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Published: September 26th 2006
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The sky above Pai
at last some scenery and the chance to relax, Thai style I had high hopes for Pai and as soon as we arrived (after a 4 hour roller coaster of a bus ride) I wasn't disappointed. It is labelled as some sort of hippy commune with very little Thai influence, but that couldn't be further from the truth!! OK the majority of people here are backpackers who aren't Thai but the place still feels like a million miles from home as Brits, Australians, Israelies, Italians and Germans (yes they get here as well) etc all just relax after busy cities or take stock after exhausting travels through neighbouring countries (Laos, Burma and China). The scenery is amazing and the first thing I notice is how quiet the place is!!....with no tuk tuks, or taxis, just the sound of insects and the fast flowing river that edges the main town.
We got friendly with an Australian couple, Tania and Chris, on our trip from Chiang Mai, so on arrival we all head off together to find a guest house. The sweltering heat and heavy backpacks make us decide after half an hour that we have searched enough and choose Golden House, a collection of 8 wooden huts near the river. As Tania
House number One
Golden House has a private veranda, nearby communal toilet/Shower and not much else. Asking Price 2pound50 and Chris only have 2 nights in Pai we both make the rash decision to allow them to take the last available bungalow with private bathroom and we plunge into travellers paradise with our very own quaint hut with nearby shower block for the mighty sum of 2.50 (pounds - no pound signs on these keyboards!!). After a light lunch we retire to our huts and agree to meet that evening at a nearby bar where a local Thai named Pooh plays Bob Marley and the Beatles while we drink local whiskey and swap travel tales, bliss!
Day two we wake late and decide to move to a nearby group of Bungalows called Rim Pai, out of our price range of 500 bt, but with solid teak floors, internal toilet and sink, and an out of this world private outdoor hot shower, we manage to barter to 600bt (less than a tenner) and two nights are booked. Spend the rest of the day doing very little except having a ride on Tania and Chris' moped, eating lunch and then retiring to our 'resorts' private veranda on the riverbank overlooking the mountains where I get stuck into Timothy Leary's biography
House number Two
Rim Pai cottage is a detached property with private bathroom and luxurious outdoor heated shower! Asking price 9pounds and decide this place is really starting to get a hold of me!!
That evening, being T&C's last night in Pai and a Friday we decide to head to Be-Bop, a live music venue and catch a local 3 piece band with superb drummer who looks every inch the Asian Keith Moon.
The following day we bid farewell to T&C, they are off on the same route as us, through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia but with only 5 weeks left of their trip they are planning to do it in half the time we are, email addresses are swapped and the promise of advice as they go on ahead and also a place to stay in Oz is offered and accepted.
Day 4 we hire mountain bikes and head off in search of adventure and elephants in a less touristy environment. The day proves to be one of our best yet so has been granted it's very own blog, watch this space!
Having decided after two days in our luxurious house that we should move down market we find a 5.50 (pounds) bamboo des-res with large veranda complete with matting and cushions just round the corner
House number Three
Bann Pai cottage is of standard bamboo construction with indoor private ammeneties and views of the river. Asking price 5pounds - our third and final place during our stay in Pai.
The scenery and weather are superb, the pace of life is just what we needed and on every street is a bar with live music or acoustic jam sessions, which is making me really miss my guitar and although I have had the opportunity to perform a couple of times, having not picked up a guitar for 6 weeks a couple of days practice would be needed to avoid making a fool of myself...so my search for a second hand model continues.
We see out our last couple of days in Pai with our own Jeep which we hire out and immediately Christen 'The Tank' which has all the trappings of a dodgy Thai car hire ie Faulty Fuel Gauge, random wires immerging from beneath the centre console and plastic seats which get hotter than the sun itself (don't even ask about insurance)
We head off in search of Lod caves some 50km into the mountains, which we find after an hour of breathtaking mountain scenery and take a 40min tour of the caves with a surly Thai woman named NAH!!! Although the high water level
Tania, Chris, Carla and Matt
A few Singha beers happy at BeBop in Pai means we cant raft too far in we were both amazed how eary and non-earthly the place felt and it was def worth the trip. We then headed to nearby Cave Lodge which is a sort of hippy place built into the side of the mountains with a large communal fire and hammock area (sort of like the place they all live in the film the Beach)
Here we meet the owner who was an Australian journalist who lived with Hill tribes for 20years and a guy called Derek, who is best described as resembling John Peel in both looks and manner.
After a light lunch Derek offers to take us for a trek into the banana plantations, so we head off into the mountains with Derek leading the way whilst me and Carla lag behind panting and gasping (Derek must be 60, but we blame the previous days bike riding on our poor performance)
After an hour of great scenery we bid farewell to Derek, jump in the Tank, lock the doors and screech off, both admitting that we both silently thought that Derek would attempt to Kill us when we reached the top of the Mountain.
Our Outdoor Shower
A little bit of Luxury The next day we explore a local waterfall arriving early which gives us the whole place to ourselves! another great day in Pai
Tommorow we bid farewell to Pai, head back to Chiang Mai and then onto Laos. This has been our longest stop in one place but we both could have stayed here much longer, it's that sort of place! and we are both going to miss it.
Peace MandC
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chris
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Was Rock steady there???? Lovin the blog, I heart reading it before I look at the pics!!! ps no more pictures of my brother in the shower please!!