I woke up early and rode my bike out of town again. This time I passed through some nice, peaceful country. But I was amazed that every few minutes I would pass a guesthouse or resort or café or “elephant camp.” How can this place support so many tourist facilities? It’s nice here, but certainly nothing special.

Something special was the khao soi “Burmese curry noodle soup” I had for lunch. If only the food in Burma was so delicious.

Then another arduous three hours in the undersized bus up, down, and around the curvey hill road. It seems weird to bust my butt in such an uncomfortable bus, then look out and see big Wester-style gas stations, and be able to buy Cadbury’s chocolate bars when we stop. Am I in the third world or the first? Actually, that’s a question I ask every day in Thailand.

So I made it to Mae Hong Son town, the capitol of Thailand’s most northwestern province on the border with Burma. Whereas Pai was peaceful and laid back, this is just a busy, characterless Thai town. Thankfully, it doesn’t have Pai’s hippy infestation.

I went to some trekking agents and they are all confused when I tell them I am alone. Surely I can’t be the first person to come here by myself? I’ll try again tomorrow, but my heart isn’t in it. The only viable option is three days/two nights, which is a long time.