Beautiful Northern Mountains

Crossing back into Thailand for exploration of the mountainous Northern region of Thailand was easy, and cheaper than it should have been. Arriving at the Laos border town of Huay Xai I was unsure if I would be able to ride my motorcycle over the Friendship Bridge and across the Mekong River to the Thai town of Chiang Khong. Motorcycles are not allowed to ride across the series of bridges separating Laos, Cambodia and Thailand territories but at their discretion officials provide a police car escort to foreign bikes, at a price. After discussing options with the official, the good news was I would be able to cross with an escort, the bad news was it would cost me $35.00 for the privilege. After checking I had sufficient money and agreeing to pay, I followed the escort vehicle to the Thai border Immigration booth to complete the official paperwork for my self and my motorcycle. Documentation completed, a visa on arrival in my passport, I was ready to ride on, but my Laos escort driver was no where to be seen and he had not collected his $35.00. Several minutes passed, I became impatient and began to ride off, thinking if he saw me he could wave me down, he did not appear, I got well down the road out of sight and thought it must be my lucky day, I just saved $35.00, what a good start to Northern Thailand.

I then made my way to Chiang Rai for an overnight stay, before riding on to Chiang Mai the following day for a four (4) night stay. During my time in Chiang Mai I meet Steve a British expat living his dream life in Thailand, teaching maths part time and riding his motorcycle to various parts of the county or beyond when ever he can. I got the business out of the way when I purchased a new front and rear tyre for my motorcycle then walked the streets at leisure, taking in the sights.

 

I then spent a morning flying through a nearby forest on a series of thirty four (34) zip lines (flying foxes) suspended high in the tree tops and abseiled from three (3) tree tops to ground level.

My highlight in Chiang Mai was a morning at Tiger Kingdom up close and personal with four (4) large and six (6) smaller sized cats, they are certainly one of this planets most beautiful creatures, what more can I say.

 

Rested up and keen to get moving again I leave Chiang Mai and head South for the cool clean mountain air of Doi Inthanon, atop 2,565 metres the temperature plunges to a refreshing 17 degrees. At the summit I met (R - L)) Udo, Patric and Theo from the Black Forest region of Germany and Mario from The Netherlands, four (4) bikers whom hired 650 cc twin cylinder motorcycle and were touring Thailand, we discuss  travel, bikes, work and home life while drinking coffee at Thailand's highest peak.

Back at the base of the mountain I head West and settle into what would be days of twisty mountain roads riding through Northern Thailand. On this day I was on the way to an overnight stay in Mae Sariang. The week was all about enjoying the ride, the scenery and the fresh mountain air.

I then turned North and continued on to Mae Hong Son for a two night stop over, spending the days visiting local temples and Ban Nah Phlang Din, a nearby Long Neck Karen hill tribe.

 

 

 

The next destination was the hippie hangout of Pai, a very touristy little town with numerous restaurants, guest houses, hotels and where I spot two delightfully crafted timber homes, one recently finished and the other being constructed in a similar style, while nearby a fascinating bamboo framed, plastic and foil roofed structure stood out as being particularly unusual.

 

 

After leaving Pai I rode to  the mountain town of Mae Salong, situated on a ridge line at 2,200 metres, the fresh, crisp, cool mountain air provided a good base for a fantastic three (3) days spent visiting nearby hill tribe villages and towns in the Northern most region of Thailand. It was also very pleasant to experience those days with Andrea, an American contract nurse who spends her free time travelling the world. Being fairly new to motorcycling, the little noises coming from my pillion behind me while negotiating some of the most twisty, steep mountain roads I have ever ridden was understandable. Visiting hill tribes was a great experience, both children and adults alike were as fascinated in us on a big motorcycle as we were in there lifestyle and the impossibly steep mountains where they live and grow crops. After one particularly long day in the saddle visiting Chiang Saen, the Opium Hall and Museum at Golden Triangle, the Thailand / Myanmar border town of Mai Sai, another steep and twisty road to Mae Fa Luang and then a dusk ride along more extremely steep and twisty roads back to Mae Salong, I did not think Andrea would back up for another day on the bike. Like a true trooper she did, riding pillion on more steep and narrow tracks this time on a lot of dirt and often through mud while visiting more hill tribe villages, those tracks would certainly have been even more difficult to ride had it rained during the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So three (3) days in Mae Salong just about drew the curtains on South East Asia for me, I ride several hours in the rain, mud and slush, enjoying every minute of it, crossing the Thai / Laos border via the Friendship Bridge once again, this time paying $16.00 for a Thai police car escort across to Laos and then ride to the town of Luang Nam Tha for a two night stay preparing myself for another new country. As mention in previous blog posts I have changed my original travel plan and early tomorrow morning the new plan begins to take shape as I ride to Northern Laos for what should be an interesting ride and a fascinating experience as I spend the next thirty (30) days or so in China.