In Chiang Mai, Thailand!
That's some guts for me to rent this - the most simple, basic scooter available, Suzuki Step 125cc. Yeah it's a scooter with only one control for gas and brakes to handle, which suits me very much.
This is the route I rode. A total of 50km from the old city to uphill on Doi Suthep, for the major temple, view of the city, and a winter palace, then same way down hill.
You can see that the left side of this route map has only one road and fairly blank around it. The road also has a lot of turns.
All these accumulative thoughts in negativity, adding to the cooler temperature in higher altitude, made me shiver a little.
On one steep hairpin turn, I was looking ahead the bend (I avoid turning when the other side had any traffic), leaned into the turn, but somehow FORGOT to gas up... Then I fall on my left and the bike just slide to the double white line.
You can see this is really the last turn before the big temple...
I would have taken the middle lane so that the turn is less sharp. But then if I fell on that, my bike would have fallen off a cliff!!
This thought, plus the scratched and bruised elbows and knees, put me in shock for almost the whole day. Gee, I just had my first traffic accident as a driver...
Paint was scratched off the left side of the bike. Left mirror also broke off. When I got back up the floor checking if myself is okay, there is a long tourist coach passing the turn. Classic! Then there is this auntie on a scooter who stopped and asked if I could start again. All I can response was "I'm OK. Kop kun ka. (Thank you)". Hmm the kindness of strangers.
On the way down I was a lot more cautious. The legal speed sign said "40" and so did I. Still there were more than a few scooters, 4-wheels and such over-passing me. Really I think the auntie who stopped for me would easily drive at 60kmh here.
Overall it is a pleasant experience - I really enjoy the scenery and being able to get to places without haggling a songthew (2-row pickup truck) driver. But then I KNOW I should have practiced a lot more before driving in a foreign place... I'm over confident in my driving skill, and well, I paid my price..
