Samoeng Loop

I have been back for about 3 weeks now and have been on the move ever since. Days off are sort of a joke when I am catching up on 2 months of work and trying to schedule training for the rest of the year. It is tiresome but extremely rewarding work. There is never a dull moment here and that's what I missed while stateside. Even just a short ride to the market can be an experience, you just never know what will happen. Staying excited about my personal and professional life is never hard.

Since I arrived in Chiang Mai last November all I kept hearing about was this Samoeng Loop. Essentially its a few hour motorbike ride around Doi Sethep. Katie and I had planned to do it but every time we wanted to the plans fell through. Luckily I have been adapting to Thai time pretty well and knew it would happen someday. As it happened our friend Hillary had never done the loop either, and given the fact that she was moving to Cambodia in a few days it just seemed right that we should all share the experience.

The ride itself was amazing. We escaped the heat and humidity down low for the pleasant chill of the mountains air. The route is pretty idiot proof, as its the only road, but there was still some room for adventure on little side roads. Time was not an issue so we took it, stopping in Samoeng for coffee and lunch before moving on. Most people do the loop counter clockwise, starting in Mae Rim and ending in Hang Dong, however the reverse is much more scenic. Not much else to say about the loop except that it was worth the wait.

Maps

Hillary Crip walking

Owling

Its not a Harley but it does the trick

Tourists