From Zach
Sliding around on the back roads and donkey trails of northern Shan State, Myanmar
I did a slow paced 5 day 737km trip up into Shan State from Pyin oo Lwin last week on my Jialing 150 and thought I'd share some of my pics and info on here. I didn't write a ride report on here before so I hope it is somewhat interesting.
Day 1: Pyin Oo Lwin to Kyaukme
I got a late start, 1pm, because I was in Pyin Oo Lwin all morning for the second anniversary of my wife's Grandfather's death.
They had a typical Shan breakfast and lunch and we all sat around and talked. A group of monks came and gave a speech and then that was it.
I stopped at a Peik Chin Myaing cave, Gokteik Gorge and many times along the road to take pics. I made it to Kyaukme at 5pm
leaving the house
Waiting for the truck to navigate the switchback at Gokteik Gorge
literal translation: "Don't be the cause of accidents. The people who ride/drive better than you are in the cemetery"
view past Gokteik
Well maintained Mandalay Lashio Road
Day 2: around Kyaukme and hotel in Hsipaw
The guide I wanted to hire had English teaching responsibilities to take care of so he decided to take some of his students
up into the mountains to show me around and have his students practice English to boot.
I rode with the students for about 2 hours, with plenty of stops, on the road to Mogok
until the guide showed me the dirt roads I could take to get back to kyaukme. With the guides hand drawn map, I split with the group and headed off solo onto the mountain trails.After some scary and fun times slipping and sliding on
the trails I made it back to Kyaukme at 4pm for lunch/dinner and into Hsipaw at 6pm to check into my hotel.
I've been escorted by police before in Myanmar but never a group of teenage students.
The guide, Joy, and his students before we parted ways. He refused payment because he wasn't able to take me on the back roads with the students.
this road looked nice so I just sped up it. I didn't realize it was very slippery packed clay with moss. I even fell down when I tried to pick the bike up. You can also see my glasses at the bottom left, I forgot to pick those up.
Narrow path partially blocked by small landslide
Make way for Donkeys, The bushes are tea plants.
Stream crossing
When I was back in Kyaukme to pick up my bags and head off to Hsipaw.I saw this Chinese bike dressed up like a Yamaha DT.
Day 3 Hsipaw to Namhsan
The whole reason for my trip was to go to Namhsam so nothing was going to stop me. I set off in the pouring
rain and drove north
until the junction town of Panglong where I head west to Namhsan. It was a very wet and cloudy ride but probably
one of the most beautiful rides I have ever taken in Myanmar. After arriving in Namhsan I just explored on foot.
Got my bike bent back into shape and chain tightened in Hsipaw before leaving town.
Road north of Hsipaw to Panglong
Bamboo harvesters
Bridge on road to Namhsan
Namhsan Town is basically one street along a ridge lined with houses on either side. It goes on like this for a few miles
Tea is the major industry in Namhsan
If I had a better camera, this photo would have been awesome. Then again, if I had a nicer camera it probably would have broken in the fall on day 2.
Day 4: Namhsan to Lashio
Unfortunately there are soldiers everywhere and one of the policemen told me i would be unable to take the road
to Kyaukme from Namhsan because of some little war that was going on in the area. I saw soldiers everywhere
(none of them let me take a picture) in town and on the roads around town so I reluctantly went back
on the road I came in on. I was able to make a short detour to Ruby Mountain on my way back. Instead of going back to Hsipaw I turned north, then west, to take the back road into Lashio, one of my favorite cities in Myanmar.
I pushed the bike to my hotel, after I got it washed and it failed to start,and went into the room for a hot shower. No hot shower and I realized I was running a fever. By the end of the shower I knew I was getting quite sick.Didn't sight see at all, went to bed at 8pm.
Namhsan Hotel.
road to ruby mountain.
Pagoda at the top of Ruby Mountain. Over 1800m up!
Namhsan road view from Ruby Mountain road
The back road to Lashio has so many blind curves like this which can limit your speed.
Dump outside Lashio. This thing burns 24-7.365.
Lashio City.
Day 5 Lashio to Pyin Oo Lwin (the zombie-ride)
I could barely drag myself from bed to check out and leave the hotel.I woke up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat, I think the hotel must have thought I wet the bed it was so wet even after I left.
Unlike the bed, the bike dried out well overnight and started without issue. The ride back felt more like a mission than a nice cruise like I originally intended. I was squinting a lot because I was sensitive to the light, I was shivering and my whole body was in pain. I stopped to take a few photos, eat some roadside pineapple and fill up with gas but that was it. About 230km after leaving Lashio, I arrived home at 3:30pm and stayed in bed the rest of the day where my wife could take care of me. I rode the egg truck into Mandalay the next day. I had a fever of 103 for about 3 days. I am glad to be over that and I am looking forward to the next time I can go back up into Shan State.
Blurry photo lwhile leaving Lashio and trying to get home ASAP.
Gokteik Gorge view on the way back.
Train crossing
Gokteik Viaduct (Goteik Viaduct) which is over 100 years old!
Photo from the egg truck looking down toward Mandalay the day after I arrived home. I was too sick to drive back so I left the bike at our farm.
