Grace Jones is a slave to it and Gloria Estefan was damn sure we’d all get caught by it but no matter what your 80’s diva preference, life has a funny way of changing rhythms at the drop of a hat! And we’ve been styling out the beats of late. Thankfully the biggest change in tempo was Brian getting the all clear on his melanoma and consequently, ourselves back on the road.

It was a dizzying merry go round from the bump and grind of Delhi to the dazzling lights of London town. Whilst Brian got the nips, tucks and tests on his carcinogenic friend we both managed to pick up some freelance work to keep us out of trouble. As well as restocking the coffers it was a chance to share the rhythms of friends and families lives once again, a timely and wonderful silver lining.

As is the way it was bitter sweet to say goodbye to familiar faces (and wine, steak and cheese) and board the plane back to restart our adventure. Touching down in Chiang Mai and kitting up the bikes, the last 3 months already started to feel like a dream.

Back to life on the road, Thai Jungle Style

From the first road into the old city the changes from the streets of India were spectacular. Everyone seems to obey the traffic signs, keeps to their lane and only ever uses their horn when absolutely necessary, hallelujah! This calmness has been a stupendous change and is absolutely something that seems to weave through the cultural fabric here. Even in restaurants conversation is only ever above a whisper and everything has it’s place, is kept in order and stays meticulously clean.

Even the roads are neatly carved

Cuisine also plays a large part in Thai life and for some travelers this party on the palette alone, is enough of a reason to visit. From morning to evening and adorning every roadside the hungry cyclist is greeted with a heady aroma of oriental spices emanating from meat and fish BBQ’s, steaming cauldrons of noodle broth and curries and salads that have the taste-buds doing the fandango! And any country that counts pork scratchings as a national dish, offering them in varying shapes and sizes for the discerning customer, has got to be a place where dreams are made 🙂

Street food for every taste

Cauldrons of pork broth for rice noodle soup

We took a couple of days in Chiang Mai to reset the body clocks and sample the local tucker. In a fortnights time my family and friends were coming to meet us here so we decided to ride out around the Mae Hong Son loop that would take us West along the border of Burma. In light of the fact we’d be returning in a couple of weeks, and Thailand accommodating the budget traveler, we were able to leave behind our bulky sleeping and cooking equipment and hit the tarmac with only our small panniers to weigh us down.

This loop has been made famous as a route for motorcylists and as we took to the hills we began to understand the need for petrol power. The surface was pretty much perfect tarmac for the duration but the climbs had us pushing for up to 50% of some days. We’re always reminded there’s not a lot you can tell from a map or reading a fellow cyclists blog until you get your bum in the saddle and your calves on the climb. Alas it’s all part of the show and it was a great feeling to be back on the bikes after 3 months off.

Noses to the tarmac, steep climbs on the Mae Hong Son loop

The landscape that now greeted us was low mountains with dense forest and jungle hugging the roads. This area is formed by quite possibly the worlds biggest landslide with the rocks and mountains settling as a result of the earth tumbling down from the Himalayas rupturing up and out of the Asian plate. These lush surroundings along with the laid back Thai pace of life, food on every corner and a 1/4 of our usual luggage has been a welcome re-introduction to our nomadic existence.

Perfect roads and bushy borders

Low mountains and jungle strewn hills

Halfway round the loop in the namesake town of Mae Hong Son we took a couple of days rest. Arriving early evening we headed down to the lake in the centre of town to gaze at the lights of the surrounding temples and lanterns stretch and dance across the blackened waters. A couple of gin and tonics later we were gobbling on BBQ’d meat and feeling like two very lucky boys by the time we hit the sack.

Mae Hong Son by day

Mae Hong Son by night 🙂

Every area in this part of Thailand has both morning and evening/walking markets each day. The morning ones are where local vendors go to stock up their produce for the day ahead and the evening/walking markets happen in pedestrianised streets selling trinkets, wears and more food than is easy to say no to! These arenas form the heart and rhythm of the community and are built and disappear with the waxing and waning crowds. Coincidentally our 3 months in London were spent living with a dear friend off the North End Road, also famous for it’s daily market. It’s humbling and peaceful to think half way around the world how similar we all are as a people, getting on with our with our day to day lives as harmoniously as possible.

Post the rest days we were back on the road for our final leg onto Mae Sariang. They celebrate Fathers day on the same day as the Kings birthday in Thailand, a slightly refreshing twist on a essentially commercial holiday, and it happened to be the day we left Mae Hong Son. This public holiday is also supported by a ‘Cycle for Dad’ event, were locals all do sponsored cycles around the local area, so we were the toast of the town as two farang farang (white boys) getting into the spirit.

Mae Sariang, the new tourist spot

Nothing says Happy Fathers day quite like a frog on a stick (prepped for BBQ fun) or a tortoise (shell on and alive in a bucket) waiting for the pot. These sights and sounds are what make travelling the education it is and we continue to keep our minds and eyes open, though have yet to try kermit en flambe.

Happy Fathers Day with a crunch

Happy Dads day a la kermit

The road took on a more friendly tone on our next leg as it wound down into a valley to meet Mae Sariang. Getting back into our stride we were able to cover about 100km per day and made good time to our next and final stop. Wherever we go it’s a privilege to see the world and how it’s changing and this town is on the rise as a new stop for the independent traveler. No matter how busy things get, after having traveled India and Nepal for 6 months, it’s going to take some beating in the hustle and bustle department to top that. We chose to spend our first night having dinner in the local bus stop (our taste for glamour never ceases) as it always seems to give one the most interesting view into the comings and goings of village life. It was a bus ride then the following morning to complete our loop back to Chiang Mai.

From here we’ll meet my family and friends and celebrate a Thai Christmas and New Year before hitting the road in earnest in 2016. As we bid farewell to 2015 and look back on all that’s happened, it’s more apparent than ever that though we think we can plan for every eventuality not one of us has any idea what lies around the corner. A lesson we take and try to implement with each new day, that and the task of filling ourselves with as much Thai street food as two ravenous cyclists can safely stomach!

Sending all our love, light and happiness for you and yours this Christmas and wishing you the best for the year ahead. Put your hands in the air, shout and scream like you just don’t care and enjoy the blooming ride.

Onwards!

Tommy and Brian
xxx