Nick Hardcastle

The ride south from Mae Sariang roughly follows the border between Thailand and Myanmar. It’s so pleasant and peaceful on the Thai side that it’s hard to believe there is an ongoing conflict across the border that has resulted in some 700,000 displaced Karens.

The riding to Mae Sot is exceptional with rapidly changing views and evocative landscapes. I found that I was remembering similar places from different parts of the world as I rode, so the journey was one of discovery and recollection.

From our internet research Mae Sot looked like a bit of a dead loss. It’s a border trading town and didn’t look like it had much else to recommend it. We booked into the Hop In, just by the highway through the North of the town. It could be anywhere, but it has air conditioning and is clean – important as it was 42 and polluted as we arrived.

Walking around the corner to find somewhere for dinner was quite a surprise though. Turning off the main highway the traffic noise vanished and the city changed for the better. We found a great little restaurant called Chimney. They certainly hadn’t toned down the chili on my behalf. The pork fried with basil was delicious, as was the papaya salad, but volcanic.

I chatted to mum as we walked through the market. She looks well at the moment and has really got back on her feet after the hip replacement.

Tomorrow we are heading to Tak.