Cycling Southeast Asia : 6

Wat Mai in Lampang.  Yes it means 'new temple'.

Is there much to do in Lampang, Thailand's third city?  A quick internet search suggests a national park, and a restaurant I'm familiar with - because it is in Chiang Mai!  Both of these things are over eighty kilometres away...  Never mind, I am feeling too broken for much sightseeing in any case, I manage a little wander along the river, where of course there is a big temple, and then to a museum in a substantial 'ancient house' - over a century old - supported by hundred or so thick teak pillars.  I make an attempt to cure my upset stomach by eating a very large pizza, I don't know if it will work but it is good.  Then off to watch Arsenal play Southampton, in a veritable shrine to English football, there are scarves and flags everywhere - just a shame about the result.

So much teak.

Still feeling bad the next day, I do what I probably should have done a couple of days ago and head to a chemist to buy some pills.  I seem to be able to keep pedalling at least, though not without problems - the bike doesn't want to go into first gear, this is not ideal, I'm pretty sure I will need it today.  I manage to fix it after a fair amount of faffing about, and then first gear is indeed needed, up into the hills I go, crossing the railway line near the Doi Kun Tan tunnel entrance, and then climbing the mountain that the tunnel cuts through.  I manage to pedal pretty well, but have to push for the last mile or two to the top, where I leave Lampang province and enter Lampun - I'm not going to Lampun the town though, have been there before after all.  It is at least all down or flat from here, though for a while the road is unpleasantly busy, and also being dug up so there is no shoulder for me to ride on - I'm very glad to pull off onto a minor road, joining a familiar route by the railway line back into Chiang Mai.

Well this is awfully civilised.

Well this was all good fun, a shame about not getting to Laos but never mind, I certainly had a very interesting trip around the northern region of Thailand.  Good to practice my Thai as well I suppose... and indeed, it was very handy to be able to read the signs with things like 'hotel this way'.  I suspect also that by staying in Thailand I had a much better quality of road, though clearly the Thais are not satisfied with their highway network just yet, there was an awful lot of widening going on.  Still, I can see me doing this again, there is a lot more of the country to explore, and maybe there are other borders that I'd actually be able to cross.  Myanmar isn't far away...

Massive statue of revered local monk Khruba Sriwichai.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.