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  Pai, Thailand
Sunday, November 9, 2008

Today is my fourth and last day in Pai, the quintessential bohemian town with party town accents. The motto here is "Lazy days, crazy nights", exemplified by the fact that the coffee shops don't even open until 9 am. Pai is about 50% farang (Thai slang for white foreigners) and 100% hippie. I get the sense that a lot of the locals arrived here on vacation many years ago and never left.

When I first arrived in Pai I checked into the Baan Pai Village Guest House where I was offered a "Garden Hut" for 500 Baht a night. Initially I was quite charmed by the idea of having my own private bungalow. The novelty wore off after about 5 minutes, at which point I was simultaneously hit with TV/AC withdrawal and discovered that the shower was inhabited by a gaggle of slugs. The next day I checked out of the Slug Hut Village and found a much more suitable guest house, Pai Pura, for only 380 Baht a night.

It took me a day or two to realize that the true magic of Pai lies outside the central town in the surrounding mountains and hills. I still haven't had any luck with looking in the right direction before crossing the street, so I decided to rent a bicycle. When I asked for a helmet the woman burst into laughter. [I am one of the few people I know who deeply internalized the lessons of 4th grade bike safety.]

My first bike ride was to the Ban Tha Pai Hot Spring. The ride was absolutely breathtaking. On either side of the road were mountains shrouded in mist. The road itself was lined with yellow flowering trees. When I arrived at the Hot Springs, however, I realized that they could more aptly be described as "Hot Cesspools". Actually, this realization assaulted my olfactory a few kilometers before I arrived. I guess it's true that the journey is more important that the destination, or whatever.

My next bike ride was to the Mae Yen Waterfall. The road leading to the falls took me along a river about 2 kilometers outside of town, at which point the road turned into a path and then the path disappeared. There were absolutely no trail heads or anything so I was forced to follow footprints in the mud and then wade through a river. After a snake scare and 3 river crossings I finally gave up, but not before I reached the most idyllic river/jungle/mountain scene. There was no question that I had found paradise, or "Pai-adise" as declared by countless T-shirts sold here. Again, the journey was more rewarding then the destination...especially since I failed to reach the destination.

Today I am taking a cooking class with a guy named Tee. It's actually more of a cooking lesson, seeing as I am the only student. Tee fits the Pai profile to a T (har har). He came here on holiday 7 years ago and never left. His instruction alternates between 2 refrains: "Easy, easy." and "Slow, slow." Tee opened the class with an introduction to Thai herbs, which lasted about 5 minutes and then "Break time!". After a five minute break we moved on to Thai vegetables and then "Break time!". Then a five minute intro to basil and...you get the idea.

The cooking class is broken up into 2 sessions. I just completed the first session during which we made red and green chili pastes and then used them to make yellow and green curries. The resulting dishes were by far the best food I have had since I came to Thailand. The 2nd session is tonight and Tee has promised to unveil the mysteries of Papaya Salad and Mango Sticky Rice. I'm hoping that I will retain enough of Tee's teachings to recreate the magic for all of you when I return home.

Tonight I leave for Luang Namtha, Laos. I have no idea how I am getting there or when I arrive. When I bought my ticket the tourist agent said something about a minibus, a shower, and a boat ride. When I questioned him further regarding the trip details he replied, "Easy, easy." I hope he is right!

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures

Making red chili paste	Tee making green chili paste	Wok and roll!	Adding chicken
Yellow curry	Yellow curry and green curry = lunch	Arroi mak!	Morning bike ride
Morning bike ride	Failed attempt to Mae Yen Waterfall	Failed attempt to Mae Yen Waterfall	Pai Pura Guest House

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