Yesterday I managed to catch up with a very cool crew of
people to go on missions around and about Pai for the day. Two English lads;
Gareth and Bill on their pretty pink scooter made a cute couple, Rune the funny
Dane zooming along the straight stretches, I jumped on the back of Phil from the
UK’s scooter. After a coffee we headed to a nearby waterfall. There we swam in
the chilly pool, lay in the sun to dry and watched local kids jump off the
rocks, and slide down the slope the water was funneled down. Our next stop was
an ancient town, which we either missed, or it wasn’t so ancient at all, as the
buildings looked very modern, and the roads well paved.
After lunch and adding on Cat and Anton, my friends from
Sweden, to our small convoy, we set off in search of the Pai canyon. A very
nice view, but deafening construction right at the top ruined the serenity. So
onwards to the hot springs we motored. The small pools that were free to sit
next to were boiling; a group of Koreans had some eggs sitting in the water,
waiting patiently for their lunch to harden. We relaxed in the shade, watched
eleven minivans full of rich tourists roll into the actual park where you can
swim and not get blisters. We decided to avoid the numbers and head off to
another waterfall on the way back to town.
A short trek through the bush and we arrived at the
waterfall. Nothing too exciting and by the time we were on the road home, the
shadows contained a chill and the blazing sun was sinking. We sat at a
viewpoint to watch the countryside get swallowed in the evening gloom. Dinner
was simple Thai food, enjoyed with another convoy we had bumped into here and
there, a group of friendly South African girls and a few others. This was the
start of a night out at the Bamboo Bar. Drinking games, free bbq and general
fun was had. I was pretty relaxed and tired so I vaguely participated in a fun
drinking game called Slaps, but after a while headed straight for my wee
bungalow bed.
A full
on day followed by a cosy sleep, think I will move on from here tomorrow. Today
I am relaxing in a hammock and reflecting on the places I have been and
people I’ve met and now miss, Anton and Cat left earlier and I was sad to see them
go, Cat gave me a Thai massage, she had done a short course in Chiang Mai, I
would love to also do a course but need to be careful with funds as it’s not
cheap, not much is these days it seems.