motorcycle (...err scooter) diaries: part 1

Part of my thinking when I decided to make it back to Thailand so quickly was to get the traveling out of the way, and then have more time to do something interesting once back in Thailand. And so in Chiang Rai I made the decision to rent a scooter for a few days and check out the northernmost part of the country. So I bought a detailed road map of the area (this is a popular place for motorcycle trips, so there isn't a shortage of good maps) and started planning out the trip. I also bought a flight back to Bangkok for Friday night for a mere $60, and so that left me with 5 full days to travel.

Day 1:
I woke up early Sunday morning and found a rental shop that seemed halfway reputable. After copying my passport and leaving a deposit I was quickly on my way with a manual 110cc scooter - a real monster (which I was assured could actually make it up some of the steeper roads in the area). I headed north from Chiang Rai to Chiang Sean. A sleepy border town (with Laos) which had a good midday market - a perfect pit stop for lunch. After a hearty bowl of soup accompanied by plenty of smiles (nice to be back in Thailand), I continued just north to the Golden Triangle. It's where the borders of Laos, Thailand and Burma meet. As it turns out it's about as interesting as any other point along any your average international border - which is to say not very interesting at all. It's actually a giant tourist trap and I was glad I had my own wheels and I could get out quickly. However, just north of there is the Hall of Opium, which is a great exhibit, built by the Thai royal family, which details the history of the opium trade in and around the area.

After the museum visit, I continued onward towards Mae Sai, the border town with two bridges into Burma. The road there was a little better than the first section (which was mostly flat, boring, and under construction). As I followed the Mekong River, I passed through a number of small villages and essentially had the road to myself. I think I almost hit 55mph! When I arrived in Mae Sai, I was greeted by quite a bit of commotion. Turns out this is quite the lively little border town, and so I quickly found a hotel room, parked the scooter and walked around the market area. There wasn't much here I hadn't seen elsewhere in Thailand, so I made my way towards the main bridge into Burma. The border crossing was relatively simple. The Thais stamp your passport and wish you well and then the Burmese, err Myanmar army, takes your passport, gives you a temporary pass with your name on it, and lets you enter the country. You simply give them US$10 and they hold your passport until you leave the country. You aren't permitted to go too much further than the border town (Talichek) without a more formal permit/visa. I'd heard there wasn't really much of anything in Talichek, and that turned out to be pretty much true - not that I looked very hard. I simply went in, walked around the market (which had the same crap as in Thailand, plus some counterfeit cigarettes), found a coffee shop and had a Burmese beer. Overall I'd say it was a successful trip. I only stayed a couple hours, but I got a $10 stamp in my passport, and tried a new beer - what more could you want. Back into Thailand for the evening.

Day 2:
Today promised to have some better roads to scooter along. In fact I made my way up into the mountains and drove in and out of valleys and along ridges all day long. Despite all the smoke from slash&burn agriculture, it really was a beautiful road to travel along. I mostly stayed on very minor roads, most of which were signed in Thai, and so I got lost a few times, but eventually found my way out thanks to the map I got in Chiang Rai. First up was Doi Tung, a peak along the Burmese border with a nice temple, and when it's not so hazy, presumably a good view too. The road I took to get there followed the Burmese border, which apparently means I had to cross three military check points along the way. Each time, the Thai officials smiled at me and waved me along without flinching.

Next stop was Thoed Thai. I think this spot has some historical significance for the Chinese, but I was hungry and so the only significance it had for me was delicious pork fried rice I ate. It really was some of the best I've had in Thailand, though since the town is half Chinese, this isn't much of a surprise. After lunch I proceeded on to my final destination - Mae Salong. This is another Chinese-ish town. It was settled by remnants of the Kuomintang army who moved from Burma to Thailand after the Communist Party consolidated its hold on China. (history lesson thanks to wikitravel). It's a lovely little town up on a ridge lined with tea shops and surrounded by tea plantations. There I found a great little bungalow with internet, Cable TV, hot shower (this isn't always a given), and reasonably comfy beds for just $6. Not bad.

So that's it for now. Two days - roughly 120 twisty miles and everything's still going well. Not sure where I'm headed the next three days, but I will probably stay up in the mountains as I'm really enjoying the cooler air (minus the smokey haze). Stay tuned.