R1129 Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong.

DavidFL

DavidFL

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Here's a real "oldie" 1986
R1129 Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong, on the "new" dirt road going over Kiu Khan Hill.
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The guy on the right still rides & lives here - Art is the longest serving English teacher at CMU.
The watchtower on the hill was manned by the army in those days & they liked to know who was coming & going.

1989. R1290 Mae Sai - Golden Triangle....
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before the "super" highway.

The old road was flat, straight through the rice paddies & they were forever repairing it cheaply. It was years before it was finally done properly, so in the wet season it was always a mess after heavy rain. Some politicians & karachagans must have made a lot of money from all the repair contracts they gave out. Too much was always siphoned off & there was never enough left to do the job properly? They once tried brick paving & it only lasted half a wet season. Ha. Ha. What a joke that one was.

R1290 today:

R1290 - Riding the GT Mekong - Paradise Road.

R1290 - Paradise Road - Riding the GT Mekong. R1290 starts @ R1, south of Mae Sai & ends in Chiang Khong, 95 kms away. From Mae Sai it generally follows the border & Mekong river east to Chiang Khong. There used to be an old road R1290 that started downtown Mae Sai & more closely followed the...
www.gt-rider.com www.gt-rider.com
 
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More of R1129, the Kiu Khan hill between Chiang Saen & Chiang Khong.
They just finished the asphalt road in the late 80s & there was a flash flood in the first wet season after the asphalt was complete.
This is what it looked like after the wet & they'd cleared a way through.
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No asphalt left here, just dirt & rocks.
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The Hmong village on the top of the hill was a beauty in those days. Jon Boyes ran a guesthouse there for about 4 years, wrote a couple of books, (then went home to the Uk.) These were magic times. Lots of super friendly people & good looking Hmong women.
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Wayne Cuthbert, an Aussie Laverda rider on tour in Kiu Khan.
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Many a good time was had there & Hmong New Year was always a extremely colourful & enjoyable experience.
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August 1991. 54 kms & an "all day" ride.

Duck paddling most of the way on the mighty Honda Wing 125.
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Going up over Kiu Khan Hill
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We left Chiang Khong at 9am & arrived in Chiang Saen around 3PM. I lost count of how many times I went down in the snot with the standard road tyres on.
 
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More of R1129, the Kiu Khan hill between Chiang Saen & Chiang Khong.
They just finished the asphalt road in the late 80s & there was a flash flood in the first wet season after the asphalt was complete.
This is what it looked like after the wet & they'd cleared a way through.
300440224_2cRtR-L.jpg


No asphalt left here, just dirt & rocks.
300440270_KG4Qs-L.jpg


300440242_FHQs3-L.jpg


The Hmong village on the top of the hill was a beauty in those days. Jon Boyes ran a guesthouse there for about 4 years, wrote a couple of books, (then went home to the Uk.) These were magic times. Lots of super friendly people & good looking Hmong women.
300440338_hnDoU-L.jpg


300440320_MPJd6-L.jpg


300440336_XcCth-L.jpg


Wayne Cuthbert, an Aussie Laverda rider on tour in Kiu Khan.
300440405_MCwtf-L.jpg


Many a good time was had there & Hmong New Year was always a extremely colourful & enjoyable experience.
300440396_xuAwQ-L.jpg
 
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Continued...August 1991. The mud run from Chiang Khong to Chiang Saen.
All dirt. 54 kms. Start at 9am & arrive in Chiang Saen at 3pm.

Heading up Kiu Khan Hill
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On Kiu Khan Hill
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Heading down towards Chiang Saen
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Great times on simple easy bikes that went anywhere.
 
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Fantastic photos, David. Thanks.
My back yard, but only been riding over there for 20 years.
What a difference, now, to how it was 30 years ago.
 
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