(12) MHS-Ban Rak Thai to Mae Sariang

Ban Rak Thai is such a beautiful place. The town is built around a lake. There are no ugly skyscrapers. The handful of newer & taller buildings like hotels that are nestled on the mountainside are only few storeys high. Surrounded by tea terraces, they are tastefully design in Chinese architecture style that blends with the dwellings in the village below. The small main street (2-way) that runs through town are line by shops, tea houses, restaurants, and what-have-you. The taller and newer hotels and the houses in that vicinity are thoughtfully positioned among the tea plantation, with green foliage rising to the summit of the mountain in the background. The same Chinese architecture styles, narrow roof peaks that spread out and down to curve eaves, walls of an earthy tone, splashes of colour, seasoned wooden doors, and lanterns red breaking the monotony. It’s visually very pleasing. From virtually anywhere along the main street, you can see this picturesque view. It has the same aura of Mae Salong & Mae Sariang, which also houses large population of Chinese settlers, and tribes. Well not exactly settlers because the present inhabitants are the 3^rd or 4^th generation already. Picture this; get a hi-res cam, photograph/video these towns, dwellings, shops and other places, run them through a quality rendering/animation software, and you would end up with scenes of villages like those in Kung-Fu Panda movies. Especially Ban Rak Thai. It is like time has forgotten them while Mainland China got caught up in the rat race and made themselves modern, and grouchy, and in the name of progress, loses all these charms. In real-time and real-life, these places are so dreamlike, not only because it looks good but also the weather and the People. Good-natured people. I know because I understood their Mandarin and the expressions they use and their mannerism. I would like to spend a little more time here, and learn, and simply because it’s so awesomely beautiful. Amazing Thailand.

Later in the day, we stopped for coffee break at Herntai before getting into Mae Sariang. While checking into the hotel at Mae Sariang, we met a group of travellers from BKK. They are in a convoy. And get this; a convoy of seven prop-driven aeroplanes! We started chatting as a pair of them also own motorcycles. They flew about 350km a day as a self-impose limit, and have been touring the North for about a week. They shall be returning to BKK in a day or two. Like us, they are off the beaten track. There are many small airfields in Thailand so landing and refuelling isn’t a problem. Landing fees is only 200Bhat/plane! Way to go. During the conversation, I was asked if I play any sport. I nodded and said ‘Squash’ and he said he does, or did, too. He was playing competitively while studying in UK. And so, phone numbers was exchange and the plan is for my squash buddies to visit and play a friendly at Royal Bangkok Sports Club next year. Mine oh mine. You get so many cool surprises when your stars are align.

The hotel is run by a ‘brother & sister’ team. Brother is a biker and kept his Triumph Bonny, a Harley Dyna and a Vespa in an enclosure partitioned off a larger building opposite the hotel. It has a glass front wall. Nice. Just big enough for three bikes. Like a showroom.

Friends. Dinner. Beer. Smoke. Sleep. Dream. Ride.