Hello all!
After two months of traveling throughout Thailand, it is my last day in the country as I prepare to fly to Yangon, Myanmar this evening. Thailand has been a wonderful experience filled with memorable moments, wonderful people, and overall great times.
As I move to my second country, I expect and welcome a difference in culture, infrastructure, and experiences. Since Myanmar is still developing as a nation, I expect to post a lot fewer posts in the 3.5 weeks I travel here as blackouts are common and WiFi is horrendously slow. Hopefully I will at least be able to post pictures as those are easier to get online than the huge GoPro movie files.
My general plan is to avoid the beaches in the south of the country and move north from Yangon to the cooler temperatures of the more mountainous areas around and north of Mandalay. Over my time in Thailand I have found that I enjoy finding the more rural and off the beaten paths, so I plan to seek out these places for more authentic experiences.
While each year they are lessening, there are still many areas tourists are restricted from entering. While this is preventing me from traveling to the most eastern parts of the Himalayan mountains on the northern border, I plan on traveling up to the far north to where tourists rarely get to. I have heard Myanmar called, "Thailand 20-40 years ago", which excites me enormously, as I am itching to find myself lost in a remote area as the only westerner, which is much harder to find here in Thailand.
Later!
Friday, January 23, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Doi Luang Chiang Dao
Planning on leaving Pai on January 19th, I was sad to leave friends that I had grown quite close to, but also excited to experience new faces and places. This, I guess, is one common feeling that accompanies any solo traveler during his or her adventures. Planning on enjoying my last day in Pai, I was sidelined by a second food related illness, this time a different beast than the mere upchuck of two weeks earlier. Feeling odd after eating an vast assortment of foods in an attempt to replenish my skinny self after a long absence of food, I soon was plagued with an increasing fever and stomach pains. Throughout the day I lay in bed in a half dazed state, too weak to walk to town to get food, water, and medicine. Eventually after hours of torture, my awesome friend Yo came to my rescue by giving me a lift to town for food, water, and medicine, which almost immediately made my blood settle from bubbling to a more desirable temperature.
While again getting a sickness the day before I intended to travel, it did not stop me from hitchhiking out of Pai for the second time; this time more seamless than the first. Only thirty seconds after flashing the thumb along Route 1095 South, a small Honda stopped, where a Thai gentleman in military fatigues gladly took me in as he was traveling to Chiang Mai. Speaking enough English to have basic conversation, we spent most of the winding drive south listening to indistinguishable Thai radio, which was sprinkled with more common tunes, such as Jason Mraz's "I'm Your's".
Eventually I was dropped off in a town half way between Chiang Mai and my eventual destination of Chiang Dao, where I gave a very thankful, "Khap Khun Khrap!" and was off. Minutes later, I boarded a public bus and was in Chiang Dao, having spent 0 baht, saving myself about $6 in total if I were to have taken a minivan.
Chiang Dao is a town nestled next to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, which is a mountain that rises impressively out of the lower lying areas, towering in the clouds over the landscape with its green craggy peaks and valleys. Already having the intention of climbing the mountain, I immediately became invigorated for the climb I intended to do the next day, now that my sickness seemingly had left my system. Renting a motorbike to transport myself the 16K to the mountain the next day, I settled down in my 100 baht ($3) a night tent and called it an early night.
I awoke before the sunrise, in search for sustenance for my intended enormous calorie burn of a day. After filling my system with cereal (which I hadn't eaten since back home) I took off towards the looming mountain. Since I left so early, I whizzed past the empty NP ranger station, saving myself the typical foreigner entrance fee of 200 baht. Eventually finding the trail, I took off towards the summit carrying my now light as a feather pack, inside it only some warm clothes, camera, food, and water.
In typical Olp male fashion I hiked like a bat out of hell, showing no mercy as I blew past winded Thai men in ancient looking wooden external frame packs. Crushing the ascent in a little over two hours, I was stunned by the sheer beauty of the area. After sitting in the clouds on the cold summit for thirty minutes taking in the scenery, I descended more like a trail runner than a hiker. Having not filled my hiking appetite, and being that it was only 11:00 am when I returned close to the bottom, I took another trail, which meandered over low valleys to a NP ranger station. Though the hike was not saturated in the stunning beauty as the other trail, it was nonetheless a beautiful hike. It was not until the way back from the ranger station, that I started to fatigue--but only slightly. After just under seven hours since I parked my bike at the trailhead, I returned muddied, sweaty, and oh so satisfied with the day's adventure.
While again getting a sickness the day before I intended to travel, it did not stop me from hitchhiking out of Pai for the second time; this time more seamless than the first. Only thirty seconds after flashing the thumb along Route 1095 South, a small Honda stopped, where a Thai gentleman in military fatigues gladly took me in as he was traveling to Chiang Mai. Speaking enough English to have basic conversation, we spent most of the winding drive south listening to indistinguishable Thai radio, which was sprinkled with more common tunes, such as Jason Mraz's "I'm Your's".
Eventually I was dropped off in a town half way between Chiang Mai and my eventual destination of Chiang Dao, where I gave a very thankful, "Khap Khun Khrap!" and was off. Minutes later, I boarded a public bus and was in Chiang Dao, having spent 0 baht, saving myself about $6 in total if I were to have taken a minivan.
Chiang Dao is a town nestled next to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, which is a mountain that rises impressively out of the lower lying areas, towering in the clouds over the landscape with its green craggy peaks and valleys. Already having the intention of climbing the mountain, I immediately became invigorated for the climb I intended to do the next day, now that my sickness seemingly had left my system. Renting a motorbike to transport myself the 16K to the mountain the next day, I settled down in my 100 baht ($3) a night tent and called it an early night.
I awoke before the sunrise, in search for sustenance for my intended enormous calorie burn of a day. After filling my system with cereal (which I hadn't eaten since back home) I took off towards the looming mountain. Since I left so early, I whizzed past the empty NP ranger station, saving myself the typical foreigner entrance fee of 200 baht. Eventually finding the trail, I took off towards the summit carrying my now light as a feather pack, inside it only some warm clothes, camera, food, and water.
In typical Olp male fashion I hiked like a bat out of hell, showing no mercy as I blew past winded Thai men in ancient looking wooden external frame packs. Crushing the ascent in a little over two hours, I was stunned by the sheer beauty of the area. After sitting in the clouds on the cold summit for thirty minutes taking in the scenery, I descended more like a trail runner than a hiker. Having not filled my hiking appetite, and being that it was only 11:00 am when I returned close to the bottom, I took another trail, which meandered over low valleys to a NP ranger station. Though the hike was not saturated in the stunning beauty as the other trail, it was nonetheless a beautiful hike. It was not until the way back from the ranger station, that I started to fatigue--but only slightly. After just under seven hours since I parked my bike at the trailhead, I returned muddied, sweaty, and oh so satisfied with the day's adventure.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Life of Pai
This video is mostly about Pai, but I want to share a story of my day waiting for the bus back to Chiang Mai in Udon Thani, a city near Laos, where not many tourists come to.
Leaving Sarnelli House, I was dropped off in Udon Thani where I would take the overnight bus back to Chiang Mai. I arrived at the bus station around 10 am, so I had about ten hours until the bus left. Feeling that my now shoulder length hair was looking rather unkempt most of the time, I decided to get a trim while I waited for the bus. I found a little salon and asked the woman to take a few inches off. Being a woman's salon, the woman did exactly as she was asked, but the result turned out resembling a seven year old girl's hairstyle. Trying to reassure myself that it looked fine, I paid and went back to the bus station. Immediately upon looking at myself in the mirror, I knew this would not do. Looking and feeling out of place with this ridiculous looking haircut, I went back to the salon and asked the woman to try to fix it. The result was worse than before. At this point, I knew I had to cut it down to a standard male cut in order to salvage what hair I had left.
So I strapped on my pack and embarrassingly walked off down the main road in search of a barber. A few minutes down the road a older Thai gentleman on a motorbike offered me a ride (he spoke no English). I motioned to my hair and said, "barber", though seeing my comical looking haircut, he probably new immediately where I was headed, and we set off down the road in search of a barber.
Finally we found a place and after five minutes, my long locks were almost completely gone and I now sported the hair I have now. The man who gave me a ride waited for me and after stopping to have another young guy translate for us, I went back to his house to shower and eat some food. After this nice gesture of hospitality, we set off back to the bus station, where I would wait out the remaining four hours until my bus came. We stopped at a small coffee stand on the side of the road, where two ladies worked. Buying two coffees, they motioned for me to sit down while I drank. After a few minutes of difficult talking do to the fact that they did not speak very much English and me, no Thai, the man called someone and spoke in Thai for a couple of minutes.
About five minutes later, an old man biked up, speaking English immediately. His name was Tommy and he had lived in Connecticut for 50 years after leaving Laos as a refugee after it fell in the mid 1970s. His presence was welcomed by everyone there because he now facilitated as a translator and was a very happy and positive man. After about 30 minutes of talking, he offered for me to stay at his house for a couple of hours. I felt a little awkward and out of place, sitting on his couch as his children came home from school, seeing a Farang sitting in their home.
After two hours of relaxing, Tommy and I went back to the coffee stand where the two women lived in a home just nearby. Tommy had just started teaching them English and had invited me to come help out. Arriving at the home, I was immediately offered fried eggs and sticky rice, which I gladly accepted. Soon thereafter, Tommy and I began our lesson with the two women, their two young daughters, and another relative. Spending about two hours exchanging both the Thai and English words for various topics, I reluctantly said goodbye as my bus was leaving shortly.
This day in Udon Thani was one of the most random and best days I've had traveling yet. Traveling solo defintely has its ups and downs. Some days are lonely, while some days, like this one, are filled with unknown pleasures and amazing experiences. What a day, all stemming from me wanting to get a haircut.
Most of the video are shots from Pai, as I came back immediately upon arriving in Chiang Mai. Renting a motorbike for four days, and meeting a super cool Australian guy, we spent a couple of days biking along the mountainous roads outside of Pai. Other than that, my days have been spent relaxing, eating lots of Thai food from my favorite local restaurant, going for long walks, and generally just having a grand ol' time.
Leaving Sarnelli House, I was dropped off in Udon Thani where I would take the overnight bus back to Chiang Mai. I arrived at the bus station around 10 am, so I had about ten hours until the bus left. Feeling that my now shoulder length hair was looking rather unkempt most of the time, I decided to get a trim while I waited for the bus. I found a little salon and asked the woman to take a few inches off. Being a woman's salon, the woman did exactly as she was asked, but the result turned out resembling a seven year old girl's hairstyle. Trying to reassure myself that it looked fine, I paid and went back to the bus station. Immediately upon looking at myself in the mirror, I knew this would not do. Looking and feeling out of place with this ridiculous looking haircut, I went back to the salon and asked the woman to try to fix it. The result was worse than before. At this point, I knew I had to cut it down to a standard male cut in order to salvage what hair I had left.
So I strapped on my pack and embarrassingly walked off down the main road in search of a barber. A few minutes down the road a older Thai gentleman on a motorbike offered me a ride (he spoke no English). I motioned to my hair and said, "barber", though seeing my comical looking haircut, he probably new immediately where I was headed, and we set off down the road in search of a barber.
Finally we found a place and after five minutes, my long locks were almost completely gone and I now sported the hair I have now. The man who gave me a ride waited for me and after stopping to have another young guy translate for us, I went back to his house to shower and eat some food. After this nice gesture of hospitality, we set off back to the bus station, where I would wait out the remaining four hours until my bus came. We stopped at a small coffee stand on the side of the road, where two ladies worked. Buying two coffees, they motioned for me to sit down while I drank. After a few minutes of difficult talking do to the fact that they did not speak very much English and me, no Thai, the man called someone and spoke in Thai for a couple of minutes.
About five minutes later, an old man biked up, speaking English immediately. His name was Tommy and he had lived in Connecticut for 50 years after leaving Laos as a refugee after it fell in the mid 1970s. His presence was welcomed by everyone there because he now facilitated as a translator and was a very happy and positive man. After about 30 minutes of talking, he offered for me to stay at his house for a couple of hours. I felt a little awkward and out of place, sitting on his couch as his children came home from school, seeing a Farang sitting in their home.
After two hours of relaxing, Tommy and I went back to the coffee stand where the two women lived in a home just nearby. Tommy had just started teaching them English and had invited me to come help out. Arriving at the home, I was immediately offered fried eggs and sticky rice, which I gladly accepted. Soon thereafter, Tommy and I began our lesson with the two women, their two young daughters, and another relative. Spending about two hours exchanging both the Thai and English words for various topics, I reluctantly said goodbye as my bus was leaving shortly.
This day in Udon Thani was one of the most random and best days I've had traveling yet. Traveling solo defintely has its ups and downs. Some days are lonely, while some days, like this one, are filled with unknown pleasures and amazing experiences. What a day, all stemming from me wanting to get a haircut.
Most of the video are shots from Pai, as I came back immediately upon arriving in Chiang Mai. Renting a motorbike for four days, and meeting a super cool Australian guy, we spent a couple of days biking along the mountainous roads outside of Pai. Other than that, my days have been spent relaxing, eating lots of Thai food from my favorite local restaurant, going for long walks, and generally just having a grand ol' time.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Sarnelli House
After hitchhiking to Chiang Mai, I spent one miserable night in a hostel with my first bout of food related illness. Not knowing whether I would be able to take the next day's 12 hour bus to Udon Thani, I luckily gradually improved after eliminating the contents of yesterday's sustenance sometime in the night. The bus ride was an interesting experience, for I was the only Westerner on the bus or seemingly in any of the towns we passed through. The further we traveled from the tourist populated Chiang Mai, the more stares I received from the locals.
Finally after drifting in and out of fleeting sleep, I arrived in Udon Thani at 2:30 am. I was dropped off at a bench of the side of the road, where I sat next to a Buddhist monk in incommunicable silence for 30 minutes until my next bus took me to Nongkhai, a city on the Mekong river bordering Laos. Stepping off the bus in Nongkhai at 4:00 am, I was bombarded by tuk tuk drivers asking (in Thai of course) if I needed a ride. I tried to show them the address of Sarnelli House, but after ten minutes of comical and frustrating miscommunication, I eventually gave up and found a spot on the bench at the station and lay down for a two hour nap before calling Sarnelli House for a ride. Awaking in the dawn light from my homeless-esque nap with a sore neck, I called Father Mike from Sarnelli House. An hour later I found myself traveling along the red dirt road to the place I would spend the week.
Now would probably be a good time to explain what Sarnelli House is and why I visited. Sarnelli House is an orphanage for sick, abandoned, and abused children from the local NE Thailand area. About half of the children have HIV/AIDS, while a number of others have been raped or have other illnesses. The orphanage, which consists of six homes across a few kilometer radius, was started 15 years ago by the Redemptorist Priests of Thailand and was spearheaded by Father Mike Shea, a missionary priest originally from Wisconsin. St. Michael Church in Wheaton has donated money to Sarnelli House, with my Dad being a contact for the orphanage here in Wheaton. I visited, as I was curious and I had a connection from back home.
The orphanage is extremely well run, having about 60 staff members, consisting of farmers who tend to the pigs, cattle, chickens, sugar cane, rice, and tobacco fields, multiple cooks, caretakers for the children, office workers, drivers, and many other people who help make this orphanage run streamlined.
During the week almost all of the children went off to school, so my mornings consisted of lifting weights in the weight room under the room in which I stayed, reading, writing, and eating enormous amounts of food that the wonderfully kind cook, Pidah prepared for me. Everyday around 4:00 pm, I would bike over to the House of Hope, where the younger children stayed, where I would spend the next hour or two swinging the children up and around. Leaving exhausted and sweaty, I biked back to a different tasty meal every night.
My stay at Sarnelli House was very rewarding. Seeing how generous everyone at the orphanage was, I left inspired to help others in need.
Here are some clips from my week in Nongkhai:
Finally after drifting in and out of fleeting sleep, I arrived in Udon Thani at 2:30 am. I was dropped off at a bench of the side of the road, where I sat next to a Buddhist monk in incommunicable silence for 30 minutes until my next bus took me to Nongkhai, a city on the Mekong river bordering Laos. Stepping off the bus in Nongkhai at 4:00 am, I was bombarded by tuk tuk drivers asking (in Thai of course) if I needed a ride. I tried to show them the address of Sarnelli House, but after ten minutes of comical and frustrating miscommunication, I eventually gave up and found a spot on the bench at the station and lay down for a two hour nap before calling Sarnelli House for a ride. Awaking in the dawn light from my homeless-esque nap with a sore neck, I called Father Mike from Sarnelli House. An hour later I found myself traveling along the red dirt road to the place I would spend the week.
Now would probably be a good time to explain what Sarnelli House is and why I visited. Sarnelli House is an orphanage for sick, abandoned, and abused children from the local NE Thailand area. About half of the children have HIV/AIDS, while a number of others have been raped or have other illnesses. The orphanage, which consists of six homes across a few kilometer radius, was started 15 years ago by the Redemptorist Priests of Thailand and was spearheaded by Father Mike Shea, a missionary priest originally from Wisconsin. St. Michael Church in Wheaton has donated money to Sarnelli House, with my Dad being a contact for the orphanage here in Wheaton. I visited, as I was curious and I had a connection from back home.
The orphanage is extremely well run, having about 60 staff members, consisting of farmers who tend to the pigs, cattle, chickens, sugar cane, rice, and tobacco fields, multiple cooks, caretakers for the children, office workers, drivers, and many other people who help make this orphanage run streamlined.
During the week almost all of the children went off to school, so my mornings consisted of lifting weights in the weight room under the room in which I stayed, reading, writing, and eating enormous amounts of food that the wonderfully kind cook, Pidah prepared for me. Everyday around 4:00 pm, I would bike over to the House of Hope, where the younger children stayed, where I would spend the next hour or two swinging the children up and around. Leaving exhausted and sweaty, I biked back to a different tasty meal every night.
My stay at Sarnelli House was very rewarding. Seeing how generous everyone at the orphanage was, I left inspired to help others in need.
Here are some clips from my week in Nongkhai:
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Pai II
This video shows just some of the things I have been up to in Pai the past week. The first clip is of the Pai Circus School & Resort, a hostel set away from town, where residents can swim in the pool, lounge around, or practice their various performance arts, such as poi. On New Year's Eve, a bumping party went into the early morning sunrise, where views of hundreds of rising lanterns and fireworks could be seen from this beautiful spot.
The next clips are from a waterfall that I visited with two girls I met in Koh Lanta and their new acquaintances. Motorbiking about 15k from town, the waterfall poured into a deep bowl of rock. Immediately upon seeing that I could swim here, I quickly disrobed and turned on my GoPro to film myself jump in. Jumping into the cold water felt cold and refreshing, but this feeling of tranquility immediately turned to panic as I realized my vision was blurred. My glasses! (If you listen closely under the sweet vocals of Robert Plant, you can hear two expletives) Luckily, the bottom of the pool was touchable, and after five minutes of groping with our feet, my new friend from New Zealand found them.
After rejoicing and then drying off, my NZ friend and I, along with two guys whom we met swimming, motorbiked up to the viewpoint overlooking Pai advertised on a billboard near the waterfall. Eager to get to the viewpoint, we quickly became overly cautious as the roads turned from bad to worse. Resembling more of a trail, rising and falling at alarming grades, we crept up the mountain at a snail's pace. Finally, we arrived at the top to see a stunning 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Seeing almost no other tourists up there (for good reason!), the mountaintop was occupied by local Thais, all of whom seemed much more at ease than us, as we tried not to think of how the ride down would go. Eventually, we did go down, ever so slowly upon the dirt "road". Of the four of us, two fell, but luckily they arose with only minor scrapes. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the flatter main road.
Finally, the last clips are of my new Moroccan/French friend Yo and I biking around Pai. Yo is an amazing guy, as he is big into music, spirituality, and always emits such positive energy.
Though Pai has been a great place to spend a week, I left to go back to Chiang Mai to eventually make my way to Nongkhai, a city on the Mekong river and Laos border. Having heard from multiple people that hitchhiking in Southeast Asia is doable and quite easy, I thought I would try it out to get to Chiang Mai today (140k trip). Walking a couple of kilometers outside of the town center, I flashed my upwards thumb at passing cars and motorbikes. A few minutes after beginning this thumbs-up process, a Thai woman on a motorbike stopped and gave me a lift about 10k down the road. Hopping off and thanking her (khawp khun khap!), I continued down the winding road. Only minutes later another car stopped, inside it two Thai girls and a guy from Singapore. They gladly took me in as they were going to Chiang Mai. We even stopped for coffee, lunch, and a karaoke party along the way!
It was a fitting end to a great week in Pai. Such a great week in fact, that I think I will be back after my trip to Nongkhai.
The next clips are from a waterfall that I visited with two girls I met in Koh Lanta and their new acquaintances. Motorbiking about 15k from town, the waterfall poured into a deep bowl of rock. Immediately upon seeing that I could swim here, I quickly disrobed and turned on my GoPro to film myself jump in. Jumping into the cold water felt cold and refreshing, but this feeling of tranquility immediately turned to panic as I realized my vision was blurred. My glasses! (If you listen closely under the sweet vocals of Robert Plant, you can hear two expletives) Luckily, the bottom of the pool was touchable, and after five minutes of groping with our feet, my new friend from New Zealand found them.
After rejoicing and then drying off, my NZ friend and I, along with two guys whom we met swimming, motorbiked up to the viewpoint overlooking Pai advertised on a billboard near the waterfall. Eager to get to the viewpoint, we quickly became overly cautious as the roads turned from bad to worse. Resembling more of a trail, rising and falling at alarming grades, we crept up the mountain at a snail's pace. Finally, we arrived at the top to see a stunning 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Seeing almost no other tourists up there (for good reason!), the mountaintop was occupied by local Thais, all of whom seemed much more at ease than us, as we tried not to think of how the ride down would go. Eventually, we did go down, ever so slowly upon the dirt "road". Of the four of us, two fell, but luckily they arose with only minor scrapes. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the flatter main road.
Finally, the last clips are of my new Moroccan/French friend Yo and I biking around Pai. Yo is an amazing guy, as he is big into music, spirituality, and always emits such positive energy.
Though Pai has been a great place to spend a week, I left to go back to Chiang Mai to eventually make my way to Nongkhai, a city on the Mekong river and Laos border. Having heard from multiple people that hitchhiking in Southeast Asia is doable and quite easy, I thought I would try it out to get to Chiang Mai today (140k trip). Walking a couple of kilometers outside of the town center, I flashed my upwards thumb at passing cars and motorbikes. A few minutes after beginning this thumbs-up process, a Thai woman on a motorbike stopped and gave me a lift about 10k down the road. Hopping off and thanking her (khawp khun khap!), I continued down the winding road. Only minutes later another car stopped, inside it two Thai girls and a guy from Singapore. They gladly took me in as they were going to Chiang Mai. We even stopped for coffee, lunch, and a karaoke party along the way!
It was a fitting end to a great week in Pai. Such a great week in fact, that I think I will be back after my trip to Nongkhai.
Pai I
Arriving in Pai on Sunday, the 28th, I quickly came to love the beautiful scenery surrounding this small town. Nestled in a valley near small green mountains, Pai is a spot where one can enjoy the surrounding nature and relax in the many restaurants and hostels peppered throughout the area.
On my first full day in Pai, I decided to hike to a waterfall 8 kilometers from town. The path crisscrossed a small creek through a beautiful shaded forest, ending at a rushing waterfall, where I sat alone taking in the sounds of the natural area.
My second day in Pai I again rented a motorbike, which now is one of my favorite things to do here. Having no plan, I decided to bike north into the mountains along Route 1095. Starting at 9:00 am, I quickly became quite cold as I rose in elevation. Greeted with stunning views of the low lying areas, I continued onward along the winding road north into the mountains. Stopping at a local market to buy gloves and another flannel (with a total of 49 baht...$1.50), I ended up biking all the way to Mae Hong Son, a town 111k from Pai. There I filled up my bike, ate a quick lunch at a place where no English was written or spoken, and headed back to Pai. As the sun started to set, I was fortunate to view some beautiful vantage points before finishing my all day >220k ride.
Decided that Crazy Jim singing LA Woman fit the motorbike ride well. I also upped the quality to 1080p...for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy!
On my first full day in Pai, I decided to hike to a waterfall 8 kilometers from town. The path crisscrossed a small creek through a beautiful shaded forest, ending at a rushing waterfall, where I sat alone taking in the sounds of the natural area.
My second day in Pai I again rented a motorbike, which now is one of my favorite things to do here. Having no plan, I decided to bike north into the mountains along Route 1095. Starting at 9:00 am, I quickly became quite cold as I rose in elevation. Greeted with stunning views of the low lying areas, I continued onward along the winding road north into the mountains. Stopping at a local market to buy gloves and another flannel (with a total of 49 baht...$1.50), I ended up biking all the way to Mae Hong Son, a town 111k from Pai. There I filled up my bike, ate a quick lunch at a place where no English was written or spoken, and headed back to Pai. As the sun started to set, I was fortunate to view some beautiful vantage points before finishing my all day >220k ride.
Decided that Crazy Jim singing LA Woman fit the motorbike ride well. I also upped the quality to 1080p...for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy!
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