Pai

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Somehow I've fallen into the trap of staying in Pai for a week. All I've done has been eat, walk, read, eat, write, drink coffee, and eat. You know what? It's perfect, exactly what I needed. With my return flight looming too close in the distance, doing a whole lot of nothing is precisely what I'm craving. It's the opposite of planning what I'll do when I return to the USA, which is still a pretty huge question mark.

I've been carrying around 2 journals and a book everywhere i go, flipping between them at such an impractical pace that it's obvious Im not accomplishing much in any of them. With good reason, I look a bit insane. This is my life though: either hyper focused or jumping between things "multi-tasking". How inefficient and un-German of me. Life just has so much to do. I'm smart enough to know this isn't sustainable, yet I can't seem to remember long enough to break the cycle.

Anyway, we spent our first few days in Pai at Buzzas Backpacker Hostel just outside town acting as from Spicy Pai. Despite the posted curfews and quiet times, the bonfire raged outside our room until 4am so we had to move. It was a good call though as we found a bungalow with 2 beds right in town for 350baht (less than the dorm we were in). It's quite beautiful, with plants surrounding the building, a very sunny porch and the river just a short walk down the path.

The thing about Pai is that after you've taken the few waterfall hikes and seen the rice paddies, there's not too much left to DO unless you drink or are into the trance scene. Part of me would prefer being in Chiang Mai and taking a Thai massage course, teaching yoga at Bodhi Tree, or doing acro in the park, but maybe nothing is exactly what I should be doing right now.

Besides the food here is AMAZING. Thailand can come with Cuzco on the incredible vegan options. The only problem is my stomach capacity- don't worry, I'm gradually expanding it to fit the twice daily desserts. I've had carefully dripped coffee and my first French press. Eaten unique and artfully crafted Burmese salads on the busy Walking Street. Tons of pad Thai. Vegan khao soi. Of course there's been lots of vegan fusion foods too. And unvegan desserts, namely rote, crepes and sticky cinnamon buns.

I also drove a moped by myself, incident free. Practically ready for a Harley.

As the town in crawling with tourists, foreign and Thai, for NYE, we are opting to get out. Looks like we will spend a few days in a Buddhist monestery in the woods. It will be my soft entrance into a vipassana retreat, with meditation in 30 minute chunks and talking allowed.

Singapore and Bali next. I'm not ready for this to end.

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