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The Grand Adventure
  • Helene Rimberg
  • Helene Rimberg

The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Les mer
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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Very jungly
    Rivers are so full and running fastHmm. Bike on other sideDoug is the heroTwo of many yappy and annoying dogs

    Back to the hills

    12. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    First order of business - up a rather big hill (at least relative to what we have been doing lately). Though it’s early it’s already hit which only adds to the fun. Cruise down the other side and find some breakfast. Veer off the highway for some quietness and find a water cross. Make our way across and return to big road. End our day at Ban Sop Soem and another little bungalow. Fortunately there is an attached restaurant.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Love the green fields
    Sadly didn't see anySo many mushrooms2Love these!Thais love their peppers

    Lamphun

    13. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Another hilly day - but the morning is a nice warm up. Enjoy a muddy path before joining the highway. Unfortunately no other option to get to Chiang Mai. Last hill is long and hot and noisy with semis. But another cruise down. Stop at a local market for a cold drink. Arrive in Lamphun. Nice dinner and then wander through night market.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Clockwise walkingPeople pour oil into thisSo many bellsLongan trees1What's left of walls

    Chiang Mai

    14. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Head back to town to check out sights. First up - cat cafe! Visit Wat Phra That Haripunchai where many people have come to pray. Try to stay out of the way and be inconspicuous (hard as only white people). Back to hotel and ride the 18 miles into Chang Mai. Pretty easy entry to rather large city. Check in to hotel. Long walk on outskirts of
    old city for very good pizza and gelato.    Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    The tree in the background is 200+ y.o.These bells make such nice sounds2Gotta love his outfitBuddha belly!Monks seatsToppled by an earthquakeBeautiful teak insideSo much going on

    Chiang Mai walking tour

    15. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Slow start. Make our way to a bagel shop and have bagels and lox for brunch. Fueled up, we start our tour through Chiang Mai and the many Wats. Cover a few of the more than 120 before we are templed out. Hot and sunny day so seek out a watermelon smoothie. Get some pool time before out for a good Thai veggie dinner.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg

    Botanical Gardens

    17. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Quick breakfast at our hotel before mounting our bikes and heading out of town. Roads are quite congested and in need of repair. Eventually find a lovely protected bike path. Wind our way to Mae valley and begin windy climb up to Botanical gardens. Steep climbs (walking) within the park but do find some nice paths to stroll through. Such a variety of trees! Bamboo, bananas, firs …. Very cool canopy walk above the trees. Walk back down and enjoy the coast back into the city.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Chiang Mai way down thereSo many butterflies on this hikeWoodwork was fabulousReally liked the peacock above the doorStreet is closed every SaturdaySmoothies for dessert

    Hike up the Monks Trail

    20. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 30 °C

    After the morning shower (seems to be the norm), caught a lift to the base of the Monks Trail heading for Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Trail was pretty busy up to the first temple. As we continue downward, crowds thinned and trail became muddier and steeper. Poles were very helpful. Very sweaty even though temp and humidity are lower. Nice views from above. Attempt to go down via a waterfall trail but it was closed. Back down via the windy road and then a new very quiet trail. Nice outing. Check out our evening market before venturing out for dinner (another round of pizza).Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Rice field on the farmOur toolsTiny eggplantsMod explaining the herbsMy stationSoup ingredientsSoup cookingPad see ew ingredientsFinished productsPrep for curry pasteLots of grindingDone!For Khao SoiSticky riceDessertKhao Soi

    Cooking on a farm

    21. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Easy morning and afternoon. Picked up by the cooking school van and drive first to a market and then out to the farm. Tour their garden, learning about the ingredients we will be using. We each get a cooking station and all needed ingredients- already prepped. Quite fun and tasty.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Roof was quite purple but looks more blue here
    They actually sell eggs for your boiling pleasureNice massaging water featureNot just a cave - a temple tooNo idea if the significance of zebrasRoof top viewsNegroniBoomer cloudsFrench 752 of our dishesNice surprise

    Another trip around the sun

    23. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 31 °C

    Start my birthday with a bountiful breakfast buffet. Once fueled up, mount our bikes (yes spending my birthday on my bike) and head into the countryside. Nice rolling hills and quiet roads lead us to San Kamphaeng Hot Springs. Do a bit of feet soaking in very hot water and then take a dip in a 39 C pool. Ride up to a cave very worthy of exploration. Ride back to town, clean up and check out roof bar. Walk to lovely dinner! A birthday cake finds its way to my room.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Mostly healthy
    Cake for breakfastEveryone needs one of theseBig looming mountains

    Chiang Dao

    24. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Another buffet breakfast topped off with another birthday cake, with singing. Pack up and leave our fancy hotel, resuming our northward journey. Quickly find quiet roads. Day warms up as we find ourselves back on a big road to do some climbing. Gradual descent into Chiang Dao and check in to nice bungalow just as rain begins. Do manage to try out the pool during a break in the rain.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Serene retreat
    Our bungalowLove these peppersCraggy mountain topsRoses? Who knew?

    Fang

    25. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Leave our pleasant “retreat” noting all the rain that filled in the gullies. Sunshine quickly gave way to clouds and drizzle as we began climbing. Jagged peaks poked through the clouds and mist. Hit the top and the rain really started. A bit treacherous as we descended. And then it stopped. Relatively easy ride into Fang though surprisingly alot of people and traffic. For a novel treat, went to the store and ‘made’ our dinner.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Corn
    Rice of courseVery cute hay hutsOrderly crops on the hillsideCurrently used mainly for garbage cansCitrusMyanmar in the distanceTop of the hill. Huts clinging to the slopeCorn growing on a very steep hillAfternoon shadows are getting so long

    Mae Chan

    26. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Day is much sunnier, making for great views of the mountains around us. Ride amongst many crops including; corn, oranges, limes and of course bananas. Quiet road becomes a busier road but not much traffic as we hug the border with Myanmar. A very big hill awaits us and it is as tough as it looks. Lunch at the top before cruising down to the next valley and Mae Chan. Nice bungalow always us and a restaurant on site.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Cloudier Mountain View
    Pond in our "resort"Little yellow bungalowBuddha on one side of the roadAll things from 1971 on the otherTopiariesSerene pondSketchy bridgeVery flooded lakeI was the only person besides the workers wandering aroundOur neighborhood WatBeautiful clock tower in middle of cityBeautiful sushiSpring rolls of all kindsWe tried these mushroomsQuite the production for mango sticky rice

    Chiang Rai

    27. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Very short day (18 miles) so take our time getting out. Cruise down the highway - going south for a change. Stop at the Botanical Gardens for a quick visit. Nice exhibit of medicinal plants. Finish the ride to the city of Chiang Rai. Check in to quiet B&B. As we prepare to head out, rain starts. Settles after awhile and venture out to night market and then pizza dinner (just can’t eat Asian food every night).Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely lily pads with lotus flower
    There were a lot of these sculptures on the groundsBeautiful carvingTeak carved polesFlutist in the backgroundThis building was made from pieces of local homesHappy fat Buddha1Jade Buddha. Replica of Emerald BuddhaWrite jade and very jolly

    Chiang Raí wandering

    28. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Beautiful sunny day so put on our walking shoes heading for grand adventures. First stop, Mae Fah Art and Cultural Center. Beautiful gardens and exhibits of local,craftsmanship using teak. Continued our walk to Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong and then to Wat Phra Kaeo. Check out the overflowing river before returning to town. Round out the day with a visit to the cat cafe and excellent Thai/Burmese dinner.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely blue sky.
    First inlaid Buddha we have seen11It keeps getting odderWhite reflects purity of the Buddha1Reflects suffering or hell1Walkway across from birth to deathMirrors reflect wisdom of Buddha11Each of these have messages written on them1Love it!Same artist. Light show in the evening

    Wat Rong Khun

    29. september 2025, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Short ride to Wat Rhon Khun aka The White Temple. A local temple that is being rebuilt by a well known artist. He hopes to be done by 2070 (training others). Very wild place! Also busy with tourists. Not much else to the day. Watching weather to track incoming typhoon remnants.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Lovely bike path along the river

    Chiang Khong

    1. oktober 2025, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Dry yet dark morning and off we go. Relatively long ride to the border town of Chiang Khong but mostly flat and have a bit of a tail wind. Lots of rice and corn fields. Storm clouds are around us but no rain falls. Make it to Chiang Khong and check in to our hotel with a great view of the Mekong river. Watch rowers struggling against the current.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Same poses but very different looking

    Laos

    3. oktober 2025, Laos ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Pack up and head for the “Friendship Bridge” and the border with Laos. Unable to ride across the bridge; instead crossing in a shuttle bus. Manage passport control fairly easily. And just like that - new country. And we are back to riding on the right. Forget this a few times on our short ride into Huayxai. Check out the boat dock for tomorrow and then find our hotel. Walk onto local Wat and meander a bit in this town though quite hot and not much to see. Out for our first dinner in Laos. Side note - Laos is a communist country.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    View out hotel window
    Our bikes strapped on topVery hilly around this areaFriendship BridgeCrowded boat. Lots of internal backpackersRapids and eddysImpromptu waterfallsOur boat was a bit stuck and local ladies pushed usSkies did clearVery cute village girlsPakbeng streetView from our hotel. Bikes still there

    Crusing down the Mekong

    4. oktober 2025, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Oddly, the skies darken after we wake up. And then the skies open. Crazy storm that lasts almost an hour and delays our departure to the boat dock. Finally able to go; get our tickets, load our bikes on top and grab some food before boarding boat. Wait quite awhile as it fills to capacity and then set sail. Cruise along at 16 mph - passing little villages perched in the hillside. Spend the next 6 hours reading and watching the world go by. Definitely ready to get off at the point we dock. Arrive at Pakbeng and our hotel is very conveniently located to the dock. Take a short walk through small village before dinner.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Morning fog
    Our hotel from the riverTrain bridge for high speed China-Laos trainSteep steps to roadDaily night market

    Mekong: Day 2 and onto Lubang Probang

    5. oktober 2025, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Earlier departure and more crowded bought. Yet sunny day as we continue winding our way downstream. Very isolated villages along the way though seem to be building roads all along the river. Arrive about 7 hours later and schlep our stuff up steep steps. Manage to ring our way into crowded city without our typical navigation tools (our global internet seems to neglect Laos). Find our hotel and out for nice French-Lao dinner.Les mer

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  • Helene RimbergThe Grand AdventureHelene Rimberg
    Quite hilly!
    Not sure if it's meant to be so tippyBack to terraced rice paddiesSleeping bear pileIn the dry season the water is clear. And much lowerOpted not to have our lunch here1Fun swing bridgeView from the topCafe amongst the treesSemi-awake bear. I believe it is an Asiatic black bear

    Anniversary adventures

    6. oktober 2025, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    In honor of our 34 years of marriage, ride 34 miles (RT) to Kuang Si waterfalls. Scenic ride with some very rough sections (e.g, water filled potholes). Explore very full waterfalls with many other tourists. Even have a bear sanctuary. Get a great view from the top. Enjoy the cool
    water before heading back to town. Enjoy some anniversary bubbles before pizza dinner.    Les mer

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