Doing nothing in Pai

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  Pai, Thailand
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Tuesday, October 23- 4:35 pm

Well, here I am spending another day in beautiful Pai. I was very happy to leave Chiang Mai and find a place with a little less hustle and bustle. After doing the cooking class and the trek, I found that there wasn't much else that I really wanted to do in Chiang Mai. Since I'm not much of a drinker and/or partier, I was left to just roam the street vendors and the night market. What also got on my nerves a bit about Chiang Mai, was that as a traveller, I felt I was hounded to buy at every turn. I think it was the worst place yet, even more so then Bangkok and the southern the beaches. "Hello my friend, you look, you look," from every shop and "Tuk tuk for you. Cheap. Cheap." from every corner. Very annoying after a while.

So, caught a minibus Sunday afternoon and made the four hour journey to the small town of Pai. And I love it here!

The mountain scenery of the area is fantastic, the locals are super friendly and there are more bikes and pedrestrians than cars. The whole town is walkable and has a refreshing bohemian atmosphere. It's an interesting mix of resident expats, local hilltribe people, hippie tourists and police with guns. (Because of drug smuggling.) And not one tuk tuk honking at you or suit tailor harrasing you for your business.

I arrived Sunday evening just before the sunset and had a little difficulty finding my way around and securing myself a guesthouse. I was searching for a particular one recommended to me by my guidebook and it was challenging mostly because none of the streets here have any signs! Also, because it was dark. Of course I eventually found an entirely random place to stay whish was clean and dirt cheap, both important factors.

In my two days in Pai, I've spent a lot of time walkng about and talking to some local foreigners. The man who owns the guesthouse I'm staying at is very nice and enjoys chatting it up. Since Brendan and I parted ways last Saturday in Chiang Mai, I've been pretty much on my own until Monday. That's when I met the very first other lone female traveller, Anna, a Russian from Isreal. It is great to have some company from time to time. Although, the one thing I've found out about hooking up with other travellers is that I tend to spend more money that I normally would. I think because then I actually go out for nicer dinners or do things that I normally wouldn't do alone. But anyways, Anna and I went out to a local bar last night and watched a live band play cover songs. The bar was very smoky and crowded and the wine I had was watered down, but besides that, I had a good time!

Yup, not much to do in Pai, unless you're wanting to go on a jungle trek. Highlights of my days are: hand in laundry, upload pictures onto computer, take shower, visit used bookstore, pick up laundry, eat big bowl of noodles for 25 B, read book and buy stamps. Yup, it's a tough life! I'm quite enjoying myself though and wish that I could stay longer that just a few days. It's a charming place to replax and take it easy. :)

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