Thursday 29 November 2012

Day 10

Another early start, today we drive from Chiang Mai to the Golden Triangle. This route is along what is know as the ridge road or border road. The route runs right on the edge of Thailand and Burma. Distance of about 390 Klm with army check points all the way.
There are two stages today the first one is over 8.48 Klm at an average speed of 48 Klm. There were no rivers to cross, pot holes to drive over/ through, no elephants to avoid, so it was quite easy, we did very well only missing our time by 2 secs.
On this rally there are two other teams who have never been rallying before, now know as the Rally Virgins :) on today's stage we all came good coming second, third and fourth showing the professional how to do it. Well done Team Virgin :)
The second stage was 17.2 Klm, starting from the top of the world.
Before each stage the Clerk of the course checks them out to make sure the road still exists ( you think I am kidding) if the road is ok then the stage is included, if he thinks it too dangerous he cancels it, we still drive it, but at our own speed, not against the clock.
On this stage he decided the stage was too dangerous. What a good call. When we drove down it, it made all our other descents look tame. If the others hand been black runs this one was a Diamond black run. I think that if we had not had all of Julie's luggage in the back of the Porsche we would have tipped over and done forward rolls all the way down :)
Our over night stop was at a secluded little hotel, julie went out for a early evening walk and was a little surprised (actual it was a bloody big surprise)

She had no idea that the next day she would be riding Bhuci into the sunset.