Last Day: Chiang Khong to Phu Chee Fah

Despite being a bit road weary at this point, this was a really rewarding day of riding. I am much more comfortable on the bike now; much more relaxed and not nearly as jumpy when someone with a cart full of melons (or something) pulls up to a quick stop at an intersection ahead. Almost back at 100% from the spicy salad ordeal, I was able to focus on the scenery which was the most stunning so far on the loop. The road, which was of surprising quality for it's remoteness, wound it's through the jungle mountains along the Thai - Laos border with frequent views of the rolling hills below that seemed to stretch out for a hundred miles. The temperature change going up into these higher elevations was even more drastic than the first day. In fact, it was down right cold...which is a strange sensation when you've been riding through jungle scenery for days, sweating, and are suddenly freezing in the same surroundings. This temperature difference also created a strange and very surreal effect: High above me were the standard clouds, but here there was a second set down below, drifting just between the tops of the lower hills. This gave the feeling that you were looking down from a much greater height. Occasionally, one of these would drift up on the wind and instantly blanket everything in misty white. Then, just as fast, it would be gone again. The slopes of the red dirt hills here seemed impossible, looking like they shouldn't even stand if they were made of rock...and sometimes they didn't. In several places large sections had slid off to cover the road. With the original plants still attached,  it looked like there was no road at all. Once, as I was about to round a corner, I was stopped by a man with a sign I didn't understand. He was clearly telling me to wait, but for what or for how long I had no idea. After a few minutes I started wondering what the deal was and if I might be able to convince him somehow that I needed to keep moving...then BOOOOM! The blast made me jump, and from around the corner I saw a shower of rock and dirt get thrown over the edge of the hill...the road was clear. It's good to listen to people with red signs.

Shortly after I gave in to the cold and damp and stopped for the night. The following day would take me back out of the hills, and back to Chaing Rai to return the bike. As soon as I came down out of the jungle and turned on to the main road, the towns were much larger and.the cafes once again sported either a Pepsi or Coke sign to greet you. The last few days have been an incredible look into "real" Thai life, and I am so glad that I got to experience that along with what I have seen to far. The very best spots were those found during the day, off the map, along the way!