Work those legs! – Cycling in Northen Thailand

I have to be honest: it wasn’t as romantic as I pictured it. When in Northern Thailand, I rented a decent mountainbike from Mae Hong Son and ventured out for a couple of days. I pictured myself cycling through the mountaineous countryside, carrying only a small backpack and spending nights in homestays in remote villages.

The truth was, the first day I was fighting the steep slopes like a maniac. Even though I took off 6 am in the morning to avoid the heat (April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand, being right before the rainy season), I found myself around 10 am nearly melting while pushing my bike up the slopes for about 12 km.

the only way is upI went above and beyong my physical limits and learned that there’s always a little more when you think “you can do no more.”

Finally I got to the first village, Ban Na Pa Paek, where I took a nap and a lunch. After lunch I continued the last 6 km to Ban Rak Tai, a charming Chinese village right next to a beautiful lake. Yunnan refugees settled here years ago and cultivate green tea here.

When I sat down in front of my guesthouse on the lakeside, I did feel it was worth the struggle getting there!

Ban Rak Tai

 

ban rak tai lake

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1 Comment

  1. Heel mooi die tekening view on the lake!

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