Mae Cheam to Mae Hong Son

Breakfast of teeth gluing rice donuts from the market and instant coffee. Today, after a pep talk from Ul about the impossibility of killing myself at 20km/h, I feel much better. The road is gentler and I can start to appreciate that it´s stunning. Thai drivers are brilliant. They accept and forgive and patiently follow for hours: no honking or yelling "fucking tourist" which'd be the push over the edge. The roads are also thankfully empty. . . still, average speed about 30 - though I think we approached 60. . . for all of 2 minutes. . . once.

Today´s standstill fall, going uphill with a surface change. The bike's quite heavy and my feet hardly reach the ground. But no damage today.

We meet the main road about lunch time and find a one dish road-side place with fat or thin noodles. It's very good. The temple is small and golden with friendly monks who press biscuits on us which we rapidly scoff. It wasn't clear if we were expected to hand them over to the spirits. . .

On to Mae Hong Son. Far more grockles and Ul´s teeth gnash slightly. But the guest house is fine, close to the duck-pond lake and central wats which are stunning in the evening light. My evening massage tingles up and down my arms and spine, and seems to reach the residues of Congo anxiety. Ul takes his therapy in the form of beer by the lake. . .

We spent the evening trying to avoid other tourists. So we ate in a cheap fast-food local-looking place frequented solely by tourists trying to avoid other tourists. But we did discover Roti - with banana, condensed milk and chocolate. . .