We booked a half-day local tour to save ourselves from too much riding. 330 THB, or approx SGD12 – things are really inexpensive here in Thailand!
But first, we rode up to Yun Lai Viewpoint to watch the sunrise.
We were amongst the first to arrive at Yun Lai Viewpoint. I’ve heard that any later, and you’d have to pay to park.Enjoying breakfast while waiting for sunrise.Quite frankly, the sunrise was a bit underwhelming that day.Sunrisen.We-fie at Yun LaiI think these trinkets are hung up by couples who visit the place. Hundreds of these heart-shaped trinkets hang from the tree.
An aerial shot of Yun Lai ViewpointSouvenir shop in Yun Lai.The NatGeo expedition team in Yun Lai.The view walking back down to our bikes.Breakfast (yeah – again) back at our accommodation.Panini for lunch! Our privately chartered tour truck.The very-not-hot hot spring.Us soaking in the very-not-hot hot spring.Waterfall. Quite underwhelming actually.We then headed to Pai Canyon for sunset.Sunset in Pai Canyon.While we didn’t get to see the yellow-yolked sun, it was certainly more spectacular than sunrise earlier today.Pad Thai for dinner.This stall owner promised to give us a bottle of juice each if we promised to come back the following day. We both kept our promises.
DAY 9, 21 DEC (FRI) – PAI to DOI INTHANON, and then RIDING SOUTH
Ian and Euroy had decided to give Doi Inthanon a miss and start heading south. The plan was for them to head to Chiang Mai to catch the train to Bangkok, and then connect to the Bangkok-Hat Yai train. The rest of us will head over to Doi Inthanon before deciding how to get back home.
Euroy and Ian head to Chiang Mai.Getting ready to leave Pai.Catching sunriseToday’s sunrise was more spectacular than yesterday’s at Yun Lai.Jun Kiat and his trusty Honda 400XThe most powerful bike in our group – Looi’s Multistrada didn’t have a lot of luggage space.Siu Hon and his Diversion with almost 200,000km on the odometer. Now, that’s a workhorse!The (physically) smallest, but fastest bike in the group. Eddy didn’t have any trouble filtering traffic with his Street Triple.Me and ma Gee Ess!And we passed a hot spring – definitely hotter than yesterday’s (not so) hot spring!The smell of sulphur was very strong here.Hello red bikes!
Enroute, we found a nice viewpoint. But it meant that we had to climb a short section of dirt trail.
The GS was pretty comfortable here.
Eddy’s Street Triple did well too
Siu Hon’s Diversion climbing that steep dirt slope.
Jun Kiat slipped a little, but did an amazing recovery!The view up here made the climb worth it!Enjoying a little rest.We-fie in the clouds!
And during our lunch stop-over, we received some bad news from Ian and Euroy – Chiang Mai has no cargo space for today and tomorrow. That means we’ve to ride down.
Bad news – no cargo space. =(We reached Doi Inthanon! The highest spot in Thailand!Brrrrrrr! It’s coooooooold here!Nah.. it’s actually warmer than we made it looked.Parked our bikes and walked.The Royal Thai Air Force has some nice gardens here!Riding South – the weather gets progressively warmer.Take me home, baby girl!
