I left Bangkok at about 6 AM before the fearsome traffic woke.  Leaving early was a good move as I was able to get out of the city without much trauma, and with only one wrong turn :-)

Once out of the city the land is flat for quite a while.  As I had just about every day in Thailand, I encountered brief, sometimes heavy rain showers.  The temperatures were warm and the cool rain felt good.  Plus the rain washed some of the Bangkok dirt off me and the bike!

Eventually I got into the hills and mountains of northern Thailand.  Riding in the north was a lot more fun with mountain passes and twisty roads.  The last hour into Chiang Mai included a 2,500 foot pass and lots of high speed curves.

Chiang Mai is an old fortressed city and is the capital of the northern province.  I wasn't expecting much of the city, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Sections of the old fortress walls and gates can still be seen, as well as the moat that surrounds the inner city.  There are over 300 wats or temples in the city, of all ages and sizes.  I spent my birthday wandering around the city and admiring the wats and other sights.

The people in the north exhibit a pleasant grace and humility.  They greet and thank you with clasped hands and a bow which seems very sincere.  In all the time I was in the north I never encountered any signs of hostility or aggression, even on the crowded roads.  How refreshing!

I was also able to find vegetarian food in Chiang Mai.  There is a very nice vegetarian restaurant called Whole Earth that is in a garden-like setting.  I had a Thai curry with tofu on the porch overlooking the gardens.  In other places I still use my card with the Thai word "vegetarian" to explain what food I'm looking for.  It's still working as I've not gotten any surprises yet!

After a relaxing stay in Chiang Mai I headed east towards Laos.  I took secondary roads but they were still paved and had less traffic than the main roads.  And these roads went through some of the best mountains of the trip with forrested peaks shrouded in fog and mist.  One section of tight twisties went on for hours and the constant focus that was required got fatiguing.  Eventually the roads would open up a little to allow for a rest before more mountains.  This was the kind of riding I was looking for in SE Asia!

The second day out of Chiang Mai I headed north until I hit the Mekong River, then along the river to the Friendship Bridge which is one of the few crossings into Laos.  This section of road was not so good with potholes and occasional washouts.  There was also lots of mopeds, pedestrians, animals, and even snakes to dodge.  There are no tourists in this part of Thailand since the buses don't come up here and there's not much to see except mountains and the river.  When I went through the small towns on my big bike I caused quite a stir.  Thai people don't wave like they do in Latin America, but I tried to smile and wave at the people I passed.  It was slow going along the river, but I enjoyed the views of the wide muddy river with the exotic boats.

The border crossings at the Friendship Bridge weren't too bad.  It took me about 30 minutes to get my passport and carnet stamped out of Thailand.  It was a little slower on the Laos side since I had to get a tourist visa ($30 and a passport photo) plus get my passport and carnet stamped.  Once again I had to show the Laos customs how to fill out the carnet.  But after an hour and a half I was riding in Laos and towards Vientiane.

My BMW is still running well, but a little rough.  After nearly 8,000 miles it needs some attention.  It's gotten one oil/filter change in Alice but it's due for a full service soon.  I've contacted a shop in Bangkok and we'll do a full service when I get back - oil/filter, gear oil, air filter, valves, carb sync, new tires.  After that it should be ready for the next leg in Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Iran.

Next, Laos.

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