Pai in the sky

My time in Chiang Mai has come to an end. I am going to post a rough guide to the city in the next week or two. Next stop on the journey, Pai, a remote town in the mountains of Northern Thailand. It is a three hour journey, that we took by mini bus.

I am counting my blessings that I am in a position to write this post - the driver of our mini bus was an absolute lunatic; he put all his passengers lives at risk for the whole journey. Once we got off the motorway, the roads were winding up and down hills for quite some time. It was bizarre to see wild cattle grazing on the side of the road along the way. As we motored along these winding roads, I would hazard a guess that we spent as much time on the wrong side of the road, as we did on the right side, our driver always trying to make the corners easier to take. To put it politely, my heart was in my mouth for the whole journey

Throughout Thailand, you can really sense how laid back it is. Everyone seems to be doing something, but no one seems to be in a hurry. Pai is no different. Our bus got here at about 9p.m. and the place was really mellow. The night sounds of nature were very noticeable, as I walked around trying to find somewhere to stay. In the darkness of night, I really began to like this place.

Having slept poorly, I got up early on my first morning and decided to look around the town, that had been recommended to me by so many people. Being in the bottom of a valley, the mountains surrounding Pai are like a protective wall, surrounding the town. It is fair to say that I liked Pai from the start. Friendly vibes are extended from everyone, tourist and local alike. There are many free spirited souls in Pai, finding themselves, on their travels. I have met some really amazing people and heard many inspirational stories.

Tattoo shops are thriving in this town, as many people want a piece of art that is symbolic of their journey, be it a spiritual journey or a back packing experience. I guess it is a feeling of freedom to be ones self, as back home in the Western World, there are many things you need to consider before decorating your body with ink or piercings, such as what an employer may think, for example. In my own opinion, I think it is a pity that people are judged based on their taste in hairstyles, body art etc. One should only be judged on the content of their character.

Strangely, there was a power outage in the whole town on my second night. In spite of the lack of light and power, most businesses managed to stay open using candle light. Restaurants were still cooking, using gas. Walking around in the darkness, you would never think we were missing something, that many of us take for granted. People were getting on with life - some were singing in bars, some were playing musical instruments and others were chatting amongst themselves. For the second time on my journey through South East Asia (the first time being out in the jungle), it felt like I was brought back to basics. I am now convinced that this is the main lesson of the trip; as long as you have family, friends, a roof over your head and food to eat, life will be OK.

An early morning yoga class is a great way to start any day. It loosens the muscles and sets the mind up for the day ahead of you. Nestled into the side of a hill, was the bamboo hut that the yoga class took place in. The stretches were made a lot easier, when the view from my perch was one of sheer beauty - mountains, trees and nature; you can't go wrong!

I feel that I should give a mention to the place I'm staying in, for my time in Pai, OOr-U-Pai. As back packing goes, this place is very off the beaten track, even though it is very central to the town of Pai. The owner is extremely friendly and he couldn't be more helpful if he tried. There are bikes available, free of charge, there is always a fresh fruit breakfast and after a few days here, he was asking how much we wanted to pay for the rooms.

Making use of the bikes offered, I cycled around the countryside for a few hours. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of cycling, but I really enjoyed it here; I think it was the combination of beautiful surroundings and the warm breeze on my face, that made it so pleasant. I could definitely get used to a life in Pai!