The Countryside

Yesterday was the most exciting experience that I've had in Chiang Mai this far and definitely one of the best activities I have done in my life. I had never been mountain biking before so I took that chance and said: " Why not try it in Thailand?". I decided to book a tour through "Trailhead", a reputable mountain biking tour in the area, who has multiple tours and trails that people can experience. Not being an expert mountain biker, I decided to book the tour that was labeled as the "easiest". I decided to take this one because it took place in the Mai Rim district, a rural and countryside part of Thailand, which I really wanted to see. It's safe to say that I did underestimate the effort in mountain biking at first and it took me a while to get used to it. I started my day off by taking a car to the tour office in the Old City of Chiang Mai. At the office, I was given a free cappuccino while I waited to depart. Joining me was an older couple from Germany and a woman from Tawain. We boarded the van and set off with our two local guides. We first stopped at a waterfall and took some time to walk around it and take photos. It was not a super large waterfall but it was enclosed in large caves and rock which made it spectacular. After the waterfall, we departed to the starting point where we were fitted for our bikes and began the ride. The terrain throughout the ride varied from the pavement, rocks, dirt, and both uphill as well as downhill. The weather was beyond hot and the rural landscape made the sun scorch more. As one of our guides led the way, the other drove behind us in the van, carrying water and supplies. The other three people on the tour were always far behind, as I was the only one who stayed with the front guide even though it was pretty tough! The scenery and views throughout the tour were absolutely breathtaking, as we biked past coffee and tea plantations, bean farms, rice paddies, local villages, schools, and the mountainous background. It took some time learning how to operate the bike and switch the gears, but my guide helped a lot and was very friendly. Both guides were very supportive, funny, and organized the tour very well. We stopped for multiple breaks and they gave us some snacks and drinks. There were many stray dogs in the mountains, as well as spiders and an enormous snake that crossed the bike path. Towards the end of the tour, we biked through a suburban area where we stopped at a temple and were given fresh coconuts before we boarded the van and headed to lunch. We biked for approximately 5 hours and it was one of the best experiences I've ever been a part of. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant where we tried a variety of Thai dishes that were delicious. Finally, we were dropped off at the office and I made my way home. The Flower Festival was occurring in the city so I decided to walk around and buy food before heading to my apartment. I found a really good vendor that sold large Chinese chicken spring rolls and Kao Pad Moo, which is fried rice with pork. After eating I decided to walk the 1 hour home because the weather was so nice and I enjoyed seeing more of the city. As I am currently making more plans, I most definitely want to go mountain biking again and would love to go through the same company, perhaps booking a more challenging trail next time. Communicating with the locals has become a lot easier since I have learned the basic phrases and words. Tomorrow after class I plan on signing up for a local gym membership so I can go there every day to stay in shape. It's crazy to think that I have almost been in Thailand for a month now! I am loving being here and I am eager to experience more!