Saturday 17 January 2015
Dense smog descended on the Ping valley overnight. The town of Hot was quiet as we left it. It was not long before traffic got busier - big trucks with double trailers and pickups which fly by at great speeds served as a reminder that we were now in the outskirts of Chiang Mai.
At the first town, Chom Thong, we had a discussion over an excellent Italian espresso, and decided that it was no fun cycling in the heavy pollution despite the flat run into Chiang Mai. We negotiated with a songthaew driver to take us and our bicycles into Chiang Mai. She asked for 500 baht. After we had loaded our bikes and bags onto the vehicle, other passengers mounted - 2 Hmong or Mien ladies in traditional dress, a lady who had been to market for her restaurant, a Buddhist nun in white and a Catholic nun. During the 50-odd kilometres into the city, the songthaew stopped on request of passengers, At its peak, we were 11 passengers, 2 bicycles and 4 panniers.
We alighted along the moat in Chiang Mai City. Found a small hotel near Wat Phra Sing, which although within the Old Town and vicinity of many wats, feels removed from the busy tourist centres. We have also managed to book a flight back to Phuket on Monday morning.
Distance: 33 km
Distance: 33 km
No comments:
Post a Comment