Heading for the hilltribes
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
16
82
Trip End
Dec 30, 2009
Amphoe Muang,
Thailand
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }
-->Wake up call from Ant at 0600 then
bussed to a different hotel for breakfast incl fried egg boulded into
a heart shape. After some bike tweaking, we're off along gently
undulating roads through fields of rice, avocado, strawberry,
cabbage. [Strawberries fetch 300Bt/kg (£5) for the farmer. Mid
morning we stopped for a break at a shaded table in a shop. James and
I sampled the local rice whisky. Nothing like Scotch but quite
pleasant so bought a bottle for future "journeying mercies" (50Bt
= 83p).
We stopped at a village fair where they
seemed to be having a dance competition. V pleased to have us in
attendance. J and I were brought chairs. The celebration was the end
of Buddhist lent and the coming rice harvest.
Then down onto the plain which was v
hot. We were flagging by the time we stopped for our lunch in Fang.
We then set off at a pretty brisk pace to do the next 40km. After
about 20k I was flagging too hot and my bum was sore. I dropped back
and stopped for a few minutes and stretched and was then able to
regain the tail of the peleton. Then the road became much hillier and
we crossed into the next valley funnily the climbing made me feel
better and we were soon going along the side of the Kok river valley.
Cycled through little villages, all the children and a lot of the
adults shout 'hello' the road is largely tarmac although sometimes it
becomes concrete or gravel. Lots of potholes, lots of sharp bends.
Finally, we emerge onto a larger road near a bridge over the river
and stop for fruit. A group of ladies walk past with cloth bags.
Pasit, the driver, always chats to passing ladies. They give us all
some oranges and reluctantly accept payment. Some more sharp
undulations where I find my front whel was very loose. We had some
sweaty climbs on a dirt road until we reach our hotel the Haui Khum
Resort. It was built a few years ago by a Taiwanese business man on
land bought cheaply from the local hill tribe people, the Atta but is
now a good source of employment. All the buildings and the furniture
are made from bamboo. We are each installed in a bungalow accessed by
steep steps up the hillside. There is a large pool which we put to
full use. One other couple stayed, it is still the low season.
We ate a wonderful meal with 6
different dishes including something that looked very much like
catfish. Local hilltribe children came to perform for us in
traditional garb. They sang 2 songs in a mixture of French and Thai .
The sound was very 'Sunday School' and further investigation revealed
that the hill tribe were Catholic.
I bed by 2045 exhausted. 95km.
