Laos Bound!

After much deliberation and several changes of plan, I have decided to stick to my original plan and cross the border here in Norther Thailand to Laos (a very safe and stable country!). The weather here makes it or breaks it, and although I am little ready to head out of the jungle, there are an awesome couple of days of sunshine expected for this part of Laos, and i am going to take advantage! Anyhow, I have bunch of mosquito repellant left, and I don't want to waste it!

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!

Mai Sai to Chiang Khong

Left the border town of Mai Sai nicely rested, and had a easy day of riding. Passed the golden triangle, which is a spot on the river where the borders of Thailand, Burma, and Laos form a three way corner. The opium trade used to flourish here, making it a very famous spot...but as they no longer grow or process opium, it is now just a terrible tourist trap based on a geographic location. I was quasi interested, but as I rolled up to the sight of thousands of Chinese tourists mulling around several massive tour buses with cameras on tripods clicking away...well I just kept on rolling. It was an uneventful day until my ever growing sense of food adventure confidence caused Dylan's words (if it's from a street vendor, make sure you see it cooked in front of you) to escape  me momentarily...well it turns out these words of advice apply to salads as well. A salad seems harmless enough, but alas, it was not cooked in front of me. I got back on the bike, very satisfied with having tried the famous spicy Thai salad that I had been hearing so much about; the warning signs started almost immediately. As I approached Chiang Khong, I was sure of what I was in for. The feeling of being punched in the stomach lasted for about a day and a half and I slept it off in the guesthouse...all the while saving on food costs! I got to closely observe the local lizard in a way I would not have otherwise...they look like geckos, chirp like birds, and spend most of there time waiting upside down on the ceiling for something tasty to land nearby. They are everywhere, but people like them around for their mosquito hunting skills, as did I. After a 48 hour white rice diet, I am basically back in action!

Here's lookin' at you, Burma

After a successful day, I am sitting in a very nice bamboo and wicker bungalow in the far north of Thailand, looking across the river that separates Thailand and Burma. It was a long driving day...I started out by going down some of the dirt trails that went to the villages surrounding Mae Salong. It was a look back in time at people living self sufficiently off of the land, but with a handful of modern things thrown in the mix. After that I made way towards Mai Sai...the long way round. I made the long way even longer by getting myself nice and lost, and almost drove into Burma through a non border crossing area, but I'm pretty sure they would have stopped me. From there it was smooth sailing through some of the most stunning scenery imaginable...an awesome drive, perfect for the bike. The last stretch was the best...21 km due north right along a mountain crest that forms a natural border between the two countries. It is a highly watched area and I had to pass through military checkpoints every couple of miles. It is a bit disconcerting to see kids looking about half my age holding automatic weapons...they were all really nice though. The good news for me was that it was almost all downhill, because I was about out of gas and was under the impression that this would probably be the absolute worst place on this little adventure to run out of gas. I rolled all the way to Mai Sai...no problem. There is a border crossing here, but I don't think I'm going to go to Burma...I like the idea of sitting here with a cold beer and watching it across the river...

Mae Salong: Some good news...and some bad news...

Isn't that always the way?... Wasn't expecting to have internet tonight, but I am glad I do as I had an awesome day....which is the good news! First, I managed to get moving pretty early...got into town (Chiang Rai) and got a very nice map of Northern Thailand for less than a dollar by trading in another map I had. Then a rain poncho, because after all this is a jungle and, like Ireland, it's green for a reason! Next I got myself set up with a small engine motorbike, left the majority of my stuff at the guesthouse I stayed in the previous night, and I was off! Once I made the turn off the main road into the mountains, the ride was incredible! The road winds in and out of jungle hills, rice paddys, banana groves, and rivers (mom: if you can clear it with customs I can bring back about 100,000 baby banana trees in case your's don't make it). As soon as I started to climb up into the hills the temp began to drop as well...it has to be at least 10 degrees cooler up here which is such a relief after the last couple of weeks. It felt like someone just switched on the AC at one point...it was that quick a change. The owner of tonight's guesthouse told me that this is where Thai "tourists" come to escape the heat.

Having arrived in Mae Salong, I couldn't be happier. This is the sort of place I was hoping to find coming to Thailand...it is a village perched up in the mountains surrounded by tea plantations and beautiful scenery. I have not seen a western tourist all day, and in connection with that, the locals seem even friendlier than usual...which is saying something! I had an awesome dinner with several cups of local tea which I saw coming right up out of the fields. I am really looking forward to the next few days as I move further and further from the bustle and exhaust of the cities down south.

So whats the bad news in that? Well, just before dinner I took the bike up to the peak of the mountain that looks down on Mae Salong, atop of which sits a beautiful temple. As is customary, I took off my shoes before entering and went in to have a look around. While I was inside a light rain began to fall which gave the marble flight of steps out back a nice slicking up. Still inside, I made a donation to the Buddha, and then went out the back way to my demise. Despite thinking to myself as I went out the door, "man I bet that marble is slick...I had better be careful on that"...well lets just say it only took me three steps to get down a set of steps that should have taken at least 10. I landed on my good ankle (I'll head Haley off here  and say that at least I'm walking a bit more evenly now), and despite the ridiculous smoothness of the marble, still managed to cut my hand. But the real hero is my camera which selflessly decided to save my backside by being in my back pocket and taking the brunt of the fall. The camera's sacrifice will not be forgotten, but unfortunately I won't be posting any photos for a while. Despite the loss of the camera and the injury I am still in a pretty good mood...if you could have seen where it happened, you would agree that it could really have been much worse (but you can't cause I couldn't take a picture)...