Buddha's Footprint and Motorbike Mishaps

Otherwise known as: Jen finally gets out of Mae Sot and (re?)learns how to drive a motorbike.

So one of my colleagues and I had been lamenting the reality that our office seems to have an extremely strong gravitational force, such that we haven't been able to escape from its orbit since arriving here. We decided to plan an outing for Sunday morning. Happily, this coincided with the visit of my roommate's father, so we set out as a quartet intent on adventure. We decided to rent motorbikes (about $5/day) and go visit one of the local attractions - 'Buddha's Footprint' - a temple built on the side of a hill where apparently one can see an imprint of one of Buddha's steps.

Having driven a motorbike in India, I felt that though it has been some years, I should be able to drive a motorbike here without much difficulty. That feeling was wrong. Apparently I was having difficulty getting the hang of 'braking' on a turn, instead of 'accelerating' on a turn. So in my first few minutes, which were intended to reorient me to the bike, I narrowly missed hitting a car parked in the driveway (of the guest house we were renting the bikes from), and proceeded to launch myself and the bike through a hedge, between two trees, and into the front lawn of the guest house. It was fairly spectacular. Considering the obstacles through which I had passed, it is fairly amazing that I didn't damage the landscaping, the bike, or (with minor exceptions) myself. It was promptly decided that my roommate, though fairly new to motorbike driving herself, was a much sounder option....

At any rate, after sorting out our rides, and a long, pleasantly winding trip out of town and along the border, into the hills (including missing our turn, and enjoying some minutes lost in the Thai countryside) we did finally locate the path to the wat. It is actually a very long set of stairs up the hill, past a giant Buddha statue, past the cave where the monk lives, up to the footprint, and the wat honoring it. From which there was a most lovely view of the valley below, all the way across to the mountains in Burma. It was a warm, sunny, blue, clear day - no rain at all, which was a treat in itself, and the perfect weather for such an adventure.

After our descent, we visited the border market (in the shadow of the Thai/Mynamar 'Friendship Bridge') and I purchased a lungyi (traditional wrapped cloth/skirt) (I bought one to wear, and one I will make into curtains) and a shirt (I am going to try and take/post photos of these tomorrow when there is light). Returning just in time for my Burmese lesson.

After my lesson, bruises beginning to heal, and newly steeled, I cajoled Jade into venturing forth with me once more, so I could conquer the motorbike, or more appropriately, learn to turn without crashing. Well, I did learn this, but not without another crash... This one spectacularly head on with a gate pillar, with its owner watching, and leaving me and the bike on our sides on the ground, and the basket on the front very impressively flattened... Yeah. Very fortunately, once again, both the bike and I were fine, excepting the basket of course. On the way home (after I finally mastered the turn, and was able to safely drive us home) we stopped at a bike shop and very pathetically asked if they might be able to take a shot at straightening the basket. It was like watching Superman; the bike basket that I couldn't budge this man with giant arms just leaned his weight into, and manhandled it back into place. A hammer, some wire, and a little pounding/pulling later, you could hardly tell (which made it much easier for me when I was explaining the incident to the man I rented the bike from...). And for this Herculean effort he charged me 10 baht (30 cents).

At any rate, all in all a very good day (though I may reassess when my bruised legs are aching tomorrow...), at least to do something that was very much not work, though, it does make one eager for more adventure....