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| Testing if we can reach for the food, lunch at Piyamit Tunnels |
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| Waiting to roll out at Garden House Hotel |
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| At the food stall 700 m from Winter Flower Garden |
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| At the food stall 700 m from Winter Flower Garden |
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| Uncle Meng sitting alone for tea and a bun at Winter Flower Garden... |
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| ...was soon flanked by the ladies! Mr Lim did not want to miss out as well!!! |
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| Right after Winter Flower Garden |
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| View of Winter Flower Garden |
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| After Winter Flower Garden... |
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| ...few more hairpin bends to the peak! |
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| Jac the Wonder Woman! Besides Uncle Meng and herself who rode up all the way, everyone else had their fair share of push bikes |
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| Right after this corner, Christopher fell ! |
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| On the way to Piyamit Tunnels |
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| The team at the lookout. |
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| Midway downhill to Piyamit Tunnels |
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| View from the lookout |
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| Piyamit Tunnels |
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| Our bikes at Piyamit Tunnels |
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| Piyamit Tunnels |
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| Long walkway into the tunnels |
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| Inside the 1km long tunnel |
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| Inside the 1km long tunnel |
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| Inside the 1km long tunnel |
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| Inside the 1km long tunnel |
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| Dwarfed by the Piyamit Millennium Tree |
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| Descent back to Hiland Stream Restaurant where Uncle Meng and Phillip were waiting |
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| Picnic by the Hot Springs |
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| Brothers separated by a border |
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| Lovely somtham made by Uncle Meng's sister in law |
This morning, we congregated at Garden House Hotel before proceeding for breakfast. While Suzie and Bernie had driven over from Modern Thai Hotel, Susanna and Christopher had walked over from River Inn, located a stone's throw away.
In fact, Claudine and VT were surprised to see Yew Tee driving past their hotel into River Inn, just yesterday. What a small world to see their old kampung buddy in Betong. He had played escort to a group of motorcyclists from Penang and had just returned from Tano Maero, a district made famous by the Malayan Communist insurgency.
As our main group rode out in search of breakfast, Bernie and Suzie drove off with Irene and Susanna for their own private agenda. They will meet us at Betong Hot Springs, 11 km into the route to ride with us.
Out on the main road of Route 410, we stopped for breakfast at Betong Chicken Rice Shop. Besides the standard chicken rice, they offered roast pork and kueh chap; a combination of braised chicken meat and pork innards served with noodles in herbal brown soup. As Claudine and VT were not too keen on such heavy breakfast, they went to the shop next door for pork and fishball noodles, missing out on a breakfast treat from Phillip!
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| 50 m from the army checkpoint is this R & R Area |
Once we left the fringes of town, we began an uphill climb which went on for about 1.76 kilometers. The 4 % climb went all the way up to the army checkpoint at the peak. After that came an exhilarating downhill glide which curved around the mountain.
Right after the big curve, we took the first left turn which was land marked by a small village settlement, flanked by wooden shop lots at the junction. This quaint village road led us through rubber estates and yet another rustic village.
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| Natural thermal pool |
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| Man made pool with thermal water piped in |
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| The gardens |
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| Bags of eggs lowered into the water |
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| The hot spring wells with stainless steel cage for safety reasons |
Before long, we had arrived at Betong Hot Springs. It was pretty quiet at 9 am in the morning but there were already a few bags of eggs lowered into the thermal springs for hard and soft boiled eggs. Not knowing the actual itinerary, everyone were excited and wanted to stay longer until Uncle Meng decided to usher us off. He promised we will return later in the evening!
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| Right after the left turn to the Hot Springs, Uncle Meng met his old friend Poolphol Thongvan |
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| He had made a U-turn in his car to catch up with us! |
Not far from the hot springs, we turned left for Winter Flower Garden and there began our 8.1 km climb on 6% grade hill. It took Claudine 1 hour 50 minutes including a long pit stop at the small little food stall, 700 m from the actual destination. Some of us took longer whilst some others were like mountain goats.
Chris and Bernie were always ahead. While Jac and Uncle Meng were the only ones who rode all the way to the peak without pushing their bikes, some others were not doing very well. Suzie vomitted midway! Philip's demons returned.
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| Initially gradual... |
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| Initially gradual... |
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| Initially gradual... |
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| Everyone began looking for their own comfort zones! |
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| Some had to push their bikes on foot... |
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| ...others had to push 2 bikes !!! |
We left Winter Flower Garden about 12.30 pm. After that, another few more hairpin bends await followed by steep downhill glide. The experienced riders stop every now and then to allow their brakes to cool down. Young Christopher enjoyed the descent without much care, suffering a road rash midway.
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| Winter Flower Garden offering free wifi at the visitor's center |
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| While some took the challenge, others took the easy way up |
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| The garden with multitude flowers |
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| Chalets offer a quite stay |
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| Chalets offer a quite stay |
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| Function hall in the background |
We reached Piyamit Tunnels close to 2 pm. But lunch at the open restaurant under the tree canopies took awhile.
As we were the lasts to place our orders, we were also the lasts to leave the restaurant.
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| Lunch at Hiland Stream |
Proceeding to visit the tunnel, we paid the affordable entrance fees of 60 Baht per person and hurried inside. Little did we realise, we have to climb through a series of stairs and walkways built through dense forest before finally arriving at the tunnel system. Built in 1976 by the Malayan Communists, it took 40-50 people, 3 months to dig through the hill. Close to 1 kilometer in length, the tunnel system could accommodate up to 200 insurgents, complete with radio communications, work stations, sleeping quarters, storage and kitchen. Originally built with 9 entrances, only 6 remain in present day.
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| Cooking stove |
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| Museum |
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| Reenacting the punishment meted to a traitor! |
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| The Piyamit Millennium Tree |
We spent longer than planned inside the tunnels. As we were late, we only took a fleeting glance at the Betong Memorial Pavillion before speeding downhill, back to the Hot Springs.
A pleasant surprise awaits us at the Hot Springs! Uncle Meng's family had decided to throw us a picnic, offering sticky mango rice, somtham, boiled eggs and even iced cold drinks.
It was a splendid way to end the ride. The eager ones did not hesitate to jump into the hot springs to soothe their muscles while some others preferred to only soak their feet.
With the sun dipping further towards the west, we knew we had to hurry back before the sun sets. The returning party only consists of 7 people with the rests hitching a ride in Bernie's car. The split also helps to determine the dinner party with the 7 confined to eating at nearby restaurants while the rests travelling by car could afford beef noodles in the town center. As for Uncle Meng, we bade him and his family farewell at the Hot Springs for tomorrow we will leave for home while he stayed on to usher in the new year.
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| Party of 7 |
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| Entertained by live band |
1. Suzie
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