Entry 31:
Early on, we had read about the town of Pai in our guidebook. It was described as a hippy haven located in the Thai Highlands. Even though it seemed far off the beaten path, we were drawn to it like a moth to a flame. But getting there was quite an adventure. As with most minibus rides in S.E. Asia, the driver seemed content to exceed the speed limit whenever possible. This combined with the twisting narrow road contributed to extreme nausea. Somehow we made it to town without using the motion sickness bags.
If you'll recall, when we were in Vientienne we visited the tree house sauna. It was there we met Manny from Canada who told us about TaComePai, an organic farm whose friendly owner rents out rooms in authentic native hilltribe houses on stilts. Check out this funny You Tube video from a former guest. Unfortunately, it was too cold to go swimming and jump into the pond.
Since the farm is located about 5km outside of town, we needed to hitchhike to Pai. We thought no one would ever stop, but finally a pickup truck pulled over. The truck was packed with family members in the cab and all their luggage and camping supplies in the back. They told us to simply hop onto their belongings and off we went at a dizzying speed. We had to hold on to our hats.
When we got to town, we found something to eat and decided to rent a motor scooter. We flipped a coin and Sharon was designated as the driver. The only problem was, Sharon had never driven a scooter before. The guy renting it out took Sharon to a back street to practice. No pressure, though. Did we forget to mention that Thais drive on the opposite side of the road? Still, no pressure. OK - so the lesson was over and we were on our way.
Night was falling. The Mercury was following close behind, so we cruised back to Tacomepai. There we found the local farm hands and some Western volunteers gathered around a campfire eating veggie fare off plates carved out of bamboo. Later that night, the spirits began to flow and happy water was passed around. One local Thai girl named Kaew became intoxicated with happy water and let the rest of us know from a distance as we could hear her yelling all the way from our beds.
That night was rough on us, not so much because of Kaew, but because of the cold temperatures (mid-30s F) and the thin mattresses and blankets on the floor of our hut. The concept was cute, but cute didn't cut it from more than one night. We decided to find a more suitable option and bid farewell to our brethren in the morning.
After finding a new guesthouse, we hopped on the motor scooter and headed to a camping resort where we were told you could soak in the sulfur hotspring pools for only $0.50 per person. We sped off to find lunch and visit a few more scenic spots including a beautiful waterfall. That night we dined at Mama Falafel, a locally owned restaurant whose chef was taught the fine art of Israeli cuisine.
On our final day in Pai, we wanted to make good use of our motor scooter. We rode to the Chinese Village, and returned it after lunch at a riverside oasis called "The Sanctuary." Since we hadn't spent much time in town, we walked around for the rest of the day. On our walk, we bumped into Clark and Megan, two Kiwis we met previously in Lao. They were hanging out with two Brits they had met in Vietnam. The six of us spend the evening walking around town, sampling street food, and having beers at the Curry House known for its Reggae music.
Pai is truly unique as it attracts both Western and Asian hippies. It is not unusual to see its narrow streets packed with Thai tourists on long weekends, some of them even sporting dreadlocks. There are countless numbers of advertisements for yoga, meditation, and other new age practices. In addition, the town is known for adventure sports such as rafting, tubing, and rock climbing. It's a place we'd consider coming back to when the weather is warmer.
To view additional pictures, go to: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
Early on, we had read about the town of Pai in our guidebook. It was described as a hippy haven located in the Thai Highlands. Even though it seemed far off the beaten path, we were drawn to it like a moth to a flame. But getting there was quite an adventure. As with most minibus rides in S.E. Asia, the driver seemed content to exceed the speed limit whenever possible. This combined with the twisting narrow road contributed to extreme nausea. Somehow we made it to town without using the motion sickness bags.
If you'll recall, when we were in Vientienne we visited the tree house sauna. It was there we met Manny from Canada who told us about TaComePai, an organic farm whose friendly owner rents out rooms in authentic native hilltribe houses on stilts. Check out this funny You Tube video from a former guest. Unfortunately, it was too cold to go swimming and jump into the pond.
Since the farm is located about 5km outside of town, we needed to hitchhike to Pai. We thought no one would ever stop, but finally a pickup truck pulled over. The truck was packed with family members in the cab and all their luggage and camping supplies in the back. They told us to simply hop onto their belongings and off we went at a dizzying speed. We had to hold on to our hats.
When we got to town, we found something to eat and decided to rent a motor scooter. We flipped a coin and Sharon was designated as the driver. The only problem was, Sharon had never driven a scooter before. The guy renting it out took Sharon to a back street to practice. No pressure, though. Did we forget to mention that Thais drive on the opposite side of the road? Still, no pressure. OK - so the lesson was over and we were on our way.
Night was falling. The Mercury was following close behind, so we cruised back to Tacomepai. There we found the local farm hands and some Western volunteers gathered around a campfire eating veggie fare off plates carved out of bamboo. Later that night, the spirits began to flow and happy water was passed around. One local Thai girl named Kaew became intoxicated with happy water and let the rest of us know from a distance as we could hear her yelling all the way from our beds.
That night was rough on us, not so much because of Kaew, but because of the cold temperatures (mid-30s F) and the thin mattresses and blankets on the floor of our hut. The concept was cute, but cute didn't cut it from more than one night. We decided to find a more suitable option and bid farewell to our brethren in the morning.
After finding a new guesthouse, we hopped on the motor scooter and headed to a camping resort where we were told you could soak in the sulfur hotspring pools for only $0.50 per person. We sped off to find lunch and visit a few more scenic spots including a beautiful waterfall. That night we dined at Mama Falafel, a locally owned restaurant whose chef was taught the fine art of Israeli cuisine.
On our final day in Pai, we wanted to make good use of our motor scooter. We rode to the Chinese Village, and returned it after lunch at a riverside oasis called "The Sanctuary." Since we hadn't spent much time in town, we walked around for the rest of the day. On our walk, we bumped into Clark and Megan, two Kiwis we met previously in Lao. They were hanging out with two Brits they had met in Vietnam. The six of us spend the evening walking around town, sampling street food, and having beers at the Curry House known for its Reggae music.
Pai is truly unique as it attracts both Western and Asian hippies. It is not unusual to see its narrow streets packed with Thai tourists on long weekends, some of them even sporting dreadlocks. There are countless numbers of advertisements for yoga, meditation, and other new age practices. In addition, the town is known for adventure sports such as rafting, tubing, and rock climbing. It's a place we'd consider coming back to when the weather is warmer.
To view additional pictures, go to: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
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