Wednesday, January 31, 2018

MHS Day 10 - Mae Na Chorn to Mae Win. 100km



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Today is Christmas Day and while people around the world make easy decisions like which presents to open first, we had to make the most difficult decision for the trip. Our original plan was to just follow the recommended Google Map route, an easy and manageable 49km through some minor roads of about 25km. Or to use sealed good roads but it would be a huge detour involving nearly 100km.

     

There was only one way to find out the condition of the roads and so Ying Chang my trusty navigator and I, with Mark, hopped on to the Mothership early morning before breakfast for our morning adventure. Making our turn out of the main road into the left minor road was tricky as it was so hard to spot. When we finally found it, our hearts sank. The road began with a hilly section with loose pebbles and brown dirt, narrow and obviously more like a farmer's path.  The Chevy had to spin her rear wheels to make some climbs and as we drove in for 2km or so, we knew this option was fading with each wheel spin. 

There was no way our bikes could withstand the punishing roads (except YC's Santa Cruz MTB and Sinn Tail's Surly Troll) and especially a mountainous meandering one on the ridge. The Mothership too could get stuck. This was remote country and I wonder why Google Map recommends this route?

Hence with safety as the priority, the decision was to take the 100km route through mountains and piggy back everyone where necessary. We broke the news at breakfast and each put on a brave front although we knew that 100km with steep climbs would be a big ask, even for the best and strongest tourers. We met the Pastor who was happy to give us a lift near Mae Win as he had an errand to run but we were happy to work this out ourselves. 

It was also lovely to say farewell to the lovely kids as they made their way to school as Christmas is not a public holiday in Thailand and I am glad KC captured these in photos.

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So with breakfast taken and a prayer said, we first aimed for Mae Cham some 25km away but not without a group photo. 

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It was a most beautiful ride with cool morning wind in our faces. As usual speedy gonzales Lance and Wayne was off like a rocket and we soon saw 2 distinct groups - the over 50s and the speedys.

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The ride to Mae Cham was pleasant compared to yesterday's killer hills and we rolled along quite nicely into town through magnificent scenery.

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There were some killer climbs and we realised that these cannot be helped in this parts of the woods. More than just having a good bike with low climbing gears, conquering these hills require mental fortitude and determination which separates the men from the boys.

Mothership located a nice cafe 2 km out of Mae Cham and that was to be our lunch stop and meet up point. Celia and I took our time to arrive and had drinks at 7/11 first - always the cyclist's best friend. We seem to have taken forever to regroup however no matter how slow one goes so long as we keep moving, the waiting time for the front guys surprisingly is not too long. In this case, 30 mins only.

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This cafe was somehow overwhelmed by our orders and I supposed being in a small town, 10 cyclists plus a few locals was a huge group to cater for.  We had to wait a long time for our food and I took the opportunity to order some takeaways from across the road. But we were grateful for ice cold water and we enjoyed great conversations as always.

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Looking at the terrain map, the next section that led all the way to the intersection of Doi Inthanon was daunting. Yet George who was feeling in the words of Karen Carpenter, "Top of the World" decided to ride with Sinn Tail carefully shepherding him. He was encouraged by his freewheeling experience 2 days ago and felt ready for some bike action.

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KC was nowhere to be seen and needless to say, Wayne and Lance who was way way ahead. As the Mothership passed George and Sinn Tail, he directed us to carry on despite the hills.  But later, we had a SOS WatsApp to say he has had enough and was all pumped out. We were actually surprised he could climb so far and on the Marin 4 Corners too, which did not have enough gearing for these hills. George did well for someone who is recovering from a head injury.

George was not the only one who got into trouble with these steep hills - all did except Lance.  KC soldiered on bravely and was in good form but he too surrendered after a respectable distance.

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I dropped off 4km before the intersection of 1009 and jumped on Celia's red Pocket which could climb so well thinking we have hit the peak. However, there were still some hills and I was getting pretty weary of them. As I was pushing up a hill, a pick up on the opposite direction slowed down and the driver yelled if I was ok. Turned out it was the Pastor from the Orphanage and it is so good to have angels everywhere. But I told him I was ok and thanked him! Even a well respected tourer like Mallika once remarked in the middle of her ride through this area that she "hated" hills - and this is from someone who I deem a true mountain goat!

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I was so glad when I finally arrived at the intersection and even then, 60km of hard riding lay ahead of me. But we were not too worried as we had the Mothership which we can call upon anytime and reflecting on this, I am grateful to God our Heavenly Father who always watches over us each day as we journey on in life. He invites us to call upon him in our time of need because he loves us.

He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber  Psalm 121:3

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At this stage, Ying Chang was busy driving the Mothership through the many steep hairpins collecting the fold who were all spaced out perhaps as far as 5-7km. It was a full house onboard so careful planning was needed and you can trust YC to execute that with Swiss precision.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying the nice downhill of 1009 except that the road had been damaged and worn. 1st third was sand and dirt, 2nd third uneven surfaces and last 3rd is ride-able except prone to fast moving traffic. I was not enjoying myself as I was on Primo Comet slicks which could barely keep me upright and was struggling to grip the bad road.  In moments like this, it was prudent to descent slowly and safely, on a wing and a prayer. Coming off the bike under these conditions is not pretty.

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I coasted down till I arrived at a small village where I noticed lots of colourful tents were present. I can certainly understand how nice camping is under these mild wintery conditions and had half a mind to join them.

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Continuing on a bit I found a cafe which I stopped to wait for the rest of the gang. Lance was the first to appear and he rested for awhile before zooming off. Truly, if ever there was a cycling hero in the flesh, he was right in front of me eyes.   I placed my helmet with blinking lights along the road so that our friends know to stop here.

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It was nice to see Sinn Tail next on her Troll and she is another cycling queen! Amazing climbing power and so helpful a person. Soon, the rest of the gang came along and I was happy everyone made it safely to this stage. Time check - 4pm and another 40km to go.  We were in trouble if we were going to cycle but we all patted ourselves on the back for the excellent choice of having Mothership.

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As we could not haul everyone plus bikes to Maewin, we had to do 2 trips. So I volunteered to drive  YC and Wayne first but as soon as we hit the peak some 12km away along Highway 1284, they decided to ride to the hotel and that was great as I could turn around and pick up the rest.

Meanwhile while waiting for us, KC was making full use of his time at the cafe reliving his lost childhood. Too much climbs have that effect on us...

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They were surprised that we came back earlier than expected and we were soon on the pursuit of YC and Wayne. At this stage, Lance was missing in action and we were so worried for him especially if he had made the important left turn to Highway 1284. As we drove through many winding and narrow roads, the sun was setting and soon it became dark. It was not until we were 2km to the hotel that we spotted father and son in the dark, looking at their GPS for directions. They were very fast and had enjoyed a great time of bonding together on the saddle. This is how it should be!

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Then like the best news ever, we got word that Lance is at Maewin Guesthouse having a drink. We could not believe it - he has conquered 100+km of the toughest roads and made it before sunset. As we checked into the resort, we all felt a huge sense of accomplishment. 

Being Christmas, the restaurant had a live band and all dressed up in Santa themes which was a fitting close to our very difficult day.  We enjoyed a beautiful Thai meal and celebrated Christmas as great friends who have completed a great journey together as a team. 

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Maewin despite the crowds had excellent and efficient service. Was told by the owner that many Westerners from Chiang Mai love to come here for the weekend and this was evident in the restaurant. 

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We enjoyed the music, the food, the drinks and finished the evening with a game of mini-table tennis. This was so fun and I must get one for my home!

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Christmas 2017 at Maewin with Team Lovethefold - it cannot get better than this!  I went to bed with a heart of praise, gratitude and song for this amazing day where we saw God's mountains, experience his care and grace. After 10 days together, our Team really gelled so well and the love we had for each other was evident.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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MHS Day 9 - Khun Yuam to Hot Coffee Guest House (Mae Na Chorn) 80km


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We woke up to a beautiful misty morning and as I waited for the sun to appear, my heart was filled with excitement and anticipation as today was to be a very hard day. 80km through very steep climbs, which I learned later would usually take 2 days!

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The owner of Khun Yuam Resort was so nice in giving us a complimentary breakfast which was so helpful esp when we were located quite far from town. Such is the hospitality of the Thai people, which touches me time and time again. They were very enterprising as they sold all sorts of clothes at the dining area, which also offered splendid views of the mountain ranges.

I found a colourful Korean traditional dress in the dress rack and the girls all had fun playing K-Drama Actress for the morning. And they all looked stunning! So lady-like unlike in their usual bicycle gear.

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Breakfast was a simple rice porridge and it was most suitable for a coldish morning start.  We gulped it down gratefully and had good conversations with the owner. Seems he has 2 daughters who are grown up and working in the big cities and this is his retirement job where he enjoys with his wife. His kindness and warm smile, we will never forget.

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For this stage, the first 40km was going to be tough looking at the terrain and my legs esp my knee was getting sore so I decided to join the Mothership Team for the first half of the day while the cyclists consisting of Sinn Tail, KC, Wayne and Lance took off enthusiastically. 

Celia and I meanwhile enjoyed our beautiful suite and with a view to die for, it would be such a waste not to savour it. We would catch up with the cyclists along Highway 1263 later.

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George, Wendy, YC and Mark and us eventually jumped onto the pick up and waved goodbye to our amazing host. Our first task was to buy gifts for the Hot Coffee Orphanage as it was Christmas Eve and we found a village provision shop where we got several tins of biscuits, a huge bag of buns and stacks of instant noodles. When the bill came, I fell off my chair as it amounted to a grand total of 800b or $32! Loh had kindly donated some funds and it nearly covered all of it!!!  

As usual with great skill, George packed the loot carefully and we took off to pursue our cyclists. We headed north along 108, passed Khun Yuam town and carried on for 1.5 km before making a right turn on Highway 1263. 

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The first 10km or so was gentle and we finally caught up with our cyclists. Fortunately, there was a lovely cafe and that made for a cute and good stop. Rinlada was adorned with all sorts of cute cuddly toys and teddies and it was truly pleasant to hang around here. We did for longer than we should.

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The cyclists scooted off and when we drove along, the killer hills started appearing. It was nothing like we have ever seen and would be one of the most difficult section we have ever encountered. So much so that I was so glad I was in the Mothership. The first person we caught up with was Uncle KC who was pushing up a climb, looking like he had enough. He flagged us down as he was in cramps and he had to "up lorry"....  The gallant Ying Chang took over his bike and I admired him for his bravado! YC being a MTB enthusiast, was not the least daunted as he sped off.

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Meanwhile KC was all smiles being in aircon comfort with us and even with 2.5 litre of diesel power, we strained to make some of the climbs. I had to change down to 2nd and even 1st on some occassions and I wondered how our cyclists would cope.

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We caught up with Wayne, then Sinn Tail and finally Lance who was way ahead of the pack as usual. Those hills were really tough and long and I truly took my cap off to our heroes. KC was not in the least interested to carry on the suffer-fest and mother-shipped all the way to the hotel - and that says a lot.

It was good we found an ideal spot to stop for lunch and to rest. Here, we watered our weary warriors and fed them with all the food and energy bars. Times like this, I wished we had a Thai masseur with us!

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The only person who was still all smiles and sparky was the all conquering King of the Mountain Lance who rode passed our stop for more climbing before turning back! What is this guy made off?

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At this stage, we knew that this was going to be a very long day and I decided to head for the hotel, unload the luggage so that we have room to bring everyone's bike on board and then turn around to rescue them. So off we went for an hour's drive to Hot Coffee and Celia and I decided to ride the last 25km of the way.

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This proved to be unwise as the cyclists were all running low on water and was counting on the Mothership to take them up some of the steeper climbs. Unfortunately, we didn't come back for them on time and they had to press on until George and Wendy returned some 1.5 hrs later. I felt so bad about this and apologised profusely! We under-estimated the climbs and such is the ferocity of the mountainous terrain in this part of the N Thailand.

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My ride with Celia started well with beautiful downhills, and though most of the climbs over, there were stages that we had to push for nearly 1km as it was simply too steep for us.

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 Just as we reached the top of a long climb, Celia's Pocket had a front flat tire. She immediately asked if we could hitch a ride but it was something that could be fixed easily.  A good thing that a spare tube, tools and pump were carried and not left on the Mothership. 

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We arrived at Hot Coffee just before 5pm and were so happy to be at this beautiful resort - this being my 3rd time. The orphanage pastor recognised me and it was so lovely to see him and the staff who welcomed us warmly.  

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Despite being all hot and sweaty, he threw me a bomb shell. Could we run the Christmas Eve service for the kids at 745pm?  I always love a challenge but this meant we had almost zero time to prepare and what was I to say? However I knew inside me that this was a task divinely arranged and said yes, without a clue what was to be! Famished, I had cold drinks and a hot plate of fries while waiting for the Mothership to return with the cyclists.

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Much to my surprise, Mothership returned empty!  Everyone of the riders wanted to cycle the whole distance and they did! Not surprisingly, Lance appeared first like he just completed a ride in the park. How does he do it?

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Then came Wayne, Sinn Tail and Ying Chang who was always the sweeper, making sure everyone arrived safely. If ever there was an award for LTF's Best Sweeper, he wins it hands down!

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We quickly washed up and enjoyed a sumptous dinner of lovely Thai dishes and rice. We all ate heartily as we were famished. It has been a long and a very hard day. I was very grateful to the team as I expected to get a ear-full for my bad decision but no, everyone was so kind and gracious. I felt so privileged to have such wonderful friends. 

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At 745pm, we all rushed next door where the orphanage was and they were all waiting for us eagerly. I roped in George and Wendy, who played Joseph and Mary, Ying Chang, Lance and KC as the 3 Wise Men and Mark as the guiding Star that led them to baby Jesus.


This was based on Matthew 2.

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

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We had great fun acting this scene out for the kids and they all laughed and had fun. My message was simple - Christmas is about the best gift that God has given us. Although the 3 wise men brought Jesus precious and good gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and we brought them gifts of food, God gave us the best gift ever - his son Jesus. A gift that stays with us forever and cannot be stolen, lost or broken.

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Accepting this gift, we have our sins forgiven, we become restored to God and given the right to become His children. Our lives become blessed, loved, guided and will truly flourish! Best of all, we are given the assurance of eternal life where we will dwell with God our Father when our time on earth is over. Jesus died on the Cross so we can live!

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:40 NLT

I invited the kids to pray and to ask Jesus into their hearts and in that sense, to receive God's gift. When we do so in faith, we become born again and what a special time we all had. Celia led us in a time of beautiful singing and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Christmas than be with these precious children.

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After the service, we asked if we could light up the last of our lanterns and the pastor gave us his permission. We got the kids to draw on the lanterns and this was when we really got to know them better.

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The launching of the hot air lanterns truly got everyone excited with big smiles everywhere. As our lanterns floated slowly up into the cold, dark night, they met with a million stars that looked like small sparkling diamonds.


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This surely was one of the most meaningful Christmas I have ever celebrated in my 55 years on earth and our hearts were all so glad and privileged that we could bring some Christmas joy to these wonderful children of Mae Na Chorn Children's Home.  

Thank you Team LTF - Wendy, George, Ying Chang, Wayne, Mark, Lance, Sinn Tail, KC and Celia for your great help in making the evening an amazing success despite very little preparation! God's hand was certainly with all of us.

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The Gift goes on...