A little slice of Pai.

Having spent 5 weeks in Chaing Mai I had become very comfortable with my daily routine. I knew where to buy the best Jack fruit, where the cheapest but tastiest street food stalls were located, the most economical methods of travel and who made the best Thai tea. Whilst all this is great, I was craving new sights and new adventures. I decided I would travel up to Pai to spent a few days and then move on to Mai Hong Son near the Burma border.

When researching how to get to Pai I discovered that they no longer ran public buses and the only way to reach there (other than moped or flying) was via mini bus. This struck a little cord of fear in me as I had been warned by ex-pats to be wary of using mini bus transport (the drivers have a reputation of driving very fast on the more dangerous mountain roads). However, I had booked my accommodation in Pai and needed to get there somehow and so at 10am on a Monday morning I climbed aboard the mini bus and took my seat at the back. It was full and with bags also it felt very cramped. Despite this I started to relax and as we left the city I was enjoying looking out the window at the passing scenery.

I had heard that this trip over the mountain roads causes quite a few people to have travel sickness due to the 700 bends in the roads. I was very pleased that I was feeling fine as we swayed around bends amongst stunning scenery listening to music. Of course this was only 30mins into the mountain roads and my smug little bubble quickly burst! One or two consecutive bends is fun, 700 is not!! For over 3 hours (thankfully with a 30 min break in the middle or I would have cried), we weaved from side to side and not once during this time did we travel on a straight patch of road. I could feel myself turning pale then green and I watched as my fellow passengers grew very quiet. Thankfully at the point when I thought I couldn't take it any longer we finally turned onto a stretch if road which led into Pai (I have never been so relieved).

The first thing I remember seeing were these giant strawberry statues on a patch of strawberry picking land. It looked as if we had entered a cute little land where then strawberry god was worshiped! It was a lovely little introduction to Pai which has a very special laid back artistic atmosphere. Due to this (and the night life and beautiful countryside) is quite the Mecca for travellers and there are dread locks and tie dye a plenty.  

When I arrived at my hotel I was perhaps a little too excited to discover I had air con! (those of you who have travelled during the hottest months and have laid in bed at night willing the fan to produce even a small amount of cool air will relate to my joy). There was also a nice sized pool and....FREE toast and tea in the morning. They also had free push bikes available and so on my second day I took one of these and cycled up one of the main roads out of Pai into the countryside. It was such a lovely feeling peddling along with the wind in my face looking at the views.

I met a lovely fellow British traveller called Sarah at breakfast the day after I arrived and by the evening I has also met a women called Gez and the sweetest young Korean guy called Kim (we all felt the urge to mother him!). The three of us went out for dinner and drinks and spent the remaining time in Pai together. There is something to be said about the connections you make when travelling. You tend to get to know people much quicker than you would at home and you quickly form bonds based on a shared love of travel and a similar out look to life.

Sarah, Kim and I booked to go on a day trip which included trip to the caves, hot springs, waterfall and watching the sunset over Pai Canyon. A songreaw picked us up around 10am and we met two other Korean guys, a Japanese girl, a Canadian man and his Thai boyfriend and a Belgian guy. They were all lovely and it was so nice to share experiences with new people. The trip to the caves took approx. 1hr and we sped round the mountain roads soaking in the breath-taking views (this time the sharp bends were enjoyable as I was in the open with the breeze on my face).

When we got the caves we were separated into groups of three and set off with our Thai guide who marched off ahead carrying her lantern. For the first five minuets as I stepped into the darkness I felt refreshing cool and it was a very welcome relief from the oppressive heat. However, this did not last and the further in we went the coolness disappeared and was replaced with a airless sticky atmosphere. The only time our guide slowed her relentless pace was when she stopped to shine the lantern on some feature she thought we would find interesting (this generally consisted of  parts of the caves which resembled a bird, an elephant, a spaceship, a 'boobie'!).

I would have preferred to have had the time to stop and take in the general ambiance as it was a truly amazing place. The caves were enormous and I'm sure if there had been better light I would have been enthralled. The other thing to point out was the distinct lack of health and safety. The wooden stairs we climbed up were so narrow and steep that I'm surprised fatal accidents were not a daily occurrence! As we ascended and descended our way through the tunnels I was longing to simply get on one of the rafts and gently meander my way through the cave waterways (in my naivety  I thought we would have a little stroll through the cave and then spent the rest of the trip being rowed on cute little rafts!!). When we did eventually reach the water I was dripping with sweat and I practically jumped on the raft to be able to sit! This part of the trip was worth the wait as it was beautiful to glide along the water watching the lights from the guides lanterns reflect off the walls.

The hot springs and waterfall portion of the trip were not as impressive as it was the dry hot season and so sitting in tepid water was far from refreshing and watching a thin trickle of water run between rocks was not the cascading waterfall I had imagined!

The end to the day was stunning though as we sat at Pai canyon and watched the sun set. The view was beyond amazing and although it was busy it was lovely to realise that all these different people were enjoying the same experience together. As I sat with the fading sun on my face I looked at the incredible colours in front of me and thought how lucky and privileged I am to travel. It was a wonderful moment and I will look back at my time in Pai very fondly over the coming years.

Chaing Mai: oh my!

I have been in Chaing Mai for a total of 5 weeks and its safe to say I am in love with this place. It is the largest city in Northern Thailand, although it doesn't have the feel of a busy capital. Within its centre is the old city with was once surrounded by a stone wall on all four sides. The majority of the walls have long since disappeared leaving only reminants at each corner and the large stone gates. Surrounding the old city is a moat with fountains in the centre spraying water up in high foaming peaks. Pretty pink flowers on trees create a beautiful back drop to the wooden bridges and, as the sun rises, their image is reflected off the water.

There are several small Soi’s (small streets) running off the main roads in the city and these are an explorer’s paradise. Down each of these you are bound to find something of interest and they offer a peaceful alternative to the busier roads. I am staying in the North East corner of the old town and the Soi’s in this area are packed with beautiful creative graffiti art murals, laid back vegetarian restaurants, traditional produce markets and other wonderful sights. I love nothing more than to amble around the old city soaking in the atmosphere.

I have been getting up very early some mornings to join the locals in Quigong in the park. The struggle I feel to get up at 5:30am feels worth it when I walk through the gates and see the locals happily chatting and exercising with each other. It is such a communal atmosphere and very addictive. The sun has not yet risen at that hour and the birds are excitedly chirping their dawn chorus. The Quigong is a free class and the locals have been very welcoming (taking the time to demonstrate the breathing which is at the crux of the exercise). I adore the sequence of movements which you undertake to the ‘breath in’ and ‘breath out’ rhythm. I love how the flow of your limbs and the deliberate stances feels like you are dancing through air

The 45min walk back to my hotel after Quigong is one of my favourite times of day. There is a serene quietness that envelopes the city and the rising sun emits a gorgeous encompassing glow. Around this time the monks leave the Wat’s (temples) and walk bare feet through the city to collect psalms. Their rich orange robes stand in stark contrast to the white of the temple walls and they move together with such gentle grace. Stray dogs start to stir from their slumber as they lazily sniff in the direction of the early morning food stalls. The air is noticeably cooler and the soft breeze causes the multitude of gorgeous hanging lanterns to lightly sway.

I love the abundance of colours in Thailand. The pinks, the oranges, the reds, the greens. Everything seems brighter here. Art is part of the culture and this is reflected in the dazzling decoration of the many Wat’s. These are wonderful places to visit not just for a glimpse of Buddhist culture but for the calm they evoke.

The locals are also wonderful. They grin when I verbally stumble clumsily over phrases and seem genuinely pleased when a tourist attempts to talk their language. I often say hello (Sawadee Ka) and good morning (Sawadee tdawn chao) to an elderly Tuk Tuk driver who seems to spend all day parked in the Soi where my hotel is located. When he sees me he breaks in to a big toothless smile and we laugh together (about what I'm not sure, but that hardly seems to matter!!). There is a real sense of community here and this is most apparent around the food stalls and local markets. Women of all ages sit and gossip together, laughing joyfully while they cradle their infants and attend to their produce.

It is so easy to travel around here. Of course there is the ever present Tuk Tuk drivers which although is a fun and quick method of travel it is the more expensive option. There are also plenty of songtaew red taxis and you can simply hail these from the side of the road and hop on to reach anywhere in the city. Most tourists choose to hire a moped or a push bike but I don't trust myself on either in this level of traffic (I tend to day dream too much and you need full concentration on Thai roads!). I did take a trip in a bike carriage which was a nail biting 15mins as the driver kept turning round to chat to me causing the bike to sway erratically into the traffic. The carriage had bits of electric tape holding it together and emitted ominous snapping noises as we rode along! He was a lovely old man though and was obviously very proud of his vehicle.

Five weeks sounds a long time to be in once place and I have been studying massage for the majority of this time. I now have certificates in Thai foot massage, Aroma oil massage and hot stone massage (obtained from ITM school and Spa Mantra). I had such a great time learning these and met some wonderful people. The Thai massage method is so gentle and flowing and it was a real pleasure to be taught in the traditional ways.

The night markets are amazing in Chaing Mai and the Sunday walking market is especially good. There is so much to see and buy as well as tasty street food to sample. They can get very busy and when its hot (as it has been while I have been here), it can become a little overwhelming. I like to find a quiet spot on a curb and sit with a refreshing fresh coconut soaking up the atmosphere when it all gets too much!

This little glimpse into Chaing Mai could never do it Justice and I highly recommend a visit. I'm pretty sure you will fall in love with it too.