*MOTO EVENT* The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride. Chiang Mai 2015.

Great day, great bikes, great people...and really amazing organizing..from the ride itself to the camera work and editing from Bas Man , the wonderful lunch and fun games and auction at Good View Restaurant, to the evening event. Really so happy to have been a part of it. Thank you so much to the organisers...and looking forward to next year's ride !

Opposite is the teaser video, and below is the longer one and another one. Enjoy!


 #‎DGRCHIANGMAI2015‬
Special Thanks to Bas Man ‪#‎basmanfilmsinmotion‬
‪#‎TRIUMPHCHIANGMAI‬
‪#‎THEGOODVIEW‬
‪#‎THACHANGCAFE‬

 

*MOTO TRIP* Chiang Mai > Mae Salong > Chang Dao ( + restricted area at Doi Tung and agricultural area at Pha Daeng) )

 *NOTE* I did this trip prior to considering blogging about my trips. I hope to update with a better detailed map when i work out my route.

Overnight moto trip: 
Chiang Mai to Mae Salong, through a restricted area at Doi Tung, then a slight detour around Pha Daeng way. (Mainly because of going off on a scenic agricultural route and going way off track and getting a bit lost, lol).


Day 1: Chiang Mai > Doi Tung > Mae Salong.

The 118 main route through Chiang Rai is pretty much just a long busy road. It has some sweeps but its more about getting from A to B, at least for me. Things get more scenic once you get onto the 1149 to Doi Tung. 

The 1149 and Doi Tung area has some stunning views in my opinion and its an area which seems to attract few foreign tourists. It is, however, a popular attraction for Thai, particularly the Mae Fah Luang Garden. Doi Tung is also an area with a lot of coffee plantations (you will see a lot of Doi Tung coffee shops around the northern region). A contrast from the neighbouring tea plantation area of Doi Mae Salong, where i headed to next, and where i stayed overnight. Before heading into Mae Salong area i headed to a restricted area near the Burmese border. There are certain times where you are allowed access into this zone (and later i hope to update with the details), and luckily i was allowed access.

By the time i came out of the restricted access zone and was nearing Mae Salong, i was overheating a bit. It was a very hot day and although I wear a mesh armoured jacket and always have a Camelbak  on me, i was sweating. So I took the opportunity to cool down in a pretty stream.

There were loads of butterflies around and the stream was cool and flowing. I nearly lost a pair of flip-flops ive had for around 8 years and that i love. I watched the stream carry them off on its current, but, determined to get them back i launched myself after them, and got them back i did..haha! Yes, i really DO love those flip-flops that much...

I arrived at Doi Mae Salong (very steep inclines at Mae Salong) and checked into the Phumaktawan Resort

 Initially the resort seemed blissful, and although it was beautiful and the view was stunning, the connecting walls were thin. No rooms came detached and each small house had two guest rooms. A noisy family with a noisy kid and a penchant for noisy tv viewing came to stay next to me, which put a bit of a dampener on my stay, sadly. They really could do with insulating the rooms a bit better to be honest.

Mae Salong itself is a place for a bit of a chill out. It has a nice temple up a steep twisty hill, and a LOT of tea. The locals are ethnically Chinese and the main language is Yunnanese. Really doesn't feel like Thailand much at all. Food-wise there isn't a great selection really (imo), but you wont go hungry. There are even 7/11's. lol. The most raved about coffee shop within the biking community is Sweet Mae Salong and it really is very nice actually. Great coffee and great cake (which is often hard to find in Thailand) and a great view. They even provide binoculars.

Day 2: After a bad breakfast choice at a local place resulting in a stomach upset, i made a later start towards Chiang Dao than planned. Was a nice easy route down the 117, so much so that i had time to kill, so took a detour onto a rural road. Turned out to be a really beautiful agricultural route with practically zero vehicles on the route. In the end I got a bit lost trying to head out towards Chiang Dao,  and although my GPS said one way, two sets of locals said another. So, I decided ignore the GPS and go with the locals directions..which did actually land me out at Chang Dao. Would seem that if i went via the GPS i would have arrived at Doi Ang khan..which i would have liked, but it was getting late and i wanted to get back to Chiang Mai that day. Will need to investigate that route more later and find out for sure where the other route ends out at. Stopped off at Chang Dao Nest resort for a cool drink, then headed back to Chiang Mai (then needed to do a short detour into CM via the Pai road because the police had shut down the intersection. Likely some kind of accident. Massive queues of traffic. A guy waiting on a bike said he had already been waiting for 1 hour...so i didnt fancy waiting). 
Got home later than i hoped, but feeling good. 

*MOTO TALE* - Projectile Vomit and the Importance of Hydrating...

Early this afternoon when the sky was overcast, i went to exercise at a park just down from Doi Suthep mountain.


The sun began to emerge and seeing as i had already pretty much worn myself out, i decided that i may as well hop on the bike and head up the mountain.
The sun was out.
The air was clear.
The sky was blue and filled with big puffy clouds.
Just perfect!


A bit further along i see a guy on a KLX 250 riding leisurely. Overtook him. 
But like sticky rice, he was right on my back the whole way. At the 2nd lookout i pulled over, as did he.
Ironically it turned out that the guy was someone i had been meaning to meet up with for around a year or so.

We got to chatting for a while, but in the full sun.
Suddenly I became very aware that i was getting seriously faint. I told myself to snap out of it, but myself didn't listen. (Remember that i had already worn myself out earlier from the workout (and although i drank water, it was probably not enough)). I had planned to eat lunch after working out but didn't (as i instead went up the mountain), so that probably didn't help either. So it must have been a combination of lack of food and water, and a touch of heatstroke. But really brought on by a lack of hydration (ALWAYS keep yourself hydrated!) This bad combination not only made me nearly fall off my roadside perch by fainting...it also..(thank you Murphy's Law)..made me (in front of several tourists)..PROJECTILE VOMIT over the side of the view.

No ordinary graceful vomit either (if vomiting could ever be graceful really...)..but PROJECTILE. Oh happy days. @.@ (Picture "The Excorcist" ..)

....Once recovered, i attempted to redeem myself and my embarrassment. All i could think of to say was "the only way this could get worse, is if i sh*t myself".(Classy, right..)
..and NO, thankfully i didnt (sh*t myself)..! But bloody hell after i said it i thought, 'Murphy' (Law) is a mean bugger and he may just add insult to injury!

..anyway, it turned out good in the end.
Decided to throw in the towel of my day and head further into the mountain.Thankfully it turned out to be something funny to look back on, rather than something solely cringe-worthy. But that's often about the company too. So thank you to those who help me laugh at awkward situations.

..particularly as i have so many of them.

Many many many...

*MOTO TALE* Rainy Season in Northern Thailand

I recently wrote on my Facebook timeline "Today the weather God decided that ordinary rain made of water droplets was too boring. He decided that rain made of millions and millions of tiny little razor blade needles that have the ability to penetrate the skin like lasers when riding a moto, would be far far more fun..", however, not to worry, it isn't always this way. In fact Rainy Season is a very beautiful time in Thailand in my opinion.

If, like me, you come from a standard four-season country (in my case, the UK), you will likely associate rainy days with gloomy days. In Thailand however, it is often warm rain and not uncomfortable. It usually comes in big heavy bucket-loads, rather than drips and drabs, and it usually comes in short sharp spells. Almost like someone turned a big giant tap on, or dropped a huge bucket of water down. It suddenly on, and then its suddenly off again.

The beauty of rainy season for me is how lush everything becomes. During the hot season months prior to rainy season, where temperatures can reach up to the 40+ (centigrade), the land becomes parched and dry. In truth much of Thailand's beauty comes from its stunning nature, and when dry season has sucked all the moisture out of the ground and all the leaves off the trees, it isn't as pretty a sight. There is a sorrowful amount of litter in Thailand also, and the lush green vegetation hides this sorry shame. In dry season plastic bottles and waste is revealed, exposing a nation that generally needs to be more educated in keeping its country beautiful.

But well..back to rainy season. Rainy season starts from around May and goes on for as long as five months, ending around October. Its usually a four month season. Lately the rainy seasons have seen less rain than usual, which is not good for Thailand's water resources and the vegetation. But, by the end of rainy season the beauty of Thailand is restored as it enters into the cool season and peak tourism period.

So, don't be put off from visiting Thailand during the rainy season, as you will get to experience the full glory of tropical rainstorms.



Watching a rainstorm from a balcony is one of the most joyful experiences i have here. Everything feels so alive at this time, especially the frogs, who are out in full chorus. You will see some stunning mist and cloud formations and, if you are lucky, you may even get a double rainbow! Its also low season, so everywhere is cheaper. So, that's a bonus for the budget minded!

*MOTO TRIPS* *DAY RIDE* : The Samoeng Loop - a mini scoop

Samoeng Loop Map

image: GT.Rider.com

Anyone who rides in Chiang Mai will know the Samoeng Loop, and likely know it well. The loop is pretty much the base staple for any riders in Chiang Mai for a quick ride around on a nice day. Its also the one that many tourists on scooters will want to pay a visit to.

Scenic-wise it is pretty, so there are photo ops (*Shamless selfie alert below* :p) and stop-off points for those who wish to do so, but enough twists and curves and dips to keep a rider, who is out purely for the road, happy.

Today i had a quick ride around. Its rainy season and the roads were wet and slippery. But hey, i got to see 4 snakes, (2 dead, sadly :( - not by me, although i narrowly avoided a cobra - at least it seemed to be a cobra as it reared up), a tiny squirrel dashing across the road in front of me narrowly escaping from being squished, frog hunting thrashers when i stopped to avoid the bulk of some rain (locals out with sticks, poking around in the grass to find tasty frogs for dinner), chickens-crossing-the-road galore, and ..would you believe...a Mclaren 650!

I topped the day off by stopping at "The Doi" resort for coffee (love this place and highly recommend it)..which is where i took this shameless selfie.

That's what you call a blissful day..at least in my books.

One good thing about posting an update like this on Facebook is that you find out you werent the only one who spotted the Mclaren (these are really REALLY uncommon to see here). I didnt get a photo, but my friend did.
Fantasic! He also happens to be the owner of a really great bike rental shop and tour company. Highly rated. So if interested take a look at TONY's BIG BIKES.

Now dont ever say i dont help you guys reading this out. I link you to the best places and resources.
..well, so says I. :p

Lastly, get yourself a GT.Rider Mae Sa Valley Map. Fantastic map for the loop and Mae Sa Valley. You can buy online or via these outlets.

*NOTE* I never recommend any product or service or place that i do not have faith in or have experienced. Everything on this blog is my personal account and recommendations. I take pride in writing about what im passionate about!

*MOTO TRIP*: Chiang Mai > NAN > Chiang Mai (road trip with The Grinder Boyz!)

This was a really fun trip, but the boys (who normally ride bikes with much more power ) found the trip a bit of a slog on 250cc bikes. It was great that they did this trip on bikes that matched mine, though. Very grateful for that! As an aside, the guys on the trip became affectionately known as "The Grinder Boyz", mainly because one of them decided to play a trick on another of the guys by uploading his pic on the Grinder app. (Grinder is the equivalent of Tinder, but for those interested in the same sex). Yes, childish I know, but pretty funny all the same.

The guys on this trip are experienced riders, really experienced. So for them the pace was a doddle, and thus the antics that came about were pretty fun. Had a giggle the whole trip.
The 1148 is known as one of the best roads for riding in the province, and although I enjoyed it, I found it not quite as twistie as I normally like. Or maybe my bike just doesn't have enough power for these kinds of sweeping curves. Would be a good one to try on a bike with more power.

We started from our usual meeting point before heading off. I had a small bag, the guys seemed to take kitchen sinks... ^^

The pace was around 120/130km and so we did ok. But of course, that's because we cant go any faster! We kept going till we hit Sabaai Dee Coffee shop for a break and a cool down. A couple of other riders had joined up with us at this point, and would head to Nan with us also.

Fab ride, fab weather (Jan is cool season and is really great for riding at this time), fab company.
 
We hung up our helmets at S.P. Guesthouse in Nan. A nice friendly inexpensive guesthouse. Seems to be a favorite with riders due to the secure parking.
Headed out for a bit to eat and went along to the HUGE night market. Was a bit too overwhelming for a few of us, including me, so half went around the market and the rest of us headed off for a quiet drink at a local biker bar. I pretty much called it a night fairly early and headed off back to the guesthouse with the only other girl on the trip, my good friend Tik. Boys will be boys, as they say, and the guys stayed up late drinking. As I was in bed at a more reasonable hour I was up very early (as planned), and had already packed up. 
The boys were no where in sight. Haha.

I posted this on my facebook that morning "Good morning from S.P.Guesthouse, Nan. I've been up since 7:30 am, bright-eyed and (not so) bushy-tailed (only because it's first thing in morning.). The guys were up late drinking. I suspect when they emerge from the rooms they will be red-eyed and groggy-tailed ^^^ Som nam na ^^" 

But actually, although they were up a little later than planned, they didn't seem worse for wear. I guess they are just used to it! Haha. So, after a little later start than planned we headed off for breakfast, packed and ready. P.S, I find the photo that was taken at the breakfast place pretty funny.. because the tallest man in the group on the right, was standing next to the shortest lady in our group. Haha.
So this time we headed back via a different route (at a later date I will update what this route was), which I was enjoying much more than the more famous 1148 route. It was much more twisty. We hit an area of roadworks with lots of gravel and sticky tarmac, but apart from that section the rest of the route was absolutely stunning with roads in great condition. At one point we were all low on fuel (spitting feathers!) and had a bit of a panic to find a fuel pump. I spied one on a roadside thankfully, and were saved.
 
We made a pit stop in Phayao and ended up meeting a group of friends who were just back from a lengthy tour. Had no idea they would be there, so was a nice coincidence. We had lunch together and shared some stories, and then headed off back to Chiang Mai. We arrived as dusk was setting and was really quite beautiful.

This trip will stick in my mind as one of the most fun I have ever had.

Thanks Grinder Boyz! 

*MOTO EVENT* - REAL CUSTOM BIKER SHOW 2014

Another fab Real Custom Biker Show event. Lots of bikes, lots of people, lots of "pretties" ( shame we girls don't get anything for us!), and lots of smiling faces. I had a great one this year and enjoyed seeing many kinds of bikes.

Bumped into various friends at the event also.

The host venue was the the 700 Year Stadium, and this year they had a great layout, with a large stage and seating area surrounded by food and drink vendors, for those looking to spend time at the event.

The easiest thing to do is just let you watch the video and see for yourself.

 

 Looking forward to next years show!