Chiang Rai and cycling…..(10)

It was 50 km pedaling to the Choui Fong tea plantation…….

It's been a while since I wrote episode 9 of my 'bicycle serial' set in and around Chiang Rai. In May 2021, when he was still 75 years 'young'. Now 78, but still enjoying cycling through the city and - especially - the country. So a tenth episode to round off the series with a nice round number. Just like in the previous episodes, I add some photos taken during my rides to share the beauty of the area with the readers and, where appropriate, I also cycle through some other experiences and adventures.

In May 2021, I was still blissfully unaware of the heart attack I would have four months later (on my bike...). Fortunately, I have recovered very well from this, as I described on this blog, and since then I have already cycled more than 22.000 km in both the Netherlands and Thailand. Now that I have been back in Thailand for a longer period of time since mid-October, that bicycle clock (and hopefully also my internal 'clock'...) continues to tick steadily: in the past month of November alone, more than 1500 km were added.

…..but this grandiose view will quickly make you forget the effort!

Arrived in mid-October, again with EVA Air after having traveled twice with Emirates. Nothing wrong with the latter, on the contrary: the double-deck A380 is, in my humble opinion, the most comfortable choice when it comes to flying in Economy. I ended up at Emirates (again) after a less pleasant experience with EVA Air. I had been flying Premium Economy in the Boeing 777 with that company for several years to my complete satisfaction, but when I looked for a ticket in mid-November last year to depart within about ten days, it turned out that they were flying with a Boeing 787 and not Premium Economy. to offer. For the friendly price of 1771 euros I was allowed to travel in Economy. I have never paid so much money to be in such a tight spot. A downright claustrophobic experience and I solemnly promised myself: 'Never again, Cornelis'!!

Then twice with Emirates, but I kind of missed that direct flight. The connections were not optimal both times, and hanging around the airport quickly got boring. EVA Air now offered Premium Economy again and with some searching and shifting in the combinations of dates for the outward and return flights - and the advantage that I could book well in advance this time - I ended up paying little more than in November last year. out on AMS – BKK (a night flight) in Business and BKK – AMS (a day flight) in Premium Economy. It goes without saying that I arrived at Suvarnabhumi feeling rested after a flight that departed 2 hours late.... And as far as sleeping is concerned: the comfortable EVA pajamas provided on board now function in these cooler times in the north of Thailand. , as my Thai partner's favorite 'house dress'. She even went to the market in it once at the Motosai, early in the morning.....

The Mae Kok originates in Myanmar and flows into the Mae Khong near Chiang Saen.

Not that you will stand out here, mind you, because you are certainly not the only one who drives around in what we would not exactly call a suitable outfit. We suddenly had a few colder nights last week, when it was about 7 degrees around 15 in the morning. Then many Thais already pull out gloves, thick jackets and woolen hats and no one is surprised when someone drives past on the motosai with a duvet turned over. Some wear bearskin hats of the kind that would not look out of place on the streets of Moscow in 20 degrees of frost. I'll never know what they think when they see me on my bike in my shorts and short sleeves...

So cycling, because that's what I started this contribution with. This spring I bought a new Giant bicycle. A few kilos lighter than the 'made in Thailand' mountain bike I had been riding until then, and you especially notice this when you have to climb. Excellent compensation for the inevitable decline in muscle strength with increasing age! My old vehicle, with more than 40.000 km on the odometer, could be retired as far as I was concerned, but with some modifications I was able to make it suitable for my partner, who is blessed with slightly less arm and leg length, and who is now ( very) short rides.

Along the irrigation canal, here between Mae Lao and Phan. Great cycling route!

Two days after arrival, I got up again early in the morning for the first time to leave 'my' village (about ten kilometers from the city center). The villagers are no longer surprised by that silly old farang (with a helmet, in brightly colored cycling clothing and with a backpack...) on his bicycle; they gave up trying to understand what the fun is in it years ago. The dogs lying on the street also only open one eye at most when I approach and no longer think about chasing after me, barking and snapping at my calves.

Out of the village, into the greenery, the Mae Kok river never far away, a pleasant 23 degrees, cheerfully whistling birds: it doesn't take long before the overwhelming realization sets in that I am an extremely lucky person to be able to experience this. Apart from physical fitness, I was also lucky that my cradle was in the Netherlands and that alone gave me a greater chance to make something of life than many fellow inhabitants of our planet. Not everything can be attributed to 'own merit', and that realization has only been reinforced by the much that I have seen of the world. Ultimately, we are all 'happiness seekers', even though that term is often used derogatorily in the Netherlands towards migrants who are looking for a better life.

Close supervision of the rice lying out to dry at Wat Rong Ha in Mae Lao.

Now, while participating in Thai road traffic, you should of course not philosophize too much. The unpredictability of traffic behavior means that you have to be alert, whether you are cycling, driving a motorcycle or a car. Looking ahead, driving defensively, but not acting too small and too timid on the road, contribute to surviving daily traffic. I have now cycled around 60.000 kilometers here without any real incidents and I do not feel unsafe in Thai traffic. Keep your eyes and ears open, use common sense and you will go a long way!

Well, sometimes you simply lack your senses, as recently on a stretch of road full of cracks, bumps and cut holes, especially for two-wheelers, - the so-called potholes - and also with heavy traffic. In full concentration on that road surface and the traffic, I suddenly received a heavy blow on my bicycle helmet – I had hit a tree branch hanging low over the edge of the road. Without that helmet I would certainly have sustained injuries.

In addition to the well-known white and blue temples, Chiang Rai also has a beautiful red temple: Wat Pa Ruak Tai, in Ban Pa Ruak, 15 km south of the White Temple.

Speaking of such surprises: while cycling along Highway 1, I also had to quickly bend down low for a razor-sharp corrugated iron roof of one of the many – often temporary – sales stalls on the roadside. I could have just lost my head - although I actually lost it (along with my heart...) to Thailand many years ago. It will not surprise you that since then I have been even more alert to those often dilapidated buildings on the roadsides...

As I wrote before, I don't really plan my routes. I try to go out every other day. I leave early in the morning and usually don't know where I will end up that day when I leave the village. The ride itself is the goal, the destination is less important. In the Netherlands, especially in the flat and open polder land in the west, the wind is an important factor when choosing the direction of departure: preferably go against the wind and return comfortably with the wind at your back. This wind direction is rarely important here in the far north of Thailand due to the usually low wind speeds and therefore plays little or no role. If I feel good, then 100 – 120 km is no problem. It is important to continue to drink and eat well during such a long ride, because when the tank is empty, the famous/infamous 'hunger pang' in cycling circles occurs and then it really becomes a struggle to make any progress. You really feel your strength flowing from your body. Drinking too little makes you feel even worse and is also dangerous for the proper functioning of the body. Fortunately, the availability of food and drinks is not a problem in Thailand; you never have to drive far to stock up on some 'fuel' – in whatever form – for your body.

Being above and in the clouds at the same time – that is possible on Doi Chang. And no, I didn't come up here on my bike….

Along the way, usually about halfway through the ride, I now have a number of coffee addresses where I like to stop. After a few visits you are quickly recognized and they know the regular recipe without waiting for the order: 'Americano ron khap, kheow jai'! The first time you stop somewhere for coffee, you are often asked where you are from. If I mention my Thai hometown and say that I covered 50 km that morning, people may ask if I am going back tomorrow. Great surprise on their faces when they understand that I'm just cycling home after coffee...
..
Some time ago I was having coffee with three English-speaking Thais at the adjacent table. The well-known questions: 'Which country are you from? Do you like Thailand? How long will you stay? Do you have a wife in Thailand? Where? What, did you cycle from there? This morning? How old are you?
I answered truthfully, after all, nothing to hide. We chatted some more, and a little later a lottery ticket seller showed up for the twice-monthly Thai state lottery draw. The question my conversation partners asked the seller was whether he had lottery tickets with the final numbers 78 - in their eyes that must be a very 'lucky number' given my cycling condition at that age. Indeed he had, they bought almost the whole stock; Of course I couldn't stay behind and took one too. Unfortunately, the draw a few days later revealed that the lottery gods had a different opinion about what the 'lucky numbers' were: so no prize.

But don't worry: I have already won a nice prize in the Thai life lottery because my current partner came my way 8 years ago, here in Chiang Rai. I was absolutely not looking for a woman and certainly not for a relationship, but it happened anyway. She has enriched my life - I only wish (and I tell her this regularly) that I had met her about twenty years earlier. But hey: maybe we still have 20 years left. I know: not very realistic, but great that there is still something to dream about, right? I think it's nice to end my contribution with this modest song of praise for her...

What now? Well, Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein is said to have once said that life is like riding a bike: you have to keep moving to avoid falling over.
I stick by that statement. What I also adhere to is avoiding negative people as much as possible – those who have a problem for every solution.
Greetings from the saddle!

About this blogger

Cornelis

Cornelis, born in 1945, in total 42 years in government service, at the age of 58 initially hesitantly accepted an offer to retire early, never regretted it and has therefore been enjoying his freedom for over 20 years. Great cycling enthusiast, both in the Netherlands and in Thailand; puts at least 10.000 km on the clock every year and has previously written a series of articles about this for this blog. Lives part of the year near the city of Chiang Rai with his sweetheart, whom he also met there and with whom he has now been in a relationship for almost 9 years.

Read the latest articles here

Older posts from this blogger

• Living in ThailandDecember 4 2024In and around Chiang Rai
• Living in ThailandOctober 24, 2024Back home…
• ActivitiesDecember 8 2023Chiang Rai and cycling…..(10)
• Reader SubmissionJanuary 12 2023Just Chiang Rai