“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination…” - Tommy Lasordav
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| (Interesting road signages on the wall) |
Day 05: 5 September 2016 (Monday)
Route: Umphang - Tak
Distance: 265 km
Hotel: Palm Resort Motel
We woke up early this morning. The river next to the resort was full and flowing fast and the ground was pretty wet as it was raining heavily the whole night. The mountain air was cool in the morning.
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| (Wiriya Homes, one of the many guest houses) |
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| (Our lodging in Umphang, nice and cozy) |
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| (The guide map for trekkers) |
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| (All you need to know about Umphang) |
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| (A good photo spot in Umphang) |
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| (Twisties, only for the brave and daring) |
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| (Interesting road signs featured on the wall) |
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| (The only way in and out of Umphang) |
While waiting for our tyres to be delivered, we decided to explore Umphang town on foot. Our first stop was Ban Kru Sum, a chic café by the roadside to have our breakfast. Breakfast was egg toasts and a hot cup of coffee. Next to the coffee shop are a few souvenir shops where we bought fridge magnets, stickers and a few t-shirts. Next we walked to the only 7-Eleven in town to buy bread and Maggie, in case we need to have lunch later.
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| (A boutique cafe in Umphang) |
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| (Spending our 37th Anniversary in Umphang) |
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| (Double espresso and cappuccino early in the morning) |
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| (Egg-in-toast for breakfast) |
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| (Stickers and magnets from this souvenir shop) |
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| (A shop selling variety of t-shirts) |
We walked around town and took pictures of the serene laid-back quiet surroundings. The people are friendly and helpful. There are a few nice cozy resorts with reasonable price around town that offer rafting, trekking or Karen Village tours.
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| (Umphang Folk House featuring local folklore) |
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| (A lady selling sireh by the road side) |
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| (The 3-wheeler tuk-tuk, a local public transport) |
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| (Another guest house by the river) |
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| (Motorcycle for rent and trekking tour operator) |
By 1:30 pm the mechanic and his two friends fetched us from the resort. Our two brand-new tyres were delivered earlier from Mae Sot by a commuter van. We drove to our Merc and the mechanic and friends fixed the tyres. It took them less than 10 minutes to complete the job. It cost us B5500 for the two tyres and services, which is considered very cheap.
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| (The mechanics hard at work) |
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| (The E300 ready to continue the journey) |
After thanking the mechanics and friends for their assistance and hospitality, we bade good bye and promised that we will look for them the next time we came to Umphang. We drove the same twisty 1090 Death Highway and stopped at the Mae-Klong Noi – Mae Klong Yai Watershed for photo shots. Next stop was at the Phop Phra OTOP Centre along the way for coffee and toilet break.
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| (Watershed managing two rivers) |
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| (Fast flowing Mae Khlong river) |
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| (The OTOP Centre at Phop Phra Cofee View) |
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| (The last leg of the Death Highway, entering Mae Sot) |
It was already dark when we arrived in Mae Sot. We drove direct to the Muslim Restaurant in front of the mosque for dinner. After dinner we continued to Tak, 90 km away and checked in Palm Resort Motel for B420/night.
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| (Having dinner at a Muslim restaurant in Mae Sot) |
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| (Arriving at Palm Resort Motel in Tak late at night) |
