The Golden Triangle Rider

[Bush Pilot]

My first visit to Mae Salong was 30 years ago when the KMT and opium traders ruled the roost.
I heard it'd become quite the tea growing resort area.

I spent an extra day in CM and met some of the gt-riders at the watering hole.
I was fortunate to spend the extra day as it allowed me to catch how my rear tyre was coming apart.[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1198/690244096_8553fbc0d2.jpg?v=0[/img]

The next day with new tyres mounted I set off for Mae Salong via Fang.
Got up through Fang with only catching a few drops of rain.
Some big showers loomed up toward the mountains.
When It became obvious I was going to ride through a big one I stopped in put on my rain gear.
The rain was so heavy it was like riding under water. The big GS seemed to enjoy it.
The rain stopped once I started up the first set of hills.
Out of the rain and heading up the engine on the bike suddenly quit!.
I got off and looked things over and tried to restart and she fired right back up and ran fine.
I missed the turn up to Mae Salong and didn't noticed until my GPS had already redrawn my route. I decided to go ahead and follow it....Until I got routed up a road that clearly wasn't well travelled.
I turned around and figured it best to follow a better road.
While backtracking another serious shower had moved in and I was in submarine mode again!
Again while going up a grade the engine suddenly quits. It's still raining and by now I'm fairly soaked in spite of my rain gear.
I wait a few minutes and try to restart and this time she fires up for 2 seconds and quit again. I wait an retry with negative results.
It was getting late in the afternoon and I realized I need to get off this lonely stretch of road so I started to roll the bike back down the hill. Along the way I spotted a missionary chapel which had a nice sheltered stoop I could roll the bike up under.
Stripped off my wet gear, poured the water out of my boots and figured on waiting for a while before retrying the bike, I was really afraid of running the battery down at this point.
after an hour or so she fires up and seems fine again! Put my gear back on and make for a hotel. I'd had visions of spending the night huddled with my bike on the chapel stoop!

I roll in to Mae Salong and follow the fist signs for a hotel which leeds up this remarkably(scary) steep concrete track. Still raining and almost dark I check into Mae Salong villa.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1148/689352265_1b2b274555.jpg?v=0[/img]
A delicious black skinned chicken and ginseng soup put me right.( I was starving, I'd skipped lunch in Fang, all the stress of pushing the bike around worked up an appetite)

The next day I bail from the "Villa"(their driveway was too much for me) and get a room at the concrete chicken inn.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/690015936_1ba3d3c946.jpg?v=0[/img]

I was blessed with a lovely day to explore town and around.
Lovely twisty road up to the shrine on the hill.

[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1111/690200254_f6d6d8637d.jpg?v=0[/img]

I got buzzed drinking lots of tea. at the many tea shops.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1191/690070252_d400d07b23.jpg?v=0[/img]

bought a few trinkets from the Akka ladies.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1082/690054372_095f45536b.jpg?v=0[/img]
Had a nice lunch at this old hotel.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1312/690038684_baedff29cb.jpg?v=0[/img]
30 years ago this was the only hotel in town.

[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1063/689980180_c0328ace72.jpg?v=0[/img]
This used to the only only way into town, it was a dirt track which was impassible during rainy season. It was a 4 hour drive up there from the nearest paved road north of Chiang Rai.

View from my room at the concrete chicken.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/689944608_3c9dc0dc87.jpg?v=0[/img]

Tea plants
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1274/690103576_16032ec269.jpg?v=0[/img]

My first trip up here he was on the menu!
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/690087026_1d39d716ae.jpg?v=0[/img]
View of town from the shrine.
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1312/689096753_6122e430cb.jpg?v=0[/img]
Beautiful shrine
[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1053/688975459_62e21566f9.jpg?v=0[/img]

I left the next day, though I could have easily hung around and drunk tea for a few more days in the deliciously cool mountain air.

Mae Salong is just over 1700kms from Phuket. Could it be another Ironbutt trip?

[rohbear]

Hey BP, thanks for the trip report and especially the pictures. It's been over 9 years since I've been to Mae Salong, and I'm looking forward to my next visit this November. It seems things haven't changed much since then from my memory. Thanks again.