Scooter Diaries - Northern Thailand

  Chiang Mai, and its old city in particular, is an engaging metropolis with a decidedly relaxed vibe of northern Thailand. It consists of a mix of glamorous temples and Western comforts of every whim. A grand cuisine frontier, it impressed us most with the staple product of the region – mmm mmm, coffee. After a month of the instant stuff, we shamelessly imbibed on the delicious caffeine beans.

  Many people use Chiang Mai as a base for exploring the region, whether by elephant, raft or scooter. We chose the latter method as most efficient. We made home at the Banjai Garden Guest House, warmly welcomed by the hospitable owners and little frolicking kitten named Catty. From our pretty plant-encased balcony, we planned our course of action for the upcoming weeks.

  After much thought and months of 24/7 togetherness, we decided to grant each other the gift of independent travel experience and split up for a few days. I started out for the little visited but cozy towns of Phrae and Phayao. In Phrae, I met language teacher Priwan and stayed for a few days at her traditionally – Thai teak home. She took the time to show me around town. Most notably, she invited me to a Buddhist monastery, where a happy monk tied white strings around my wrists as a form of blessing for wisdom, health and peace of mind. It was a touching experience, as many other places we visited perform superficial blessings only for donations. I spent the evenings relaxing either in solitude and listening to the insistent drones of the cicadas or in warm conversations about life with Priwan, all while indulging in her truly delicious vegetarian fare. She finally drove me to the bus station, where I boarded a van bound for Phayao. The town itself has little to offer to an attraction-motivated traveler, but the views over the lake, especially at sunset, and the food were pretty superb. After taking care of some necessities, such as a hair cut, and the ensuing lost in translation hilarity, I went back to Chiang Mai, proud of my snag-free travel skills but happy to again meet up with Pawel.

Phayao

  In the meantime, P rented a scooter and put almost 1000 kilometers on its meter while making an extended loop of the Golden Triangle area, a region where the three countries of Laos, Thailand and Burma intersect. 

  I then joined him in Chiang Mai and after taking barely more than two shirts each to minimalize the weight, we set off for the visually-inspiring drive around Mae Hong Son province. In four days, we covered over 600 kilometers, sometimes slowly puttering uphill on first gear, on steep and winding roads through rice paddies, jungles, hills and pine forests. One word – stunning. With the approaching monsoon season, it rained every night. Every day then rose cooler, making the drive through the increasingly luscious surroundings even more pleasant. It was a great life on the road, stopping where convenient (so in towns of Mae Cham, Mae Hon Son – my favorite, and Pai), striving to discover that cute little bungalow for the night or that tasty next meal, our biggest immediate concerns. I highly recommend it.

  For the final time, we came back to Chiang Mai, said goodbye to our faithful scooter and set off for Chiang Rai. Its grandest attraction – Wat Rong Khun, a contemporarily-designed Buddhist temple. Created by an unconventional visionary, its white-washed facade is impressed with silver glass, creating a dazzling effect to the eye. A bridge, alongside impressions of reaching hands, leads to the wat itself, where unusual modern wall paintings show scenes of the cycle of rebirth that involve, for instance, the Twin Towers, the Terminator, Harry Potter, Neo from Matrix or Freddy Kruger. Despite the unusual thematics (or maybe because of them), it's pretty extraordinary.

Wishes! We left one, too

Coin wishing well

And then we hitch-hiked a ride back into town

  From Chiang Rai, we took a 6 am morning local bus to Chang Khong, from where we crossed the river, thus arriving at the Laos border. Next mode of transport – the two day slowboat trip to Luang Prabang on the mighty Mekong.