Motorbike 101 in the wilds of Thailand

I was extremely indecisive about whether or not I wanted to take my own bike on a 1,000 km trip around NW Thailand. After spending 6 months on the back of a motorbike in South America with Tim, countless trips around the US, and several rental bikes around SE Asia...I felt like it was time to actually learn how to drive a bike. And for more than a few kilometers...I've done that several times and handed control back over to Tim as soon as the road got rough or more congested. I've always wanted to learn to ride, but I've always dragged my feet as my nerves have won out. I was still flip flopping as we were heading to the office to rent the bikes, but I knew I had to this time. I had to prove it to myself that I could. And why not?! I'm in a foreign country, that drives on the opposite side of the road...we were gearing up to do a loop through the jungle that is full of endless curves and daily rain showers. Why shouldn't I just bite the bullet and do it now?! So, I did. Tim and I got a pair of Honda Dreams....little 125cc motorbikes just like all the locals drive. I tried to appear confident as we headed out into Chiang Mai's traffic leaving the rental shop. I don't think I was wavering too much! It was 30-40 km on straight highway before we start climbing up into thick jungle....and by the time we reached the jungle (and the real excitement), I was thrilled to be in control of the moto...my Dream... I had a silly grin on my face as we snaked along a beautifully paved road that unfurled in front of us like the vines hanging from the trees overhead. I sang at the top of my lungs and was delighted to be cruising along these beautiful roads with the wind in my face. Each day added some excitement as we ventured further out. Rainstorms throwing huge icy drops down stinging my skin through my jacket, herds of cows milling about around blind curves, potholes and road construction, hairpin curves and drop offs have kept me on my toes as I cycle up and down through the gears. Tim zips off ahead of me, and usually has a big grin on his face when I catch up to him. He's enjoying having his own moto without me trying to control things from the rear! We have driven some of the most beautiful stretches of road I have ever been on. The Burmese mountains stretch off to our west, as we snake south along the border. Some stretches of road the jungle is trying to reclaim. Waterfalls and breathtaking viewpoints break up the ride, giving us a chance to rest...and soak up the scenery as much as we can!

Wandering through the pages of a National Geographic

When we arrived at the local Akha village where we would spend the night, it felt as if we were wandering through the pages of a National Geographic magazine. Those very images that inspired me to dream about the larger world out there and have fueled my travel bug for years...were actually happening to me. I've had those moments several times during our travels when we are passing through rural villages where life changes ever so slowly. We wandered the single dirt lane through the village, flanked by bamboo houses with thatched roofs. The women sat on porches adorned with their ornate headdresses staring skeptically at us as we marched through the center of their world. The young children had no inhibitions though and before long a pack of boys formed a long parade behind us as we made our way to our hut for the night. It was a delightful evening of playing ball with the eager and curious pack of boys. The eldest were the ringleaders and the youngest ones watched on from the sidelines anxiously awaiting a stray ball that they could retrieve. Shreaks and squeals soared in the air as boys in broken sandals and torn pants played in the waning daylight.
Our evening got more interesting when we were called into the hut for our 'traditional massage' from young Akha girls, accompanied by their boyfriends. As a pack of guys hung out listening to two conflicting boom boxes, we attempted to relax as these tiny girls threw their weight into us and massaged every square inch of us! The massage seemed to last an eternity...and when she pulled at much shoulder, I happily sat up. Then she gestured for me to lay on my back and started working my arms some more. When the massage finally came to an end, I found myself far more tense...and was fighting a charlie horse in my calf! Our young masseauses were possessively escorted by their boyfriends, and Tim and I let go of a huge sigh of relief that we had survived the massage!

Feeding the demand

With reports that a very sustainable ecotourism is being developed in northern Laos, we decided that was something we really wanted to support. As is often the case on our travels, nothing is ever quite what it seems on paper. However, by the end of a two day trek (staying overnight in a small minority village within a national park), I felt we got a real glimpse of the issues in the area....although I don't think this was the intention of the trek organizers. With promises of hiking through primary forest in the national park, we found ourselves climbing through a young forest with small trees and not much canopy overhead. At any opening where we had a view over the hills in the distance, we saw an endless patchwork of thick forest and cleared plots. Arriving at the village, we discovered it perched like an island in a sea of rubber trees that spilled out in every direction from the small cluster of huts. My first reaction was frustration that we were not getting the experience we signed on for, but in retrospect it was a real glimpse of the state of this 'preserved area'. The national park is facing illegal slash and burn farming by the minority groups living within its boundaries, the demands for timber from China and elsewhere, and China's hunger for rubber. We teased details of the demands on the forest from our young guide, who gave us naively honest answers. New roads are crisscrossing northern Laos easing the transportation of resources out of this underdeveloped country.
It was all so alarming in Laos because many of the cleared areas, rubber plantations, and road construction projects are so new. In the neighboring countries, when you pass through well established platations, traveling old roads...the destruction isn't always so glaring.