28th December 2010 - Lunch

27th December 2010 - Phonsavan

Sunset in Luang Prabang

Beautiful sunset as the boat reaches Luang Prabang

View of Luang Prabang from hill

26th December 2010

25th December 2010

Reached Pak Beng around 5.30pm Lao time, our first stop from Huai Xai Check into Bounmee Guesthouse Cost THB200/- per room Given big room with 3 beds because we had our bikes. Nice little village with many guesthouses around. There's even an Indian restaurant that serve halal food. Boat leaves for Luang Prabang tomorrow around 8.30am

A view of Chiang Khong, Thailand

A view of our boat

Here is where we wait for our slow boat to Luang Prabang

Waiting for slow boat to Luang Prabang

From Chiang Khong, we'll be taking slow boat to Luang Prabang. Cost THB1000/- pax plus THB300/- per bike. It takes 2days. First stop at Pak Beng, accommodation at guesthouse on your on expense. Second day arrived in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.

Soon there be no more signal from DTAC Thailand

My last posting from Thailand. Very soon I'll lose mobile signal as we go further inland into Laos. Will continue until then.

Sent from my iPhone

Meeting of three countries

Myanmar on the left, Laos directly in front and standing in Thailand

At Chiang Saen (Golden Triangle)

Back on Thai soil!

Yay!! Back in Thailand after spending a night in Small Town Guesthouse Tachilek, Myanmar.

In Myanmar

We're now in Tachilek, Myanmar border town. 14days Visa cost THB500/- irrespective of whether one spends a day or 2 weeks there. A word of caution to those who intend to enter Myanmar via Tachilek cause when one leaves Thailand, find the high cost of visa and decide not to enter Myanmar (yes, they don't tell you even if you asked the immigration) one realise that to reenter Thailand one needs a Myanmar immigration stamped out.
That's what happen to us. We decided not to pay the high cost of visa but were refuse entry because there were no Myanmar immigration stamp. So with absolutely no choice it's back to Myanmar, pay THB500/- leave your passport at the immigration, stay a night or to a maximum of 2 weeks or leave immediately.We decided to stay a night.

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Mae Sai

Thaton to Chiang Rai via Route 1089

Thaton town in the morning

Chiang Dao to Thaton

We left Hobby Hut Guesthouse around 8.30am. As we got to the main road, we stopped by a fruit stall selling apples and pears. Bought four of each before continuing our journey. We reached the highest point of approximately 631 meters above sea level before decending.
I had lunch in the town of Chai Prakan about 26km before Fang.
Reached Fang around 2.00pm(Thai time) Abg Ron suggested we take a 'song thaew' to Thaton which is about 25km and catch a river boat to Chiang Mai. Cost us THB45/- including our bike for the journey. Unfortunately the river boat only run once a day leaving Thaton pier at 12.30pm. To assure us a place, we booked our tickets immediately for the next day. Thaton has many Muslim eateries unlike Chiang Dao.
We check into Nam Whan Guesthouse at the cost of THB200/-

Dinner in Muslim restaurant in Thaton

This place is run by Hui chinese family.

Hobby Hut Homestay

Fantastic setting and quiet location just 1.2km from Chiang Dao town. Cheap and very clean. This A-hut accommodates 2 person at a cost of THB250/- per day.

Winding section before reaching Chiang Dao

Highway # 107 to Chiang Dao

Piss stop at Petronas petrol station Chiang Mai

Petronas petrol station in Chiang Mai

Variety of food

Food stalls and outlet selling a variety of food catering for a wide clientele including Muslims.

Night bazaar, Chiang Mai

A variety of local and hill tribe handicrafts can be found here.

Our accomodations in Chiang Mai

Kong Court, Chiang Mai

Our accommodation in Chiang Mai
Cost THB400/- per night and comes with air-cond, attached bathroom with hot shower and a little balcony. It's not too far away from the daily night bazaar where we can get a variety of food at reasonable prices.

Awaken by the crying toddler

The sudden crying of a toddler in the adjacent bunk woke me in the early hours of the morning. I reach for my iPhone, my only source of time keeping machine. It was 5.55am. Remove with my warm socks and got out of bed. Did the daily morning routine. My buddy seems oblivious to the infant crying.

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Food court in Hua Lumpong

Tuck in the upper bunk

Getting ready to sleep. Hopefully we'll reach Chiang Mai before 11.00am tomorrow. The rowdiness seems gone for the moment. Probably complaints from 'farang' passengers sitting just behind them.
Good night!

On our way to Chiang Mai

Our train left Hua Lumpong station at 7.35pm. We are in Car # 9 and seats 19 & 20 respectively. Kind of coincidence as we were in similar numbered car and seats on our way to Bangkok.
Looks like soon we going to have a long night with rowdy and drunken passengers at two ends of the car.

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A peek into my Station Hotel room

No frills, only basic amenities like a ceiling fan, bathroom attached, no hot shower though, no bath towel, yeah you get what I mean.....

Station Hotel

Our temporary resting place while waiting for connecting train to Chiang Mai. Cost THB250/-

Hua Lumpong Railway Station, Bangkok

Hua Lumpong Railway Station

Finally we arrived at Hua Lumpong station around noon. We bought some Dunkin doughts as snacks before checking into Station Hotel which incidentally is opposite the railway station. Cost of the room is THB250/-

In Nakorn Pathom

My upper bunk

My upper bunk bed with pannier bags and hydration pack
Woke up at 5.13am(MsianTime), went through the usual morning business. Decided to update my blog. I have a Thai Mobile sim card which I can connect to the Internet. Cool yeah....!

My bike

My bike is secured with a rope wrap around the two adjacent seat

How we secure our bikes

Abg Ron's bike it secured to this steel ladder.

Electrical outlet

Here's an underexposed picture of the electric outlet. Unfortunately my iPhone doesn't have a flash light which accounts for the quality here.