Day 38 Wed 04/08 - Fang to Mae Chan Homestay

Today Distance : 89.8 km    Total : 2359.3 km
Today Temp : 26 - 38C
Time on Bike : 5 hr  24 min
Ave Speed : 16.6 kmh         Max : 67.0 kmh
Ave Climb : 5 %                  Max : 17 %
Today Spend : 321 baht      Max : 18500 baht

Unlike yesterday,the weather is excellent,bright and sunny with the highest temp recorded 38c, but the heat in high altitude of 500 over meters, is very much comfortable than the lowland south.You can actually tell the difference when you did the washing.There are many hill tribes villagers like the Shan,Karen,Lahu,Yunnan etc.. working hard in the field of padi,papaya,corn,mango and oranges farms.Very scenic views of greenery of mountains all the way,but the climbs are hell lots of tough,the toughest so far I should say, but glad that I succeeded without pushing!! The highlight for today's ride is , I was treated to a Yunnan hill tribe funeral lunch, when I pumped into them with everybody looking and someone waving to me to join them. It is more like a cerebration than a funeral,with loud music and many tables of foods like sweet/sour fish,prawn balls deep fried in flour,fried chicken and roasted pork soup. I had a good mix around with them as most speaks mandarin. The final climb to the top is a police check point and the junction to a smaller road 1234 to Mae Salong,Mae Falung and Mae sai, but I was strongly advised by the police noy to take this road as he don't think I can make it with this funny bike.I respected his advice and partly because I too almost exhausted with the earlier climbs.So I headed straight downhill all the way to Mae Chan. A very small town couldn't find a place to stay. Always when you sometimes feel desperate, there is light somewhere to the rescue. A local cyclist Narong on his full cycling suit ready for an afternoon ride with his friend, saw me and offer a room in his tyre workshop to stay. His relative worker brought me to town in his scooter for dinner. I wander around in town and went internet. Narong came back from his ride was worried about me and went hunting for me in the whole town.Luckily he found me in the internet cafe,if not he was thinking of making a police report for missing person. What a wonderful and friendly people here!!

My morning breakfast in Fang

No Rose Chan here

Bright and Sunny

Tourist Information Board in Thaton

Approaching Tha Ton town

Cheap Mango stall ( 2 rm per kg)

I am not going to carry 3 ,finish 2 carry 1 ok!

Villagers working hard to plant the padi

Papaya Farm

I wonder why these women like to walk, can't they afford to own a bicycle?

My bike always attracts the locals.Don't break my handle pls?

Thanks to this Yunnan man for inviting me to a funeral lunch

What a typical Yunnan meals!

After a free lunch,now the start of a big climb

Refilling stop at midway

And finally the last puuuuuuuuuuuuuush.....

And the reward....great decent of 67 kmh

Mae Chan roundabout where the police station is

A corner of the town

Town temples

Foods stall

Narong with his bikes

Narong's tire workshop offer a room for me