Our initial plan for South East Asia was a coastal tour from Vietnam to Singapore. A couple staying at the Nyugen Shack in Southern Vietnam told us about this place in northern Thailand that would be right up our alley. Others we met along the way strongly recommended the Chiang Mai region as well but it wasn't exactly 'en route' and our tourist visa only gave us 30 days to be in Thailand, so upon arriving by bus in Bangkok we booked an overnight train to Chiang Mai with reservations at Chai Lai Orchid guest house, 55 kms west of the city.
Before heading north we had some bicycle issues requiring urgent attention: our waterproof panniers were not waterproof enough and our front racks were not going to last much longer. Between a shop in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai we were each outfitted with a complete set of Ortlieb panniers, a new and more importantly solid front rack and a Brooks original B17 saddle. Shoulda coulda woulda had them from the start. For those unaware Ortlieb gear is the Cadillac of touring panniers and Brooks is to saddles as Ortlieb is to panniers. Almost everyone we encountered cyclotouring in Europe has Ortliebs, and for good reason, they are truly waterproof!
Once kitted out, we took the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then rode the last stretch to Chai Lai Orchid, an eco lodge designed to provide a home and job training program for at risk women and girls. What a great place to stay - incredible scenery, wonderful staff, and surrounded by elephants - money well spent. So what to do in the mountains of northern Thailand? Well, first we're going to wake up in our private bamboo hut at 6:00 am to have a little ride bareback on some elephants. Then we'll have some breakfast at the open-air restaurant by the Mai Wang river before heading out with a local guide to trek through the jungle and visit some of the hill tribes. What next, oh how about a trip down the river on a bamboo raft? Yep, sounds about right and then we'll help bathe the elephants in the river before dining riverside on Pad Thai and other Thai specialities. That was day one at Chai Lai Orchid. The cooler mountain air made for good sleeping although the days were still above 30°C. Day two had us in the tree tops for some zip-lining through the jungle, lunch by an impressive waterfall, and a visit to the village of the Long Necks, Burmese women and children wearing brass rings around their neck that fled to Thailand in the late eighties.
We were on a roll so day three we signed up for some guided kayaking along the river. Four of us were instructed and entertained for hours by the owner of the company as we meandered downstream making our way through several shoots of small but challenging rapids, passing a flotilla of bamboo rafts and avoiding bathing elephants. Our stay at Chai Lai Orchid was over but biking back to Chiang Mai right after a full day of kayaking was not in our best interest so we stayed an extra night at Mae Hut Permafarm, a homestay nearby and are we ever glad we did. Check out the photo of the Adobe house we had to ourselves. Marco, the owner made us feel more than welcome, more like good friends. He is a very interesting man who simply wanted a place in the country and ended up with an organic farm that is managed by him and his wife Noc but worked by volunteers that come from all over the world to stay for anywhere from three to eight weeks at a time. We had the privilege of having dinner and breakfast with the whole group prepared and served by the volunteers and spending the following morning touring the farm with Marco. Leigh and I sincerely hope to return there in the near future as volunteers.
Sadly, we had to leave the mountain and get back to Chiang Mai to plan the southern portion of our trip. I know, I hear you - how sad can we be to have to plan a bicycle route through southern Thailand? Rolling back through the hills was super-fun, especially with a net loss in altitude and even more so with brand new shiny gear. We found a nice place to stay just outside of the old walled city and settled in. First thing was to get train tickets back to Bangkok but the earliest booking was three days out. With some more time to kill we thought it would be fun to try some mountain biking. Just so happens there is a mountain near by! And would ya look at that - a pamphlet offering all kinds of guided mountain bike tours. We signed up, showed up and ended up riding some of the most technically challenging off-road either of us has ever seen with a guide that was an elite pro racer with full sponsorship. You should have seen this guys’ legs, and his bike was a full carbon 29er hard tail with a 1 x 11 drive train. The bikes we rode were... not, but we had a great time, left it all out on the hill, and were treated to a post-ride dinner in a bamboo shelter beside a lake before the commute back to our guest house. Again, epic. The next morning I was looking for the train that ran me over during the night. Leigh was rough but she was already up. She's a tough cookie. Me, I don’t rebound so easily. I was ruined, head to toe. A tour through Thailand wouldn't be complete without a Thai massage and it seems to be available on every block in Chiang Mai. Not knowing how to be sure adequate training had been received by those claiming to be experts, we opted for the government-sponsored program. Who better to go to than the Women's Correctional Institution Re-establishment Center. We were both stretched, twisted, elbowed and massaged by an inmate for two hours. By the end of it I was a new man and we were ready to explore the south of Thailand.
Exploring the north of Thailand was something we are very happy to have included in our South East Asia travels. Without this detour we would be cruising along the southwest coast of the country by now. Had we not had such an amazing time, had the weather not been perfect, had the people we met not been so awesome we would be more or less on track to be out of the country within the allotted tourist visa stay of 30 days. But we did, it was, and they were, so the adventure continues, albeit a little later than planned.