Now arriving at some very interesting road sections, the road took a few sharp lefts and rights and some straights but after a couple of kilometres started running into twisties with some amazing views. The road surface was just great and the road was desolate. I didn’t see any cars or other road users for quite some time. Some time later I arrived at a junction and took a right onto route 1243. This road was immediately very different. More desolate, with broken sections of tarmac everywhere. The road was so unused there was vegetation growing across into the road. As it climbed and twisted it’s way into the hillside, the surface became worse and the road more desolate looking. I started wondering if I should turn back but the adventurer in me said carry on. A half hour later I had more doubts as now I hadn’t seen anyone else and the surface now was markedly broken and I was avoiding pot holes, rubble and other debris.
Then just when I thought things couldn’t be worse I went around a corner and suddenly there was no road, just dirt. I was both a bit concerned at this point and also excited as I wanted to experience more dirt/off-road riding so thought this to be the chance. Of course what went through my mind was that if I came to an unwelcomed incident, no one knew where I was and would anyone even come along and find me? Still I carried on. The experience here was great. All in I did about 20kms on this section of dirt. It seemed to carry on for ever.
I carried on slowly moving across the terrain. The views to the left and right were amazing and I should have stopped for some photos, but when you’re on the move, you find yourself keen to explore the next kilometre, and the next, and the next so you find yourself at the end of the road and pondering whether to turn back and do it all again.
I was by now on route 1243 and eventually headed back down the mountain on route 1123 and then onto route 1047 heading South West towards Fak Tha. I noticed some interesting points I’d like to come back and explore again later. The Sirikit Dam and lake, a very large Teak forest and what seemed on the GPS more interesting roads like the route 1083.
The road split North East after Sak Yai towards Uttaradit and put me onto the main road 11 which I took Southbound for a short while before turn right onto route 102. I took a stop just outside of Uttaradit for fuel and some food and then made my final blast towards Sukhothai going through Si Stachanalai. I had now more or less come full circle and ended back on route 1113 back towards Sukhothai on the same road I came up on the day before. Soon after I was back in Sukhothai and checked into the Thai Thai Sukhothai Guesthouse where I was very warmly greeted by the same staff I had met just over a month ago when I was starting my China ride.
Time to chill out , have a rest and go for a nice dinner. It was nice to see what they had done in Sukhothai for the Bike for Dad event
All in all a very nice and exciting 639km travelled over 8 hours and rising to above 1000m above sea level.
Motorcycle Chronicles by Jamil Siddique 