Chiang Mai Weekend Trip

December 5th was the King’s Birthday and also Father’s Day in Thailand. I was in Chiang Mai with Kate, Karen, and Caryn, weaving up Doi Su Tep Mountain in the back of a utility vehicle. When we got to the top, some 4500 meters from what we considered to be the bottom, we strapped on the chest guard, knee pads, helmet, and elbow pads they provided us. Karen later described us as the colorfully mismatched and raggedy-looking Mighty Ducks crew from the first movie (perhaps a reference that can only be appreciated by a few).

[photo: at the top of the mountain; pre-gear]

[photo: "ducks fly together"]

Three hours of downhill biking later, bruised, sweaty, and happy, I sat contemplating the sheer exhilaration of my first mountain biking experience. The first hill left me with the terrifying yet fleeting thought that maybe we had signed up for something other than a beginners course. Yikes! It was so intense and so hard not to give into the fear of falling. Most of the terrain was so grooved-out and rocky it was like biking downhill on a balance beam with pebbles on it. Our guide said this: “Choose your path…and then know that it’s your path to take.” His advice to be proactive and in control of my own safety and experience helped me let go of the fear. I let go, and the adrenaline took over.

[photo: after biking; lunch and contemplation]


One of the other guides at the company particularly enjoyed speaking in English with the four of us. Nooh, his nickname, was such a great soul to meet. The five of us went for dinner, drinks, and good conversation on a river bank in Chiang Mai that evening.

[photo: after biking; Me, Caryn, Karen, Kate colorful and smiling]