Our
targeted Day 7 destination is Mae Hong Son. Hearing its name already brought
shivers into my spine. Why? Bcos this is the famous thousand corner route town.
It’s a paradise for true bikers, but not so for an unskillful rider such as me.
After breakfast, we first rode to the Thailand – Myanmar border for pic session
at the Moei River (Thailand westernmost point). This border only opens for the locals.
The Friendship Bridge
Then,
we took route 105 all the way to our destination. The rain started to fall and
the winding started very soon too. I rode slowly climbing up the steep road,
and after that going very steep downhill curves. I saw many local tribe
teenagers wearing black shirt and carrying red flag, which somehow they looked
like Vietkong soldiers. There were also lots of stalls selling fruits. I
noticed that at every entry of a new town, doesn’t matter if it’s a big or a small
town, we will be greeted with a bridge, followed by a city @ town gate, a
resting area with lots of flags and also the king and queen’s big posters.
There were also police check points at certain areas. There was a very
beautiful brown coloured river which amazed me, but I was too concern on the
slippery road that I didn’t take any pic of the river. The rain makes the trees
looked so green. Lots of yellow, white and colourful butterflies danced around
me while I’m riding and some accidentally hit my helmet. I am sorry beautiful
butterflies….if only I can spare your lives, god knows I will.
Very
soon, the road condition was getting from bad to worse. The rain didn’t seem
want to stop either. I was so scared. After few hours, I started to feel very
exhausted from the stressful ride. The symptoms begins with sleepiness,
followed by drowsy and numbness on my hands, face, lips and feet. There were
times that I felt difficult to breathe. I was trying hard to control my ride in
this kind of situation and in this kind of road condition. I have to stop few
times to get rid of the numbness. The road was in a bad condition three quarter
way from Mae Sot to Mae Sariang. At certain part, it was very steep, narrow, and
uneven with lots of holes. At other part, the construction is ongoing, so we
have to ride on a slippery wet red dirt road for about 200m. This first time
experience, combined with the trauma for falling the other day is taking its
toll on me. In the end, we have to stop at Mae Sariang instead. Total ride is
only 244kms, but taking a long 8 hours to reach.
Views from my balcony
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