Pic - Siew Wan
It was hard to leave beautiful Pai but we must. One day, I will spend a week here! When we woke up I felt a bit chilly and a quick check on the weather forecast explained why. Coming here during the Winter months is probably the best time and don't forget to bring your woolies.
We arranged a beautiful bacon and egg breakfast with Bannamhoo and they gave us a breakfast that was more than satisfactory. The boys wanted seconds. It was that good!
I cannot praise the owners enough for their helpfulness, warmth and friendliness. I had to make a deposit for a booking in Maewin and had trouble finding a bank. They did it for me through their own internet banking and that saved me lots of effort and time. Such is the unbeatable hospitality of Bannamhoo. If you are ever in Pai, please stay here!!! The added bonus of Ben the Golden Retriever truly makes this a wonderful abode to explore Pai.
Once again, I took off a bit earlier with KC and Cynthia while Lance and Wayne went to check out some mountain views. I'm always amazed as their boundless energy - the blessing of youth. It was a good downhill start as we glided 2km to Pai town and then turn left to Highway 1095.
But I needed to say hello to an old friend whom I have not seen for nearly 10 years. Khun Pai Lin runs Pailin Homestay and we stayed there when we first came to Pai. She is a very nice lady who wanted my Carry Me bicycle in exchange for a month's stay. I was so pleased that she recognised me and it was good to see her again. She didn't age one bit!
Highway 1095 started out pretty flat and it was pure joy to be cycling on the flats for a while. Then the hills and climbs started. The route is pretty straightforward, up 20km or so and then down to Soppong. Sounds easy enough.
All the rest and 2 massages in Pai made us seem stronger and we powered up those climbs with not much effort, much to my surprise. The power of rest indeed. As with all climbs, the views just get better as go higher up.
The thoughtful Mothership soon swung by to see if we are ok and whether we needed more water, food etc. The crew of YC, George, Wendy, Mark and Loh behind are truly wonderful blessings.
Nothing like seeing smiling faces and receiving much needed encouragement from dear friends as we face tough challenges. Having support is important not just in cycling long and steep hills but as we face the hills and climbs of life. Indeed the wisdom of the Good Book testifies to this...
Reaching the peak, Doi Giwlom, we were greeted by quite a horde of cars and other traffic, and for good reason. It offered breath-taking views and has good amenities with proper toilets, cafe, many vendors selling all sorts of snacks.
Great video by Sinn Tail
Getting up there is definitely not a walk in the park and I was drenched in sweat when I arrived. First thing I did was to get myself a much needed drink - ice milk tea! I also bought some grilled sweet potatoes - and I reckon this is probably one of the best energy food for cyclists.
KC, ever the avid photographer, had fun taking portrait pictures on the ledge where the beautiful backdrop of mountains provided the perfect background.
Some very enterprising Hill Tribe children all dressed in their colourful traditional costume were there too for photos. I came across 2 beautiful sisters from Lisu tribe and when I asked how much to take a pic with them, one replied very politely in perfect English with a big smile, "Up to you!"... and that deserved a generous tip. One common trait I noticed about the wonderful Thais is their pure happiness everywhere and across the land.
It was only an easy 18km downhill to Soppong and we were excited about the descend. We took off like figher jets from an aircraft carrier and saw speeds of 70kmh easily, esp from Lance and Wayne. I took it a bit slower to enjoy the amazing scenery that passed before me and also to impart some downhill techniques to Sinn Tail, who like many, are a little fearful of fast descends especially when there are hairpins involved. It helps if you ride motorcycles as cornering line is everything.
Before we know it, the thrill was over in about 30 mins! And to think that it would take 2.5 hours to climb the opposite direction. Soppong is a very quiet hamlet with only 3 hotels that I know off. We stopped at Busaba Restaurant, rated #1 in TA, for our lunch. They were quite busy and we had to wait awhile for our food but it was ok as we had the whole afternoon free. I was alerted to a very nice bicyle - a Thorn Sherpa to be precise that was parked upstairs near the loo. This ranks higher even than the renown Surly LHT! It is not often you see such a pedigree bicycle in this part of the woods and it could only belong to the lady tourer that we spotted in Pai just yesterday.
I wasted no time to go up to bring greetings from Lovethefold and saw her lying down resting on the matted floor of the balcony. I felt really bad disturbing her solitude and wasn't sure if I should. But sometimes in life, there are some people whom you just have to meet and this inspiring lady is one of them. "Sawadee Krup! Sorry to disturb you but we spotted you in Pai, and just wanted to say a quick hello!" Fortunately for me, she was happy to return the greeting and we chatted for a good 10 mins or so. Mallika was doing a solo tour of N Thailand and is a retired teacher or Kru in Art and English, both my favourite subjects. It was a great privilege to just exchange stories and I felt an instant camaraderie with Khun Mallika. Little did I know that this was not the last time we would meet.
Our meals finally came and we ate it quickly as we were hungry. The owners were apologetic about the wait but we fully understand and it did not bother us and we told them "Mai Pen Rai" or no worries. Checking into Soppong River Inn was easy as they were expecting us. Very efficient check in and the boss lady was very warm and friendly.
This is my first time I have stayed here. Little Eden was not bad but we found SRI much better in terms of decor and esp rooms with river views. We settled in comfortably and YC and boys enjoyed a nice family room while George and Wendy had the honeymoon suite. Here is my room mate KC making himself feel at home!
SRI is located by the beautiful river and we had lots of fun taking photos of these gorgeous surroundings.
What caught us that night was the cold wave from China that really hit N Thailand. Temperatures dropped to 7c that night, lower than the foreasted and even at dinner time, it was already 13-14c and we were shivering. It was the coldest night we have ever experienced in Thailand in all my years. Cynthia came to dinner all wrapped up and prepared! Clever her.
We enjoyed a steamboat dinner at a restaurant across the road 100m on the left, which was most appropriate for a cold winter's night. We all ate heartily and fueled up for tmrw's very challenging ride.
SRI was very thoughtful in providing us with extra blankets for the cold night and it came in very handy. I don't know about the others but I certainly was cosy and warm in my bed. It had been another amazing day and a relatively easy one for our trip. My soul has been stirred more than once through the beauty I experienced today. I slept feeling very inspired by our new friend Mallika and wondered if we would meet her on the road tomorrow?
Pics KC ST n AL
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