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Post count: 90
Thais That BindAfter last year’s adventure, which involved trekking across the Himalayan Mountain range, I decided this year’s adventure would be a little faster and a little less carrying heavy loads. Oh, and not eating very basic Indian food, and sleeping in snow-swept nylon tents!This year it would be a bike trip.It was all Bwucie’s fault (‘real vans, that’s what they are Bwucie, real vans...’)I told the Forum I wanted to have a look at ‘Nam, and asked for any suggestions. He responded: ‘What would you want to go there for.... have a look at the Top Gear episodes on it on You Tube’.So I did... and didn’t go. Thought I might have a gradual build up, so chose a tour of Northern Thailand instead. This for a number of reasons: • They ride on the same side of the road as us • The roads were said to be sealed • Each hotel except one had a pool (and in most of those you could almost see through the murky water to the bottom), • The food is fantastic, and • I see a lot of Thai girls working round where I park the cage in Fort Street and they all seem exceedingly accommodating to passers by, so Thai people are obviously very friendly!So I tracked down Avalon Tours, run by B.J., an Austrian living in there with his Thai wife and three kids. He runs small guided tours to suit his own personal lifestyle. Nice work if you can get it. He was also fluent in Thai, which opened a lot of doors and opportunities for us, especially way up in the north where they don’t see too many gwiellos, or pale faces.There were two other lads, a couple of Scots brothers in law, mid 40s and unencumbered, who arrived ready to have a good time, and very, very thirsty. Really fine lads who could ride and who just did not get too fussed about anything… even me!! A recipe for mayhem!We rode Honda Phantoms, a local bike 250 cc cruiser style, as in the pictures. All the gear was in the two side panniers and the top box. Plenty of space. And 120 kms on these is still as fast as 120 kms on the R1150 RT.We all took our own helmets, with me taking the new Series 6 for its first overseas venture. It worked excellently. But I found that the Rallye 2 Pro riding gear I took was totally OTT for riding in temperatures of 35º to 38º. I finished up riding in a pair of Levi’s bought from a night market. (I don’t understand why they are so expensive here, they only cost me about $20). That and the BMW jacket with all linings removed, the flaps all open, and at times even the sleeves zipped off. Maybe not as safety conscious as here but adequate for the climate.In Thailand everybody rides a motor scooter of some description. This means that the roads, roundabouts, light and streets are swarming with mostly unhelmetted Thais going about their business on their small bikes. Most are under 150 cc in capacity. They carry one, two, three or even four persons with the smallest standing up holding the handlebars.What this means is that all traffic is used to bikes. They expect bikes to pull out, cut in, undertake, overtake, ride up the middle of the lane and perform every other bike riding dodge at any time. For that reason bikers are safer there than here because other road users are use to them. As distinct from here, where the biker is the hindrance who is on the road primarily as an annoyance to car drivers.Anyway, we rode from about 8.00 each morning, before it got really hot and stopped for drinks... well water, coffee or chai, every hour and a half or two hours. The riding was not overly difficult, but we still covered large tracts of country side. We rode through tropical rainforests of Khao Yai, spent time at ancient temples of Sukhothai (where I lost the bike and pannier box keys! Yea! That’s a test for a traveller!) We went north to Thailand’s second to largest city Chiang Mai, known to a lot of Western tourists, and then we got serious going into the mountain tribe regions where it became very chilly and challenging. We got up to Chiang Rai, a delightful large town, which would be our stepping off place to visit the Golden Triangle, Mayanma, the Mekong crossing, then into Laos. I had not been back to Burma since I went there as part of an overland trip from London to Singapore back in the early ‘73. Back then we did the ‘Rangoon to Mandalay then down the Irrawaddy River by river-boat adventure’. However, this time we crossed the border to Ta Chi Lek, a noisy Burmese market town. We stayed two hours then re-crossed back to Thailand. How many times can you refuse the offers of ‘genuine Burmese Marlboro’ cigarettes, Viagra tablets, (guaranteed to make you upright on your bike...) or ‘Oakley’ shades, or watches of any shape or kind, or brand?? (Two hours worth, at a guess. -Ed)Then we went on to cross the Mekong River in those long tailed river boats to Laos. Totally gentle and peaceful. We loved it!The last few days of the journey saw us going down the western side making our way to Kanchanaburi, famous as the site of the Bridge over the Kwai River and the Death Railway being built during the Second World War from Singapore to Burma. Also the wonderful so called ‘Tiger Temple’, Wat Pa Luangata Bua Yannsampanno. These kittens are seriously big, 7-8’ long lying down, and patting them while being escorted by a guide and in the protection of the monks. The Death Railway and the Kwai Bridge are not unlike other New Zealand war remembrance sites. We owe them so much. It has an aura of spirituality, where we remember our fathers and uncles and our forebears who died there so recently. If it wasn’t for their sacrifice we would not be so free to travel there to see what they endured. It was on the way into Kanchanaburi that I felt this hitting sensation in my lower back. I didn’t remember collecting a young Thai person of the female persuasion wanting a lift and sitting 2 up... so I realised it was the cover of the top box thumping me, having come open. Holy shiite!! as they say in Muslim countries. I stopped and found the top box open, and the gear was being blown to the wind. There was one Croc left (It was the right one, though, -Ed) and fortunately the next bit of gear which did not get strewn across the Thai countryside was my bumbag with passport, iPhone, camera and a seriously large sum of US $’s. In fact, it was not enough to only buy a small Thai farm but a reasonably large family of farm workers to assist in the running thereof! (About $US 27?-Ed) Lucky break!The last bit was to ride across the bottom end of Bangkok. Now Bangkok is really quite a lot bigger than Huntly. It has a population of 12 million people. As distinct from Huntly which has 1,200 on a good day, including all the through traffic. Here it was standstill gridlock. A billion motors-scooters, trucks, cars, vans and SUVs (well, not too many of those...) all belching exhaust fumes into your face, and all in nearly 40 temperatures. Then back to Jontien from where we set out all those ages ago.Apart from that it was great!The first question is not too akin to that normal HR question: would you employ this person again? Here the question is: would you do this again?I just have to say that I have already asked the University if I can let me teach my course next year, because it is this that pays for my adventures... and I already want to do the Mekong trip next year. This is a journey along the Mekong with all the excitement that that entails. Not actually on the Mekong... not too many amphibious bikes even in those parts!Ka kite Paul TremewanIf any Member wants to know more about how to have a wonderful time riding in a great climate with good people, eating exquisite food and having a few bevies in great company, I am happy to give details on how to do this. No, seriously, I am!
The opposition at rest!
Roadside lunches, truck-stop ( well bike-stop)
And the local (mini) locals stopped when we stopped for a morning coffee
Across the mountains and the lady knew what we needed and served it, we didn't even need to order: she had seen biker just out of the mountains before obviously!
The sign is a Buddhist one, and cool is he?? His mother is trying to buy a pair of $20 Oakleys! I did!
Engine-less riding.... where I lost the set of keys! Post count: 2134Post count: 90Post count: 128
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