After thoroughly enjoying Songkram for three days in Chiang Mai and then spending another three days to recover from that maybe all too thorough enjoyment, I got that very familiar itch in my feet and decided it was time to go.
So in the wee hours of Friday morning I snook out of my guest house and hit the road once more. After twenty kilometres the realistion that partying and touring cycling are not a match made in heaven which is fortunate for my wallet which took a pounding this past week. After thirty kilometres all the excesses of the past week had been sweated out and I was beginning to enjoy the mountainous first stage towards Chiang Rai, winding flawless roads with two different national parks either side of me was the perfect return to the saddle. After 82km my legs had had quite enough so the sight of a roadside hotel was appreciated and at the low low price of 1.20 I said thank you very much. After passing a very boring afternoon, the road being the highlight of the town, I fell in to a deep sleep by 8.
Knowing I had 104km to go to Chiang Rai, I embarked at 5 this morning and had a very eventless cycle all the way there. It was long and hot but reletively flat and passed the greenest parts of the country I have seen so far. Taking it at a leisurely pace stopping at a few great eateries I arrived in the town at about 12. Thanks to it not being as small as I had hoped and taking alot of wrong turns I cycled for 1hour and 15kms around the town trying to find a good guest house, eventually having to give in and print a map from the internet. Moral of the story...........swallow my pride and buy a lonely planet.
Going to explore town tomorow, even though I am nearly sure I cycled passed everything today, and then probably head up towards the Laos border on Monday morning.
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