Pai – Day 12
Slept ok last night but there was a lot of noise so i had to dig out the ear plugs. Chaing Mai also seems freezing relative to Bangkok and after adjusting to the 30-35*c heat 25*c is damn cold.
Eva and I just missed the 10:30 bus to Pai which wasnt the end of the world to me but i think it pissed her off a bit. Had to wait for the 12:30 bus. When i bought my ticket i wondered why it was so cheap, only 68B for the very long and difficult 5 hour bus trip, but when i finally saw the bus i concluded that 68B was actually a rip-off. Turned out to be a public bus and every man and his dog wanted to get on. It was really a big minivan with 30 seats (although in Aus i think it would have about 20 seats since Thai people dont beieve in legroom) and yet we managed to fit at least 35 people in the bus. All the packs went on the roof, along with a few bicycles and a whole lot of wheat. The aisles were stuffed with more packs, boxes and bags of wheat. The seats were so small that 2 people barely fit and we were spilling out into the aisles.
Now, you might be inclined to think that this bus was full, never the case in Thailand. We stopped numerous times along the way and jammed additional people and all their crap into the bus, people were standing and sitting amongst the boxes in the aisles, and others were hanging off the side of the bus near the steps. We looked like one of those cartoon buses ready to explode.
Everyone says that Thailand is a beautiful country, but until today i thought a lot of people said it because they couldnt come up with anything else to say, but as we drove through the small villages and the mountains i saw just how gorgeous Thailand really is. The roads were extremely steeping and winding and it was lucky that the bus was packed solid because else i may have moved in my seat. Stopped for a 10 minute break after about 3 hours which was only about 2 hours and 59 mins later than everyone needed. Whole bus trip ended up taking 4.5 hours. i felt really sorry for the 10 or so people standing all that time around all the bends, although sitting wasnt really much further from hell. Took a while to learn to move again after we arrived.
Went straight to the guesthouse here dee was staying but they had no rooms left. Not really a problem sionce Dee had a spare bed in her room and i could stay with her, but of course she wasnt there. Dumped my pack and went to use the internet and walk around the town for a few hours. Ran intop a guy from the bus trip and we decided to go looking for a bar. Finally found Dee at about 8:00 and all 3 of us went out drinking.
Hit up a few different bars, first mobile bar, which was literally mobile. it was a cart full of alcohol that trhe owner set up whereever she felt like. Had a couple of very potent cocktails then moved onto Bebop bar with live music for numerous vodka red bulls. Met heaps of new people and when bebops closed at 1:00 we headed to bamboo bar, which was a bamboo shack built out over the water for Pad Thai and more vodka red bulls.
Poured ourselves into bed around 5:00am and promptly passed out.
Tags: Thailand
Nic
Its a tough life, isn’t it. Bet it felt that way when you woke!
Pai and the surrounding countryside sound beautiful – I wish we’d seen that part of the country.
Still trying to organise Borneo – now the tour guy can’t find the money we banked!
Been out with Kris Xmas shopping today. Next soaking fruit for the Xmas pudding and tonight we’re getting take away Thai for Dads Birthday & opening his pressies.
Lots of love and kisses, Mum
Nicole I think Pai must be very similar to Fang, which is also in the North near the Burmese border but further East. It is where we went before going down the river on a long boat and starting our 3 day trek. It certainly is very beautiful in the mountains, but a surprising amount of the mountain cover we saw wasn’t really old forest, it was all regrowth after the opium fields of the hill tribes were left to regrow.
Maybe you could organise to go on a trek yourself, there are plenty of people who organise them in Chaing-Mai.
Watch out for the fruit juice and salads you now seem to eat freely, it is only a matter of time before you get really sick. Have you found anyone yet who is interested in travelling through Laos or Cambodia with you? It would be better to have a travelling companion for those countries.
You mentioned the cold. Hanoi has daily maximums of 10 deg C at the moment so you better get some warmer clothes.
Your dad suggesting you go shopping….i never thought i’d see the day when you needed encouragement!
Sounds like you’re having a great time – just remember the white out party the next time u have a few of those red bulls 😉
Just finishing off my Christmas shopping here and trying to avoid the hoards of people at the shopping centres – they’re not safe to go to on your own at the moment cause you get trampled!
Speak to u soon
xoxox