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 19: Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai 260km

14 December 2010

I really wished I could have stayed another day at Chiang Rai, especially since I found this really nice budget hotel. You may laugh at the name "Moon and Sun City Hotel" but trust me on this one, it's really good value for money. I literally begged them for another night but they were full. I did'nt feel like packing my stuff just to move to another hotel and go through the unpacking again, hence why I made my way to Chiang Mai.

covered parking as well

I have no intention of taking the highway, so off to the trunk roads we go again as I head up to Mae Chan and took route 1089 to Mae Ai. Beautiful roads with little traffic. 

Now you're gonna think this may be a recurring theme but I'm just grateful to run into very helpful people, cause you see as I came into a small town called ThaTon I thought it looked like a good place for a lunch break. As I stop in front of a cafe, a big Englishman came to check the bike out.

Checking it out

His name is Chris and we struck a conversation and talking about the roads and routes, the next thing I know he tells me he's gonna go back home to take the maps to show me. Comes back with the GT-Rider maps, while he tells me the routes I should take and those to avoid, and a lot of valuable tips. Not only that, he also gives me the maps for free. Also ask if I have everything I need for the bike, and if I'm coming again this way, I'm welcomed to stay over at his place for free.

having a laugh

I've always been a fan of British wit and it's funny as he relates when he went home to get the maps he told his wife about me and she wanted to come and meet me as well. He tells her "no, no, he too handsome, you stay home" haha.

The owner of the cafe also just gets on the bike and leaves the place for a good hour as I chatted with Chris, he says she knows he's around so it's ok. Definitely a cool laidback small town by the river.

GT-Rider maps

Chris

Armed with local knowledge I took the road heading to Chiang Do and took a loop up Doi Ang Khang. Now only after I did it was I told Doi Ang Khang is one of the steepest mountain roads in Thailand. I can definitely attest to that, having ridden it, going up I had to use a lot of 1st gear and coming down a lot of prayer as I prayed hard that my brakes don't fail. It was like "please fluid don't boil, don't boil, don't boil" cause I'm jamming on it so hard.

awesome view to the right

Steep climb

From Chiang Do, I joined route 107 that takes me to Chiang Mai just as night falls (again another recurring theme...hehe). This time gonna take a few days off as I sort out the bike and laundry....god knows I'm in dire need of clean clothes by now.

Fuel Consumption

1. Chiang Rai 199.1km 285baht 8.216liter

Indochina(Thailand) - Post No 18: Chiang Khong to Chiang Rai 190km

13 December 2010

We are in Thailand......alrite! I had lamented the decision to cross last night especially with the "extras" that I had to fork out,  I'm glad I did. I spent the night at Green Inn and honestly, for 500baht I believe you cannot do better. It helped that they've only been open for 10days, so everything is brand new. 

I was gonna take my time to go to Chiang Rai as it's only less than 2 hours and thought, just chill out, have a nice relaxed breakfast, and this is why I'm glad I did. I met some people who gave me advise on different routes to take, first it was Tim who showed me on the GT-Rider map. Then David and Mai met me as I came back to the hotel. David was brilliant, just comes up to me and ask "you got everything you need?"

We then went for coffee as we exchanged stories of riding in these parts of the world, and they gave me some good riding tips. David even phoned up the mechanic in BMW Chiang Mai to expect me as I will need to sort out a couple of issues when I'm there. He also tells me to take the back roads that hugs the border and flanked by the Mekong and going up into the mountains. You guys are so helpful and just lovely. Thanks!

David and Mai = Awesome!

The route will take me up to Chiang Saen, Mae Sai, Doi Thung (Doi means mountain) as I make a big loop to head to Chiang Rai. Good thing I left at 12pm as 30minutes from Chiang Khong on the old road to Chiang Saen is this resort/restaurant that overlooks the Mekong and Laos that's just so serene. You're also surrounded by a well organised vegetable garden. I get to sit on the Thai side and enjoy looking at Laos across the river.

Mekong separating the countries

It's hard work ok....hehe

I continue to hug the border as I made my way to Golden Triangle and Mae Sai, the border between Thailand and Burma. I passed the opium museum and asked at information can I smoke some here, as that'd be the only reason why I would stop there....obviously the answer was no...welll i tried...haha.

I was surprised with the size of Mae Sai, especially since I came from Chiang Khong. It really is a big town. It didn't really interest me to cross over to Burma, so I skipped that and continued to Doi Thung, and it was a difficult one I must say, from flat ground, suddenly I'm staring at a steep incline. It's just straight up with many 1st gear hairpins, but the view was oh so worth it. You look at the valley below you on the left and the mountain ranges of Burma on your right, ahh all I can say the view is beyond belief. You also come across these military checkpoints but they didn't hassle me at all, most they asked was where I was headed to.

Burma in the background

The pictures really doesn't do justice as this is something you gotta see in person. If I could bottle this and sell it, I'd make millions. I made it to Chiang Rai just as night falls so in the end it worked out well for me.

Fuel Consumption

1. Chiang Khong 198km 300baht 8.68liters