NAN TO PATTAYA

This ride is becoming a bit of a blur. It also points out to me how hard it must be to run a bike tour that pleases everybody. While the small group size allowed everybody to get to know one another, and it was in fact a sports bike oriented group, anything that wasn't directly connected to screaming through the twisties or chugging beer as soon as you get to the next hotel appeared to me to be dismissed with contempt. The organisers had put together what I thought was a good balance of great riding and scenery, good accommodation with sensational food and interesting cultural features worthy of some consideration. I would have liked to have spent a bit more time soaking up the culture, getting the feel of the countryside and interacting with the locals than I got. The itinerary was frequently changed at the last minute in as much as numerous side trips or visits of interest were dropped or at least cut short because of some majority declaration of disinterest. And how you can book on a tour that runs from Chiang Mai to Pattaya, then complain because it goes to Pattaya, and necessitates some highway riding to get there within the allocated time frame is, frankly, beyond my comprehension.

This did not happen on any of the Compass Expeditions trips I have done. So maybe I was on the wrong tour, I just don't know. I guess adventure riders pace themselves and understand that each day is an achievement, while sports bikers just want an adrenaline hit. Right, so that's my little gripe. But I'm happy that I got to Pattaya in one piece, without crashing or dropping the bike and without getting crook after probably taking a few risks, both on the road and at chow time. I now have a few days to relax.

Now, back to the ride. From Nan, where we stayed in a resort that looked more like it should have been in Africa than Thailand, we headed to Sukhothai via the Sirikit Dam and had an interesting ferry crossing along the way. Sukhothai is one of Thailand's ancient capitals, and it's Historical Park is World Heritage listed. Dating from around 1200AD, its stone pillars and Wats (temples) are reminiscent of Cambodia's Ankor Wat, and are in themselves quite splendid in their scale and setting. Time for some photos.

Round adobe huts with thatched roofs in Nan.

A very basic ferry with no propulsion at all.

It gets towed (slowly) by this guy in a punt with an outboard and long shafted prop.

World Heritage Listed Sukhothai Historical Park

From here, we moved on to Khao Kho, which is known as Little Switzerland. Bit of a stretch, I thought, but an elevated area with pleasant scenery and a year round mild climate. Two things of interest here. First, a memorial park dedicated to the Thai military who fought off a serious attempt at overthrow by the Thai Communist Party backed by China between 1965 and 1984. And by the look of some of the damaged equipment, it was the real thing.

The other point of interest is the hotel we stayed in, and the unreal collection of motorcycles belonging to the owner.  In two purpose built display areas, this guy has a heap of Harleys, including an outrageous chopper, a K1600GT Sport, a Can-Am Spider, a 1200GSA, a Goldwing F6B, several Vespa Scooters, a pile of other Jap stuff, and several old BMWs undergoing restoration. Oh, and one of those 1950's silver bullet Desi and Lucy caravans, fully kitted out. And what does this guy do for a living, apart from running a not so flash hotel? He is the retired Chief of Police for the region. Hmmmm. 2+2 = 4 would be my conclusion.

From Khao Kho, we headed to Khao Yai (confusing, isn't it?) Until I found out Khao means Mountain in Thai. Here is the first gazetted of Thailand's numerous National Parks, about  2000 sq kms and home to lots of wildlife, including tigers, buffalo, monkeys and elephants, and numerous smaller animals and birds. I did see an elephant and a few monkeys, and thankfully, no tigers. And the Park is also the site of the waterfall used in the movie The Beach, starring Leonardo Decaprio. Even though in the movie, it was supposed to be on an island somewhere off the coast, not in the middle of the bloody country. Poetic licence I guess.

And from there, as noted above, it was a bit of a bunfight from that point on as we headed to Pattaya on the more major roads and National Highways. And as I recall my previous visit to Thailand, where we noted that within about 160 km of Bangkok, the traffic starts to build up rapidly, and the jockeying for supremacy really gets going. No different this time. Once again, it was bloody hot, particularly when the traffic stops, or while lane splitting to get to the front of the line. I filled my Camelback twice, drank another couple of litres on top of that, I sweated like an absolute pig and was completely knackered from the heat and concentration when I got here. I had to take some electrolyte replacement and stand in the shower for half an hour to get my core temperature down. And once again, my riding gear is absolutely putrid. It sure gets a workout. I dumped a pair of gloves a few days ago, and right now, my riding pants are soaking in the tub, and I think I'll leave my boots and helmet here. They owe me nothing, and it will be easier to pack without them.

I may or may not have anything to add regarding Pattaya itself. I'm here for 5 nights which may be way too much or way too little, depending on one's point of view. Watch this space.