More trail pioneering in the Omkoi region

[KTMphil]

More south eastwards, we couldn't work out from a distance if this was tobacco, it didn't look like soy beans being harvested

 

[KTMphil]

Off on some of the side trails, here getting some great new map data

David's google map data, said this trail might link all the way around to the north and back to Omkoi, something to explore next time

 

[KTMphil]

Mai trying to converse with the Karen locals, amazing to be 100km in from the border and only 10% speak Thai

Another supervisor of roads, what a great source of trail information, we lucked out again. if the Princess wasn't coming, we would never have met him

 

[KTMphil]

This is the village about 4km from the new suspension bridge that in dry season will get you through westwards to R 1267, otherwise its a long way around to get out of the Mae Ngao National Park.



To get the information you want you have to be super careful about what questions you ask. Ask with a loaded question and you'll just get the yes answer and may not be correct.


The trick, which David is good at is to ask things like "when you get big sick where do you go to the hospital"? get them to point which way. "Which road do you take "? "If you go to Omkoi by motorbike which way do you go"? "How many hours" ? - This one confused many of them though.

 

[KTMphil]

Everywhere was still nastily rutted, didn't look like the Princess was coming this way

Plenty of home made log bridges around, none of them an issue

Soy crop was now everywhere and in full yellow bloom

Through the mud hole where one of us got stuck last time, good to watch which route the locals take

I could then direct Dave

 

[KTMphil]

Some of the shaded areas were still real sloppy making some of the hill climbs a challenge

You needed your sunglasses to look at the yellow soy plantation in some areas, some of this is mountain rice too

 

[KTMphil]

This shy chap's inquisitiveness was killing him

 

[KTMphil]

Some new trails that needed mapping about 5km from the village we were going to sleep in

This one was really remote and poor, next time we'll bring some flip flops and t shirts for them

From the western side, this bridge is really hard to find. You have to do a dog leg around some single track rice fields, follow the river for a while and it appears

 

[KTMphil]

...more to come

 

[Loop]

Some stunning pics there.

 

[KTMphil]

More Karen locals

Some off to the fields

 

[KTMphil]

Finally at our destination for the evening

Knife sharpening on a hard stone

They told us that every two or three months a western religious group bring doctors to the village

The remains of some rice stalks after being thrashed to remove the rice. This will be used to feed the buffalo's and cows

Curious children

 

[KTMphil]

Meal time for the pigs

Hammering the husks off the rice

The worst house in the village

& the best

 

[KTMphil]

We were told that this is a vegetable from the potato family, but not sure what its English name is

More rice husk pounding

Not a bad place at all to relax and remenice about what a fantastic day we just had

 

[KTMphil]

Nearly dark, time to start cooking in the village

Tobacco is grown locally lots of ladies having a puff from pipes

 

[KTMphil]

Double horsepower

All the hard labor seemed to be undertaken by the women

The Phu Yai Ban was in the next village along, this was the wife of the chap that seemed to be in charge here, they offered us a place to sleep in their house

The one shop in the village was a little sparse, surprisingly, they did have beer

Time for dinner

Som had made us loads of pork jerky from tenderloin which keeps for about 4 days, absolutely delicious with rice in the middle of nowhere

The people in the village only get to eat pork on special occasions, like marriages etc.... we had plenty for them too, they loved it

 

[KTMphil]

You can ALWAYS get the vibe of the village by seeing the condition and treatment of the animals, this pet dog was allowed up the ladder stairs into the house

Not only that, he was given all the best food to eat too, ive never see this before, dogs have always been fed on the ground

 

[KTMphil]

......more to come

 

[NKPBob]

More WOW!!!... I see lots of people in your pics. What's the proper etiquette for taking someone's pic. I don't want to be inconsiderate of customs and courtesy's.

 

[KTMphil]

More WOW!!!... I see lots of people in your pics. What's the proper etiquette for taking someone's pic. I don't want to be inconsiderate of customs and courtesy's.

Be polite, don't just shove the camera in their face.

 

[KTMphil]

Dinner finished, 8.20pm, everyone goes to sleep, we were offered a big clean living room for sleeping, they even gave Mai & David new blankets. The house we slept in was on stilts/legs with pigs underneath, David said when i was snoring, the pig and i were having a conversation. When i rolled over and stopped snoring, the pig got quite upset that he'd lost his friend and starting snorting profusely to try and continue the conversation.

 

[KTMphil]

Some light rain overnight, we thought we were all done with that, 0430am the villagers started to get up, still pitch black, around 0600am when is was getting light we started to get ready.

This young girl was so cute

 

[KTMphil]

The local hospital at Mae Long Tai, the village we slept in

Rainy season, this area is completely cut off and only walking track access. We asked them when someone gets really sick in rainy season what do the do? They told us they would carry them fireman style out to where the nearest road access point was.

 

[KTMphil]

Off to the fields

Last time we came through here, this was where we made the mistake and went straight on into the village, there is no was through. The single track is the way out

 

[KTMphil]

Mai & David are back home and sent a few photo's over, one of the best pipe smoking shots

Cow gates

Shaded areas still quite nasty

 

[MastaMax]

Amazing report Phil, great that you always take the time to pause and take pictures.

 

[KTMphil]

A few more of Mai & David's shots

There was a nasty big nail sticking out of this small bridge, luckily neither of us hit it

 

[KTMphil]

Which way!!!

Photo: Mai & David

Photo: Mai & David

Photo: Mai & David

 

[KTMphil]

Photo: Mai & David

Photo: Mai & David

 

[KTMphil]

On the way back out from Mae Long Tai, I rode behind David, he'd hurt his back in a fall the previous day and wasn't able to pick the bike up again if he fell.

Mai & David had a rest in one of the villages, I went off to get some more map data. This looked disappointing as the river was too deep.

Luckily some locals pointed me towards a bridge

 

[KTMphil]

I was thinking that they've probably never seen white people before in here, how wrong was I - The Christians were way ahead of me


The "Jesus Jungle Festival"

The missionaries seemed to have this area quite well covered, maybe they have a map?

 

[KTMphil]

Due to David's back condition we did less than we had planned but now have two routes (east-west) from Omkoi through to R 105 on the Myanmar border.

What is great about this is it means you can drive down to Omkoi on a Friday night, sleep at the Omkoi Resort. Saturday, take say the northern route westwards over to R 105, sleep in Mae Sariang, decent food and good accommodation. Sunday, take the southern route, back eastwards from R 105 back to Omkoi and drive from Omkoi back to Chiang Mai on a Sunday evening.

 

[The Bigfella]

I just love that lady with the pipe. What a hoot. I should dig out the pipe I had at uni and bring it over.

 

[KTMphil]

Women with pipes are great!



Below is a map with the northern and southern routes on it linking Omkoi to R 105

 

[KTMphil]

 

[Fishenough]

Fantastic report Phil! Really enjoyed this, the Mae Ngao river has been my favorite fishing river in the north.

Now that you mention it, the church of christ just across the bridge, ThaPhae road, had a new looking map on the wall of the entire western border area. And I was fishing and camping far up the Mae Ngao road and came across some missionaries who's kids were in the sports class I taught.

Thanks!

 

[Mettalique]

Looks great, reminds me of my ride there last year


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[bigntall]

Nice report and some great pictures from all. Indeed a lovely area and except for a cracked sparkplug and feeling awful would have been plugging along with you all. Nice to see the mud-hole has dried up a bit since the last ride up there. Under two months since the last ride up there and the colors have changed drastically, the beauty of riding here is the ever changing palate with which we are all lucky enough to ride amongst.

By chance did you find a more direct variation to that small bridge in the village? First time we got through was rather circuitous.

Thanks again for the stellar pics!!

 

[KTMphil]

I looked around and that crazy dog leg single track seemed to be the only way across that river. Maybe late December through March you could ride across the river?

By chance did you find a more direct variation to that small bridge in the village? First time we got through was rather circuitous.

Thanks again for the stellar pics!!

 

[KTMphil]

Looks great, reminds me of my ride there last year


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Did you ride west of Omkoi through to R 105?