Indochina(Thailand) - Post No 26: Happy New Year!

31 December 2010

It's been an amazing year and full of changes and adventure, in fact I'm still on my Indochina adventure.  We had a close encounter with a couple of creatures on this ride that just made this adventure all the more better. There's been rumours of such creatures in the jungles of Thailand, but it didn't cross our minds when we went for our ride that we would cross paths with not one, but two of them.

The day started normally as we planned a day ride doing the Wiang Haen loop from Chiang Mai. It's a 370km day ride with a 40km dirt road section through the mountains.

As we were going through a quieter section of the mountains roads that we saw them. They came out from the bushes and seemed to be curious about us and the bikes. It was nothing like we've ever seen before. They made all these strange yet hypnotic moves that we couldn't figure out. It's obvious that they were trying to communicate but what? what? are you trying to say?

Since we're not sure of their intentions, we decided to make a run for it, even crossing a stream hoping that they would lose our scent.

We thought we were safe and unwisely stopped to admire the view, for it is an awesome view. 

That's when we saw one of the creatures again. Damnit! they found us.....it's sense of smell must be more keen than I thought.

This is when Husref made the mistake of annoying one of them. Through the powers of magic and optical illusion, he was shrunk into a little man and was about to be thrown off the mountain.

A quick offer of Gatorade and potato chips placated them as they seem to be locked in a discussion, while we waited with baited breath. At this point we realised that they mean us no harm, and was just trying to tell us something.

After a while, then we realised why these creatures had followed us. It's the bikes that they're really interested in.....ahhh....no wonder. We thought there'd be no harm in letting them try our bikes, as that option is infinitely better than being eaten alive. 

and enjoyed it they did.....and they just disappeared afters. But not before they wished:

"Happy New Year Everyone!!"

Happy New Year everyone

Mus

Hey everyone, Mus here. Just wanna say at the start of 2010, never thought that I'd be on a motorcycling adventure through Indochina having gone to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma, celebrating 2011 along the way. Some say what you do on new years eve will determine the rest of the year, well bollocks to that! I say you determine the rest of the year.

So wishing everyone a great start to the year. Be healthy and happy and don't sweat the small stuff.

I'm missing my friends and family back home and hope to see you guys soon.

Husref

Firstly I would like to thank Mustakim for giving me the opportunity to say a few words on his blog and for being an excellent company on this biking adventure.  To everyone, Happy New Year 2011and may all your dreams come true for the new year. Happy Days from me always!!

Indochina(Thailand) - Post No 25: Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai 306km

28 December 2010

As the year draws to a close, we made our way to Chiang Mai. I took a different route compared to the last time I went to CM. Now on this route that we took we passed by a restaurant and resort called Cabbages and Condoms. What?! you may say....well you heard me right. Cabbages......aaaannd Condoms. It's ironic that I did manage to catch a documentary about this place some time back and here we are at the place.

It's new years eve tomorrow and I'm preparing a special blog posting to usher in the year. We still don't know whether we'll be in CM or Pai or even Mae Hong Son tomorrow, regardless I'll still post it. It'll be a cracker, trust me on this.

Fuel Consumption

35. OTW to Chiang Mai on highway 118, 245km 200baht 5.7liters

36. Chiang Mai 144.8km 410baht 11.69liters

Indochina(Thailand) - Post No 24: Mae Sai to Chiang Rai 160km

26 December 2010

It was a short ride to Chiang Rai, though definitely not an easy one as we took the route that goes through Doi Tung and Mae Salong. It was the 1149 that runs along the border with Burma. There's a Thai military checkpoint that also provides an excellent viewpoint to gaze at the endless layers of Burmese mountain.

Checkpoints

It is a proper bunker, if you're wondering.

Then we proceeded to Mae Salong a tourist town that's famous for it's Chinese presence. There's plenty of Chinese Tea shops that you can try out. We had our lunch at a Chinese Muslim restaurant and coffee afters at another place. You sit on the balcony with a cuppa and just enjoy the view.

That's Chiang Rai down there

I can do this all day......

I was taking a pic of the cake........honest!

In Chiang Rai, I wanted to check out the White Temple, something that I missed the last time I was here. Now this is a new temple and unlike the rest over here, it's white. The artist who's building it didn't want to paint it gold as he says it signifies greed. Guess what was painted gold at this place?.......the toilets...haha. Though there's just some things that I don't quite understand, esp the Predator coming out of the ground. I'm like....dude...WTF?

white girl, white dress, white temple

By this time I have done close to 9000km since leaving Malaysia and I must say I'm enjoying the corners a bit too much here. Just check out the side by side of my tires, brand new vs now to see what I mean.

smoothen the edges as well.....

I'll just end this post with a very graceful shot.

As graceful as a hippo in full flight.

Indochina(Thailand) - Post No 23: Mae Sai (The Great Escape)

25 December 2010

I had inadvertently pulled a great escape in Mae Sai.....phew!. We had crossed into Burma, to Tachilek the border town for a look see and made our way back and at Passport Control in Thailand the immigration guy said "you have 15 days", which means until the 8th of January. Now I thought I'm being shortchanged cause with a visa of 30 days from Chiang Khong that would mean I only need to leave on the 12th of January. Now what I didn't realise was that when I came in through Chiang Khong, I was given a 15 day visa as well, which means I needed to leave on the 26th of December. So the decision to cross over to Tachilek saved me from penalty for overstaying....so ya....phew indeed!

Anyways, back to the Mae Sai and Tachilek, it's actually a pretty busy town I must say with markets galore on both sides of the town, but typical with most markets, you'll find the stuff sold repetitive. There'll be like 10 stalls selling the same T'shirts, scarves or trinkets. 

You can also start to see the different faces of the Burmese people, and I find it amazing how in just 200  metres they immediately look and sound different. Faces are darker, harsh which is a total contrast to Thailand. Then again there are so many tribes here, I could be confusing one with the other and grouping them all in instead.

The immigration office is an experience on it's own. I wouldn't be surprised if it actually doubles up as an interrogation and torture room. "Who sent you!.....who sent you!".....whack! there goes a knuckle. Pretty intimidating stuff I'm telling ya.

Yes....you're looking at the Burmese immigration office....hmmm different I must say

On the Thai side you can walk through the market without being hassled, but in Tachilek you have all sorts coming to you and generally being very pushy, cigarette sellers, tour operators, touts, the guy who can get you anything "you want boom boom, very nice?".....

5 star in Malaysia you say? Pah!...we laugh at your 5 stars

So with Burma, that makes 5 countries stamped on my passport on this trip. It's be nice if we had been able to cross with the bike though.

By the way, Mae Sai is also where Highway 1 ends, the main highway that I've been pretty successful in avoiding on my trip, not that there's anything wrong with it, just wanted to use the back roads as much as possible. It's about 900km to Bangkok if not mistaken and in a bus it equates to a backbreaking 13 hours ride.....same as you taking a flight from KL to London.

everybody takes a pic here.....so why not?

The end of Highway 1

Going around Mae Sai, you'll find Muslim food is easily available, with restaurants and stalls selling it. Ironically, there was once we went to a Muslim restaurant and I ordered noodles with seafood.....doh! haha.

Beef noodle this time.

I'll be back!

We're off to Chiang Rai after this, and then to Chiang Mai, we've still not figured out where we'll be for New Years, which is actually half the fun.