The Golden Triangle Rider

[Mark Rossi]

The Riders: Myself, Alex and V.J.
I received a email from V.J. requesting a 4 day trip over the new year period, a ride starting on the 31stof December and finishing on the 3th of January 2009. Normally this time of year is busy in North Thailand but who was too know to what extent the low fuel prices coupled with cheap airline tickets and a long new year holiday would have on the domestic tourist market. We where soon to find thousands of Thai’s migrated to the north to experience the cold weather that the Golden Triangle and its surrounding mountains had to offer.
My usual stopovers where fully booked as where any other hotels, guest houses and home stays on offer. After 4 hours of searching I found John from Rim Taan Guest house in Ban Thoed Thai had some available rooms for the 1st day of the New Year.
So for day 1 we would do a loop ride out of ChiangMai out to the Samoeng area riding a mixture of off-road and tarmac. This year Hmoeng New Year had aligned with the western calendar and the local Meow Villages where celebrating daily which made a interesting day loop ride and spectacle.
Day 2 we would head up country and sleep over at Rim Taan in Ban Thoed Thai Khun Sa’s old stomping grounds just outside of Doi MaeSalong.

DAY 1 PIC’S


Alex and V.J.


V.J. with some Hmoeng girls on the prowl for a husband


The Hmoeng single couples play this ball catching game, they make two parallel lines, one with boys and the other with girls, they have a ball that they toss back and forward across the lines, if somebody takes your fancy you keep throwing the ball back to them, then If they throw the ball returning it to you, it shows there is a interest in you and a conversation ignites while the ball is tossed back and forward.

Another game played some form of flying odd shaped bowls “The Challenger”


“The Challenged”


Alex making his off-road debut

DAY 2 : We rode from ChiangMai today to Doi Ang Khang, Doi MaeSalong then onto Thoed Thai.

We came across this Cock Fight near the Chinese Village of Ban Yang






The Winning Cock poses with his proud owner and V.J.


V.J.


Palong Hilltribe Enjoying a B.B.Q in Doi Ang Khang


V.J. making his way down the steep decent from Doi Ang Khang


Our nights resting spot and what a great stopover it was




V.J., John and Myself
John is the owner of Rim Taan Guest House although it is more a mini resort. John speaks perfect English learnt while he worked with the American CIA in the secret war in Laos. John also was a personal friend and translator for Khun Sa.

Day 3: We arose to a 7:30am start for breakfast. Today we would visit the small museum to Khun Sa in Thoed Thai then cut through the back side of Doi Tung mountain to miss the traffic and visit Prathat Temple. From here we would wind down out of the mountain to MaeSai cross over into Burma and visit some Hilltribe,
Our plan was then to make our way over to the join point of the 3 countries of Burma, Thailand and Laos separated by the Mekong River before heading south for Fang but a mix up with V.J.’s visa and a 2 hr delay meant we would not have time for The Mekong excursion and visit the temples in Thaton instead.


Statue of Khun Sa and his beloved horse




Khun Sa who past away no much longer than 1 year ago


One of the photo’s of John we found in Khun Sa’s Musuem


The narrow tarmac backroad leading up the back of Doi Tung


These Akha Hilltribe children were playing a Thai monopoly game on the edge of the road coming down from Dopi Tung mountain


V.J. riding through the border markets at MaeSai the most northerly point in Thailand


Alex and V.J.




Akha Hilltribe


Karen Long Neck


Love the shoes


Motorcycle tuktuk’s in Tachalek Burma


Alex



Back in Thailand and on the way to Fang we came across this Yamaha Fino with the latest accessories


Thaton




In Fang and Check into our hotel the boys had a in house massage before dinner.
We ate at Chaba Restaurant, this is the second time I have eaten here and the food is fresh delicious and fabulous not to mention Chaba also served up a sweet dessert seen here with V.J.

Day 4 : We would ride over Doi PaHomPhok along the Burmese border before making our way back to ChiangMai.
The Border Rangers first refused us entry into PaHomPok but with a little sweet persuasion we were allowed enter if we sign in and out




The cherry blossoms where magnificent covering PaHomPok


View from the highest point, Doi PaHomPok dwarfs the surrounding mountains in Burma


Check the altitude on my G.P.S. unit, it was very cold


V.J. negotiating the washout that stops 4 wheel drives from traveling through here

Shan State Army along the Thai/Burma border

After PaHomPok it was a 2hr ride through the traffic back to ChiangMai, I believe under the curcumstances our trip could not have went smoother I really enjoyed Alex and V.J. company and hope to ride with them again
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[dirthonk]

sweet report marky, filled with the usual mix of hill tribe babes, vegetables and other kooky photos, including that pink frilly fino which i reckon was your steed for this trip as there are no photos of you on any other bike!

did the soldiers expand on why you were required to sign in and out? i guess it isnt a problem, so i guess im just asking if everything went smoothly and if you think we will still be able to ride one of the last truly wild roads in the area.?
good on ya for getting out there and successfully dodging the thai celebrators.
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"theres always a coyote at the end of the tunnel" - a wise man once slurred. MR.

[Mark Rossi]

I wasnt riding the Fino, I actually took the new Bmw GS 80 and test rode it but was a little dissappointed.


not sure why there was difficulty entering into PaHomPok, but we came across undercover drug enforcement police that I had met near MuangNga a year before it may have been to do with this or i was also told there had been a serious accident 2 days prior on the mountain it may have been out of fear for safety.
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[Captain_Slash]

A good report and great pictures as usual Mark, you must have rode that washout road more often than anybody by now, has it deteriorated any more in the last year?
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[Mark Rossi]

Yeah i have been in PaHomPok alot, its a fantastic and area, the Wieng Haeng, Doi Ang Khang, PaHomPok, Doi Laeng,Maesalong,Doi Tung just links together faultlesly, as you know.
The Wash away seems to have widening cracks in the tarmac.
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