| |
Quim
|
On my first trip to Thailand back in 2002, I brought my touring bike with me and took the overnight train from BKK to Chiang Mai. I always sleep well on trains, and this trip was no exception. I had just lost my LOS P4P cherry in Patpong the night before and I was eager to see some of the real Thailand. Unlike BobFiveHead I was not wearing wool underwear on this trip.
The first few days I explored Chiang Mai by day on my bicycle. Lots of beautiful old buildings and temples, not the least of them being Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep up on the hill. Truly impressive.
And then there were the Thai girls. Fair skinned and friendly. Wandering around up at the University I would mingle with them, eating from their food stalls that lined the street, sitting with them in their cafes, lapping up their youthful, uniformed innocence and charm. At night I would hang out in this small area with some open air bars, getting to know the bar girls that worked there. They dragged me along to a small disco where the three of them argued over who would get to go home with me. I was too innocent at the time to realize I should have taken all three.
I ended up with this girl who reminded me of a very pretty monkey. I know that may sound pejorative, but it is not meant that way at all. She was the cutest thing. And she made me think of a monkey whenever I saw her. After that night she took to showing up at my room whenever she felt like it. One morning she woke me up, walked into my room, climbed into my bed with all her clothes on, and proceeded to give me a BBBJ. I was beginning to suspect there was something different about Thailand.
From Chiang Mai I cycled north, through little towns connected by dusty roads. I remember thinking that the landscape was not nearly as impressive as in Vietnam, but that the people and children left you alone, which I appreciated. Thailand, even in the countryside, sees a lot more foreigners. The fact that I was on a bicycle did, however, garner some friendly interest. They wanted to know where I was going. I told them I didn't know.
I slept in little inns wherever I was when the sun started to go down. And I still remember acutely the intense pleasure of that first beer at the end of the day, sitting there in my sweaty cycling gear. Occasionally there would be some other falang backpackers staying in the same place and we would share a meal or a few beers. I don't remember any bar girls, but it could very well be that I was not all that good at recognizing them back then.
In one small town I wandered into a place where there was a live band and not a single other falang to be seen. But a table of standing Thais gestured me over and made me drink Thai whisky with them. I spoke barely a word of Thai and they spoke no English, but we had a fine time of it. They seemed genuinely happy to have me drinking with them, and I was certainly thrilled to be there. I remember how the entire bar seemed to know the words to every song.
I spent the night in Tha Ton where I splurged on a room overlooking the Kok River. I had some of the best sea food that evening with this falang couple and their friend from California who had big breasts and was noticeably hitting on me during dinner. But I was in a TG frame of mind and didn't pursue it. From Tha Ton I took one of the long boats up the river to Chiang Rai, my bike stashed safely in the bow.
In Chiang Rai, the jumping off point for so many backpackers wanting to visit the hill tribes and, in olden days, smoke some opium, I had this wonderful massage by a TG who sang softly to me throughout. Her singing and her hands were so wonderful that I asked for another hour, oil this time. And by the time we were done I asked her if she could come with me to eat. There was much discussion between her and the mamasan, none of which I understood of course, but I ended up paying 500 baht I believe and we were off to some central market place where there were lady boys dancing and lots of food and beer to be had. I ended up spending the next three days with her.
From Chiang Rai I cycled north towards the golden triangle. I ended up lunching at one of those places that are set up for tour buses. Very bland food for very bland tourists. But it was cheap and the French people at my table were entertaining. They couldn't understand why I would want to cycle when I could ride an air conditioned bus. Different strokes for different folks, I told them.
I visited a beautiful royal palace built entirely of teak on the border to Burma. It was situated quite a ways up the mountain and so I was reluctant to cycle down only to have to cycle back up towards Mae Sai where I was planning on spending the night. My map suggested that there was a road along the ridge of the mountain that would lead me to Mae Sai, and so instead of going back down, I kept on climbing. This may have been one of the more foolish things I have ever done in my life.
It was three in the afternoon at this point, and I figured that if I pushed it I could make it to Mae Sai before it grew dark. But I was wrong. No sooner had I made it to the crest than the sun started to set. Some soldiers by the side of the road were clearly surprised to see me up there. I had read somewhere that this area was patrolled for drug smuggling, but I figured they wouldn't think that I was a drug smuggler on a bike. Although they surely were wondering what the hell I was doing there. And at this point, so was I.
But it seemed too lame to retrace my path down the mountain, and so I pushed on, even though the road had turned to dirt and it was getting so dark I could barely see more than a few feet ahead of me. I was biking on instinct at this point. The night air was cold, but I was pushing so hard that I was warm with sweat.
And then I had to pause for a moment, to take in just how incredibly beautiful it was. I was standing on the top of this mountain between Burma and Thailand in the middle of the night, with the sky above me filled with more stars than I would have thought possible. And on my right side, the lights of Thailand flickered, and on my left side, nothing but darkness. It was a magical moment.
Soon, though, my thoughts returned to the task at hand, getting off this mountain and finding some food and water. Because I had foolishly very little of either with me. In the dark as I was flying along the ridge of this mountain all I could hear was the sound of my tires and my own breathing. I had given up trying to hold my flashlight and bike at the same time because some of the turns required me to be able to break quickly. At one point I nearly went off the road, which would have been a disaster had I been injured. No one would have found me.
Not that I was entirely alone. A couple of times a figure would appear out of the darkness, as startled as I was, and recede just as quickly. The road was getting rougher and I was starting to despair as to whether it actually would lead me down the mountain eventually, or into a dead end. I nearly crashed into some heavy roadwork machinery. A surprised looking guard said something to me in Thai that I did not understand. I tried to find out from him if the road connected to Mae Sai, but I am not sure we communicated.
I cycled on. And on. At this point I was exhausted and increasingly dehydrated. The road was dipping up and down, to the point where I had to get off and walk my bike up some of the hills, only to maddeningly roll right back down the other side and start the climb all over again. This seemed to go on for hours. I was cursing myself out loud, calling myself all sorts of names. But if anyone out there that night heard me, they didn't let me know they disagreed. And who would have.
I don't know that I have ever been so close to pure exhaustion in my life. Or a feeling of pure joy when I realized that I must be nearing the town. A few houses by the side of the road which was now paved again. I stopped and asked a lady cooking on the ground for some water. Sweeter and more delicious than any water I had ever tasted before. She made me take the large white bottle with me. Just one of many kindnesses the Thais showed me on this trip.
I was ecstatic to arrive in the dusty border town of Mae Sai, where I immediately checked into this modern monstrosity of a hotel, clearly set up for business travelers. No personality, but the room was clean and air conditioned and the TV came with CNN. After my brush with the wilderness, I needed, like Werner Herzog after filming Fitzcaraldo, to reconnect with the modern world. This ugly business hotel was just the thing.
After showering off layers of sweat I walked outside the hotel and ordered some "som tham" on the street. A large bottle of Singha from the 7/11 on the corner. Never was a more delicious meal had. Near death experiences have a way of making everything taste better.
I followed the Mekong for a while, spent a night in a luxury resort that was mostly empty as it was off-season, and so was the price. At dinner I had five beautiful thai girls attending to my needs. Well, not all my needs, but you know what I mean. It felt very colonial.
Running out of time, I threw my bike on a bus back to Chiang Rai where I caught a flight out to BKK after one last evening with my masseuse. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I would be back soon. LOS had definitely gotten under my skin. 
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:18 am on Jan. 24, 2010
|
|
BKKdreaming
|
Great story, were you on a mountain bike with wide tires or a touring bike ?
B K
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 6:05 pm on Jan. 24, 2010
|
|
Quim
|
B K, a touring bike with relatively narrow, road tires. But not a single flat or any other problem with the bike that trip. Just lost my way a little there...
|
Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:26 pm on Jan. 24, 2010
|
|
|
|
ItaliaThug
|
Bro, nice read. Half way through, when you ran into cops I was thinking your trip was going to turn into the LOCKED UP ABROAD tv show.
How may miles did you travel by bike on your trip?
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:32 am on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
expatchuck
|
Quim:
I apologize for ever thinking you were dafty.
I now realize you are really Bob5Head. 
Good reports.
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:12 am on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
MickTheKick
|
I have my own idea what formerly known character is on the air as Q since early 2009.... and I will not tell you... 
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:18 am on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
Quim
|
MTK, I have only had one identity on this forum since I joined in 2003, even though I only started seriously posting recently. But I am curious whom you would confuse me with. Cheers.
Q.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:10 am on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
Loung Steeb
|
...NEVER jump on a moutain bike that has no seat....ls
|
Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 10:29 am on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
Oz
|
Great story & thanks for sharing it Quim. I have toured most of Southern Thailand on a Bike but it had 1,000cc Motor! Still the feeling is almost the same!
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:35 pm on Jan. 25, 2010
|
|
| |
|
