Skip's coordinates

Some people have asked for map coordinates of my trips.  At the moment I don't own a gps device and most likely won't for a while.  However, I have managed to put the route to Wat Prabath into a Google Earth Places file format (.kmz).  If you want to follow the route on Google Earth, and/or put the coordinates into your gps device I can email the file.

Wat Phrabath Sii Roi (Buddha's Foot Print Temple)

I was fortunate to be able to take another motorbike ride into the mountains with someone who knew the way there, and back.  This time we traveled north and west of Chiang Mai. 
Once you get out of the city and into the Thai countryside everything becomes very green and bucolic.   

 As always, you will pass at least one large image of the Buddha.  We stopped here for a short break.  That's my ride in front, which is dwarfed by my friends Kawasake Versys, which has a 650cc engine, compared to mine which has only 110cc.  There are time when I think it won't go any farther up the mountain.  So far that hasn't happended.  Praise Buddha?

 This river has been blocked and diverted to create a fish pond.  When you buy fresh fish in Chiang Mai it has come from a place like this.

 Imagine taking a ride into the foothills of California, and continuing into the mountains.  Evetually the roads would get narrow, then more narrow, turn to dirt, and this just disappear.  This mountain road ended at a huge and magnificient wat, or temple.  Following is a glimpse of the temple.  I think this might also be one of the places where westerners go for meditation retreats.    

The above pictures are of me, cruising through the forest at mach 1, or, maybe 25 mph.

The countryside is vast and green.  I thought I'd try my "Panorama Stitch" softare.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not. 

A trip into the forest

In Thailand you could say that every trip anywhere begins and ends within the sight of the Buddha.  Monuments and temples abound, and most are striking in both size and appearance.  This one was located along the forest road. 

 Sometimes paved roads turn to dirt,  then back to pavement.  It's fun to try to guess where you are.  Maps here are generally useless, and I don't have a gps device.

 Eventually you'll pop out on to a highway again.  This road takes you to Samoeng, a quiet mountain town to the west of Chiang Mai.

 The country side is somewhat similar to the California foothills in Spring.  No rattlesnakes, though.  Just cobras. 

 You have to keep an eye open for wild animals.  If they think your shirt looks tasty, they'll take a little bite.   

 There are many tourist attractions along this route.  We stopped at this little restaurant.  Both the food and service were excellent.  Couldn't complain about the surroundings, either. 

 Our servers...Wee and Noi.  Thai people, and especially Thai children, are the most polite I've ever met.

OK - So I couldn't eat everything on my plate.  I neglected to take of photo of the full serving, but here's what I took home.  Crab, shrimp, squid, and papaya salad.

We stopped at this overlook, facing north west.  That's Myanmar (Burma) in the distance. 

My traveling companions for the day.  Names withheld to protect the guilty.