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Published: November 3rd 2006
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From Chang Mai we took a small minibus journey to Pai which is in the northwest of Thailand. We're still travelling with Alice, Glynn, Rachel, Pete and Jenny. Found a ok guesthouse on the riverside and its been really good to be in a large group. All the rooms have nice balconies on so we can chill together on the nights.
First day we got some scooters together so we could go out into the beautiful countryside around us and see some of the sights. I have never rode a scooter before so I was a little nervous, but once I knew what I was doing and the gears were ok, its no harder than riding my pushbike. Although I would say to all wannabee 125cc Valentino Rossi's, don't start in first gear, its got a real kick and I nearly took out half of Pai's High street when I first got on! I kept disengaging my gears for some reason so I was always at the back of the line. Mom if you're reading this, don't worry, I've gone faster on my mongoose along the Birmingham Canals! Pai is so easy to drive around in anyway. We went out to
to few places the following day which was Glynns birthday. We went to a spar and checked out the Pai Canyon. Not really sure if we found the Canyon as we were walking for a bit and couldn't really see it. At the end of us scootering around the boys all went tubing. It's not the same kind of Tubing as you get in Laos for one, the water was about a foot deep so I kept getting beached and the water was a nice brown. Plus theres no bars or any kind of rope swings, although the digger dredging the river beeped his horn to us. In fact there was really anything although Dave crashed into a bridge and I fell off a few times. Its great watching all these locals looking on in astonishment as 4 pasty white skinny blokes go past on the river on tractor wheel inner tubes in their swimshorts! It was really crap. But sometimes something so crap becomes good. On the night we went out for a meal and a few drinks. Unfortunately for me they all knew some drinking games and I got quite smashed. Pete unfortunately came down with some kind
Drink While You Think.......
Crazy Rules, Crazy Drink, its only gonna end in tears!!! of infection on the night, possibly from getting some of the river water in his mouth. It was pretty brown.
The following day we just chilled out which in Pai is pretty easy to do, Pete wasn't well at all either today.
The following day me and Dave hired some more scooters and went out north on the mountain road up to Soppong, stopping at a viewpoint half way along at Kiw Lom. It was a great ride to sappong, the first part being all uphill, again I really wasn't getting to grips with the hill and gear idea and stalled it a few times, although the other side was great all downhill. We weren't exactly Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider but I can see why people love riding the open road on two wheels. We got to Soppong which was a bit crap to be honest and although we didn't go in Lod Cave it was a good ride. I didn't want to ride back in the dark. the total journey there and back was a good two hours, I've never drove so I was knackered when we returned.
That night we went to Ting Tong's
Scooter Patrol, Pai
Dave, Pete, Jenny, Me, Alice, Glynn which was good but it was a little messy at tghe end of the night when one of the barman went a bit mental and starting smashing the bottles on the table up. He'd had a few mushrooms and was a little twisted.
The following day me and Dave did a Thai cooking course at Bebe's Wok and Roll Kitchen. The man who runs it Tee, is so laid back its untrue, he went through all the herbs and spices we would be using and had loads of breaks, which we good for me as it had been a heavy night. We also saw his herb garden which along with the regular herbs and spices, had some very interesting herbs in it as well, especially if you like cooking 'amsterdam style' muffins!!! His friend Carlos (on the fact he looks like Carlos Santana) helped us cook the food. It was a really good day, we cooked loads of different dishes, I did a Yellow Curry, Tom Yam nam Khan soup with Prawns and the dish of every street seller in Thailand, Pad Thai. I was so well Explained even I couldn't make a pigs ear of it and all the
dishes me and Dave made were really good. At the end of the day Alice and Glynn joined us for a meal and Carlos cooked some more food and we also had a drink with him afterwards. I can't wait to give it a go when I get back. Dave cogin, we'll do a Thai night on my return!
Pai is a great place to realx and chill out, I could have stayed there for longer than the six nights, when you walk round the place and see all these hippies you can see why they've been there so long!
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