Day 2: Mountain Biking Thai Style

Well, I'm pretty sure there's really no particular "style" to mountain biking. But you get the idea. :)


Couldn't find congee at the morning market today. :( So I ended up buying some snacks and a box of Lactasoy (soy milk) for breakfast instead. It was sufficient enough. Then the mountain biking company came to pick me and a few others up in a "song taew," a pickup truck with covered seating in the back.


When we got to the office to sign our liabilities form the guys working there kept on trying to scare me about going mountain biking. Now that is totally Thai style! Hahaha!


I met some really cool people. A group of guys were doing the extreme/advanced route. One of them came on the car that I was on when we were heading to the starting point up at Doi Suthep. Then there's John, who went on another advanced route by himself (with a guide of course). Last but not least, our beginner group consisting of Steve, Lisa, and me!

The song taew behind ours.

When we got to the starting point, they got us to try out the bikes and see how it feels. I was struggling when it gets a bit too bumpy, hahaha!

Me with the bike that I rode.
I look kinda scared in this pic lol!

The seat was a bit too high for me, so I was struggling standing over it when we stopped. I thought they already pushed the seat all the way down. Half way through the whole trail, which is around 13 miles, I found out it could be lowered. -_-

One of the advanced guys testing their skill by jumping over a rock.
Pretty cool, eh?

They said it was supposed to be the beginner's route, but honestly, it's like a friggin' obstacle course from hell. There are potholes everywhere and huge cracks like how the earth parts after an earthquake. There are also big bumpy parts with huge rocks all over the place and super steep parts including sharp curves. Not to mention the cars and motorcycles that would appear every once in a while.


But I guess all those things made it funner. You have to constantly use your head: plan your moves, try to actually stay balanced on the bike, put the right amount of pressure on the breaks, etc. And sometimes you just gotta let it all go and go for it.


Throughout the ride, I constantly told myself "you're not gonna fall because you're a pro at this!" I know it's a total lie but it helps with not worrying so much about everything.


And damn!! I thought I was already doing a lot of lunges, but apparently not enough! There were also a couple parts where we had to paddle up hill. Let me just say, I died. Even after putting on the lowest gear! I feel like suck a weakling :/ I was able to paddle up the first two or three hills. But the last one I actually had to get off and push my bike up. And even that was taxing. One of the guides actually ended up pushing my bike up for me. Then after he took my bike, I was DYING walking up that hill too.


I'm so weak.... :'(


And oh, my, gosh! My crotch!!! It's literally beaten to a pulp! I swear! I couldn't stand on my bike during the bumpy sections because I partly couldn't balance and partly too scared especially when the terrain's steep. So it took all the beating when I fly off every piece of rocks and bumps. I'm wincing every time I sit down now. Hahaha!


My hands were also sore from squeezing the breaks so much. Well, probably almost the whole ride because it's "downhill mountain biking." They were shaking when we got to the end of the route, hehehe. Fun times, fun times.

Our first pit stop at the coffee shop/plantation!

A pic along the route!
(Steve, Lisa, me, our guide Mic)

I look so friggin' tired!
Right after the ride before our super late lunch :)

I survived! I'm ALIVE!! Hahahah!
The ride back :)

I was seriously considering getting a relaxing massage after I got back, but decided against it. I'll get it after my second day of climbing. There's really no point right now. My ordeals aren't over yet!!


So I walked to the market area for dinner tonight and I got to eat "yen ta four"!! My favorite noodle dish of all time!!! It's this noodle with a pink sauce. I don't really know what the pink sauce is made of, but it's goooood.

The noodle shop by the street!

Yen Ta Four!!!!

I was sweating eating my noodles. Forgot how hot it gets eating outside. And I already showered too! Oh, well. It was REALLY good though!


I'm so tired right now. I might pass out pretty soon. Hahaha! I'm going rocking climbing tomorrow! Woot woot!!! Meeting them next door at 8:30am. :D