Motos

Today was a moto day, full of the glory of new roads, the false turns and dead ends, and road signs written in a script I do not read. It was marvelous.

I wandered north from Chiang Rai, first in the dodge and weave of Thai traffic. Soon I was off on my own, routing through smaller and smaller roads until the way was village lanes with a smattering of pavement supplemented with liberal stretches of gravel and sand.

I made both good and poor route choices, ran out of fuel in the middle of Thai nowhere, was saved by the ever generous villagers I eventually made my way to Mae Sai, the northernmost point in Thailand, and a border crossing with Burma. (yes, I know it has another name but just to vex the little generals, I ain't using it.)

I had lunch, watched people crossing the little river bridge between the two countries, and then headed back to Chiang Rai. The really long way back. Down to the Mekong river.

I stopped at the Opium Center, a museum about the history and effect of opium from the Golden Triangle. I was surprised they let me in.

The mighty Mekong, rice paddies, small roads, villages. Kilometers of countryside. It was great.