2wheels
Community Manager
The 8am decision today was either to start painting the newly erected car-port or 'head for the hills'.
My first stop along #118 was here at Ban Kanghan resort, which I had wanted to test-eat since looking at it last ride.
N 18.99741
E 99.27277
Alas, it was closed (10-30am) and there were no notices informing the visitor about opening hours.
So I strolled around their beautiful grounds for a while, avoiding their vicious-looking guard dog.
Lacking caffeine and cake
, I rode on along #118 to this sign and turned left at
N 19.07721
E 99.34989
which led me along a superb track towards Khun Chai National Park via Wat Khun Lao.
Along the track I spotted this lovely little home beside a flowing stream.
Then this sign asking people not to take these fish.
There's some fine looking homes along this track ....
... and lots of interesting looking side-tracks.
I decided to 'dawdle' along, taking it all in.
Burbling, fast flowing streams. Birds chirping in the branches. No traffic.
I now also decided to return to this track and ride it for as far as possible.
His and hers.
There had been a few landslides and trees fallen across the track.
I called in to Wat Khun Lao.
No-one to be seen or heard.
Then doubled back a bit to continue on the track leading to the National Park.
This Temple is near Ban Khun Lao school.
And this sign, I believe, indicates that there is a hydro-electricity scheme in the area.
An attractive little village here.
I just trickle through such villages very slowly, smiling at every-one I see and usually receive a smile or wave in return.
The corn crops are ready for harvesting.
Indeed, there was much activity harvesting, bagging and transporting corn in this region.
I'd seen enough to know that this track and the National Park deserve a full day in the near future, so I'll pack some food and drinks and return.
So, back onto #118 for a noodle soup at the wretched Mae Kachan Hot Springs where I found a swarm of tourist buses and 'guides' armed with loud-speakers telling the unfortunate tourists where to go and what to buy. Yuck.
The mult-million baht Khmer style 'Resort' is still unused.
A hasty retreat from there to some nearby corn fields.
It was here that I decided to head for those distant mountains and to explore a track I have noted many times but never been on.
So, back on to #118 heading back towards Chiang Mai for a short distance, I called in to this wonderful Wat Siratanamongkol (again for the first time after driving/riding past it hundreds of times).
Note the CCTV on the pole.
It was track #3058 that I really wanted to explore.
It turns off #118 here at
N 19.10762
E 99.44932
There's currently a fast-flowing stream running under the bridge at the turn-off.
OK, along the delightful #3058 for a while and I came upon these students collecting rocks and soil from the road-side.
They are students of the Ban Huai Muang School at
N 19.09405
E 99.45085
I persevered with English for a while, trying to tease some from them.
There was the usual timidity and 'Where you go?' ('No bloody idea sweet-heart!') and 'What you name?' etc.
Then I broke in to my bad Thai (even though most of the students are Lao) and was invited to ride my 'huge' CRF into the school grounds to meet the teacher.
Here he is in his Wednesday uniform; a delightful man who spoke good English and whom I'd like to chat with again.
He said the school had 88 students.
Delightful, friendly little urchins who brightened up my already illuminated day.
It transpired that the 'work gang' had been commissioned to fill in the puddles leading to the staff car-park!
Respectful 'goodbyes' were said and the students posed for a parting photo.
Back to my exploration of #3058.
There sure are some very humble dwellings out here amongst the corn fields.
'Welcome', in Thai, Lao and English, to Ban Meuang Noi.
I wanted to follow #3058 as far as I could, it not being marked on my GPS.
This is where #3058 comes to an abrupt end ...
... where this little chap was working ...
... and this chap was talking.
More friendly 'hello's, then slowly back along #3058.
There's more to see out here, so that's on the 'to do' list.
Some would be surprised by how red the earth is out here.
A Christian Church option for some of the locals.
And around a bend these ladies carrying heavy bags of corn to be loaded onto a 'ute' by a guy who must have had muscles like Superman.
I offered them a bottle of water (always, always carry water), which was shared.
Then off one of my new favourite tracks, back onto the #118 speedway and home; where one of my work-boots had become a very successful but unintentional rain gauge whilst I was enjoying my ride.
A few thoroughly enjoyable hours and 150kms.
Life is good.
My first stop along #118 was here at Ban Kanghan resort, which I had wanted to test-eat since looking at it last ride.
N 18.99741
E 99.27277
Alas, it was closed (10-30am) and there were no notices informing the visitor about opening hours.
So I strolled around their beautiful grounds for a while, avoiding their vicious-looking guard dog.
Lacking caffeine and cake
, I rode on along #118 to this sign and turned left atN 19.07721
E 99.34989
which led me along a superb track towards Khun Chai National Park via Wat Khun Lao.
Along the track I spotted this lovely little home beside a flowing stream.
Then this sign asking people not to take these fish.
There's some fine looking homes along this track ....
... and lots of interesting looking side-tracks.
I decided to 'dawdle' along, taking it all in.
Burbling, fast flowing streams. Birds chirping in the branches. No traffic.
I now also decided to return to this track and ride it for as far as possible.
His and hers.
There had been a few landslides and trees fallen across the track.
I called in to Wat Khun Lao.
No-one to be seen or heard.
Then doubled back a bit to continue on the track leading to the National Park.
This Temple is near Ban Khun Lao school.
And this sign, I believe, indicates that there is a hydro-electricity scheme in the area.
An attractive little village here.
I just trickle through such villages very slowly, smiling at every-one I see and usually receive a smile or wave in return.
The corn crops are ready for harvesting.
Indeed, there was much activity harvesting, bagging and transporting corn in this region.
I'd seen enough to know that this track and the National Park deserve a full day in the near future, so I'll pack some food and drinks and return.
So, back onto #118 for a noodle soup at the wretched Mae Kachan Hot Springs where I found a swarm of tourist buses and 'guides' armed with loud-speakers telling the unfortunate tourists where to go and what to buy. Yuck.
The mult-million baht Khmer style 'Resort' is still unused.
A hasty retreat from there to some nearby corn fields.
It was here that I decided to head for those distant mountains and to explore a track I have noted many times but never been on.
So, back on to #118 heading back towards Chiang Mai for a short distance, I called in to this wonderful Wat Siratanamongkol (again for the first time after driving/riding past it hundreds of times).
Note the CCTV on the pole.
It was track #3058 that I really wanted to explore.
It turns off #118 here at
N 19.10762
E 99.44932
There's currently a fast-flowing stream running under the bridge at the turn-off.
OK, along the delightful #3058 for a while and I came upon these students collecting rocks and soil from the road-side.
They are students of the Ban Huai Muang School at
N 19.09405
E 99.45085
I persevered with English for a while, trying to tease some from them.
There was the usual timidity and 'Where you go?' ('No bloody idea sweet-heart!') and 'What you name?' etc.
Then I broke in to my bad Thai (even though most of the students are Lao) and was invited to ride my 'huge' CRF into the school grounds to meet the teacher.
Here he is in his Wednesday uniform; a delightful man who spoke good English and whom I'd like to chat with again.
He said the school had 88 students.
Delightful, friendly little urchins who brightened up my already illuminated day.
It transpired that the 'work gang' had been commissioned to fill in the puddles leading to the staff car-park!
Respectful 'goodbyes' were said and the students posed for a parting photo.
Back to my exploration of #3058.
There sure are some very humble dwellings out here amongst the corn fields.
'Welcome', in Thai, Lao and English, to Ban Meuang Noi.
I wanted to follow #3058 as far as I could, it not being marked on my GPS.
This is where #3058 comes to an abrupt end ...
... where this little chap was working ...
... and this chap was talking.
More friendly 'hello's, then slowly back along #3058.
There's more to see out here, so that's on the 'to do' list.
Some would be surprised by how red the earth is out here.
A Christian Church option for some of the locals.
And around a bend these ladies carrying heavy bags of corn to be loaded onto a 'ute' by a guy who must have had muscles like Superman.
I offered them a bottle of water (always, always carry water), which was shared.
Then off one of my new favourite tracks, back onto the #118 speedway and home; where one of my work-boots had become a very successful but unintentional rain gauge whilst I was enjoying my ride.
A few thoroughly enjoyable hours and 150kms.
Life is good.
