Thunder is booming out between the mountains and fat warm drops of rain are pelting down towards the eagerly waiting dry earth. Finally the humidity that saps all your energy disappears and standing out getting drenched is a welcome respite.
The month that initially stretched interminably ahead of me is, I suddenly realise, rapidly drawing to an end. I still have not visited a single waterfall, the hot springs or whatever else it is that attracts people here. I have been lucky to experience something less tangible that many visitors completely miss. There are many who are drawn to Pai by its very spiritual energy and as such there is a lot on offer for such a small community.
I chose not to go on a detox programme that is available although Jim agrees to give me private instruction on meditation. This is something I have never done before and am doubtful that my mind can stay quiet enough for any significant period of time. Jim has been practising meditation for over 20 years and under his expert guidance it is not long before I find myself in a place of incredible peace and clarity. Since the first instruction we have explored other levels and techniques. The 'success' of my homework varies but without doubt I am developing a valuable life tool. There is a definite peacefulness which I no longer feel obliged to try and fill with some activity just because I have always done so.
My next curiosity leads me to find out more about Reiki. Mark practices Shamballa Reiki and runs courses which enable you to become a practitioner. I feel a long way from ready to consider this and so instead opt for a treatment to find out more. Travelling and spending time on your own I think you get to know yourself far more acutely - mentally, physically and emotionally. Having spent much time rationalising my life, it was time to let go of some of the things that many of us hold inside and yet really are outdated perceptions of past events. Its like trying to wear an old school blazer, simply because it fitted you once! Release and realignment have a powerful effect, which continues to be subtly felt for some days after the treatment. While there were many positives to take forward, perhaps for me, the most powerful outcome is what I left behind.
There are numerous courses available but with my head now stuck firmly into a completely new concept (for me) of trans-generational healing and family constellations, I feel I have probably taken on as much as I can cope with at this time.
My daily routine is simple and usually involves a trip into town, which inevitably means that I will go to Om Garden. I really appreciate the feeling of belonging I have found there, from simple acknowledgement by owners, Mark and Anon, and long termers to the interesting conversations on a wide variety of subjects. It would be grossly errant if I did not mention Anon's wonderful food! Even with the bi-weekly indulgence of cheesecake, I am relieved to notice that all those extra kilos I had piled on are now noticeably disappearing. It hasn't been easy and this new concept of needing to lose weight has made me realise that we can all too easily ignore what we eat and put the kilos on, losing it depends on how hard you are prepared to work at it.
In just under two weeks I will be leaving here and making my way from from Pai to Perth, via Penang! The trip will include busses, trains, taxis, boats and planes. If the meticulous planning pays off, it should be a pretty epic journey. Another trip to Chiang Mai was necessary to buy a train ticket and also included a mad dash around the Airport Shopping Plaza for jeans - all in the space of a day. Next week I need to do a visa run so will be spending the day in minibus going to Burma for an hour (no entry visa required but fee of Thb500 or US$10) and then returning to Pai.
My evening trips along my Sunset Road continue to bring me great pleasure although I have not seen another sunset like the one a couple of weeks back. I cycled along looking to my left watching the sun setting behind the mountains. I turned to look right to see that the sky was was a deep pink with a vivid rainbow that began somewhere above my head and dipped behind the mountains there. It was literally breathtaking, and of course I did not have my camera to hand! The evening air is always heavily scented with the thick smell of the jasmine and other flowering shrubs. As I cycle past the houses, the aroma of Thai cooking rises and blends into a potent fragrance, which to me, will always evoke fond memories of Pai. Proceeded by a piece of music, the static speakers crackle and broadcast the days news and announcements. Sometimes people gather outside their houses to discuss its content, of which I remain none the wiser. My attempts to learn any more than the rudimentary basics have been thwarted by the intricacies of tonality. Sometimes a single word can have five entirely different meanings depending on the tone used and even then the different dialects can make your hard earned vocabulary incomprehensible just a few kilometres down the road.
