February 29th, end of my first month in Thailand, which means I have to renew 30 day visitor’s pass. Unfortunately only way to do this is to go to Mae Sai, a city 360 km away from Pai, by Burmese border. There you can exit Thailand, enter Myanmar and come right back in and you’ll get another 30 days in Thailand.
Bus isn’t running to Mae Sai until next Sunday, so I have to drive a motorbike myself. Going to Mae Sai and coming back is nearly 800 km of travel. And stupidly I decided to do it in one day. Leaving Pai at 6 AM, riding through morning mist in the canyon.
Andy, a traveler from Ohio, an English teacher in China, comes and drives with me for the first mountain road, at Mae Malay I turn North, he heads down South to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, then back to China.
Too bad that I have to drive so fast to make it back to Pai by dark. Zipping by the most beautiful scenery I ever seen in Northern Thailand.
After 2 very painful falls on curvy mountain road, my bike and stiff body approach the border. 5 km from Myanmar.
1 PM I arrive Mae Sai/Tachilek border. Over yonder is the country whose military regime has for 3 decades ruled the majority who don’t have the basic needs.
Bye-bye Thailand, I’ll be right back.
Impression I got from Tachilek is not far from what I expected. Large complex of poorly built market stretches out over the slum by the river, and people in rag try to sell anything from postcards, Viagra, half-day trip to nearby temple, counterfeit goods to prostitution. These kids asked me for money when I asked them to let me take a photo. Just like Cambodia, you can see spirituality is pushed aside by their desperate needs to catch up with materialistic wealth pouring out from Thailand and western countries.
As I rush my way back, flying 110 km/h on 125 cc Honda, a car in front of me hit a puppy. These children helped me digging a hole and burying the poor animal.
Near Mae Teang right by the highway is an elephant training farm. Here 28 elephants are chained and trained with a stick with sharp hook to poke them. This old elephant was tied to 5 meter chain, walking in the same spot in circle, where he ate from the same soil he goes to bathroom to. As I walked up close, this beautiful mammal was so scared that he let out small scream and stepped back, and while I petted his nose and calmed him, I could see the trails of tears on his cheeks.
Bus isn’t running to Mae Sai until next Sunday, so I have to drive a motorbike myself. Going to Mae Sai and coming back is nearly 800 km of travel. And stupidly I decided to do it in one day. Leaving Pai at 6 AM, riding through morning mist in the canyon.
Andy, a traveler from Ohio, an English teacher in China, comes and drives with me for the first mountain road, at Mae Malay I turn North, he heads down South to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, then back to China.
Too bad that I have to drive so fast to make it back to Pai by dark. Zipping by the most beautiful scenery I ever seen in Northern Thailand.
After 2 very painful falls on curvy mountain road, my bike and stiff body approach the border. 5 km from Myanmar.
1 PM I arrive Mae Sai/Tachilek border. Over yonder is the country whose military regime has for 3 decades ruled the majority who don’t have the basic needs.
Bye-bye Thailand, I’ll be right back.
Impression I got from Tachilek is not far from what I expected. Large complex of poorly built market stretches out over the slum by the river, and people in rag try to sell anything from postcards, Viagra, half-day trip to nearby temple, counterfeit goods to prostitution. These kids asked me for money when I asked them to let me take a photo. Just like Cambodia, you can see spirituality is pushed aside by their desperate needs to catch up with materialistic wealth pouring out from Thailand and western countries.
As I rush my way back, flying 110 km/h on 125 cc Honda, a car in front of me hit a puppy. These children helped me digging a hole and burying the poor animal.
Near Mae Teang right by the highway is an elephant training farm. Here 28 elephants are chained and trained with a stick with sharp hook to poke them. This old elephant was tied to 5 meter chain, walking in the same spot in circle, where he ate from the same soil he goes to bathroom to. As I walked up close, this beautiful mammal was so scared that he let out small scream and stepped back, and while I petted his nose and calmed him, I could see the trails of tears on his cheeks.
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