My Tour of Lanna - Micaela's Diary 4

With the sun shining and the temperature already high, everyone was enthusiastic to get going the next morning. The Thai Highway Police, fascinated by our lightweight carbon framed bikes, encouraged us to have a photo shoot under the big Buddha. The whole scene looked like the Police posing for their next recruiting campaign! They were enjoying themselves on this trip as much as we were, and shared many a joke with us. They took pride in showing us places of interest, and teaching us about their culture. We all acknowledged this was an amazing way to experience the Thai people, their country and their way of life. Leaving Chiang Saen we took advantage of the flat, well-surfaced road to settle into a good pace and practiced rotating in a tight peloton. Working as a team and bonding as a group was not only rewarding, but a huge energy saving and we flew out of town! We cruised along roads that dipped and rolled east along the river, the life line to this part of South-East Asia. We passed through local towns and villages, stopping to inspect rural rice farmer’s properties. Everywhere, the locals gave us a friendly welcome with their smiles and waves and shouts of “sawasdee”. We took a break for a breather, and to take in the most spectacular views of distant rice fields and villages in Laos, just a stone throw away. Personally I took a quiet moment to absorb the view and the atmosphere.

Over the next few days the tour progressed deeper into the mountains, through rural farming communities.
One memorable day, and another hard pass; “I struggled up, breathing hard and finding the extra effort from somewhere deep within” As always the reward came at the top. The views and the most charming village where the welcome was very warm and somewhat tinged with intrigue. I felt very privileged as we wandered round their village, filmed their houses and children and watched them cooking and making craft items for the markets. We chatted with the children as they shyly watched us and looked at our bikes and clothes with fascination. We must have looked like aliens from Mars to them, lycra clad in our cycling gear and staggering around in our cleated shoes!
The cycling continued to get even more remarkable and the scenery even more breathtaking. The superb road conditions thrilled us. Remote mountain roads and rural farms, rice fields, people working the land, passing small tractors and the occasional buffalo, our route snaked up and over the landscape both ahead and, looking back, way down behind us. What an amazing experience to see Thailand this intimately. Our cheek muscles began aching from the constant grin etched on our faces! Egos were soaring now! The dramatic climbs, with only sheer determination testing my endurance, were more than rewarded by the exhilaration of long downhill stretches. Feeling the hum of the tyres on the smooth, deserted road, feeling the bike responding and the warmth of the wind on my face, I felt at one with nature; totally in tune and totally absorbed. An exhilarating final 18km descent, at the end of one long hard day, left us all buzzing!

There was no shortage of opportunities to restock on our route. Our support team was always nearby with endless supplies of cold water and high energy snacks. We took many an opportunity to sample the local produce, stopping at roadside stalls for fresh fruit juices, freshly cooked noodles, pancakes or bananas. Seated by the roadside and being served sweet grilled bananas and attempting to chat with the locals, who were fascinated by this bunch of strangely dressed “farang” (foreigners), were the intimate moments that made this so special. Experiencing the Thai food took us through a rich culinary journey of exotic mouth-watering, freshly prepared delicacies and along with the carefully selected comfortable hotels, and the awesome cycling, this was top-notch adventure.

In keeping with the individual and unique Thai experience offered by Crouching Tiger Cycling Tours, we had plenty of rewards both during and after long days in the saddle. We took every opportunity to enjoy the local culture; visiting ancient temples with their ornate architecture and faded paintings of historic battles, enjoying the night markets with their exotic aromas and numerous road side stalls, undertaking a hike to a cliff top location to watch a stunning sun set and visiting the renowned elephant conservation center on the outskirts of Lampang. We even exchanged pedal power for horse power on one occasion and soaked up the sights and sounds of this bustling city from a horse and carriage. Suffice to say, we also took regular advantage of one of the things the Thais do best – fabulous massage to repair some of the damage to our poor tired bodies! The amazing massage girls: innocently provocative with their healing hands, their smiles and their offers of marriage!