2 wheels and an engine

In the morning, start off and cruise along 1265 Sbd,  towards Khun Khan National Park, then on 1284 to Doi Ithanon. From Doi Ithanon, head west on 1192 to Mae Chaem where we will stay for the night.

Curves, corners & jungles were the order of the day. Some spots were a little damp. While whizzing along on Doi Ithanong, I throttled a little too soon while powering out of a corner. The rear tyre slipped and I could feel the front slipping, too. The bike’s ‘traction control’ kicked in plus a good kick from my right to the tarmac save the day. Phew. That was too close for comfort.

Along the way, we also stopped by a hot spring and boil some eggs, just to take a break.

It was inevitable. The rain will catch us somewhere along this route of about 220km. After passing through Doi Ithanon, it finally caught up. Not a big deal though. Just a mini drenching. We stopped to eat somewhere quite close to the hotel. Waited a little for the rain to ease, don our wet weather gear and away we go.

Chatting with chef at next location about dinner & cultural dance performance.

The hotel is in the village. It is more a homestay then a hotel. However, it was good enough. The owner is a gay young man who is also a chef. He has cooked in international 5-star hotels before settling here. During a stop while on the way here, he chatted with KM7 over the phone and ask if we have any special request for dinner. Otherwise he will prepare a Thai dinner with the use of spices and condiments adjusted to suit our taste buds. Spoken like a pro. He also ask if we are interested to include a Thai Cultural Dance into our dinner programme. I voted ‘yea’ and unfortunately, there was also a ‘nay’. So no cultural dance during dinner. Later, it was explained to us what it takes to do a performance. There will be four performers. School children. Who will have to start preparing at 2pm to be able to perform at 7pm. They need to have their hair done to accommodate their headgear. There will be elaborate make-up, jewellery, long nails fitted, be squeezed into costumes and probably their parents have to bring them here. A cultural thing the locals appreciate. A performance especially for us as we dine. A reason why we left the beaten track, and a chance to pay back to the villagers. For only a couple thousand Baht divided by seven of us, and we missed it. I know nothing about Thai cultural dance. But I am open to new experience, new knowledge. Maybe by watching with a knowledgeable host, we may learn about their culture a little more, a culture that is far older than ours? We are all 3^rd World in our attitude & thinking. Sad.

Anyway, chef didn’t let us down. Dinner was served on a low table as is the custom here. We sat on the mat around the table. When the food was brought out, he sat with his legs folded under him, Thai style, and took pains to explain each dish. He was very proud of his cooking. And yes, the use of spices and condiments were delightfully balanced and dinner was exquisite.

Cookie Monster is recovering from whatever was bothering him. The rest of us are ok, except for Bongee, who since Day 1 has been coughing all over our mookata. But he too is recovering.

Its pretty remote where we are. So eat. Sleep. Ride.

Good food = Good sleep = Dreamwalking = Jaydreaming

December First, Twenty Twenty-Two at Mae Chaem

Dec. 2^nd– From Singapore to Mae Hon Son, via expressways, mountains & valleys. It is 14 days since I left Singapore. The days flew past as quickly as the miles we left behind.

A hearty breakfast before we hit the road again. Our gay chef/owner wave us off, saving the last look and a smile for Insane Rider. Tsk Tsk.

Today, we head north on 1088 which runs adjacent to our passage of yesterday when we came south through Doi Ithanon, 15km to our right. Once again, we were in the mountains. As the day wore on, we begin to see more groups of bikers. Taking advantage of the good weather at the start of the weekend.

We branched off to 1263 and head west to visit Doi Mae U kho where wild sunflowers bloom. Then head north for the town of Mae Hong Son.

Our chosen route to Mae Hon Son today is different from those I took on previous trips. Instead of approaching from Tak in the south or Chiang Mai in the north, we are approaching from the east, then pushing north. It’s quite interesting. We got some pretty amazing sights along the way as well. Most of all is the condition of the road. While the route is still twisty and sharp, the tarmac was in excellent condition, offering better grips. It has improved so much. I can hardly believe it. Not only in parts but overall. It’s really nice.

Checked into hotel at Mueang Mae Hong Son after lunch. It is situated near the town park. Simple and cheap food and drinks available around the park. We usually look for a restaurant nearby for dinner like last night at Ban Rai Jai, or at Wang Put Tan, and several other places. But for convenience, street food along Walking Street is the way to go. Plus you can see some colours and lights and shop for souvenirs if you so wish.

Apart from The Imperial Mae Hon Song, the Park and another hotel near the roundabout, everything has change or grown and become almost unrecognisable.

The temperature was in the low 20’s in the evening. And it wasn’t humid. Strolling around in the Park was quite pleasant. Spotted some ‘1864 Curves’ tees (referring to the corners in Mae Hong Son Loop) for sale at some stalls but did not buy any. I am past collecting tees already. I have enough unworn motorcycle tees in my cupboard to last my lifetime. And on a trip like this, you don’t want to be carrying more then what’s necessary. Baggage space and weight take precedence over impulsive shopping. While deciding on dinner, came across a ‘pizza’ hawker. So far, have not seen a ‘pizza’ stall in any of the other Walking Street. So got a couple of Hawaiians, just to break the Tom Yam monopoly.

Looking forward to Ban Rak Thai  tomorrow.

jaywalker-on-wheels, rolling & rocking in MHS, 2 Dec. ’22

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.

From Chai Nat, went on 341, and about 200km later,arrived at Nakhon Pathom. This would be the last night of the trip for the Dynamic Duo of Cookie Monster & Insane Rider.

With time in our hands, we played tourist and visited the Mahasawat Canal for some sight-seeing. Agro-Tour and Eco-Tour is becoming more mainstream nowadays. We hopped onto a couple of long tails and was ferried along to different parts of the canal banks. Many Orchids and hybrids are bred here, and also other plants and flowers. Including Cannabis. Other parts of the canal have Lotus farm. And fishes in abundance. Throw some bread (can purchase from the stalls) into the canal and you see big fish swarming in close to the banks, feeding frenziedly. Amazing.

Done with the eco-agro-tour thing, it’s time for dinner at the huge night market near the famous Phra Pathom Chedi. Chedi is a stupa. This chedi is huge and is the dominant structure of this area. That is always something going on around the chedi. There are all sorts of local food and delicacy in this market. But it is a little pricey. And to be honest, I have tasted better food at other Walking Streets.

But no problem. We ordered and sample different food. We are playing tourists, remember? And then back to the hotel 30km away.

Tommorrow, we head for Nakhon Pathom

Jaywalker at Phra Pathom Chedi, Dec. 6th 2022

Bike has got new fluids and gone through a round of cleaning. Needs another deep-clean though. Travelling equipment washed, sunned, and stored. Journal for the trip posted and copies filed. There are 19 posts, including this, in all. However, I am sure that there are moments overlooked, simply because there are so many of them and because I lack the words (and the memory). This journal will hopefully invoke some good memories if my friends on this ride chance upon them in future.

It was amazing. I only wanted to ride Nan, but got many times more. First was Phu Thap Boek, then all the mountain & border roads between Laos & Thailand, to Nan, followed by more mountains, then Mae Hon Son and Thai/Myanmar border. And the corners; every conceivable type were there. Easily, a few thousand corners in this trip. I have never been through so much corners in one trip. And this is while on the main roads. The other ‘roads’, once you turn left or right off the main route, are, mildly-put, alarming, and require a certain level of confidence & bike handling.

EXTRACT FROM AN EARLIER POST:-

“Ever since Phu Thap Boek, access to nearly every hotel we check into was a challenge apart. The toughest (for me) was at Phu Thap Boek. Leading to that hotel was a narrow and uneven track, gravelly and slippery with a 20° incline. I nearly tipped over the edge while riding up, which would mean a 10’ drop down the side. I notice that while the main routes between provinces, cities & towns are excellent, the connection between rural places to the main route can be “anything”. Once you leave the main route, you can be riding on asphalt, concrete, packed earth, gravel, sand, plantation tracks, loose aggregates, or a mixture of all that. I am guessing that the Authority provides and maintains the main connections while the individual rural places or villages sort out their own links to join the route. So the small places off the beaten track, like the places we visited, wouldn’t spend too much on costly asphalt which would require maintenance (money), and anyway, their commutes are usually rough & tough commercial vehicles and scoots like Honda Cub. They are not bothered by the lack of asphalt.”

So once we leave the main route, which is often, searching for the border lines, or hunting for POIs or checkpoints, or simply getting to the hotels, we are never sure what’s going to be under our tyres.

Despite all that, we were never unduly stressed. Even though we were checking out of a different hotel each morning, we never had that “Wish I don’t have to ride today” kind of feeling. For most days of the ride, we arrived at the next hotel with plenty of daylight left. Once or twice, as early as lunchtime. That gave us lots of time to ride around and visit POIs, or explore the area on foot, or start ‘Happy Hour’ early. Each morning, we would be refreshed and ready and in high anticipation for the day’s ride. We would be alert and ready once we mount, because departing the hotel is as challenging as arriving. It can be sliding down a gravel path on a slope or uneven earthen tracks with puddles and stones. Complacency could potentially spoil your day’s ride or worse still, end your entire trip. Not to mention the inconvenience cause to the others. All these came down to careful planning, and not by chance. Kudos to KM7, the Accidental Champion.

In all, we had a great ride and enjoyed the camaraderie. It was crazy and tough for me. I am on a road bike with panniers, that double as crash bar when (not if) I tipped over (LOL). The Dynamic Duo of Insane Rider and Cookie Monster were always there to help when I ran into ‘situations’. The best riding buddies ever. And KM7, who never fail to get us out of trouble, which he got us into in the first place. The planning was exceptional. 22 days on the bike for me cos I started and end in Singapore. When asked if we would do it again, everyone said yes. I would too, but differently. I would like to spend more then one night at some of the stopovers. There are some places which are definitely worth more time.

As a parting shot, KM7 threw me a curve ball. He asked, “What have you learned from this trip?” I was tongue-tied. “I learn that don’t have to be perfect”, he declared. Hmm. Profound. He must’ve been smoking.

So to the people on this ride, please don’t hold offence to my bluntness and inaccuracies in the posts. Like KM7 said, “Don’t have to be perfect”.

But I did learned something, though. On the last day at Hadyai while collecting the key card during check-in, the chubby, smiling receptionist wish me  ‘Sawadee ka’ and a ‘wai’. I instinctively & naturally responded likewise and answered, ‘Krap’. As I turned and walk away, I suddenly realised that all my past pathetic attempts to learn Thai has come to this; I’ve uttered my first Thai word without any effort! Natural like, you know. And with a ‘wai’, too. Unlike when asking for the toilet in a restaurant which usually begins with “Eh! Uhh, hello. Uhh..Where is the ……?” It only took me nearly 3 decades of visits to this country to learn and respond naturally to this simple phrase.

So to the Land of Smiles; “Kob kun krab”.

Jaywalker, in SG, 21 Jan 2023.