The day before heading out to the Golden Triangle I decided it would be a good idea to tryout my motorcycle nearby Chiang Mai. Test the waters as it were. SO I took a journey to the second highest mountain in Thailand Doi Suket and went to the most sacred Wat in N Thailand.
While I was there the main monk was delivering blessings and he motioned for me to come forward. He splashed me with holy water and tied a sacred string to my wrist which will stay in place until it falls off by itself.
Well having that blessing makes me feel like I have the Buddah on my side now so my many kilometers ahead should go smoothly.
Today I left Chiang Mai and made my way to Pai a beautiful town surrounded by mountains along the banks of the Pai River. Love it here. Lots of musicians, live music venues groovey vibe.
I was warned that this place may be hard to leave.........
I can see why.
Riding the bike is great. Lots of freedom to go where I want. The main problem I see is my butt gets real sore after about 4 hours in the saddle. So I just may limit my time on the bike to 4 hours per day and see where that takes me.
Visited my first Hill Tribe who were Hmuong people. Very interesting and a beautiful look about them. Visited there opium gardens but did not procur any yet.
More to come.
Feeling good and excited about everyday and where I will end up.
Obama fever is worldwide. Eveyone is hoping for great change from us in America.
Peace,
Jeff
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3 comments:
Jefe,
Where do I start. Well I too had a blessing from a monk and 1 3/4 years later it's still there. lauries fell off after a day or so. Not sure exactly what that means. Pai is so beautiful. where are you staying there. you will find it difficult to leave. there is a different place each night that has live music. It will be perfect for you. I loved it there. Hearing about your travels is bringing it all back to me. How about that drive to pai. Did you stop at the thai national park that has all the most beautiful hot springs. I will find the name and post it so if you go back on the same road you can go there it is amazing. There are also a few hot springs in/around Pai. dont forget to go to Pai canyon. another amazing spot. be sure you walk all the way out on that really thin path leading to the end of the canyon, the view is like nothing else. when you are in pai you need to get a thai massage from the thai massage master. it is on that same road as the great italian resturant is on. the last street before the river
hers is the website.
http://www.pttm1989.com/
it's called Pai Traditional Thai Massage
ask for mr. suttipong he is the best. after 5 or so days of his 2 1/2 hours thai massage you'll be as limber as if you had been doing yoga a long time. no lie.
here is a map of where it is.
http://www.pttm1989.com/mapofpttm.htm
i know your there but here are a couple of places for music.
GrooveYard
197/8 M.8, ViengTai (next to the BeBop)
Pai, Mae Hong Son, 58130, Thailand
Phone 0895.608561
Open 09:00 - 12:00AM and 07:00 - 11.30PM
Bebop
188 M 8, ViengTai (opposite Tourist Police Box)
Pai, Mae Hong Son, 58130, Thailand
phone 053.698046 or 0895.608561
open 06:30pm - 01:00am
live bands: 09:30pm - 01:00am
sounds like your having a blast.
BERGER
P.S. if you have any questions about reccomendations for the rest of your trip. let me know. we traveled right where you are and are going.
Oh yea you dont want to miss the local's farmers market. it is a site to be seen and it is possible you may be one of the few non thai people. I know we were.
damm - wish i were on that trip. i can feel the massage right now!
heres an email i sent you jeffe:
-----Original Message-----
From: nmorgan@igc.org [mailto:nmorgan@igc.org]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:17 PM
To: 'jmogalian@yahoo.com'; 'anothertucker@gmail.com'
Subject: RE: My Laotian Motorcycle Adventure
Jeffrey - Tucker -
Still riding high on the election ecstasy! realized that I had wanted to connect you two, as you are both on bikes cruising around parts of laos and thereabouts. Jeffrey - you may have met Tucker, one of the mad genius's behind basura sagrada. Likewise, Tucker, you may have met Jeff here, there and in between.
you both may be interested in the work my friends at International Rivers are doing to protect the Mekong and other rivers in the area. Check out there work at:
http://internationalrivers.org/en/southeast-asia/laos
alright friends - keep on keeping on and I'll do the same!
much love,
Nick
*****
Laos is a place of remarkable beauty, world-renowned biodiversity and abundant natural resources. The country is traversed by a thousand rivers that teem with life: people fishing, gardening and washing clothes; children swimming, laughing and playing; and water buffalo wading in the mud. This vast Lao river network also plays an essential role in the Mekong Basin, contributing 35 percent of the Mekong River's flow.
But these rivers that are the lifeline of rural communities and local economies may soon be blocked, diverted and decimated by dams. The Lao government hopes to transform the country into “the battery of Southeast Asia” by exporting the power generated by numerous hydroelectric projects. The companies and investors driving the current Lao hydro-boom hail from Thailand, China, Vietnam and Malaysia, though the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and companies from Japan, France, Norway and Belgium remain on the scene. The Lao power development plan contains 55 new large dams, 7 of which are under construction and nearly 15 more at advanced planning stages (see map and table).
Lao rivers and lands are also threatened by mining, rampant logging and large plantations. These destructive developments are often linked: forests are cleared for plantations, mines and hydro reservoirs; and hydropower is generated to fuel mining operations. Most of Lao hydropower, gold, copper, timber and rubber is shipped to Thailand, Vietnam and China.
In 2005, Laos adopted a National Policy on the Environmental and Social Sustainability of the Hydropower Sector, but the policy has yet to be implemented. In a country with no free press, no independent civil society organizations, and ranked as one of the world's ten most corrupt by Transparency International, dams have left a legacy of broken promises and uncompensated losses. As a result, tens of thousands of Laotians lack sufficient food to eat, clean water to drink and income to meet basic needs.
International Rivers works to stop destructive hydropower projects in Laos and advocates for the rights of communities affected by dams, such as Nam Theun 2, Theun-Hinboun, Nam Leuk and Nam Song.
LATEST ADDITIONS:
Nam Tha 1
Laos dams threaten homes, incomes and fish, say campaigners
Khone Falls: Soul of the Mekong
Mekong at Risk: Report Damns Plans to Make Laos the “Battery of Southeast Asia”
Power Surge: The Impacts of Rapid Dam Development in Laos
More information:
* Read International Rivers' new report Power Surge: The Impacts of Rapid Dam Development in Laos.
Jefe
Glad to hear you made it across the globe and are off and running, er riding. Look foward to staying updated. Don't do anything I wouldn't do....
Jonny
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