Felt like a marathon today, most of which was, as usual, most enjoyable. But let me say one thing about going up to the top of Doi Inthanon in rainy season….**#@@**##……[edited for family viewing].
This weeks meeting point was in Hang Dong, at the Kow Soi Restaurant opposite the Hang Dong Police station, 9.30am.
Allys doing her best to make sure I’m not complaining about my empty stomach all the time.
After an excellent Kow Soi breakfast we headed off toward San Pa Tong and turned right onto the 1013 to Mae Wang.
The title says ‘via’ Mae Wang, but in actuality Mae Wang was a short detour to see yet another stunning reservoir.
Close to large reservoir, which, like Huay Tung Taow, has many cafes and shelters on the waters edge, is a beautiful ‘shrine’.
Up a easy set of steps, this shrine features many model Chickens, and two horses reared up on their hind legs.
Close by is also another small shrine featuring three model wooden Thai houses.
That detour done, it was back on the 1013.
Some way along there I spotted a sign for Mae Sa Pok Waterfall and called Ally back so we could investigate.
Well worth it! More of those stunning terraced rice fields on the way.
When we reached the end of the track I wondered if we’d been duped by the sign, when we spotted a very cute waterfall, pretty, but not what we’d expected.
Fortunately, a group of young girls, busy washing empty drinks cans for recycling, pointed us to the path to the main event.
Another lush forest track, just a couple of hundred metres and….WoW!!.
Not only was there the sublime beauty of the waterfall in the middle of glistening green forestation, but also some wonderful bird life, no doubt attracted by the insects brought out by the damp, and fish washing down with the strong water flow too, no doubt.
Although its not the biggest I’ve seen it rates as one of the most beautiful, with a touch of magical quality about it.
Back to the road we were on, Allys reliable directions tell me that it changes from the 1013 to the 5118 after Mae Win.
Turning left out of the waterfall road we carried on to Khun Wang. Here you can find the Khun Wang Environment and Natural School. Quite an immense growing set up.
Again, as well as the many rice fields, you see so much more going on up here, with huge nursery set-ups sprawling all over many hills.
Carrying on along this wonderfull road,
which varied from newly laid tarmac to potholed tarmac that required a lot of weaving to and fro,
we rode on to the Doi Inthanon Shop, through rain that got quite heavy for a while. There we had lunch and coffee and for a while the rain had stopped, but by the time we got going, so had it once again.
Honestly I can’t believe we carried on up, through the clouds and worsening rains; which were exacerbated by strong gusting winds. But battle on we did. I was hopelessly unprepared and got saturated.
My legs were threatening to cramp up and my whole body was shaking by the time we reached the coffee shops at the top.
It took me quite a while to stop the shakes and the coffee was very much needed.
Even my hope of buying a dry t shirt to change into was dashed, with the souvenir shop being closed.
And to add insult to injury I had been charged 100 baht at the summit check point, for the pleasure of putting myself through that hell. Hey ho, beats sitting at home.
Ally kept assuring me that the views up there are amazing, some of the best you’ll ever see. Even tried to tell me that there are two massive Chedis on the way up to the summit, “stunning, beautiful they are…right there!!” Staring at thick white cloud hugging the hillsides, I told her that I didn’t believe her. Whats more, at that point I couldn’t have cared less if the Taj Mahal had been moved there.
Still, although we still had to go back down through the icey cold squalls, it wasn’t so long before we were down to Wachirathan Waterfall in much more pleasant conditions, and after that short visit, on our way home.
On the 108 to Chiang Mai, not so far from Chom Tong, the highway was blocked for quite a way by huge numbers of Lamyai growers turning up at a big fruit buyers warehouse.
I said goodbye to Ally at San Pa Tong, where I turned right for Lamphun.
Looking forward to our next ride.
For many more photos from this trip, please visit our photobucket album here.
Up at 7am, I made sure the shopping list got done as soon as the waiter arrived, so that I could get the market run done early. Having sorted the cafe shopping by 10am, I then had to go and rent a motorcy for the day. My JRD Chopper is in the workshop at the moment waiting for repairs to the exhaust.
Incredibly I got everything done in time to leave here at 10.30 and found Ally waiting for me at the alloted meeting point;with her very impressive, and very noisy ride, a 
But the reason Ally had taken me this way was to see the long row of Quarry’s where, over recent years, whole ‘mountains have been excavated for aggregate for the local building industry. These Quarry’s, some clearly extremely deep, are now filled with water and landscaping work is now on progress at a few of them, with the likely impression of future resorts appearing in this beautiful valley area.
Are you an ornithologist? Take a ride into this valley and you will see a wide variety of very interesting bird life; 
The quarries done, we wended our way through the village roads , finding our way back to the Canal road, stopping at a quaint little Temple, Wat Nam Phrae, on our way. there will be a much fuller report on this Temple appearing in the Temple list soon.
More birds, more beauty, there seems no end to the sublime nature of Thailand. Whilst stopping to watch a couple of Drongos, we spotted the group of four standing Buddhas that marked the location of the Forest Temple we were heading for, off in the distance.
About half way along the route we stopped briefly at yet another gem of a Temple, Wat Hoi Thong. This small beauty is perched on a hill with some lovely views of the forested hills around it.
Time was moving on and so did we, taking a relaxed ride onwards through some lovely little villages, past a pretty flower nusery, onion fields, rice fields, wooded roads, just my sort of day out.
Here you see country life going on as it has done for many decades, with old ladies carrying foodstuff or other wares in large baskets on wooden yolks over their shoulders;
The Temple grounds are extensive and in the process of much development at this time.
The inner walls are completely covered with various scenes from 
Behind the several large Buddhas to the rear is a stunning wall of stained glass ‘stars’.
Look back out of the doors of this Temple and witness the perfect symmetry of the Chedi with the new Temple behind.
We also had the delight of witnessing a huge bee colony at work at the top of a huge alcove, in between the new Temple and the Chedi, that houses another giant standing Buddha.
Around 500 yards from the inner temple compound, still within the outer walls, you will find the 4 standing Buddhas. The way through the trees is clearly marked. As you take this route you will see some lovely concrete and plaster plaques, with yet more Siddartha scenes. These are also part of the ongoing development and still a work in progress.
At the site of the 4 standing Buddhas; facing North, West, South, and East; there is yet more , very extensive construction under way of , as yet indeterminable nature.
After a delicious lunch, from a small stall near the market and a coffee at a Thai cafe nearby, we headed down the 1013 to join the 108 south of San Pa Tong.
After a short distance on the left there are unmissable giant Elephants , that are actually small air conditioned houses!
Entrance is free, and the compact site contains some very well kept gardens and several small buildings, including to elongated ‘museum’ buildings, housing an extensive collection of Ganesh statues, wood carvings and various other images. The building on the right does have some information plaques in both Thai and English language. No photos are allowed inside the museum buildings.
