Pai

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After spending my first two weeks in Ko Pha Ngan I decided to go with Kunge to Pai in Northern Thailand for his holidays.

We had aimed to catch the sleeper train to Bangkok but because of the floods in the south of Thailand we ended up flying (Aaggghhh - spending a bit too much money). We spent a couple of days in Bangkok which has to be one of the maddest cities. The roads are just plain crazy, people seem to drive where they like, when they like. I've been told you need to think of it as water in a river - if there is a space you naturally fall in to it. That maybe, but when you're on the back of a scooter taxi for the first time, its pretty scary.

We stayed with Kunge's sister and her family who were really lovely and really looked after me, although the language barrier was a bit of a problem. If I'm going to hang around in Thailand for a bit I need to learn a bit more than hello and thank you.

After Bangkok, we caught the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. These are so cool - in the day they just look like normal trains with seats but when the night comes they convert into really comfy bunk beds with crisp clean sheets and soft blankets. I slept like a baby!!!

Arriving at Chiang Mai first thing in the morning was quite hectic - taxi drivers virtually attack you for business. We decided to get breakfast first, which was such a good idea as we met Patrik and Francis, a really fab Swiss couple who decided to come to Pai with us and whom we've been with ever since.

Pai is about 4 hours from Chiang Mai by minibus rising up through the most spectacular mountain range. You just keep going up and up with nothing to do but look at amazing views. Eventually you come down into a valley with a meandering river running through it and the small town of Pai.

I love Pai!!!!! Its a real mix of local people, old hippies and travellers. Everyone is so friendly and relaxed and the vibe was just amazing. We stayed at the Paddy Fields which are Bamboo Huts in the middle of rice fields (they were harvested whilst we were there with the precision and speed of nothing I have seen before). The place is owned by Ben and Pot who are both bloody lovely and Pot's cooking is even more lovely. Even the toilets / bathrooms (yes I know) were lovely - outdoors with waterfalls as showers and loads of cool ferns and plants. I really don't have any of the phobias about creepy crawlies or frogs here that I had at home. They really just don't seem to bother me however big they are.

I went on an elephant ride with Patrik and Francis through Thom's Elephant Camp. I had heard stories of camps hitting the elephants with big metal hooks around their eyes and other such nasty stuff. This was not the case at Thom's. The elephants had been in her family business since she was a child (Logging - I think) and her father had trained them. She obviously had a lot of love for them. It was a fantastic trip - we went bare back and then went in the river and messed around in the water with them. We all loved it and every photo has us grinning from ear to ear. I'll borrow their photos and put them on the site. We also sent bamboo rafting down the river in the afternoon which was also cool.

Didn't go out that much at night in my ten days in Pai. It felt so chill you didn't want to go on the razz. Mainly went for a couple of drinks at Ting Tong bar which is a really cool and friendly bar and then to a place called Bebop bar which has live music. If you go more than once you realise that the band only has about ten tunes which it plays night after night - but funky tunes at that, which has everyone up and dancing. I'm in my element in Thailand - everyone loves dancing (bring it on)!!!

Anyway - I had to pull myself away from Pai as I had to leave to get another visa. I so didn't want to go. I'm definitely going back.

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