Part III Peace in Pai

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Arrived in Pai!!

I took a Bolt (taxi) to the pick up point as it was a little out of the city centre and waited for the minivan to Pai. I had so little luggage that the driver told me to take it inside with me and sit in the front 🙃! That's as good as it gets on these trips really haha. The trip took about 3 hours, first half was fine and there were some turns but nothing like I'd read about. People getting car sick and having a rollercoaster type experience. But after the pitstop, I got it haha. And this is also why the trip took so long. I had read that it's a total of 762 turns, of which we passed some, but the real zigzagging was yet to start! I related to the rollercoaster feeling, even I experienced a bit of tummy sensations a few times. Luckily I don't get sick on rollercoasters and so that's all it was. And I must say, our driver was very careful. I saw another van that rushed through. And as it's the only way in and out, I might be on one of them on the way back 😅. 

I must say though, all in all, nobody really honks and the bigger cars or trucks in front of us signalled when the minivan could safely pass. Driving is very mindful and respectful, also in Chiang Mai. And on this road, with so many accidents happening (mostly with tourists that take a scooter though) it's probably best. We drove by an accident on the way, luckily it didn't delay us. I couldn't see if anyone was injured, just that two cars had hit eachother on the side. They also had lots of coffee shops on the way with signs telling you to stop, safety first! And a lot of warning signs as well, in both Thai and English, to slow down or sharp turn coming, etc. and with 762 turns, that's a lot of signs.

The road reminded me of one of the roads we took in Madagascar. And also a bus trip in the Phillipines, also up north, but with rain and at night and in a big bus yikes. And when we went from North Vietnam to Lao and we had to stop a few times because they were blowing up rocks with dynamite to make the road because it wasn't finished yet and we had to wait for hours sometimes. Those memories came back, I sometimes forget the things I've experienced. 

The 3 hour drive was fine, I dozed off quite a bit haha. People don't get that on this road but I did. It's also funny how I never never never used to sleep on buses, trains, planes, whatever. I was always the one that stayed awake, always. But since coming here, I've realized how 'on' I've been again lately and my mind also won't stop racing. But being back in Thailand again, and the second I pretty much left, my mind has mostly stopped. It's almost eery, how I'm just here in the moment, taking things in and not thinking, just experiencing. And I feel so much at peace most of the times. The only thing that's coming back, are these memories and I read my previous blogs from 2010 which are funny to read because the details that I remember aren't written down. And I felt like the 2010 backpacker again in that minivan (and also in Chiang Mai) like I went back in time. And remembering how much you are also on the road, traveling but also just hanging around, walking around. And so with that mindset, I arrived in Pai. Completely blank and walking towards the place I had booked (again only the day before, haha). And it was paradise. It overwhelmed me a bit of how gorgeous it was. As if I had been on the road for much longer and this was a huge reward. I had to sit down, take it all in and tell myself that I deserved this. This was kind of a dreamhouse, all made of bamboo, river in front. Loved it! And so even though I still travel and eat like a backpacker, I allow myself a bit of luxury in stays (which is sometimes still hard for me to do). Oh yeah and this girl, that worked there, came up to the room a little after to give me a card that said 'have a nice dream' and a selfmade fish out of paper. The cutest! 

It ended up to be too hot and so shortly after this picture I went inside to read for a bit.

The only real sit down dinner I've had so far (restaurant on site). I usually just walk around night markets and eat snacks, little things on hand. But this was one of the dishes I remembered having yeaaaaars ago in Thailand and the winner of Thailand Iron Chef apparently was the chef here so I gave it a go, including my first Chang here. Oh and the 10% discount helped haha. FYI paid about 4,5euros for this dish, without the beer.

What else did I do in Pai, not much haha. It's a little town, there's not much to do. Theres some activities but didn't feel like booking anything. And there's a lot of bars, weed, live music which was cool (heard it in the room till about midnight), massge places and a daily night market of course. Very relaxed place.

Night time was gorgeous, could see the stars again! And I love stars, I've always felt connected with family and friends that live further away through stars as we all see the same sky and so again a few great memories came back :-).

Walk back to the room, had to cross this bamboo bridge.

Mostly read my books, before going to bed, after breakfast (which was included and so I started having -late- breakfasts again), by the river, in the room.

This bag was in the room in case you needed it during your visit and so I used it when I went to the sunbeds by the river, when I went to breakfast haha I loved it!

Peace and quiet until the Tuesday Tipsy tubing tour came along haha. "Here comes the cavalry" I though to myself haha. It was a neverending parade of tubes, someone asked how many and a guy shouted 420 or something, jezus. It took about 15minutes for all of them to pass! Again, great tubing memories, Lao, New Zealand, Belize. The Lao one I found in one of my blogs! Check it out, also describes the trip from North Vietnam to Lao. 

Another thing that disturbed the peace, haha. When everyones phone went off with this. I had one before in Asia, I think it was in South Korea and it was all in Korean and so I send it to a friend to translate. It was during the start of Covid and it told you to be careful with certain things, like fishmarkets, open shoes, water, all the things I had done that morning haha. Luckily this was just a test.

Some of the nightmarket tasting dinners I had including prices!

Yellow noodles salad 50 cents (not sure why it was called a salad, maybe cause it was cold noodles...either way, it was spicy and delicious)

This was a gorgeous raw tofu eggroll but they put sauce and salad on top. Healthy dish though, about 1,40.

Watermelon juice, 80 cents. Not the best I had, lots of added ice and water. Oh and I always tell them no sugar. They usualy add that to these juices as well.

And a bag for everything! 

Dutch expression: Met de "hand op de knip" haha

Nom nom! Besides noticing a lot of Japanese culture, I also noticed a lot of French people around, here and in Chiang Mai. Don't remember that from before, I did in Vietnam which I knew why, but not here. But I heard French everywhere I went.

They sold brownies everywhere, with all this weed though, I wasn't sure if it were normal brownies or happy brownies haha. I didn't have any.

Chrysanthemum tea, my favorite is cold and with a bit of honey (I've also bought it at the seven eleven a few times, just in a bottle). This guy misunderstood though and gave me a hot tea, I let it be (didn't have honey either, only sugar, had none). 80cents!

Freshly made in front of you! About 40cent each.

The two "walks" I went on. Wasn't much to see or do and so it were small walks. And so I went from an average of 10km a day to an average of 3-3,5km a day which is also why I didn't deserve anymore massages! Haha just kidding, had one on the first night and that was enough.

Haha on this one I felt like such a local! Slippers, a dress I had bought here on one of my previous visits and of course my borrowed bag! Haha

And that was pretty much it. I finished two books down here. And I loved my time here, but after a few days I also looked forward to going to a city again. I was going to go back to Chiang Mai at first and even looked into visiting another city or even country for a few days, but decided to go to Bangkok for the remainder of my trip. And so I booked the minivan back to Chiang Mai and a flight to Bankok the same day (about an hour and a half in between). Fingers crossed all would go well in those 762 turns and I'd have enough time to catch my flight!

Cheers,

T.