Day 3 – Heading North to Mae Taeng - Happy Elephants and My First Climb

Filed under Sisters in the saddle, blog

Distance 62km

Bags packed and loaded into our sag (the car that takes all our stuff) and we’re heading out of the city. There are four of us in total, so just enough to form a little pack and get on the road at a decent pace. Its warm, its sunny, there is very little wind, its a perfect day for cycling.

Today we are stopping at an the Bai Orchid farm and then at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp. The route up to the elephant camp is my first proper hill – its about midday and 30 something degrees, not usual peddling conditions for a girl who normally rides in Essex, Surrey and Kent in winter. Its about 10km with inclines of up to 10 degrees. However, there’s nothing quite as motivating as beautiful scenery for helping you climb (even if you can’t see it because your head is down and you’ve got sweat in your eyes) and without too much ado i’m up at the Elephant camp, triumphant and a bit sweaty.

The rest of the day is another lovely ride on to our next guest house. As we ride Yai tells us pits an pieces about the things we are seeing, what crops they are, what the local people are doing.

After about 60km we turn up a dirt road, then another one, weaving slightly up hill. About 1km later and we are at our accomodation for the night. This place is unreal, Baan Rai Lanna Resort, is a health retreat and spa, its hidden in the hillside with the individual guest huts dotted either side of small paddy fields. We’ve just got time for an hour by the pool before the sun goes down.

Its OK, you can hate me if you like.