The Golden Triangle Rider

Colin · Motorcyclist Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 42

I get up next morning feeling quite sore from the sunburn, I seldom see any westerners here which is surprising so come on all you motorcyclists get on down here for a night or two dont just do the usual trips try this one. When I first rode here one year ago I nearly came off a couple of times where they had resurfaced a few places and left lots of loose gravel about , I am pleased to report that now it is okay so a bit of spirited but careful riding is called for. Some of the bends on this road can catch you out if you are not paying attention. My dislikes about Umphang are very slow internet , No 7-11 and completely crap food. I think an appeal to 7-11s headquarters to get a shop opened here is a must at least then you can get a chicken burger. Even Thai people have said its hard to get good fod here. Its that bad that if I was staying here for a month and there was a McDonalds here then I would be \eating at McDs every day. Theres no western food here so bring something edible with you. I find I have another puncture in the morning, I cant believe it 16000 km on the first tyre and no punctures but with this new tyre two of them in less than a thousand km. I soon find a small shop to fix it and 30 Baht later with a patch on I am away. As I leave I cant help marvelling at how quickly the scenery here has changed. I read that the end of october is the best time to visit as its a mass of greenery. I was here in December and it was one of the first trips on the wave and yes everywhere was nice and green but now in March everywhere is either on fire or already burnt. When I climbed the big hill yesterday each way I looked there were plumes of smoke going up and its like this in lots of places between here and Mae Sot. Umphang gets very hot in the day but its one of the coldest places at night, No trouble sleeping here. I take the 1090 back towards Mae Sot and about fifty km before there I turn left onto the 1206 which goes to Waley. Here there is a little bridge that crosses into Burma, It is locked but sometimes the soldiers will let you over it changes day to day. I go back towards the 1090 but about 100 metres before it I turn left down a side road and follow this for about ten kms to a T junction and turn right. This follows nearer to the border and in places you are next to the river, It is quite a pleasant route with next to no traffic and brings you out in the middle of Mae Sot. I go straight to SP restaurant and get a large pizza, Got to gewt something decent in my stomach after the last two days. I spend one night here then back to Mae Sariang for one night and on the 108 towards Hot. I do right turn onto the 1099 and ride down to Omkoi for a look around, Not a bad run and a nice days ride from Chiang Mai, I take a look around then get back to the 108. I only stay on it for a few kms as I soon turn left onto the 1088 towards Mae Chaem and wind my way up here turning right onto the 1192 which takes me to Doi Inthanon. It is actually hot up here today, Its the third time in the last three months I have been up here and the first time I havent been cold. If any of you do Doi Inthanon as a day trip from Chiang Mai dont turn right at Chom Thong as you get clobbered for the 200 Baht rip off tax. Carry on down to Hot then towards Mae Sariang and the turn right on the 1088 as I did because you dont have to pay to go through the park if you do it this way and its a good loop. I ride up to the very peak for a look around then back down through the park and out at Chom Thong then its back along the 108 to Chiang Mai and a weks brea. The wave has now covered 18000km.