[Trip Report] Thailand, Up North

[xixy]

racingter:

 

Don't be like that la.. Yours coming soon.. We will be riding together in Songkran.. Provided I still can get hotel rooms..

 

 

I'm posting some photos of Chiang Rai here, taken on my 2nd day there heading to the Golden Triangle, Mae Sai as well as Doi Tung:

 

Photo I - The famous golden Buddha at the Golden Triangle town..

Photo II - Visited the Hall of Opium.. No photos allowed inside.. Sigh..

Photo III - The spot where SG bikers are planning to conquer..

Photo IV - The Mae Sai checkpoint.. Difficult place to position my tripod and pose for the photos.. Almost got ran over by a truck..

Photo V - 2nd friendship bridge.. Didn't dare to cross the gates though..

Photo VI - Doi Tung gardens where the Queen explore her interest in flowers and botanics.. Beautiful indeed..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

7th Stop - Mae Hong Son (2 Days)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son

Distance - 206 km

Total Time - 6:10 hours

Max Speed - 120 km/h

Average Speed - 54.5 km/h

 

The ride from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son was great.. This was my first time to try out the infamous 1864 curves.. I get to try out the c curves, v curves, uphill and downhill climbs, braking and throttling off, body weight corners, etc.. It's an eye opener.. I also get to improve my cornering skills a little.. The SSDC lessons came into mind.. Look far at the exit of the corner.. Well, glad that I made it.. Hopefully the ride will be as interesting on the way down..

The group stopped by Pai for lunch.. I had the local chicken rice and it was great! Perhaps chicken in higher altitude taste better? Haha.. The stall helper spoke very good English.. Snapped a photo with her in her long sleeve furry top.. She's pretty.. Photo will be up soon.. We then moved off for the 2nd half of the curves.. On the way, there was a kup kia trying to play with us, overtaking the group and trying to keep up.. The kup kia has the advantage of being lighter but when it comes to steep uphill climbs, we went for the kill..

 

We reached Mae Hong Son at around 3.30pm.. Checked in to Panorama Hotel and rushed to the MHS Chamber of Commerce building to get the 1864 Curves Certificate as well as stickers.. We thought the office would be close early on Saturday and the whole day on Sunday but we were wrong.. For those coming up, the office is open daily! A cert cost 20 Baht, the large sticker with some Thai words stating 1864 curves cost 45 Baht and the small sticker cost 20 Baht.. Got myself 2 certs, 2 big stickers and 2 small stickers.. Got my name, bike number and bike model on the cert.. Yippie.. Can add this to my resume.. The it was a freshen up stop at the hotel before dinner at the local roadside restaurant and Pasar Malam.. Pasar Malam was similar to any other ones in Thailand but the important buy here is the MHS 1864 curves T-Shirt.. Got myself 2 shirts and a MHS pants.. It was to a foot massage later at 200 Baht per hour..

 

The following day we booked for a tour to 5 places as follows (tour cost 950 Baht per person):

 

1) Long Neck Karen Village at Ban Nai Soi

2) KMT Camp at Mae Aw

3) Shan Village

4) Thampla Phasua Waterfall National Park (Fish Caves)

5) Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu

 

The most unforgetable experience was to see the long necks.. The tribe has the most beautiful women in Thailand.. Friendly and gentle people.. Took tonnes of photos with them and got my neck in their rings for a photo shoot.. Man, it's hard to breathe even with the fake neck rings.. The oldest tribe member was 80 years old.. They call her the grandma.. There were these 2 young ones which was extremely playful.. Spoke some English too..

 

To be updated soon.. Breakfast time!

 

Continue with update...

 

Continuing with our tour, we arrived at the KMT camp at Mae Aw for lunch.. The scenery at the site was beautiful, surrounded by mountains with a man made lake.. The architecture of buildings in the area resembles old Chinese huts.. Lots of vendors sell tea leaves, preserved fruits and teawares.. Bought some dried longans for 30 Baht per 100 grams and it indeed tasted wonderful.. Lunch items are okay.. Chinese cooking with some wierd dishes which I've not tried.. Worth the visit..

 

The next stop was Shan Village.. Lots of bamboo and dried leaves houses scattered along the main road in.. You can see villages doing weaving.. Saw one man sticking his head to an ancient radio, I think probably the only radio in town.. Great to be back in nature with so little technology.. If I can remember correctly, there wasn't any network connection available.. No bandwidth and wifi network to disrupt the peaceful nature.. We walked through some horse grazing grounds and finally reached a lake.. There were little huts for rent at 300 Baht per day for tourist whom want to stay in nature.. Camping area is available too.. The greatest photo shot taken was towards the mountains with the reflection of the mountains silhouetted on the lake..

 

The fish caves was next, nothing that amazing here.. Some huge fishes swimming upstream to a small cave.. You can give it a miss here though the stalls sell quite good espresso.. The last stop was at Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu which gives you a bird's eye view of Mae Hong Son town.. Very nice sunrise and sunset to be seen here..

 

And that was a wrap for the day tour.. The rest of the day was spent as per normal, dinner and night market shopping.. Got another Mae Hong Son shirt.. Did I mentioned I bought a Mae Hong Son pants too? Haha..

 

Photo I - Stopped by Pai for some noodles.. The noodle stall gal was cute and spoke excellent English! Photo with her & bro Eric..

Photo II - Yes!!! The 1864 curves certificate from the MHS office.. 20 Baht per cert only.. Got some 1864 stickers too..

Photo III - Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce where you buy your certs..

Photo IV - One beautiful temple at Mae Hong Son, near the pasar malam..

Photo V - Bro Edmond had to go.. Can't find the loo..

Photo VI - Temple Near Night Bazaar

Edited March 21, 2009 by xixy

[PaLmEr]

do visit Pang Ung lake ard 50km from MHS.

 

Read here and here for more info

Edited March 2, 2009 by PaLmEr

[racingter]

racingter:

 

Don't be like that la.. Yours coming soon.. We will be riding together in Songkran.. Provided I still can get hotel rooms..

 

haha i waiting for you to come back...

[xixy]

PaLmEr:

 

When I saw your note, I was already at Phitsanulok..

 

 

Photos of the visit to the Red Karen Long Neck Village:

 

Photo I - Entrance to the Red Karen Long Neck village

Photo II - Got my neck temporarily lengthen.. Difficult to breathe man.. Funny Peter's neck fit just fine.. Pete, you got their genes or what? Haha..

Photo III - Mother & daugther selling their wares.. It's courteous to buy something off their stall should you take photos with them.. 100 Baht per item..

Photo IV - This gal is pretty!! I like..

Photo V - Bro Eric found a local bike with extended fork, without brakes nor clutch..

Photo VI - Oldest long neck at 65 year old.. Everyone calls her grandma..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

racingter:

 

Ride up now, we wait for you at Kanchanaburi..

 

 

Photos of the visit to the KMT Refuge Camp & Shan Village:

 

Photo I - KMT Refuge camp site where the Thai government provided land for the Chinese..

Photo II - One of the huts in the camp site..

Photo III - Chinese tea, mugs and dried fruits are their speciality..

Photo IV - Group photo @ Shan Village..

Photo V - Edmond & I faking a fishing trip @ Shan Village..

Photo VI - Beautiful site @ Shan Village lake..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

8th Stop - Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon Visit (2 Days)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai

Distance - 356.6 km

Total Time - 6:29 hours

Max Speed - 143 km/h

Average Speed - 70.0 km/h

 

Journey - Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon and back

Distance - 223.6 km

Total Time - 4:49 hours

Max Speed - 133 km/h

Average Speed - 64.3 km/h

 

From Mae Hong Son, we took another route back to Chiang Mai through a small town call Hot.. They don't call it Hot for nothing.. The journey was skin burning, butt cooking.. I never felt such a hot sensation emanating from the seat of my bike to my butt before.. The tingling sensation was not pleasant.. I think gel seat will be my next accessory for my bike..

 

This route was much longer than the route we took to come up.. So much longer.. The first half of the journey was great with great corners, especially through the morning breeze.. The second half of the road was very, very bad on route to Hot.. Road was bad, weather was hot.. This is one of the tougher stretches.. We checked back into Night Bazaar Inn hotel and I put up at room 411..

 

We had dinner at a food court nearby where you have to purchase coupons for your meals.. Lots of stalls populate the small area covering kebabs, satays, chicken rice, noodles, dessert, etc.. Spent 120 Baht on a kebab, sushi rolls and a ice kacang looking dessert.. The ambience is nice and there's a small stage where we saw traditional Thai dancers performing.. It is surrounded by handicraft stores as well thus I recommend having dinner here.. Walked around the night bazaar, bought myself a large mango shake for 40 Baht and went for a beer with Desmond and Peter..

 

The so called "red-light" district is a short walk away.. It has a small Muay Thai boxing ring in the middle.. We sat at a pub right in front of the ring, ordered some Sing Ha's and enjoyed the boxing.. Not long after, we realized that after every fight of about 10 minutes, the boxers will approach all tables with a white wooden box.. Gosh, they're asking for tips.. 20 Baht each from us went to the box.. We played a couple games of pool.. They play 8 ball pool with snooker cues.. Not long after, new fighters flood the ring and had a new round of sparring.. Here they came again asking for tips 10 minutes after.. We cabut not long after that too.. Hehe... We dropped by another pub at the roadside for another round before finally calling it the night..

 

The next day, the group rode up to Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand.. The ride up was great but not as challenging as Mae Hong Son.. The team decided to not drop by any petrol kiosk on the way up thus the 2 GTRs and my ZZR had our reserve lights blinking halfway through.. Man, I've got my balls up my throat when I was the Low Fuel sign.. Nevertheless, we reached the summit.. Parked our bikes at the pavement and took a couple of shots with the Doi Inthanon sign.. We walked down and had some coffee and instant noodles at the highest point in Thailand.. Just imagine, instant tom yum noodles at the highest point in Thailand.. How many people get the chance to do that? Haha... In fact, instant noodle is the only food they have up here.. Boh pian..

 

Then we headed down to our bike at the pavement, low fuel light still blinking.. We decided to siphon fuel from Eric's FJR to top up ours, just in case.. With courtesy of Eric, we got a fuel hose and hosed some petrol to the GTR, one FJR which is also running low on fuel and my ZZR.. We split an empty mineral water bottle, used the top as a funnel and the bottom as a container for fuel storage.. Ingenious! Thanks Eric! Owe you one "fi" foot massage..

 

We then headed down to the lower point where the 2 spires sat.. Parked our bikes in the open air carpark and walked down to the helipad where transport awaits.. Nope, no chopter, only an old pickup truck.. Took a free ride up to the 2 spires which they built for the king and queen.. The purple one is for the king, by the way.. View was spectacular and the garden is marvellous.. Took some wonderful shots up here.. Weather is superb.. Cool breeze at 12 degrees Celcius.. I walked around a little before finally settling up at the steps above with Anthony and partner.. We chatted and enjoyed the wonderful view from the top.. A dozen monks appeared before us and went in for their chants..

 

It was almost 4pm before we make our move downhill back to town.. Tried to search for the famous umbrella making factory on our way back but the factory wasn't there anymore.. It was back to the hotel after that, freshen up, dinner at the same Teo Chew restaurant and foot massage before finally hitting the sack.. Oh yes, we ordered a nice suckling pig for 1,200 Baht at the restaurant.. Not bad la..

 

Photo I - Doi Inthanon Checkpoint, paid 100 Baht for the entrance..

Photo II - Hey, this is the spot right? I'm at the highest point in Thailand..

Photo III - Fuel low, thanks to Eric we managed to siphoned some fuel for my ZZR, a GTR and a FJR..

Photo IV - My bike is at the highest point in Thailand too..

Photo V - The 2 spires built for the king and the queen of Thailand.. Temperature is just so cooling.. Anthony & I spent over an hour just chatting away at the spire..

Photo VI - Nelson, partner & I at the king's spire..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

9th Stop - Phitsanulok (2 Days)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok

Distance - 361.6 km

Total Time - 5:30 hours

Max Speed - 200 km/h

Average Speed - 88.2 km/h

 

The first half of the ride was pretty normal, nothing interesting happened.. We stopped by at a small town called Wang Chin for lunch at a friend's home..We visited a hot spring nearby where the water temperature reaches about 90 degrees Celcius.. Small stalls sell baskets of eggs for visitors to dip into the hot water to make boiled eggs.. Quite interesting indeed.. The temperature in the afternoon was hot and fatigue kicked in..

 

The 2nd half of the ride was more interesting with really, really bad roadworks.. Pebbles, rocks, sand, mud made the ride tough.. Tire skidded, went through humps and heart rate increased.. Jealous I was seeing the GS sailing smoothly through.. After the roadworks, there are miles of dead straight roads where most of us opened up our beasts.. I opened up till 225km/h (GPS just showing 200km/h) before realizing that I have 2 soft panniers and a large gym bag at the back.. Thank goodness the luggage is still there after the sprint.. Those that wanna open up their bike, here is the place!

 

Arrived at Phitsanulok about 5 1/2 hours later and checked into U Thong hotel.. Nice rooms with newly renovated bathrooms and central location.. Cost us only 380 Baht with breakfast for 2.. No fancy breakfast, you can either get sugar toast or local congee.. No complaints for the price.. Had dinner opposite the hotel at the rows of hawkers.. Excellent! Food is cheap and good.. Had a local Frappucino for 15 Baht only, local Char Kuay Teow for only 30 Baht.. Then we visited the famous fried insects stall where loads of cooked insects are on display including grasshoppers, cicadas, cockroaches, worms, scorpion, etc.. Bought some grasshoppers and worms for the Fear Factor experience.. Worms tasted like Twisties and grasshoppers tasted like crunchy mixed nuts.. The stall also do custom printed labels on canned insects.. Bought myself a can of insects for my family members to try..

 

The following day, the group left for Sukhothai to visit the ruins while I explored town.. Wanted to have a haircut but 4 shops that I went in told me "Phu Ying" only (ladies only).. Sigh.. Think I'll have my haircut in Hat Yai instead.. Town is pretty boring with places located far apart.. Checked out the shopping center and had an iced coffee at Dunkin' Donuts for 19 Baht.. Had an outstanding Thai Massage for 300 Baht before getting lost on my way back.. Catched up with the group when they came back from Sukhothai and went for dinner at the famous "Flying Vegetable" Restaurant.. This is where the cook will flip cooked kang kung to the top of an old van with the waiter catching the kang kung with a plate.. How cool is that? Peter put on an apron and went up to catch some kang kung.. The cook gave him a kuali cover just in case his miss.. This was a fun experience.. I'll never know this place should I travel alone.. Thanks go to the group leader Sam..

 

After dinner was night bazaar and foot massage for 100 Baht.. One thing about this town is Tuk Tuk is almost impossible to get.. Should you travel around, make sure you get the driver's number so that you can call him should you need his services.. Cost should be around 100 Baht.. Tuk tuks here look very much like the blue colored 3 wheeler van from Mr Bean's comedy series.. Cornering in the van is a little terrifying..

 

Well, will I return to Phitsanulok? Perhaps for the food but nothing else..

 

Next stop Lop Buri to visit the monkeys..

 

Photo I - Maejok Hotspring near Wang Chin where we dipped some eggs in the hot water..

Photo II - Insect mania in Thailand's own Fear Factor challange..

Photo III - Got myself some larvae and some grasshopper.. Tasted like pringles..

Photo IV - The flying kang-kung restaurant.. Without Sam, I wouldn't even know this place exist.. Thanks Sam..

Photo V - U-Thong hotel, just renovated.. Worth the money.. Next to me is bro Peter with his new GTR.. Peter, lai koh lim che puay Chang..

Photo VI - Pity the cows stuffed in the van..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

10th Stop - Lop Buri (1 Day)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Phitsanulok to Lop Buri

Distance - 286.0 km

Total Time - 5:08 hours

Max Speed - 175 km/h

Average Speed - 86.5 km/h

 

Time to pack up and leave Phitsanulok.. Hoping to get more action at Lop Buri.. The journey wasn't fun with more roadworks along the way.. Got my bike the dirtiest during this stretch with mud all over.. Just got it cleaned at the hotel carpark with the hose.. Weather was getting warmer as we were heading south and the roads are getting boring too.. Distance was not too far but we stopped quite a bit to rehydrate..

 

We checked into Lopburi Residence Hotel for 600 Baht inclusive of breakfast for 2 and dinner for 2.. Yup, you got that right, dinner for 2! Wierd eh? I've worked in the hotel line for quite a number of years and this is the first time you get dinner included in the room rate.. Location is in the middle of no where as the town has nothing much to offer either.. This will most likely be a stopover for tourists but not a destination point.. We visited the talk of the town - monkeys! Went to Phra Prang Sam Yod where the town area is literally infested with monkeys.. They were everywhere - on the road, on vehicles, on buildings, on electric cables, etc.. Saw a few sitting on the electric cables showcasing their red colored butt and balls.. Haha! We went around to Phra Kan Shrine where we heard that the fortune telling is quite accurate.. Paid respect with candles and joss sticks and tried the fortune telling sticks.. The result slip mentioned to be patient and don't rush.. Gosh, does this means that I can't speed on my bike.. That's not good.. Snapped more photos around before boarding the local minibus back to the hotel..

 

Upon reaching the hotel, a few of us headed to the carpark for a bikewash.. Time to get rid of the mud and grime of the wheels.. Got chased out by the attendant as we started washing our bikes in front of the hotel entrance.. Hehe.. Went to the carpark instead.. Then it was dinner with the 2 free dinner coupons.. Had a Pad Thai and stir-fry pork with chilli paste..

 

That's pretty much a wrap up for Lop Buri.. I don't think I'll be coming back here for the monkeys any time in the near future..

 

Next stop.. Ayuttaya..

 

Photo I - My bike look like crap after riding through the terrible roadworks..

Photo II - The town is literally infested with monkeys.. Beware of your belongings.. Peter got his green tea bottle snatched.. Cook almost got her hairclip stolen by the monkeys..

Photo III - Old ruin with lots of monkeys doing monkey business..

Photo IV - Beware of monkey signage.. We don't get that in Singapore..

Photo V - One of the "really accurate fortune telling" temples around..

Photo VI - Our bikes all lined up nicely right in front of the hotel.. Nice..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

11th Stop - Ayutthaya (1 Day)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Lop Buri to Ayutthaya

Distance - 74.0 km

Total Time - 2:26 hours

Max Speed - 147 km/h

Average Speed - 58.3 km/h

 

The shortest journey from Lop Buri to Ayutthaya is the shortest one compared to the rest of the stops.. At a mere 74.0km, the ride was relaxing.. Though the group stopped for some kopi and snacks along the way lengthening the journey to a total travelling time of 2hours and 26 minutes..

 

We encountered lots of police roadblocks along the way and was diverted to a small backlane for access.. I think there might most probably be a demonstration taking place.. The police did not stopped our 9 bikes and we rode through without any problems..

 

We checked in to Ayothaya Hotel (this is the correct spelling) paying 650 Baht for a night without breakfast.. We were put up at the guesthouse building at the rear of the hotel.. Rooms were fine but the parking space allocated was good.. Lots of sheltered space for cars and motorcycles.. Half of the rooms weren't made up as we arrive early.. Staff was helpful and turned the room in no time.. Funny that on the 2nd floor, one of the rooms were sealed shut from the outside.. Room 206 has masking tape around the main entrance.. Someone must be preventing something from the inside to get out.. Eerie.. Thank goodness I got room 201 which is 5 units away..

 

Chilled for a while in the room before taking a ride out to visit the famous headless Buddha ruins.. 50 Baht entrance fee for foreigners and 10 Baht for locals.. Too bad we were spotted as non locals on entry.. The sight at this ruins is amazing.. You can see how much destruction has taken place when the war broke out.. Only a few remaining Buddhas had their heads intact.. Spent an hour plus taking photos and walking around the ruins before retreating to the drinks stall near the entrance for a koping peng and a teh o peng.. A loy mak!

 

Then we went on to another ruin site with a large tomb like structure.. Climbed up the tomb to catch a glimpse of the ruins from the top.. There's a really steep staircase down within the tomb to the bottom of the structure to see the remains of the king's father.. Scary climb but a must to see the details of the site..

 

After that it was back to the hotel for some R&R.. Fell asleep for a little before dinner at MK Restaurant.. During dinner, the MK theme song came to life and all the staff started their funky dance.. Interesting..

 

Had a beer at a place nearby called "Kent" before calling it a night..

 

Next stop, Kanchanaburi

 

Photo I - The famous Buddha head in tree ruin..

Photo II - One of the headless Buddha figures.. Quite a sad site.. The site must have been beautiful once upon a time..

Photo III - Eric, Nelson & I posing with one of the few remaining Buddha figures with the head intact..

Photo IV - Some of us are just taking our tolls off the heatwave.. Cook is highlighting the 100 Baht for foreigner and 20 Baht for local policy..

Photo V - One of the superb ruins still standing..

Photo VI - Me & the 2 ladies..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[PaLmEr]

glad to hear about your ride adventures! hope to see some pictures soon!

[xixy]

12th Stop - Kanchanaburi (3 Days)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Ayutthaya to Kanchanaburi

Distance - 184.3 km

Total Time - 4:59 hours

Max Speed - 152 km/h

Average Speed - 65.0 km/h

 

The journey to Kanchanaburi was an exciting one.. I've heard so much about Kanchanaburi and I can't wait to get there to view the sites.. Ride was easy in the morning.. Leaded the group with my Garmin GPS to Luxury Hotel for a 3 nights stay.. Price was 600 Baht without breakfast.. Location was not that bad, about 5km away from the Bridge over River Kwai and walking distance away to the War Cemetery and Pasar Malam.. For 700 Baht, you get a room with refrigerator.. I omitted the fridge and save 300 Baht for this stop.. Laundry was cheap.. 10 Baht for washing of shirt/pants and 20 Baht will complete the wash with ironing..

 

First Day - Bridge Over River Kwai & Floating Restaurant

 

After washing up at the hotel, we left for the Bridge over River Kwai.. I finally get to lay my eyes on the famous landmark featured in the film.. Rode our bikes into the empty area in front of the bridge, took a couple of shots and a nice group photo.. As the sun was setting, Eric and I decided to make a trip back the next day earlier in the morning.. After the photo session, we headed down to the floating restaurant for seafood.. Had a lion's share of food at 240 Baht per person.. After that we headed back to the hotel for some R&R..

 

Second Day - Hellfire Pass, Lawa Caves & Erawan National Park

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Kanchanaburi to Hellfire Pass, Lawa Caves & Erawan National Park

Distance - 257.4 km

Total Time - 4:40 hours

Max Speed - 134 km/h

Average Speed - 69.0 km/h

 

Started our bike ride to Hellfire Pass at around 8.30am.. We arrived at Hellfire Pass as our first stop.. 2 military personnel were guarding the gates but it was an easeful drive in.. Parked out bikes at the huge open air carpark and walked into the museum.. TV's showed the history of POWs (Prisoner of War) being forced to construct the railway connecting Thailand to Burma.. There's a mini cinema showing more history of the workers.. We then headed down the steps to the railway to have a first hand view of whatever that is left behind.. It's quite a walk to the end of the track where you will get a black carved stone commerating all those who died in the construction.. This place is a recommended visit!

 

Second stop was at Lawa Caves where we were told it was a must visit site.. 200 Baht per foreigner and a steep climb up to the cave entrance.. There are 5 rooms in the caves, namely sites where these rooms have rock formations resembling animals.. There most famous room is the crocodile room which you can see a giant crocodile rock structure stuck on the ceiling.. Reminds me of Jurassic Park.. Further deeper into the cave, you'll see bats hanging up on the walls shitting down your head.. Haha.. Air was thin and cool.. Dark it was in the caves.. After the brief walk in the caves, it was down hill towards the entrance of the park for fresh coconuts at 20 Baht each.. Coconut, the drink of life!

 

Third stop was Erawan National Park some 60km away.. The funniest thing happened during the journey.. Sam was the lead rider and I was the 2nd bike in the convoy.. We saw cow road signs indicating cows were present in the vicinity.. A few kms down the road, we saw some black piles of leaf like objects scattered on the road.. We thought those we dried leaves.. Sam opened up his throttle and ran across the leaves and right in front of my eyes the leaves exploded.. Well, well, well.. Those are not leaves after all, those were dried cow dung!!! Haha.. The cow dung exploded under his feat soiling his bike fairing as well as his Alpine star riding shoes.. There I was right behind him spectating his left foot dangling the sh*t off.. Haha! Looking at my rear view mirror, I can see the rest of the bikes scrambling to avoid the "landmines".. I laughed for a full 5 minutes.. For those travelling in Thailand, especially along the country side.. Do watch out for exploding cow dung! We arrived at the entrance to Erawan National Park at about 4.20pm before being informed that the park is scheduled to close at 4.30pm.. Sigh.. No luck thus we u-turn back to the hotel.. Pasar Malam awaits us with a couple of beers before calling it a night..

 

Day 3 - War Cemetery & Erawan Waterfalls

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Kanchanaburi to War Memorial, Erawan National Park, Dam & Back

Distance - 132.7 km

Total Time - 2:41 hours

Max Speed - 158 km/h

Average Speed - 75.6 km/h

 

On the third day, Eric & I decided to rest and relax and explore Kanchanaburi town.. First off, we dropped by the war cemetery to have a look at the memorial artifacts.. Lots of tomb stones lined up the landscape, superbly maintained.. Different regiments filled the area covering lots of Australians, New Zealanders, etc.. On the stone plague on the wall, we can see regiments from Malaysia & Singapore too.. A quick 20 minute walk around is all we need to cover the area.. Right outside the entrance, we saw an Ang Moh selling memorabilias.. He was one of the few surviving POWs now settled down in Thailand..

 

We then dropped by the River Kwai Cafe for breakfast.. Had some Pad Thai and coffee.. The waitress that worked at the floating restaurant was working the morning shift.. Took a photo with her.. She's cute but speaks very little English.. What we gather from her was she works 9 hour shifts at 6 day a week at a mere 6,000 Baht a month.. Poor thing.. Shortly after, we saw a bunch of gals coming off a van from Bangkok.. After some chit chat, we found out that they're heading to the Erawan Waterfalls and we're invited to tag along.. Woohoo..

 

The ride to Erawan Waterfalls took about 45 minutes.. Road was pretty straight forward, just need to be wary of cows and their exploding dung.. Met a bunch of local school gals and trekked up the waterfalls with them.. Erawan consists of 7 layers of waterfalls.. The 7th layer lay about 2.2kms away.. The walk up was tricky.. Rough terrains with tree roots, rocks, ponds, etc.. Poor Eric with his jeans and riding shoes.. I survived the walk up in my Crocs.. We went all the way up to the 7th waterfall stop, stripped down to our boxers and jumped in.. Water was cooling and the pond is filled with fish.. The fish swam close by and we had a free dead skin clean up.. Not until a huge load of humongous fish approached my rear, Eric warned me to watched my butt.. Haha.. Took some very nice shots of the waterfall, including the Bangkok babes.. Check out the photos below.. Spent about 3 hours in the waterfall before heading down for a quick lunch.. I highly recommend the waterfall.. Put on a pair of bermudas, grab a towel and head up.. It's an excellent relaxation stop!

 

After a quick lunch, we rode to the water dam nearby.. This is supposed to be one of the biggest dam in Thailand.. Took a few quick snapshots and moved back to Luxury Hotel.. After a quick shower, we met up with the rest of the group which just came back from the floating market.. A discussion took place whether to skip the Surat Thani stop and head straight to Hat Yai.. The estimated distance was about 950km.. After some friendly debate, we've decided to move out at 6.30am and target Hat Yai.. Dinner was at the local pasar malam before calling it a night..

 

 

Photo I - The Kawa gang at the Bridge Over River Kwai.. 1 ZZR & 2 GTRs..

Photo II - Got to the bridge early in the morning for this shot with the mural..

Photo III - Me at the River Kwai at 9am in the morning..

Photo IV - The bridge still stands strong..

Photo V - Old train on display..

Photo VI - This 17 year old gal serves great coffee besides that lovely smile..

Edited March 18, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

Day 2 in Kanchanaburi Photos:

 

Photo I - Hellfire Pass entrance.. This is the start of the remaining railway tracks still lying around..

Photo II - The last remaining railway tracks..

Photo III - Miniature tombstones remembering those who died in the course of the railway construction..

Photo IV - The famous hellfire pass site..

Photo V - Lawa caves entrance after a 500 meter climb..

Photo VI - The famous crocodile room with a natural rock structure resembling a large crocodile..

Edited March 17, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

Day 3 in Kanchanaburi Photos:

 

Photo I - War Cemetery with a view of the tomb stones..

Photo II - War Cemetery cross..

Photo III - Erawan National Park entrance, first waterfall is about 700m away..

Photo IV - Step 3 of the waterfalls..

Photo V - Step 5 of the waterfalls..

Photo VI -The final step of the waterfalls.. 7th Heaven..

[xixy]

Day 3 in Kanchanaburi Photos:

 

Photo I - Posing with the gal from Bangkok.. Friendly she was.. We were invited to Bangkok.. Don't ask me what for.. Hehe..

Photo II - A sexy pose by Nong Bee..

Photo III - The bunch of school gals that escorted us up the waterfalls..

Photo IV - She must have been 15..

Photo V - ZZR & FJR @ the dam..

Photo VI - Another view of the dam..

[xixy]

13th Stop - Hat Yai (3 Days)

 

Ride breakdown:

Journey - Kanchanaburi to Hat Yai

Distance - 953.3 km

Total Time - 11:19 hours

Max Speed - 199 km/h

Average Speed - 110.0 km/h

 

The journey to Hat Yai started at 6.30am.. I got up at around 5.00am for breakfast, pack up my bike and get everything prep for the long ride down.. I've to ensure that the cargo net and bungees are properly secured.. Don't want my luggage to be flying off my back seat during the ride.. Initial ride was fun as it was cooling.. There were 2 police road blocks but they only stopped local drivers thus we glided through with ease.. I managed to opened up my bike to 220km/h but strangely enough, my GPS recorded a lower speed of 199 km/h only.. Sigh..

 

We agreed on pit stops every 150km thus the ride wasn't that bad.. Eric was the time keeper and when some of us started to get adrift with our kopi break, he'll whistle and yell "5 MINUTES".. This is good! Get us moving again.. After our 3rd pit stop, the middle convoy got a taste of exploding lorry tires.. Eric was overtaking a 20 wheeler lorry when one of the middle tires exploded.. He ducked and floored the throttle to get our of the flying debris.. He escaped fine but I think his fairing got some bits of action.. Shortly after the exploding tires, we saw a huge smoke screen right in front of us.. Could it be road works? When we cleared through the smoke screen, then we realized that a sleeping driver drove his truck right into the ravine in the middle of the road.. Eric gave the driver a thumbs up..

 

We arrived at Hat Yai at around 6.15pm.. In Hat Yai, you'll not be needing a GPS if you're travelling with Sam.. He is the most updated walking GPS available for Hat Yai.. From food to hotels to vouchers to shopping to other activities, ask uncle Sam.. He'll give you precise directions and timings to get there.. We checked into Golden Crown Hotel at 790 Baht per night with tour vouchers that Sam purchased.. Hotel room was great and location couldn't be better.. We went for a quick meal at a local Chinese restaurant.. The pork's throtters were great man! I learnt to eat this dish from Eric.. Credits to you bro.. After dinner, it was feet massage at a Chinese joint.. I got a male masseuse that did the massage like a barbarian.. My feet never hurt so much before.. Haiz.. After that, it was back to the hotel for some R&R after such a long ride..

 

Day 2 & 3 at Hat Yai was pretty straight forward.. Food and shopping.. Had my haircut plus washing for 200 Baht (a ripped off, Nelson got his for 160 Baht only).. Then had a facial for 300 Baht, pedi and manicure for 150 Baht.. Bought some dried longans for 135 Baht for an XL pack.. What else did I buy? Mm... Oh yes, some polo shirts for 250 Baht, football jerseys for 280 Baht and half of us did a big shopping at Body Glove.. Dropped by one evening in one of the local bars for a few beers with Peter & Desmond.. 100 Pipers cost 400 Baht per bottle.. Super cheap..

 

Oh yes, we did a bike wash too near Sakura hotel for 200 Baht per bike including a through wash plus wax.. Quality of job is not bad.. You've to remind the staff to wash from top down though.. One bike wash, free one puppy.. Too bad we can't bring the puppy back..

 

Some photos of Hat Yai, which is nothing interesting:

 

Photo I - Golden Crown Hotel lobby.. Better than Sakura Hotel that I stayed the last time..

Photo II - Hotel room.. Very nicely done up.. I like..

Photo III - Bathroom.. Clean and modern..

Photo IV - View of the marketplace..

Photo V - Another view of the marketplace.. Here you can see Lionel on the left.. He joined us at Hat Yai..

Edited March 18, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

14th Stop - Singapore (Home Sweet Home)

 

Ride breakdown:

 

Journey - Hat Yai to Singapore

Distance - 911.2 km

Total Time - 11:12 hrs

Max Speed - 227 km/h

Average Speed - 109 km/h

 

It's finally time to return home.. We broke down our stops into the following areas:

 

1) Hat Yai - Changlun 60km

2) Changlun - G. Semanggul 195km

3) G. Semanggul - Ulu Bernam 207km

4) Ulu Bernam - Ayer Keroh 198km

5) Ayer Keroh - 2nd Link Esso 219km

 

At G. Semanggul to Ulu Bernam side, we encountered a Mini Cooper S who tried to race with us.. From the rear view mirror, I saw the VFR picked up speed pass 200 km/h, I thought Nelson was merely trying to open up his bike.. Right after he passed me on the left, I saw a Mini Cooper S trailing extremely closely behind him.. I had a look at Lionel and he gives the heads up to chase.. He opened up his GTR in front while I opened up my ZZR from behind.. We gave chase to the Cooper.. I have to admit that the Cooper has some oommph.. It hit around 230+ km/h before reaching it's limit.. Both Lionel and I opened up till about 260 km/h and the Cooper was left behind.. Lionel then gave the sign to slow down.. What did I prove? Hehe.. I proved that RJays soft panniers and my large gym bag tied down with only a cargo net can succomb the speed of 260 km/h.. Ha! Once again my GPS recorded a speed of only 227 km/h.. Garmin, is your reading correct or is my speedometer correct? Hmm...

 

After Ulu Bernam, we were hit with super heavy rain.. Alpinestars inner lining couldn't withstand the rain thus I got soaked to the bone.. My palms got dyed black from the gloves.. Cold, hungry and halfway to go.. Gosh.. This part of the ride wasn't pleasant.. Stopped by the Ayer Keroh stop for a quick Ramly burger before hitting the road again.. It's a pleasant site to see the 2nd link Esso stop.. The group had a quick break for hot coffee and cup noodles before entering Singapore.. Custom checks weren't too much of a problem.. The officer asked why I didn't install hard panniers.. I had to unstrap everything for her to check.. Nevertheless, I got off just fine..

 

The rest was back to normal, PIE, CTE.. And finally back home I am..

Edited March 18, 2009 by xixy

[xixy]

Final Ride Debrief:

 

1. 21/02/09 Phuket - Hua Hin 644.9km

2. 22/02/09 Hua Hin - Nakhon Ratchasima 486.5km

3. 23/02/09 Nakhon Ratchasima - Khon Kean 196.8km

4. 24/02/09 Khon Kean - Sukhothai 404.4km

5. 25/02/09 Sukhothai - Chiang Rai 413.8km

6. 26/02/09 Chiang Rai - Golden Triangle - Mae SAi - 2nd Friendship Bridge - Doi Tung & Back 241.9km

7. 27/02/09 Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai 186.5km

8. 28/02/09 Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son 206km

9. 01/03/09 Mae Hong Son Stayover

10. 02/03/09 Mae Hong Son - Chiang Mai 356.6km

11. 03/03/09 Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon & Back 223.6km

12. 04/03/09 Chiang Mai - Phitsanulok 361.6km

13. 05/03/09 Phitsanulok Stayover

14. 06/03/09 Phitsanulok - Lop Buri 286.0km

15. 07/03/09 Lop Buri - Ayutthaya 74km

16. 08/03/09 Ayutthaya - Khanchanaburi 184.3km

17. 09/03/09 Kanchanaburi - Hellfire Pass - Lawa Caves - Erawan National Park & Back 257.4km

18. 10/03/09 Kanchanaburi - War Memorial - Erawan Waterfalls - Dam & Back 132.7km

19. 11/03/09 Kanchanaburi - Hat Yai 953.3km

20. 12/03/09 Hat Yai Stayover

21. 13/03/09 Hat Yai Stayover

22. 14/03/09 Hat Yai - Singapore 911.2km

 

Distance covered - Approximately 6521.5 km ++

Period - 21st Feb 2009 - 14th March 2009

Total days - 22 days

 

My thoughts:

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the touring trip up north.. For those who want to tour Thailand, north is the way to go.. There's so much to see, so many places to explore and so many people and culture to indulge in..

 

Travelling solo during my first half of the trip was fun but it can get boring pretty quickly.. At Khon Kean, I was almost in the midst of cutting short my trip as I was challenging the distance on a daily basis.. Riding in a group makes things much more interesting.. Especially with riders that have ridden to Thailand before.. With their insights and knowledge of the area, planning on which places to visit.. It makes the whole trip more exciting and enjoyable.. I remembered at Mae Hong Son, with fellow riders along we can share the experience together.. It'll be difficult to share it with someone who hasn't ridden with you at the same route.. I also learn that touring is about exploring new places, spending a little more time besides riding and look around the place.. Mae Hong Son's 1864 curves is worth it for sure but the visit to the Red Karen village, Shan village and the other areas completes the journey.. If you plan to ride up, give it more time and stay a few more days.. Spending time on the bike is only part of the enjoyment, spending time around the place is the way to go..

 

My gratitude to:

 

Anthony & partner who invited me to join the group.. Owe you 2 Thai coffees on our next trip up..

Sam & partner, the group leader.. Patient and careful rider.. Hat Yai GPS..

Eric, the group joker.. Can't forget that laugh.. And thanks for the fuel at Doi Inthanon.. We have to go Kanchanaburi again.. See me fall like nangka busuk at the 7th step..

Desmond, the Beamer guy.. Thanks for the storage space.. Loved your ice cream boxes.. And your back box mounting for the Mae Hong Son video..

Nelson & partner.. You naughty boy.. Open up halfway and stop.. Where's the prata shop?

Peter.. The man who kin a lot of kau.. Can't survive without rice and beer..

Kingsley & partner.. Nice race at Mae Hong Son.. Lots of pressure with you following so closely behind.. Revenge ah? Haha..

Edmond.. The road marshall.. I thought you're supposed to be the last bike? Hint hint..

 

Would I head up north again on my bike.. MOST DEFINITELY so.. Will I head up in a group? YOU BET! I can't wait for the next trip up.. The fun and adventure is memorable..

Edited March 18, 2009 by xixy

[Nighthawk_250]

hey xixy...nice trip!

bring back the memories 4me too.

 

Did similar trip with Mrs Nighthawk year back,

stayed close to a week at kanchanaburi.

This place I can go back many time still not sian lol.

Edited March 19, 2009 by Nighthawk_250

[xixy]

Nighthawk_250:

 

Next time we ride together.. More Kanchanaburi trips to come.. There's just so much to see there..

[PaLmEr]

Nighthawk_250:

 

Next time we ride together.. More Kanchanaburi trips to come.. There's just so much to see there..

 

ironbutt to kanchanaburi for you sir? lol

[xixy]

PaLmEr:

 

Straight shot from Singapore to Kanchanaburi cannot lar.. But tear ah.. Haha..

 

Perhaps the following:

 

Singapore - Hat Yai

Hat Yai - Phuket

Phuket - Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi - Hat Yai

Hat Yai - Singapore

 

Saw your Mae Hong Son vids at YouTube.. Am mixing mine to post up..

[xixy]

Hey guys..

 

Just manage to edit and remix my Mae Hong Son ride video.. Original footage covers over 55 minutes and I cut it down to about 7 minutes.. The video camera mounting is non-conventional and with some creativity, we manage to shoot bikes with the front view instead of the rear.. Here the footage is more stable and background scenery can been seen.. This route is the longer one from Mae Hong Son heading back down to Chiang Mai, bypassing the town Hot..

 

Link as follows:

 

 

Enjoy..

Edited March 19, 2009 by xixy

[antchiew44]

1 of the best write up & clip i ever see....:thumb::thumb:

[xixy]

Antchiew44:

 

Thanks bro.. Very much appreciated..