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The Chiang Rai Bikers over-nighter to Nan was a good time. We had 13 bikes (some of those were two-up) and four cars/trucks with us. Thanks to all for the input on routes in and out of Nan, especially David, Phil and Tim. We weren’t disappointed in the roads or the views. And special thanks to Bob for running the route a few days ahead of time and scouting out the stops for us.
After the usual meet-up at the PTT, the group moved out for a day of great weather on the road. After covering the km’s that get you to the good part of the trip, the 1148 offered lots of turns, rises and drops that were exhilarating at points. I did miss some of the views because my attention was on the road and the sharp turns but the wife was able to take it all in and she especially enjoyed it. As usual, we made several short break stops prior to lunch. At the lunch stop, several found a good noodle shop and several others partook of left-over BBQ ribs that were brought along by Pam in the cars. (Thank you, Pam. Good thinking!) I snacked for lunch instead of having a large meal because I wanted to save my appetite for Tony’ Place in Nan.
For most of the morning, the slower riders stayed together in the larger group while the faster riders went ahead in a smaller “fast group”. In the afternoon, we were strung out a little further with smaller “slow groups” of several riders in each group. The wife and I brought up the rear, enjoying the warm sunshine of the day. Nan isn’t that many km’s from CR but the wife and I took most of the afternoon to get there.
Arriving in Nan, we ran into several of the folks who had gone ahead of the pack and after hooking up with them, we headed to Tony’s Place. Before the evening was out, everyone had arrived at Tony’s for some food and beverage. Thanks to Tony for opening up for us on his day off. And he opened early for us each day so the returning riders could get an earlier breakfast and an earlier start. Tony’s Place ended up being our “base” of sorts for the time we were in Nan. I think he had one or more of us in his place during most of the hours he was open until the last of us left Nan to return home two days later. It was kind of cool to be able to go to his place at any time of day and see CR friends relaxing and visiting. On that subject, the ride was a nice success again in the sense of riders meeting and getting to know others. It is so cool to see riders meet new riding buddies on these trips and know they will be spending more time together in the future. What a great way to meet people and see if they are a “fit”. And also on that subject, we met some really good Nan folks while we were at Tony’s. I will be keeping in touch with some of those folks just because they are really good people.
Nan. What a nice little town. I was impressed by the cleanliness of the town. Those people care about that town and it shows. There are LOTS of rooms available in Nan, in about every budget range. And eateries seemed plentiful as well, with some nice places in the city center and a few that are on the riverbank with nice views. There are some coffee shops but the place isn’t overrun with them yet, as CR is. The wife and I had coffee at one that had a sign saying they opened at 08:00 but they were open at 07:00 and served us. Nan also has a big market that is typical of Thailand towns and the market too was very clean; much cleaner than our CR markets. Even in the meat and fish section of the market, there wasn’t the normal stench. We went to the market for coffee at 05:00 (only place open then) and found the market Thai-style coffee shop doing a brisk business. Two people worked that shop, him making the coffee and she delivering it to the various food vendors at their stalls.
If you’re looking for a slow-paced place to spend some time, Nan is a good choice. They have about everything you could want, the people are friendly and the town is relaxing. However, locals tell us that the town is growing fast, land prices are rising dramatically, daily traffic has increased a lot and things are changing. The locals expressed concern over how long their town will be the great little place it has been for years. So, if you’re thinking of going, maybe it is best to not wait for several years to do it.
Several of the group made trips to the Nan Riverside Art Gallery south of town and found it worth the trip. One of our group posted some photos of that on the Chiang Rai Ties forum here:
http://chiangraities.com/index.php?topic=861.msg5202#msg5202 Most of the group ended up doing some touring outside of Nan while we were there and reported some good day rides and nice scenery in the area. I was in extreme relax mode while I was there so I didn’t see the gallery or do any touring but I made plenty of trips to my room for naps. Sorry, no pics of the napping.
Some folks stayed only one night in Nan and then either returned directly home, did some off-route touring on the way, stopped off to see other old friends or in the case of two of our group, headed off to Laos for some serious touring for the next week. A few stayed on an extra night in Nan and then left Tony’s Place at about 10:00 the following morning for the trip homewards. I rode to CR with one other biker and one of the cars stayed with us. I enjoyed the trip home more than the trip to Nan as I was able to stop and goof off more often. The 1091, especially the first third or so of the trip, is a really nice ride with lots of good scenery, nice sweeping turns and high-up overlooks. I stopped often on that part because the views warranted stopping and enjoying them.
A special note here about Tony’s Place, Tony and his wife. Man, they do have really good food there and the menu is extensive. I doubt you could eat there and be disappointed that they didn’t offer what you were craving. I have never seen such a small place with such international food diversity on the menu and he seems to know just how each item is supposed to be prepared. And surprisingly, to me anyway, he has a good carry-out business with the local Thais. The place is truly an all-around eatery. Tony and his folks were extremely gracious, helpful and interesting to visit with. Tony keeps an UK Internet rock and roll radio station playing on the speakers and he keeps the volume down so he has background music that enhances the experience instead of competing with it. Some of our local eateries could learn a thing or two from Tony. As I said, all of the food was great but my favorite was the bacon, cheese and mushroom omelet. That particular combination isn’t on the menu but they will do what it takes to suit you there without any fuss at all. Oh! And the beer crowd reported that the beer was cold, not really in need of ice in the glass. You can’t beat that! Tony, my hat is off to you. You are one of the best, customer service oriented people I have dealt with in Thailand. Best of luck to you and yours in the future and thank you, so much, for all that you did for our group.
January- No route has been suggested for the Chiang Rai Bikers Day Ride for January. The ride will go on the 10th and when we have a route, we will publish it. If any of you have suggestions, please let us know. There is also some discussion going on about a dirt bike off-road ride and route in the near future. Anyone with an interest in that, let us know and we will hook you all up. I won’t be riding a bike for that but am willing to provide support with the four-wheel Suzuki if needed.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2012, 11:03:11 AM by kandahar »
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