chain case, I saw that her sprocket was wobbling again. The ****ing bolts that I had Loc-tited in place in Windhoek had come loose again. We removed the rear wheel, and two of the four nuts that hold the sprocket to the hub fell out onto the ground. Son of a bitch. We removed the hub, the staked washers, and the other two remaining bolts (which were also loose), pounded the washers flat, and then reassembled everything using lots more blue Loc-tite. We then reinstalled the hub, the rear wheel, and adjusted the chain, before reinstalling the chain case and assorted other ancillaries. With Re's rear end now sorted out, we got to work on the oil change and valve adjustment. No drama here. Re's intake valve was also an RCH tight, but her exhaust valve was spot on. After buttoning everything back up and refilling her bike with oil, we pronounced the bikes good and cleaned up our work area. By now it was nearly 5:00 pm, and we were filthy, soaked with sweat, and starving.

We had our showers, and after a bit, headed back to the market to find some dinner. Having had soup of some variety for one meal each day since we arrived, we decided to branch out a little this evening. In addition to having food stands with seating areas, many vendors in the market sell food for takeaway. We decided to go that route this evening, so while I ran back to the room and grabbed our bowls and forks, Re bought us some rice and some of the most delicious pork I have ever eaten. Pork: it's the meat of kings. Re and I arranged to meet at the picnic tables in front of our hotel, but Re hadn't returned yet, so I ran over to the 7Eleven for some soda waters. I met her at the picnic tables, and she produced what was perhaps the most beautiful sight in the world. In addition to the sliced, grilled pork, she had two pork "lollipops." Imagine, if you will, a 1/4” thick piece of pork approximately 2.5” x 4” threaded on a wooden skewer. It was marinated in a sweet sauce, so once it was grilled, the sauce caramelized to make a slightly crunchy and sweet coating. The price for such deliciousness? About 30 cents each. Yum! After eating our lollipops, we dug into even more delicious grilled pork and rice and a really good salad. Apparently, we weren't the only ones salivating over the smell of the pork, as we were soon joined by a rather pregnant cat circling our feet. My mom taught me it was good to share with the less fortunate, so we happily dropped some bits of meat on the ground for our new best friend. After dinner, we waddled back up to the room and spent the rest of the evening repacking our bags, because tomorrow, we ride to Kanchanaburi.