95km to Nhum Khok

We are now in Chaing Saen, looking across the Mekong River at Laos having passed by the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar Laos and Thailand come together at the meeting of two rivers. Thailand snipped their corner off the Golden Triangle, an opium poppy region and now they grow coffee and tea instead. Much more tasty than opium. After Cycling up mae salong (previous post) we were very proud of ourselves as we heard this is one of the hardest roads to cycle in the mountains here. We had a rest day and then set off feeling very strong only to find ourselves pumping up an even harder climb for 8 hours arriving in the dark at Doi Tung. You can’t just camp anywhere as it is thick jungle right to the edge of the road, so when we arrived at the Queen’s Royal Villa we asked a guard soldier if we could camp on their little lawn out front. They were very nice and very funny and obviously found us amusing. We were allowed to camp behind thier barracks in a carport, were given hot water for noodles in our curious flatworld bowls, cold water to drink and hot showers…

The next day we though we would have a downhill cruise to the valley and a quick spin to chiang saen – easy. On the way we thought we would take in Mae Sai, thailand’s most northerly point (you would be proud, Nicholas) and in the end cycled 95km in blistering heat. Another rest day needed here today on the banks of the Mekong, looking at ancient ruined temples and buddas and healing the chaffed arses!