Northern Thailand: One LOONG Loop

My Garmin shows just over 2,600 kilometers with shocking altitude gain

I've been to Thailand twice but never explored the north. With Bangkok as my jumping off point, I headed north to explore the mountainous region of this country. I had no real itinerary and it changed as I pedaled after talking with other cyclists and locals. I headed northwest and found myself off the beaten path for a good week. When I say off the beaten path, it means passing through towns where you hear every-other-person shout with glee, “Phalang!” as if they haven't seen a western pass through their town before.

After a week of pedaling on my own, fully immersed in the local Thai life, I came across a Warmshower host on the way up to Mae Sot, where I'd start my mountain loop. Pisut and his family run a government Teak plantation. Pisut loved to bike, making it out for a short ride almost every single day, and it was a friend of his who turned him on to Warmshowers. Since he is en route to Myanmar via Mae Sot, an overland border that has just recently opened, he has been bombarded with guests. My visit coincided with Thomas from Lithuania who had left Lithuania almost a year ago and just come Myanmar. He had stories and stories to tell and nothing but good things to say about the people, although the roads he encountered in the south were horrible! We had a good time talking about tour cycling and Pisut and his family were very kind feeding us delicious food!

Pisut and his wife Voranant (super petit lady) both very cordial and kind

The next morning I set out for Mae Sot and started ascending. I didn't stop for a good ten days. I forgot what the roads are like in Southeast Asia when they cross a mountain pass. The grades are unreal, never imagining that a fully loaded bicycle would attempt the climb. Even the trucks struggle, you see plenty pulled over on the side of the road with maintenance problems due to the steep grades. In my mind, the mountains in Northern Vietnam and Laos stick out as being the most difficult climbs, but I must say, Thailand's northwest corner has plenty of horrific climbs, where my GPS frequently showed grades of 18% lasting more than half a kilometer, and 12% felt flat!

For being the "dry season" it sure is awfully green here! Lush hills in all directions, but there are loads of forest fire warnings.  Farmers burn their fields and create awful air pollution in northern Thainland.

My days consisted of seeing alternating signs, downhill and uphill caution, a relentless roller coaster

Why subject myself to such torture? It's the scenery. You can't go wrong riding through the mountains, regardless of the country, the landscape is unbeatable! Not to mention, many times you have the roads all to yourself as was the case from Mae Sot to Mae Sariang. Roads were in great condition except for a 25 kilometer stretch that was under construction. Dust was everywhere and it was impossible to see the ground to avoid the pot holes. It would have been a minor problem had the road been flat, but there wasn't a flat patch to be found, only ups and downs. A local shared pick-up “ “ went by and without thinking twice, I hailed them down. Thankfully there were no other passengers in the back, so I just loaded my bike and took a ride to where the construction stopped. It would have been impossible to make it through without a broken spoke or other damage.

The temple in Mae Hong Song at night, quite charming.

The view of the pass that awaits me the following morning on my way to Mae Sarriang.  Very limited services on this portion of the road

Yes, it was actually chilly from the summit and on the descent

It was in Mae Sariang that I ran into more tourists. A lot of westerners rent motorbikes in Chiang Mai and head up North to do the “famous loop”. This was rather disappointing for me because the roads became much more crowded and the little village towns had sold themselves to tourist. One exception might be Mae Hong Son, which was a nice quaint town and rather sleepy compared to it's neighbor Pai. However, a lot of people come here to go off and see tribal villages such as the Karen and there is a lot of debate regarding how the Thai government exploits these tribes, as if tourists are visiting a human zoo. I opted out of visiting one of these villages and kept on the main road. The scenery was nice, but not as pristine as I had encountered south, before the start of the official tourist loop. My days would easily start out by gaining a good 1,500 meters in about 20 to 30 kilometers. For those of you who don't comprehend these numbers, basically it took me about 4 to 5 hours to ride 30 kilometers, a distance I could cover in just over an hour on flat territory! Thankfully there are border patrol and “police boxes” as they call them almost every 20 to 30 kilometers on the road. I stop there for fresh cold water and even a free wifi signal. It's great!

Tha Pae Gate from the old city wall in Chiang Mai.  A famous icon and meeting point in the city 

One of countless temples in Chiang Mai

I eventually made it down out of the mountains and felt like I was flying as I road into Chiang Mai, where I stayed with a Warmshower couple, Lee and Mal, for a few days to rest, regroup, and take care of some logistics. By that time, I had encountered enough tourists who had been to Myanmar and raved so about the country, and how it was going to change ever so quickly, that I decided to change my itinerary and head there, rather than Laos. This meant processing my Burma visa in Chiang Mai using a travel agent (something I never do, but it sure beat making a trip back down to Bangkok) and waiting around for a week.

Bo Sang, an artisan umbrella making village SE of Chiang Mai

I was mesmerized by the craftsmanship, seeing the entire from start to finish

Delicate and intricate work

Waiting around is not something I do well, so I regrouped and planned a circular itinerary through the northeast portion of the northern region. I also spent 2 days sight seeing in Chiang Mai, visiting the landmarks there, and a few artisan villages in the outlying area. Below are some of the highlights from this itinerary before I returned to Lampang and met the Wongwang family.

Chiang Rai's White Temple

No I didn't stop in Chiang Rai, a big bustling city in my opinion and I had just come from Chiang Mai. I did however go to the White Temple just south and enjoyed my visit there. Yes, it is a tourist hot spot, but for good reason. If Antonio Gaudi were born and raised in Thailand, I imagine this could have been one of his many masterpieces. There is a juxtaposition of architecture styles that oddly work well together. The entire temple is white, covered with jewels and ceramics, with a moat around the perimeter. It impacts the visitor because of it's stark but dominating presence.

Chiang Rai's White Temple, a Gaudi-like architectural structure

A lavishly decorative temple; all white

These are white hands that are coming out of the mote and look rather surreal juxtaposing the traditional temple decor

Golden Triangle/Chiang Saen

After visiting the White Temple in the morning, I headed northeast to the region called “The Golden Triangle”. There never really was a city by this name, but tourism has put it on the map because it is the point where 3 countries come together and share borders: Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. It is a neat phenomenon, but of course tourism has reaped it for what it is worth, creating a main drag filled with souvenir shops and countless boat operators eager to take you out on the river. It was here a car full of Thai tourists hailed me down to give me loads of treats, from water, baked goods, sticky rice, and Thai pants. Very thoughtful. They had seen me in the morning at the White Temple and couldn't believe the progress I had made in the matter of hours. However, the terrain was on my side, completely flat with a tail wind. I didn't stay in this tourist trap, and pedaled south to the quaint town of Chiang Saen, where I maybe saw one other western couple at most. A charming little town on the river, with Laos on the other side, mountains in the background. My mind was flooded with memories when I first crossed the border from Northern Vietnam into Laos, and tackled those mountains.

A good visual of The Golden Triangle

What it looks like in reality.  I'm in Thailand, Myanmar off to the left, and Laos on the right with the temple

Laos on the left, Thailand on the right from a viewpoint headed out of Chiang Saen

Doi Pha Tang and Phu Chi Fa

Sometimes I get my inspiration and route ideas in the strangest of places. I had seen a postcard in Chiang Mai of Phu Chi Fa, a viewpoint on the northern Thai/Laos border. I'm sure it had been photoshoped, but the scenery was unbelievable. I had to go! There were 2 viewpoints within 30 kilometers of one another, perfect destinations! Of course in my mind, I didn't stop long to think that any site labeled as a viewpoint is going to involve serious climbing. I set out eager to see some gorgeous scenery, and to my surprise found myself off the beaten path of tourists, at least western tourists that is. As a result, I found myself without a hotel in the area, and so I stopped a local cyclist on the road and asked him where I could put my tent. It just so happened his wife ran the local health center. She was closing up for the evening but they said I could put my tent in the backyard and use the toilet and cold shower. I was all washed up with my tent ready to go, when the tenants from behind came home, saw me, and showed me a room in the health center where I could sleep, equipped with clean sheets, towels, and even a fan! It was probably nicer than half the guesthouses I had stayed in previously and I had a restful night sleep, imperative for the climbing that awaited me the following morning.

Climbing would be an understatement. Little did I know I had set out to tackle some of the steepest mountains in my life. It was early morning, and well before noon, but the sweat was dripping off my head and pouring down. It was like I had a sprinkler under my helmet. The kilometers passed ever so slowly and by the time I reached the first lookout, there was a little town 2 kilometers down below and the turn off must have been a 25% grade. Clever as I am, I decided to go to a restaurant where I saw several motor scooters parked outside. I gestured if I could take a moped and leave my bike to go to the top and they all chuckled, but proceeded to give me the keys. 

And so I set off, bike helmet and all to see the lookout. Yes, it was breathtaking a well worth the major detour! I refueled (myself, not the moped) down below at the restaurant before heading to lookout number two. If the road was anything like the one I had just come on, I was in for a grueling afternoon. Luckily the road was mainly windy, but didn't gain any sort of significant elevation. However, I again encountered the turn off and saw a steep grade going straight up for at least 200 meters. This time, there was no little village down below. Here I thought I was at a major tourist destination, but all I had seen on the top of Doi Pha Tang were local tourists. I stopped and waited, hoping to flag down a car going up or a motorbike, but no one passed. I doubted whether or not I was at the right turn off, but proceeded, hiding my bike and continuing on walking the last 2 kilometers.

My legs had had enough, I opted for motorized two wheels for the last 2 km.  I offered to pay for the moto, but they just laughed!

Fog hovering in the valleys during the late morning from Doi Pha Tang

To my surprise, there were a few hotels along the road, but the road and area was rather abandoned. There were 2 cars in the parking lot when I arrived at the top and set out to hike the trail up to the lookout. What a view! If I would have planned it right, I probably would have camped at the top in one of the sites, but I settled on a picnic instead. There were more people at the top than two cars would hold, which is when I hypothesized I had entered through the back way, pleasantly avoiding all the major crowds. Down below over the crest, there was a small Laos village with a long and windy dirt road headed in. I was thankful to be on a paved surface with the elevation.

The marker from the top of Phu Chi Pha

A panoramic view from the top of the lookout

another spectacular view from the top

Sukothai

After going to Lampang, I headed back to Mae Sot, having completed one big look of the north. I wanted to stop at Thailand's ancient capital, Sukothai to visit the World UNESCO site. Agains I was surprised not to see more tourists here. Many of the ancient temples have been rebuild preserving the architecture style. The ruins are somewhat reminiscent of Angkor Wat, and even have Khmer influence, but the crowded are next to nil in comparison! It was like I had the whole place to myself and rode my bike around the historical park weaving in and out of the ancient ruins. I would higly recommend visiting this historical landmark if headed north in Thailand, but since it is slightly off the main drag, I think it is overlooked by many tourists.

One of the first Chedi's I came across at Sukothai's Historical Park; Great contrast between the brick and the white rock.

Column remains at one of Sukothai's ancient temples

There really were NO tourists here.  It was like I had the whole place to myself!

From Sukothai I rode to Tak, where I would officially complete my loop and planned on taking a bus up to Mae Sot to not repeat the same climb I had done 3 months ago. I never ride buses when visiting countries and so it didn't occur to me that they might not take my bike. The major bus company wouldn't and a local bus offered to put it on top of a mini-van, but I opted for Plan B, ride a ways down the road and hail a pick-up to hitch hike. Every other car in Thailand is a pick up, making it easy and probably to get a ride. I found a border station and asked the police using hand gestures if they'd help me find a pick-up. They offered me a seat, but I hadn't been sitting more than a minute when a pick-up drove through and they agreed to take me! I felt like a superstar at the Thai border booth, all the officers wanted their picture with me and would let me touch my bike as they lifted into the empty bed! Talk about the royal treatment! It was a real treat to hitch a ride the second time I traveled this road. As it just so happens, this young family was from Mae Sot and owned a bakery in town. So when we arrived, instead of dropping me off at a hotel immediately, they brought me to their bakery and I was offered all sorts of sweets which I couldn't turn down after a long day of cycling!

On my second to last day in Thailand.  No complaints in this country, even places the scenery on the average backroad in Thailand is pleasant

How many Thai policemen does it take to load Melissa's bike in a random stranger's pick-up truck?

The family that gave me a lift as to not ride the same mountain pass again.  Mom, son, and one of the workers at their bakery.

Washington: State #12

I look like I know what I'm doing in July of 2010 on my first tour, but look closely, the sleeping bag and sleeping mattress are still in the package!

The very first bike tour I did was an Adventure Cycling Route called Washington Parks back in 2010. I pedaled about 1,000 miles from Eugene to Portland, around the Olympic Peninsula, up to Victoria, BC, the Southern Gulf Islands, The San Juan Islands, over the Cascade Mountains into Eastern Washington, hitting both Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens before pedaling down to Eugene. When I left, I had no idea what on earth I was doing.  My sleeping mat was brand new, still in the plastic wrapping, my sleeping bag was a summer bag meant for the Mediterranean climate, and my bike was brand new. I rode it around the parking lot, then home from the bike store, loaded it up, and set out for the month long trip. It is no wonder my brothers had bets on me that I wouldn't last longer than a day or two.

I managed to complete my first tour, about a month in length, with no serious problems, but I left a lot of Washington untouched, eager to come back some day to explore more. That “some day” came this past week as I made my way from Bellingham to Seattle, then on to the state capital and the coast. I feared entering Seattle on bike.  Although it is famed as a bike friendly city, getting into the city center looked intimidating! I could have made the trip from Bellingham in one day, but decided to stay overnight with hosts in Burlington, 40 miles south of Bellingham. My Warmshowers hosts here were inspiring, a couple the same age as my parents who still bike tour on a tandem and camp. Impressive!

Don and Pat were my Warmshowers hosts north of Seattle, 73 years old and they still tour on a tandem, camping as they go!

I left Burlington and followed the Centennial Bike Trail from Arlington, WA to Snohomish, which was a breeze following a well marked, no foot traffic, and flat path!   In Snohomish I tried to connect to the Interurban trail which was not an easy bike trail to follow. I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt as I looked for the path sign at every road junction.  At one point I found myself doing loops in a trailer park without finding an exit. If it wouldn't have been for some wrong turns and missed streets, I probably would have made it to Seattle without getting soaked. I entered north Seattle just as a rain storm hit, perfect timing to be welcomed to the Pacific Northwest! However, I consider myself lucky because that was the last rain I had for my entire route through Washington and up until today, almost 10 days later!

You need a PhD in bike paths to navigate this path into Seattle 

Last time I saw Carrie, we both lived in Barcelona.  I've seen quite a few BFIS teachers on my trip!

Great graffiti in her neighborhood, N. Seattle

Carrie, my host in Seattle, was a teaching colleague and friend from Barcelona, who came back to work in The States for a few years before setting out overseas again. It is always refreshing to talk with fellow international teachers because we understand each other well and share a passion to live and travel overseas. In Seattle I visited The Perkins School and had fun with the students watching videos on my website and talking about my trip. After my visit there, I explored the city on foot, doing my long training run for the NYC marathon on the Burke-Gilman trail around the periphery of the northern Seattle peninsula. I saw the UDUB campus, the downtown skyline, Lake Washington, and went through a few different neighborhoods. My intention was to get out again after the run to explore, but I spent too long in the Asian grocery store next to Carrie's house examining all the familiar foods from my SE Asia trip. I even found jackfruit!

This building reminded me of Bilbao's Guggenheim museum

Up close and personal with the Space Needle

The next morning, I departed Seattle. I could have stayed in Seattle longer, but I wanted to explore the Hood Canal and the Washington Coast, places I had missed on my first bike tour. I took the scenic route through downtown by the Space Needle and Pike Place Market before hopping on the ferry to Bainbridge and heading west. Bainbridge Island makes for delightful riding despite the hills. At this point in my trip, nothing can stop me, not even a few steep slopes, although one hill came up as a 20% grade on my Garmin! That afternoon I made my way over to the Hood Canal and stayed with my last Warmshowers host, Lou Allen. He was a character, just having hiked the entire PCT, his stories were endless and so were the supplies and gear that he had laid out in the downstairs where I slept. As you can imagine, he got me thinking about the hike myself and ironically I had just listened to the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed on my ipod.

Pike Place Market, a great stop before hitting the Bainbridge ferry

Fruit galore at Pike Place Market reminds me of Barcelona's Boqueria

Downtown Seattle from the ferry

The next morning I had beautiful weather for my ride along the Hood Canal down to Olympia. The scenery was familiar, similar to that of Seattle and Bainbridge, even Vancouver. Unfortunately I culdn't enjoy it as much as I wanted because I got two flat tires, which put me in a bad mood and made me flustered, anxiously expecting another (which came two days later). I made it to Olympia that evening in time to stop by a bike shop. They had a look at my back tire, and although there wasn't anything particularly unusual, the shop owner was extremely patient and answered a lot of questions I had about my bike and components.

The Swantown Inn, Olympia, Washington

I finally arrived to my accommodation for the night at about 8:30. Nathan and his wife Casey Allan run The Swantown Inn in Olympia and had reached out to me to offer a place to stay if my route brought me through Olympia. The state capital was a place I had missed on my previous trip and so I decided to come back on The Loong Way Home. The Swantown Inn is an 1887 Queen Anne/Eastlake Victorian Mansion listed on both the city and state historical registers. Once I saw my room and the beautiful victorian mansion, I realized I'd be foolish not to take an extra rest day. I spent the following day wandering the city on foot and taking pictures, the way I used to do back in SE Asia when I was better about being a “real tourist”. I needed a day off the bike without any trip logistics. Mentally I was struggling with the idea of finishing my trip and I found it necessary to ground myself in the present and enjoy my surroundings.

Boats in Olympia's harbor

The state capitol, Olympia

I was pampered at The Swantown Inn with a delicious breakfast both mornings and even got to stay in two different rooms. The first night I enjoyed The Columbia Room complete with a claw tooth bath tub and the second night I was upgraded to The Astoria Room with a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. On the top floor of the inn, there is a day spa, in case you want to indulge even more while staying at Swantown.  I had seen a sign about the sheets for sale at their Inn when I checked-in and laughed to myself., wondering who would really buy sheets at a B & B? Well, if it weren't for carrying two full panniers, I would have! I have never slept in such comfortable and soft sheets, and that is coming from someone who loves flannel sheets.  I asked Nathan what made the sheets so special and all he could tell me was that they were made from a special microfiber material, but that people had complimented them so frequently they decided to sell them to guests. 

Delicious!

Luxurious beyond belief

This is where I spend my Friday night.......

When I left Olympia, I headed west out to the Washington Coast. I had circled the north west portion of the Olympic Peninsula but I had always been curious to see the coastline south of Aberdeen to the Oregon border. It is dotted with small roads that hug the coast and I had a hunch these were idyllic cycling roads.

A sunny ride over to the Washington coast

Washington's southern beaches are long and flat

As I headed out to the coast, I retraced some of my route from four summers ago and it brought back a lot of memories.  I could see the mountains off to my right in the Olympic National Park, roads were quiet and there was a decent shoulder. Idyllic doesn't even begin to describe the scenery on the southern Washington coast. The roads are flat and the beaches are long. There are a handful of inlets and small peninsulas, along with rivers and wildlife. The smell of salt and dampness lingers in the air reminiscent to that of the Oregon Coast.  With sunshine and warm temperatures, the riding along here couldn't have been better. That night leaving Olympia I stayed at a state park in Grayland. The campground was full but the host wasn't opposed to asking other campers if I could share a sight. It had been a long time since I'd stayed at an official campsite, almost 2 months, and I was delighted to have all the amenities like hot showers, running water, and good ground for pitching a tent.

When the road doesn't go by the ocean, it hugs a river or a lake

I lucked out and found a family that looked friendly; a couple with two teenaged daughters, Morgan and Analis. Eileen was an elementary teacher, both visual arts and support staff, and her husband Juan was from Peru. They had met while she was getting her teaching degree and went down to Peru for a project. Originally I was going to have dinner at the tavern up the road, but when they invited me to chili and s'mores, I couldn't resist! It's funny how I found this particular family out of the 100 sites of occupied campers.   I thoroughly enjoyed my evening around the campfire talking with them about education, travels, bilingual and multi-culture families. We connected in so many ways, who would have known. It's moments like these, completely spontaneous and yet so precise, while being on the road, that I'm going to miss.

Beach, flat, no traffic, tail winds, sunny,.....what more can you ask for?

Lots of inlets and marshes as well

The next morning I was on the road before Juan, Eileen, and their daughters were up.  I was motivated and inspired to explore the Washington Coast and somehow more at peace with the idea of my trip coming to an end. I took the long way to Long Beach, going by every possible inlet to take in the most coastline as possible. Nathan put me in touch with some other Inn owners two nights later in Long Beach, Washington. Again the road was flat, deserted, and I had a tailwind pushing me along merrily. Ten miles from my destination a Harley approached and got close enough to ask me if I was Melissa. I gave them some sort of look of confusion wondering how on earth they knew me. It turns out it was Susie and Billy, the owners of the B & B I was staying at in Long Beach, The Boreas Inn.

The Pacifica Room at The Boreas Inn in Long Beach, Washington

The outside deck, one of many places to hang out and relax at The Boreas Inn

Long Beach's claim to fame is that it's one of the world longest beaches. The sandy beach extends a good 30 miles up a long skinny peninsula and there is even a trail alongside for running and walking, which I ran the next morning. It's a neat community and doesn't feel like a typical beach town filled with tourism. I arrived with plenty of time to explore the area on foot and also get pampered at The Boreas Inn. Susie and Billy were native Oregonians but have been in Long Beach for the last 19 years running their B & B. The style is completely different than the Allan's Victorian mansion, but equally as enjoyable. There is a lot of common space at The Boreas Inn where guests are invited to rest and relax, read, munch on fresh baked goodies and sip a warm drink, or soak in the hot tub in the backyard in a separate little hut. I strolled down to the beach before having dinner with Susie and Billy. Since I was the only guest that night, I got to spend some time with the owners and had fun learning about life as an inn owner and the history in the business. Both Susie and Billy are fabulous cooks. I tried Susie's baked goods and Billy made me breakfast in the morning 2-3 courses, no less, which lasted me all day.

These were the starters at breakfast.  No wonder I didn't need lunch.....

On my loop around Cape Disappointment State Park

As you can imagine, I could have stayed at The Boreas Inn for days, but with Oregon only 20 miles away, I was on my way the next morning. I explored Cape Disappointment and cycled around the state park before heading over the giant, expansive, and intimidating bridge into Astoria. I'm glad I set aside time in my trip to explore Washington's southern coastline. On my previous Washington tour, I crossed the Oregon border after pedaling through Mt. Rainier National Park and Mt. St. Helens, an impressive region as well, but Washington's southern coastline is quiet and peaceful.  Not to mention, the southern coast of Washington makes for excellent cycling because it is so flat and makes for fast pedaling.  I realize I  lucked out and got some incredible riding weather with along the Pacific Coast, with summer-like temperatures.  I'll take it!

Fishing the waters around Cape Disappointment

More views from Cape Disappointment