My second favourite tar road on my trip (the first being in Laos) is in Thailand from Mae Sariang to Mai Sot along the Thai Myanmar border.  Not only is the scenery spectacular as expected but it’s the little things that I just loved. I ride a combination of twisties from the top of hills to the bottom of valleys. Winding my way between the foot hills. It’s here that I really got to notice the jungle. Looking at the scenery while I ride it looks completely green like a solid sheet of green foliage, but when I look closer it is only then that I notice the brown bark of the trees. This is because the trees are just covered in vines and creepers. There are also purple, lilac and blue flowers scattered on various trees though the jungle and I don’t notice these until I look and then just cannot miss them all over. My favourite part in the low valleys where the jungle covers part of the road like an umbrella is the damp, earthy, green jungle smell, I think I have decided that this the best smell in the world. So wild, fresh, wet and rustic, I revel in this smell and cannot get enough of it. However only find it in the cool damp valleys as soon as I ride up a ride into the sunny dry hilltops the smell disappears and is replaced with the usual fresh green smell of countryside. I enjoyed the few minutes I was stuck behind a digger that was clearing what looked like a small  landslide off the road as the smell of the damp earth being dug away was truly heady…why did I never become a farmer…oh because cows stink

There are a number of police stops along this road but mostly the police just sit in a little hut and ignore you, others quickly wave you on as they see you approaching and only two stopped me, one asking to see my driver’s license the other saying hello and waiving me on again. All very easy and uncomplicated, I guess they are there because of the proximity to the boarder. Also perhaps because of the refugee camps along this stretch of road. It’s sad to know that there are so many refugee camps here as I ride along however they are nothing like refugee camps that I have come to know in Africa. These are proper villages with grass huts exactly like the huts dotted along the roads in Thailand and Laos.

At 3 o’clock I notice once again the clouds building up and realise that by 4 it’ll probably be ranging as usual. This does not concern me as the rains are usual intense but short and just nicely cool me down. However within a few minutes the wind has whipped up and is blowing frantically causing small twigs and huge leaves to fall on me and the road and I realise I need to find shelter bore I am blown right off the road or a branch lands on my head. At that moment I notice a little bungalow guesthouse and pull in. They have a bungalow free and it’s gorgeous just then the heavens open in true tropical style I get soaked but ma quite happy after all I am sweating like crazy in this humidity. I get into my bungalow and enjoy the sounds of ht storm around me while I get to take a nice shower. Even Dozer was sheltered  from the storm as the owner put him in his garage. The perfect end to a perfect day