November 24, 2016
Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao: Into the mountains
I left Chiang Mai at about 7 am, before the guesthouse reception was open and before breakfast was available. I ate some papaya and mango that I'd purchased last night at the market, with some yogurt from the 7-Eleven.
The traffic leaving Chiang Mai was busy. I stayed on the main road, the 107, as it had a good shoulder and was the most direct route. Not too far along, I started seeing horses. I think this was the first I've seen them in Thailand.
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Then there was a large, militaristic statue with a horse, do maybe that's something important to this part of Thailand.
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I stopped at a 7-Eleven, and rather than buying food inside the store, I bought a chicken drumstick from a food stall next to it. I figured I needed the protein, and it was fresh and delicious. As I left, I wished I had gotten more. When I came to the market in what I think was Mae Rim, I bought 2 more. These were fried in batter, and no where near as good as the first one which had something similar to barbeque sauce on it.
There was a pretty good hill after Mae Rim, but generally the road just rolled up and down today.
The mountains made a spectacular backdrop.
I rode past the Chiang Dao Elephant sanctuary and didn't stop. The elephant crossing sign is a little comical, in that there is a barrier on the road.
I had decided to stop at a guesthouse near the main road, and not make the turn to the Chiang Dao Caves. The guesthouse was down a small dirt track, and when I arrived I was told that the owner had gone to Chiang Mai and not left anyone else there to handle check-in. It looked like food would be an issue, too, so I turned around and headed up to the caves. Going backward always hurts a little bit! But I'm glad I did. I'm staying at the Chiang Dao Huts, and it is beautiful! I sprang for a bungalow with attached bath (600 baht) as much for the convenience of the bathroom as for the beauty of the site.
I had an early dinner of fried rice at the restaurant across from the huts, and walked down to the entrance to the caves. I didn't go in, as it was too close to closing time, but I visited the Wat that is near the entrance, Wat Tham Chiang Dao. The setting is dramatic, and I was glad I visited. I will say that it has the largest group of stray dogs that I've encountered so far on this trip.
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Today's ride: 78 km (48 miles)
Total: 848 km (527 miles)
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