Friday, January 31, 2025

Chiang Mai to Ban Mueang Pon, Thailand

First Day of the Mae Hong Son Loop

What a day!  It was sooo long but very good.

I left the hostel at 7 a.m. to try and see the monks asking for alms which really means begging.  I was late and only saw a couple.  I’m sure there would have been more than a few-


On my way to the bike shop I passed a couple of mini Hindu temples in front of homes, just like KK said-


I stopped at the market and had coconut rice delivered in leaf.  It was delicious but really a piece of cake, just like eating cereal for breakfast-

Frying fish, bones and all.  That way you can eat the bones because they are very soft and break down when chewed-

The bike shop opened about 15 minutes late and the only bikes they had were the two returned while we were waiting for her to show up.  I got a red Honda Click 125.  It was supposed to be white, not that I care about the color but I just hope it was the size I was supposed to get.  It is extremely under powered for a trip like today.

After making a turn error in Chiang Mai and blindly trying to find my way to Highway 108, I looked at a map again and was on my way.  Traffic was mental for the first 30 minutes because it was all city.  Scooters sneak to the front at red lights and also are supposed to drive on the left shoulder as much as possible.  All day only 1 truck passed a little too close.

My first stop was Doi Inthanon National Park.  I stopped for a chicken sausage on a stick which was pretty good, talked to a local about which waterfalls to see and rode on.

Mae Klang waterfall boasts as being the most important waterfall in Thailand-



The water starts at the summit of Mount Doi Inthanon and later empties into the Ping River.  It was pretty nice-


Wat Mae Klang is close by-

A green Buddha-

Outside decoration-


The ticket booth was my next stop.  It cost 300 baht ($13) to enter the park.  After looking at the map of the park, I wanted to see three things- a village, the Pagoda and the summit.  By this time it was 10 am and I needed to be on my way to Mae Hong Son by 2 if I hoped to get there in daylight.  The sun, according to Google, sets at 6:17 pm.  I figured I had lots of time.  

I wanted to see a Karen village, thinking they would be wearing the rings around their necks so took a side road to I hoped a village.  It was the best part of the park.  I was the only one on windy, steep- 




roads and actually saw a sign for a 22 degree slope-

Village people-


and homes-


I returned to the main route and stopped at a fabric making shop-

The scarves were beautiful-

Other views-


The Wachirathan Waterfall is nice-

I had to pay an extra 100 baht to visit Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon-


There are two pagodas that look similar-


and a Buddha in each one-


The ceilings are painted with scenes from Buddha’s life-

There are also Buddha relics.  Relics are sacred objects associated with Buddha including his remains, objects he owned and objects associated with his teachings-

Many lay flowers, especially marigolds, as offerings.  Marigolds represent wisdom, compassion and the road to enlightenment-

The view-



The grounds are nice-


I love flowering kale-



Finally I reached the summit-


It’s 39 km from the turnoff and rather underwhelming although I was as high as some clouds-



By now it was 1:40 and I still had to get back to the main road which took me until 2:30.  I stopped for fuel and checked Google Maps and it said I had 3.5 hours to go.  That put me in Mae Hong Son at dusk.  Let’s go!  I was on the light blue route-

The Mae Hong Son Loop is apparently the most famous motorcycle trip in Thailand.  You ride past green rice paddy fields, waterfalls and beautiful mountain scenery.  It’s over 600 km long and probably too much to do in 3 days because the roads are windy and curving which means for me, averaging about 50 km/ hour if I’m lucky-

At 4:41 I still had 260 km to go!  There was no way I could make it yet I thought the paint on the roads was good so maybe I could ride in the dark.  It got dark and it wasn’t much fun.  My headlight wasn’t so good so I had to go even slower because I couldn’t see in front of me.  Finally I came to a town with street lights and pulled into a fancy cedar building that looked like a hotel.  I knocked but no answer.  I think it was a home!  There were a couple men nearby getting gas and they said there were hotels 6 kilograms away - no error, and he showed 2 fingers.  He named the town but Thai is impossible for me to understand.  I rode on and after a couple villages stopped at a well-lit store.  It was a family and she used a translating app to ask if I had a reservation.  I did but in Mae Hong Son, 80 km away so that wasn’t going to do me much good here!  Her husband hopped on his bike and I followed him to one place but they were full.  At the second place they had a room!  Hallelujah!

My room-


The bed is as hard as the floor, I can practically hear the person next door breath, her light sleeps through the top and bottom of the wall that separates us and there is something like MacTac covering the floor but it’s warm and I am very thankful.

The owner, Aood, can speak a little English.  She was busy peeling garlic for tomorrow’s cooking-

Her husband was busy in the kitchen.  There’s a lot going on in there-


I could have carried on but it would have taken me close to 3 hours and my butt was very sore.  At no time was I afraid or anxious- it was a grand adventure!

Breakfast is at 8 tomorrow and I hope to get to Mae Hong Son in good time, then on to Pai.  Another time, and when I am in Chiang Rai, if I do this again, I won’t make any reservations and I will take my time.  I’m seeing lots but it is just too rushed.



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