Thailand: Ban Pha Weng Part 2- Learner plates and training wheels
a pair of motely jungle riding buddies on the side of a mountain
After a day spent gingerly hobbling around Chaing Mai recovering from day one of our training the muscle soreness abated a little and I was keen for the next day of our riding program.
This one was promised to be more riding up into the mountains around the Kup Soi National Parks on some different tracks. So off we went gingerly full of piss and vinegar ready to take on the world, to tackle the mountain again. Setting off from the bottom we hit the trails and it wasn’t long before we reached the top of the mountain. It seems the dirt diving demons of the first day were diminishing in number and ferocity as we were slowly getting the hang of it or at least we were lulled into a false sense of security. Personally, I was having a ball, the wind in the hair (yes I know I don’t have any) and the bike zipping around, the throttle responsive to the touch with the back end ripping up the trail and the sense of freedom was awe inspiring. I wasn’t fooled; however, I knew we had a long way to go to bring up our skills and with a couple of near misses that got the heart racing and some serious pucker factor happening, the cockiness was quickly bought screaming back to earth. But hey at least I didn’t have a morning breakfast of red dirt and mud. Feeling rather chuffed with the efforts we pulled into a coffee shop for some much-needed refreshments and a good laugh at ourselves. Poor Red, he recalls getting a little too close to the back of my bike on one occasion and getting roostered (dirt biking term for throwing up a shit load of dirt and rocks in your wake)as I powered on, this caused him to eat some flying dirt and in the process swerve to get out of my way only to near on eat more dirt in another fall.
Random waterfalls and jungle tracks, the scenery was amazing
After our break we pushed on up into the mountains some more, headed for a waterfall and a disused dope drying hut. This country was steep and in order to maintain traction you really had to keep feeding the throttle and hanging on for grim death. More of that bloody concrete two track reared its head on frequent occasions and this time I managed to conquer it and whilst it was still shit scary it was manageable and the drop offs weren’t as formidable. Mind they were still there as Red found out to his demise on several occasions which resulted in him living up to his nickname and having a dummy spit on the mountain out of sheer frustration. The beautiful scenery at the disused dope hut couldn’t but help quell his frustration, it was truly beautiful, leaving one with a sense of awe and remoteness all rolled into one.
getting the trusty steeds dirty and soaking in the view
After a brief break there we pushed onto our next destination for a late lunch and here the god of dirt diving finally caught up with me on a rather easy portion of the trail. You guessed it that bloody concrete two track was my demise. I was literally cruising along at 40km/hr., one second I was upright the next I was tumbling over the handle bars of the bike and dining on a mixture of rich red muddy dirt, concrete rubble and a sprinkling of slippery arsed moss. The tumble happened so quickly it would have looked hilarious and I’m sure I heard the mountain laughing at me as the winds of damaged pride whispered that’ll teach you for being cocky. Dusting myself off I jumped up and righted my trusty steed, hit the starter and roared off down the mountain all be it at a more sedate speed.
Just when you’re feeling like you have conquered the mountain, she reminds you that you are very much still on your Learner plates and serves you up some dirt for a snack
Stopping shortly thereafter for the mandatory photo at a scenic point. I found Red was back in form, he’d nailed that section of the trail and his confidence was back and it showed as we meandered through little mountain villages on narrow windy bitumen roads, dodging chickens, sleepy dogs and the odd pickup truck and scooter. We’d left the dirt behind us and if I’m honest with myself I preferred that terrain, for here I had way more things to look out for and here there were factors out of my control like other people in motorised vehicles doing crazy things on roads that really posed no rules in my eyes
Almost look like we know what we’re doing in these pictures …. I said almost
I guess my lack of motorbike riding over the years was showing as I struggled to comfortably keep up with Red as he weaved through the mountain roads. I made a mental note that this was something I would have to improve on if my confidence levels were going to improve. Arriving for lunch at Mon Jam a camp ground for the locals, here we dined on some amazing food with a spectacular view looking back over villages and mountains. Camp grounds here were rather regimented with rows of tents being pitched on terraces, each tent situated so your view is unobstructed. It’s not very secluded or in touch with nature as we traditionally perceive camping to be in Australia but hey we weren’t in Australia so different horses for different courses I guess and an experience I’ll have to put on that ever growing bucket list I suppose.
Old school Dope drying hut, now disused and a relic of the past
Lunch done, we quickly scooted off the mountain and headed for Chiang Mai as the mandatory afternoon thunderstorm was rolling in and that was something we did not want to get caught up in. Especially me, my poor old ticker wouldn’t have handled much more adrenaline for the day and riding trail bikes with knobby tyres on bitumen and weaving through traffic whilst pissing down rain was not on my fun thing to do list. We made it with minutes to spare,
Green Jungles and farmlands in the wilds of Thailand, you would be hard pressed to get bored with these views
Mon Jam Thai Camping, odd by Australian standards but hey were not in Australia now
safe and sound I reflect on this day. Confidence levels are creeping up, improvement is noted but there is a long way to go. Looking back at the mountain in the side mirror as we drive off, I smile and whisper to myself “not today my friend” I’m alive and ticking with all my senses intact, no broken bones or damage done. Life is good and I’m living the dream.
