The big great excellent motorbike ride

With a pair of Japanese crotch-rockets buzzing between our loins, we zipped like overweight bumblebees across the curvy kilometers of Thai highway. Our goal was simple: to go on vacation. Dan had been slaving away on his computer and Kim had been through the grueling ranks of massage school for two whole weeks! I know, I know. We needed a break. Let this be a lesson to you: DO NOT try to work for more than two consecutive weeks; it can be very stressful.

Our first day was easy, just a few hours on the bike and a few hours climbing around waterfalls at Doi Inthanon National Park: the so-called "highest mountaintop of Thailand". It was a long, electrolyte-burning haul out of Chiang Mai, but eventually the scattered suburbs opened into vast green rice fields.

We spent out first evening in the middle of nowhere, actually in the middle of a village named Hot. We soaked our weary bones in a $14 room near a river. They served us "fried rice" which turned out to be "fried rice with hot dog chunks". Alas. We slept.

At the crack of 9am we sparked up our 120cc's of bike power and sped into the oncoming morning. This day was ill-planned to say the least. Our rough mapping skills deduced approximately 8 hours of biking to reach our goal, a supposedly cool town named Mae Hong Son where we would spend 2 nights. With a lunch, an iced coffee and a few brief stops to stretch the whining glutes, the day clocked in a bit over 10 hours. We were wiped. Kim, always industrious when implementing extreme methods of relaxation, enforced a two-hour Thai massage for each of us at a local massage house.

Dan began complaining that he was feeling aching all over, and by the time the two lovebirds awoke the next morning he was burning hot and mentally delirious. His sweaty, aching derangement lasted the entire day — which he spent in bed and pacing with poor balance on the deck of our rented hut. Kim began to worry. She brought healthy carrot soup. She said sweet prayers. She forced Dan to listen to subliminal rejuvenating music on her iPod. She did Reiki.

Having slept for most of the previous day and the entire night, Dan awoke at the crack of dawn, drenched in sweat and healthy as a wild, balding, half-jewish ox. He went for a walk. He purchased masks to filter the polluted air. He woke Kim and requested eggs. They ate a very large breakfast. They hit the road. They didn't see anything in Mae Hong Son, but it was good.

The next stop was Pai the so-called "Ubud of Thailand". This translates roughly to mean the "hippie hangout where you get "Ray of Sunlight" healing massages, eat hummus sandwiches and soak in hot springs with pink Europeans" aka "the Sedona of Thailand". We stayed in Amy's Earth Houses, 3km from the town center. The sweet and amazing Amy and her friendly husband Chai have handmade a tiny village of houses made of packed earth. It overlooks miles of pristine valleys and received a generally excellent rating on all of our criteria. Artistic snails paint long trails across the walls while you sleep, sometimes very close to your toothbrush, we think for "dramatic effect". Nice.

After doing our compulsory two days of hot springs and pizza, we were ready for the 136km ride back to Chiang Mai. We honked one last time at the elephants chewing bamboo and giving tourist rides, revved our rockets and shuttled off. Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, it was Loi Kratong, one of the grandest, most beautiful festivals of the year. But more about that next time!

Love
Dan&Kim

ceastermol posted on 2009-12-10 at 11:46 am

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tangerinah posted on 2009-12-10 at 11:44 am

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David posted on 2007-12-07 at 3:42 pm

Sounds like a fantastic little trek you went on. The pics speak for themselves. Amazing how much your knowledge of Asia and Thailand especially is growing. Both of you are also starting to look more Asian to me than ever! Amy, Chai, Kim and Dan look like one big happy family in that pic.

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katerina posted on 2007-12-05 at 10:27 am

i don't even really know what to say anymore, so i'll just say that you two make me smile like crazy and i miss you and simultaneously want you to just keep traveling so i can live vicariously through you (and get ideas of where i'm traveling next), and want you to come back to see you in real life and hear more.....giant hugs!

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Jessica posted on 2007-12-03 at 12:58 pm

I am so excited for you two!!! What an amazing experience. Geoffrey and I are so jealous. We got married in September and have recently received a big wake up call!!! We are working very hard to make some moves with our lives so that we can travel for at least 6 weeks next year. We are both trapped a bit with all of our commitments here (houses, cars, boats, etc..) What were we thinking!!! We are working hard to find a way to unload some of that so we travel and write a journal of love and adventure!!! We wish you two the best of luck!!! We are keeping up on your story. Kim, I know we haven't met yet... but we are looking forward to it when you two return to the states. :) Keep smiling!!!

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Mom posted on 2007-12-02 at 1:12 pm

Well another great adventure and great pictures and my favorite photo is one with the Rainbow.Also the music mix to the video was perfect I think.Well you know if nobody is able to come and visit at this time you got us all wanting to go to Thailand in the near future. So lets start saving the bucks so we can all go at the same time. What a blast! Friends and family of Daniel and Kim all meet in Thailand.Looking forward to your next adventure. Hugs and kisses. oxxoxoxox

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Simone Harrill posted on 2007-12-02 at 10:14 am

Hey guys! Glad to see you're having so much fun! I hope you're feeling better Daniel! Thanks for taking such good care of him Kim! Hope to talk to you soon! Love you! The boys miss you!

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amy/from WHole foods ..well used to be :) posted on 2007-12-02 at 12:27 am

You guys are my heros...have I told you that yet ;) I love what your doing!!!!! Keep on Keeping on !!-luv Amy ps when did dan get glasses?

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Dad Braha posted on 2007-12-01 at 6:03 pm

You had me laughing,welling up with emotion, and thorougly enjoying myself in this video with a dynamic and well chosen Beatletonian soundtrack! I was sorry to hear of your sick day, but everyone deserves at least one of those. Kim, you're a wonderful partner, and Daniel is a lucky man to have you by his side. I love your writing also, and I can't decipher the author, although I think this time it is Kim. Kim, tell us about your Thai massage lessons. Daniel, how about some video on the subject? I love John's line "my love will turn you on!" Be well my dears, Dad

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pete uk posted on 2007-12-01 at 3:47 am

cool new bike/earth video. i'm glad that we got to see an elephant, just hanging out there in an open shed (conveniently big enough for an elephant), you don't see that everyday in england. keep throwing the sunshine packed adventures out here xx

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Auntie Wendy posted on 2007-11-30 at 8:18 pm

I'm not sure you guys will be returning. I so want to visit there. What beautiful country. It was sooooo quiet at Amy's Earth Houses. You guys are really covering a lot of territory and seeing much. So cool! Sure you don't miss us? Dan, stay away from the hot dogs in foreign countries. They just aren't the same. Not sure what they are. Happy after Thanksgiving. We miss you, but Mom and Papa went to Las Vegas and I cooked for my Filipino friends whose new baby was just 4 days old. Where are you going to be on Christmas? I'll be ready for a Thai massage when you return. You both look tremendously happy and fit and it's obvious you are having the time of your lives. Kimi, wow!!! You are really the trooper. It's something to see you on a scooter, on the wrong side of the road, nonetheless. Thank you, again, for sharing your adventures with us slaves to our lives back here in the unreal world. Love to you both. Kio tsukete. Mata ne!!

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Nash! posted on 2007-11-29 at 2:26 pm

Oh heavens. What's next?

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Aor posted on 2007-11-28 at 2:02 am

*-* Long jurney but Super fun eh? Thank for take us to super reaL Thailand Even me I've ever done this program before. super COOL!!!

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Mom posted on 2007-11-26 at 1:06 pm

your Thanksgiving weekend vacation sounded a little shakey I hope you are feeling better. Looking forward to seeing the pics when you send them.Hugs and kissses. oxoxoxoxo

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