Day Trippin' Around 'My Patch' in Northern Thailand

This part of the world is perfect for bike owners.
On any one day it's possible to see most of these scenes, if not all of them.

The road from home.



Street markets with fresh and inexpensive produce three times a week where I live.





Pine-apples at about 60 cents.



A wide variety of tracks to ride.













Coffee shops have appeared at the most surprising locations.





And as I reported in 'A Day with the Hmong', there are at least nine different amazing 'Hilltribe' groups to mix with and learn from.





Plenty of nice scenery and perennial water-falls.









Some spectacular northern Thai (Lanna) architecture.



Although many are living in much more humble premises.



Colourful Temples everywhere.





And hundreds of ancient Temples, many still in use.



An interesting variety of wildlife.









And flora.



During any ride it's possible to stop at any local food stall and enjoy tasty, inexpensive food.



The two negatives are this annual 'burning off', which causes serious health and pollution problems.



And we don't have this!

Those are wonderful pictures my friend. What kind of fish are those, piranha?

I like all the colors of your area, the markets, the countryside. All very nice.

Are you near the Kawasaki assembly plant?

I understand that the KLR 650 and the Versys are assembled in Thailand?

I want to meet the guy that sharpened all the metal bits of my KLR frame....

Looks good. I hope to visit that area of the world some day.

Wonderful pictures. That coffee looks very aromatic. The wooden kart the two young girls are sitting on is such a piece of art. The side braces being a limb and the front steering arm is a curved branch. Someone has an eye for design. Thanks for bringing this to us.

Thanks guys.

'Unstable Rider', those are 'Plah Mor' ie 'Doctor Fish', a fresh water meal. We don't have Piranha here (well, not in the water!)

Gaston, hope to see you here sometime.

Rutabaga, the carts are ingenious and are raced during the Hmong new year celebrations. By 'raced' I mean they are pushed down a steep hill in pairs and the first pilot to cross the line is the winner. Great fun.

'Unstable Rider', No, I'm not near the Kawasaki factory. THe KLR etc are assembled here but, to the frustration of many, we can not actually buy the KLR here! The reason being that the Thai authorities regards it as 'too dirty' to pass their 'strict emission controls'. yet there are all sort of filthy, carbon monoxide belching vehicles allowed to circulate around the countryside and to pollute our cities. The KLR would be perfect for Thailand. The Versys is very popular here, as is the KLX250.

Wow... that's interesting. Thanks for the reply, I do actually love my KLR and also want a Versys, so I will keep your neighbors in business over there...

And with perfect timing, this article from todays 'Bangkok Post'.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/332910/blitz-targets-burnoffs-as-air-worry-mounts

That is a great quick tour! My fiance and I hope to visit Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai in March. First, we have to visit the family in the countryside north of Khon Kaen. A little drive along the Mekong. A few days in the mountains. Enjoy your rides!

OK 'Phoenixdoglover', maybe we can 'catch up' in Chiang Mai?
There's a very good riders venue here.
Might be a bit smokey then though!

It is a colourful time of year with beauty of the flowers in bloom in your northern parts.

Here in the South, being the high season for tourists, much of the colour is on the beaches at this time of year.

Having lived within a kilometre or two of the coast for most of the past decade an a half I would miss the sea too, if I was to move back to the hinterland..... On the other hand, mountainous parts do have places of interest, as your photos show, and it would make the seaside a treat to enjoy on occasions.

Being a bit busy right now I have not been out with the camera much, but I'll have to do a bit more (to have something to post again) when the workload declines.

Wow, Tjilpi, if you're as good a rider as you are a photographer, you need to get Ewan's and Charlie's sponsors to back you! I've taken a few photos in my time and, IMHO, yours a great. Thank you for sharing.

Mike

Golly, thanks for the encouraging words Mike; however, I'm very average at both yet enjoy trying my best at both in the hope of improving.
I'm actually a slow tourer, stopping frequently to 'smell the roses'.
That's why I prefer to ride alone here.

Regards.

Well, keep doing it your way as you do it well. Thanks, again, for sharing.

Mike

Outstanding pictures! And you've got my bike I love the variety of things you captured, and the shots looking down the trails make my mouth water. I've spent a good amount of time in Japan, but I haven't been elsewhere in Asia. It's great to see how unique each area is.
Thanks for sharing.

Rider's Corner! The owner has a 250L as well. Lovely folks and a great place to eat, beer, and meet other riders.

Yep Taranaki, that's the one I was thinking of.
Excellent venue.
And owner Phil and wife Khun Som have a whole stable of bikes inc Harley, Dakar, Triumph Triple, many KTMs and the first 250L in Chiang Mai.

So that's where they assemble Bonnevilles! I assume Triumph executives are there all the time checking their factories...

I enjoyed that succint analysis which brings to mind the endless moaning in the US about emissions regulations here that are barely a flutter in the face of the gale force winds of change elsewhere around the globe.

Wonderful photography of bucket-list stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Is that coffee shop near a waterfall? I was in that area about 6 years ago and we came across a place that looked very similar right beside a nice waterfall.
beautiful pics, thanks for sharing! I might be headed back there sometime in the fall.