I have lost count of how many times I’ve started out with good weather
and then had to pull off the road and shelter until the rain passes. It might be a few minutes, it might be an hour. But sheltering is better than riding in the rain.
Buathong
Waterfall is about a thirty to forty minute ride from my house. But to see the falls you have to hike down a
slippery trail.
In Thailand’s heat and humidity moss grows
anywhere that is shaded from sunlight, even on asphalt. It’s slippery stuff, and can be compared to
walking or driving on ice. 
Northern Thailand is wet and green most of the year.
I hiked
down the boardwalk and along the trail and encountered a group of teenage Thai boys
taking a dip in one of the small pools in the rocks. I asked them for
permission to take their picture and they agreed, but only after extinguishing
their cigarettes. Inquiring why they
weren’t in school (I could tell they were schoolboys by the pile of school
uniforms piled nearby) they said they were on their way to the dentist. “Thuk khon pai mor-fun, mai?” (You’re all
going to the dentist?) I asked. Guilty
smiles (and perfect teeth) turned to laughter; but they still wouldn’t let me photograph them while they smoked 
The water fall is actually a series of cascades formed with water flowing from an nearby spring. The water is loaded with calcium, which deposits on the rocks, and doesn't promote growth of algae, so you can walk in the middle of the stream without fear of slipping.
