300KM worth of curves and corners to cover today (Pai - Mae Hong Son - Mae Sariang), as we continue on our journey to Mae Hong Son town where I fulfill my must-do list of this trip by visiting the Long Neck Village!
Stoning before the long ride begins! We're gonna cover more corners than we did from Chiang Mai to Pai, like that wasn't trying enough. But nothing's gonna stop me from finding my Long Neck (Karen) women!! #feelingdetermined
Omg, and I thought me wasting time by stoning was bad. Look at this dude, worse. Gear up all, then go lie on the hammock and sleep.
Hellooo! Time to go RIDING!!
So captivated by the view at Coffee In Love cafe yesterday that I had to visit it one more time this morning before we headed to Mae Hong Son.
Besides, someone needed his caffeine fix to function! Haha and for me, being surrounded by such beautiful scenery of magnificent mountains refreshes me already.
And here we are! Just chilling and waiting for our coffee to arrive :) I could bask in the sun all day with a view like that. The weather is comfortably soothing at 22°C.
With all that amazing landscapes captures in my heart and mind, we filled our tanks up at the petrol kiosks and it's time to hit the roads and make our way to Mae Hong Son!
There are no petrol stations from Pai to Mae Hong Son so please remember to refuel before you depart from Pai.
Upslope hairpins.. Sharp corners..
And attempting his first knee down here in Thailand.. with all that baggage strapped on some more.. Someone sure came prepared with knee sliders on! LOL.
More than halfway there to Mae Hong Son, we've cleared another few hundred corners. My bags are seriously giving me not enough space to sit.. Ack. Maybe I should consider trying out Komine's side saddle bags from Hodaka Motoworld next time.
We are down to 98KM to the Long Neck Village in Mae Hong Son and what we have are just more windy roads to glide through. The road conditions are better than from Chiang Mai to Pai, with not much road works going on but occasional potholes.
Took a short break at this scenic look out point, and to also admire the view. Sometimes we get so caught up with our eyes on the roads that we forget to take notice of all that beauty that's around us.4
And look at these cuties, all dressed up in their colorful traditional outfit and ready for a dance, maybe? Told them to touch my Ducati for goodluck and they did.. Haha so adorable.
Continued on our way, riding for more than 4 hours, from when the sun was at it's strongest, to mellowing down during the late afternoon and gradually softening into evening..
We've safely reached the capital of Mae Hong Son! YEAH.
Gawd I'm so tired but it's so rewarding to finally be here! We are now about 900KM away from Bangkok and here in Mae Hong Son's capital is where you can get your certificate on completing the 1,864 Corners loop at the Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce!
There are two ways to get to the Long Neck Village.
Either by Boat or ride/drive straight in. Look out for the sign that points you in the right direction. Alternatively, use Google Maps and search "Long Neck Village Mae Hong Son". It led us there instead of my Tom Tom GPS as it did not have that location registered in it.
It's about 11KM from the main road into the Long Neck Village. We were riding through the forested area when I saw a stream ahead, and my eyes widened. Hmm.. am I supposed to cross this?
Wet Crossing Ahead
I looked closer and saw that there were loose pebbles covered with algae in the stream, so the kiasu me throttled through it slowly. I was like, phew.. heng never slip and fall. Haha.
Just when I thought I was done with that stream crossing, came another one! And another one! And a few more! There were MUTIPLE WET CROSSINGS to Long Neck Village and I'm like..
"Ok just keep calm, slow and steady, and cross the stream. Everything's gonna be fine" I told myself. Luckily my partner and I didn't have a bluetooth communication set otherwise he'd hear all my kiasu talks to myself.
After all that splish and splashing, ALOHA! We are at LONG NECK VILLAGE, home to the Kayan Tribe! Woooot!
Entry Fee Into Long Neck Village
250THB
Collected by a local villager who explains the money goes into maintaining the village for the Kayan Tribe to continue their heritage and living here. He also shared with me that many bikers have skidded and fell in the wet crossings as they went too fast. So see, it pays to be kiasu at times ;)
Ok so now we're officially in Mae Hong Son’s most touted and controversial tourist attraction - The Long Neck Village where we witness the Kayan women wearing weighty brass coils around their neck as part of the tribe's tradition.
Myths of The Long Neck Women
These brass coils depress the collarbone and rib cage, which results in an unnaturally stretched neck, hence as the name "Long Neck" suggests. It is commonly claimed that if the coils are being removed after many years of wearing them, the Kayan woman's neck would fall and "break" as it will not have the strength to support the heaviest part of our body - the head.
How Did They Start Wearing These Coils?
This act of wearing the brass coil around their necks leaves no impact on their health. Hearsay on how this tradition came about was so that tigers wouldn't attack them and carry them off by their throats. Another saying is to make the women less attractive so men from other tribes would not take notice of them.
From the Kayan women, to the little magnets and clothings as souvenirs sold here, the Long Neck villages are now on every tour's itinerary and have become a significant draw for Mae Hong Son's tourism industry.
It is always so enriching being able to learn and experience different tribe cultures even from within the same country.
And having a tummy upset with a slight fever now certainly does not help. I think I'm experiencing a mild food poisoning from some random street food somewhere along the way today. Thankfully I've got my First Aid Kit with me, at least I've got medication to help relief the discomfort.
Pacing ourselves instead of pushing, we arrived safely into Mae Sariang.
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| Credits to agoda |
Checked into the very nicely done up Above The Sea Boutique Guesthouse (S$24/night), popped some medicine, took a shower and fell deep into sleep. Hopefully my fever and tummy turmoil would subside by tomorrow when I wake up.
[Singapore.Malaysia.Hat Yai.Bangkok.Lopburi.Chiang Mai.Pai.Mae Hong Son.Mae Sariang]
[Mileage Clocked: 2,605KM]
[Weather/Temperature: Sunshine With Blue Skies/Cool 24°C]
[Terrain: Mountainous roads, corners, tarmac]
Next: Kamphaeng Phet, Chiang Mai, Thailand