Bangkok to the top of Thailand

I decide to fly up north and enter Burma through the Mae Sai/Tachielek crossing. 

I booked a ticket online, and interestingly, was able to pay for it over the counter at the 7Eleven convenience store just down the road.  Just as well, as my debit card was not accepted. Like paying for your Easyjet ticket at Tesco Express I suppose. 

Flying to Chiang Mai

The 21km ride to the airport took a little longer than anticipated when my 'upgraded' rear rack fell apart and dumped all my bags along the hard shoulder of the motorway. I guess the bike shop forgot to tighten a couple of clamp bolts. Then the usual airport conundrum........Terminal 1 or 2? Stress levels are starting to rise but no worries, as promised Nok Air just take your bike as it arrives and stash it on the aircraft, after asking for the tyres to be deflated. 

After landing at Chiang Mai I walked towards the baggage belt and the first thing I noticed was an immaculately dressed 'hostess' waiting by the belt with my bike. Ah, the things you have to do when you work for a budget airline! And for free.....well done Nok Air!

After escaping the air terminal I headed for Decathlon as I was told the weather was a lot colder at altitude in Burma, and planning to camp if possible, I needed a sleeping bag and some socks. So, with 60 odd km to cycle to my campsite it looked like being a late night. 

I gratefully arrived around 8pm at the Mae Takri National Park camp spot and was soon tucked up in my tent. A long day. 

 

On to the border

The next few days were a bit miserable due to a mild but debilitating gastro-enteritis.  Shivering at night, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, no appetite. I managed to keep the wheels turning but  it wasn't fun. I'm still not sure what it was.......an adverse reaction to my weekly malaria tab........ dengue fever? As usual my reaction is to wait and see what happens. The morning of Christmas Eve I was about 10k into my ride and desperately seeking a toilet. I pulled into a glitzy shopping mall (Central Plaza Chiang Rai), not yet open for shoppers but thankfully the immaculate car park toilets were unlocked. Not a moment to soon! As I sat there and let the world drop out of my bottom the piped music system leapt into life with a rousing 'Jingle Bells'.  I just had to laugh at the incongruity of the situation. 

I need a checklist before moving into a room. There are the obvious desirables, comfy mattress, window, fan, shower, hot water, towel but I always fail to make an assessment of how noisy it's going to be during the night, proximity to main roads, karaoke bars and the like. Last night was a classic, traditional teak house on stilts on the edge of fishing pond, but I'd failed to notice the two caged roosters directly underneath my floorboards........cockabloodydoodledoo!

.........and then there's the owner, who lived opposite and liked his Thai whisky, who fell asleep and left his impressive wall of loudspeakers pumping out music all night. 

 

 

The next day it's on to Mae Sai which turned out to be buzzing with cross border trade and Burmese filling their boots with Thai goodies. I bought a big bag of cashews as emergency rations and then eat them all before bedtime. 

 

Travel in this corner of Burma is still severely restricted. I was hoping the situation would have been resolved by now but not so. I could go 200km up the road to Keng Tung but that was it. I would have to fly to a more open area in Burma. I found out that Golden Myanmar Airways had a flight leaving for He Ho (as in Hey ho, off we go!) at 13:30 the next day. 

Christmas Day - Into Myanmar

The two countries are divided by a river, so I checked out with Thai Immigration and rode off across a bridge, suddenly realising from all the oncoming traffic that in Myanmar they drive on the right!  I entered the Immigration Office and answered the questions a little nervously....... "Are you in an organised group?" No. "Where will you be staying?" I don't know, I'm going to find somewhere when I get there. They seemed happy that I was flying to He Ho and I was soon off on the short ride to the airport. 

 The bridge, where at some undetermined point, you start riding on the other side of the road. 

 The check in counter of a very small airline, (2 aircraft) at a very small airport. Lovely staff. 

 

Ground staff offer passengers sun brollies for the stroll to the aircraft (a ATR 72-600 for plane spotters)