Journey to the World

January 11, 2007

I woke up and checked my options to stay in bed, since I can’t walk much because of the injury in my ankle. One hour later I started getting ready for breakfast. My walking shoes, Asolo Highland, are a reinforced leather block which gives a lot of support to the ankle. I tried to walk a little. It was still hard but possible. The shoe reminded me of an elastic bandage because of its support. After this positive development I went checking an option of renting a motorcycle. I usually don’t get along with motorbikes, and there’s a slight license problem, but some training in parking lots back at my country brought me to the point in which I’m only missing the official license. I do have an international driver’s license after all.

Around Kanchanaburi on a motorbike

A quick tour around some agencies and I’m already renting a nice Mio 110cc automatic. After a short explanation and saying to myself “left side, left side, left side” (in Thailand you have to drive on the left side like in the UK), I took the Mio and went looking for a gas station.

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January 12, 2007

Kanchanburi Province, 120 kilometers on a motorcycle in half a day, one local hitchhiker, two museums, a few tigers and some other wild animals.

Today I planned to visit the famous Tiger Temple. I was not sure whether to take an organized tour for 120 baht, not including entrance fee (300 baht) or get there by myself. Renting a motorbike for such a ride is relatively expensive because it requires a considerable amount of fuel. A short conversation with a nice Thai girl at a local traveling agency convinced me to go by my own. The ride went through road number 323, but instead of going straight to Tiger Temple, I turned left to Ban Kao. This is where Ban Kao National Museum is located which is an historical museum of human kind four thousand years ago. I planned to go from there to Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park, which is the old city of Muang Sign. This detour would bring me back to road 323 directly to Tiger Temple.

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January 16, 2007

It’s 6:15 AM. Outside the train station in Nong Khai is still dark and curious tuktuk drivers still observe what I do. You can count the number of tourists on one hand. I went outside where a few more drivers sat near the fire. I paid 50 baht for a tuktuk to the border, a ten minutes drive. On the way the driver stops in the Visa Service + Bus which I already heard of as a scam. The bus fee, including help for filling the Visa forms, is 2000 baht which includes also the Visa itself. I politely refused to the offer. Before we went on the girl in the agency gave me a tip to pay in dollars and not in baht because of the low conversion rate ($31 USD vs 1500 baht). It’s a little before 7:00 AM and I’m already in the Thailand - Laos border. The exit from Thailand goes without a problem and I go on the local bus that cross the friendship bridge which separates Thailand and Laos. You are not allowed to walk there by foot.

Crossing the border to Laos

The Laos border is located at the other side of the bridge. The place is completely empty, only two German tourists are waiting for the Visa approval. Those who don’t have a Visa have to approach a small windows, open it and hand the clerk 1500 baht or $31 USD. I gave him $35 USD, my passport and a passport photo. I was then told to wait.

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January 17, 2007

There’s not much to do in Vientiane. I bought a ticket for a VIP bus to Vang Vieng in the morning for $6 USD. The bus leaves around 2:30 PM and picking up from guest houses starts at 2:00 PM.

Around Vientiane

I had a couple of hours free so I drove to the Buddha Park. It’s located thirty kilometers from the city. On the way you have to go back to the Friendship Bridge, the same place where the border with Thailand is located, and keep driving for seven more kilometers. If you come to Laos from this border, you should save yourself the trouble and ask the driver to go through this park first.

The road goes through a rural area along rice fields, cows that walk on the road and the river to the right. The roads are not good in some parts.

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January 18, 2007

I rented a light motorcycle that day to tour the area. On the way to Vang Vieng I managed to get the idea about the quality of the roads and knew I had to be careful. The main road that connects Vientiane and Luang Prabang (Vang Vieng in the middle) doesn’t have paved margins. There’s only one lane each way. From time to time there are holes and bumps in the road so you have to pay attention while driving. Along the road there is no street light and therefore it’s dangerous to ride there after dark around 6:30 PM.

The road from Vang Vieng To Luang Prabang

Even though I have some experience with ATVs, that was the first time I tried it with a light motorcycle. I paid $5 for one day without insurance. I didn’t look for an automatic gear but for a manual one.

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January 25, 2007

That day I crossed the border from Laos to Thailand. I went from the border city Chiang Khong to Chiang Rai. I rented a motorcycle and toured the mountainous area of Doi Tung and to the Queen’s Gardens.

7:00 AM in Huay Xai and I already woke up toward the crossing to Thailand. The border gates are opening at 8:00 AM and are located one hundred meters away from the guest house where I was staying. A short walk and stamping my passport on the way out from Laos didn’t take more than ten minutes.

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January 26, 2007

That day I wanted to visit the hill tribes I didn’t the day before, and to visit the opium museum which is located in the golden triangle.

Chiang Rai To The Golden Triangle

The way north pass through Mae Chan. In that area there was supposed to be a Karen tribe of the long neck women. When I arrived in a gas station I was told that I passed the place by 15 kilometers. That village wasn’t marked on the map I had.

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January 27, 2007

The bus to Chiang Mai is the only budget option to get from Chiang Rai to Pai. The ride lasts three hours and there are a few buses going there including a VIP bus, air-conditioned or non air-conditioned with or without toilet inside. Prices range from 90 to 260 baht.

Bus from Chiang Mai to Pai

I got on the 7:45 AM bus to Chiang Mai and took a mini van to Pai at 11:30 AM from the central station in Chiang Mai, The price for a mini van is twice the price for a local bus (150 baht for a bus ticket).

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January 28, 2007

The map I got for free from AYA turns out to be useful. Not only does it show the town’s map and the surrounding region, but tourists attractions are marked along with a couple of routes suitable for a motorcycle.

On a motorcycle around Pai

While crossing the bridge at the exit from Pai I noticed a large bulldozer which attracted the locals. From there I continued to Mae Yen temple which is located close to Pai (you can pass), and went on to the elephant camps zone.

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January 29, 2007

Those who liked the green road from Chiang Mai to Pai, to which I was already used to from my visit in Laos, will be astounded by the view on the road from Pai to Mae Hong Son.

That morning I woke up late after going to sleep late. The day before I talked to Pam, the owner of the bungalows site I was staying in, and asked him to save my bungalow when I get back from Mae Hong Son.

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January 30, 2007

That day I went looking after the Long Neck Karen tribes. I rode on a motorcycle in the lovely Mae Hong Son area. I visited a small natural park and kept riding toward Huay Sua Tao village on a road crossed by streams of water, which later on turned into a trail loaded with dust and sand. I checked a hot spring and a waterfall, after which I took a turn from the main road to watch local women working in rice fields and drove to a remote village far in the mountains.

I woke up late at 9:00 AM and took a shower. There is hot water but you have to take a course in order to make them work. This was the first time I’ve seen a boiler operated by gas. First, you have to get outside to open the gas faucet. Next you need to turn two buttons on a device that has four different buttons whose reason for existence is unknown. The advantage of a gas boiler unlike other electric boilers is that the water are not just warm, but hot. This is much better.

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January 31, 2007

Right now I’m staying in a remote bungalow, high up in the mountains, close to the Burma border under two down blankets, two wool blanket, wearing a coat, an angora shirt and a wool hat. My rechargeable NiMH AA batteries died because of the heavy cold, probably between zero to three degrees celsius.

The guest house is far away from civilization, disconnected from electricity. It wasn’t connected because of its distance. The government gave the owner solar collectors which enable him to produce electricity sufficient enough for light a couple of bulb for a a few hours in the evening, none of which are inside the bungalow (200 baht, toilets is outside. There’s no need for a fan).

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February 1, 2007

About two hundred kilometers I passed with a motorcycle that day. Almost half of them was in complete darkness on the mountains on my way back to Pai.

Mr. Parla’s Coffee

I started driving at 10:30 AM from Mr. Parla’s guest house, an old man who managed to surprise me with his English level. I was the only one who stayed that night. The night before two tourists from Denmark stayed in this guest house. Parla gave me an update about the temperature the night before. Only nine degree, not three as I thought. He also gave me directions to villages in the area.

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February 2, 2007

The local bus to Chiang Mai leaves at 8:30 AM. It was perfect for me since in the motorcycle rental agency they agreed to let me return the motorcycle at 8:00 AM in the morning instead of the night before, without any extra payment. It enabled me to easily move my bags from Bungalow site to the bus station.

A ticket for a local bus is cheap compared to the minibus (72 baht). It arrives within three and a half hours to Chiang Mai but there’s no room for your legs which is not comfortable. Long legged guys will find the minibus as a better vehicle for them, although this one doesn’t have too much room either.

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February 3, 2007

That day I planned on going to Doi Inthanon National Park, where the highest mountain in Thailand is located.

Flowers Festival

The main roads in Chiang Mai were jammed. It seems I arrived right on the day when the flowers festival began. The flowers festival in Chiang Mai occurs once a year. Thousands of people go out to the streets to watch a sight of exhibits wrapped with hundred of thousands of colorful flowers creating live statues and writings.

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