Passing time in Pai

After our short stay in Chang Mai we were on our way again, this time by minibus (a mode of transport we’d get very familiar with over the next few weeks) to Pai, a small town in an isolated valley in the hills of northern Thailand. We were ready to get away from it all again, knowing that we were weary from being on the move and spending time in cities. As we’ve discovered travelling for this long becomes more than just a holiday; it’s a lifestyle. You have to keep a balance between being on the move, seeing new places and having a little time to catch your breath and relax. Since we’d crossed the border by foot we’d only been given a 15 day visa, so our time in Thailand was limited. Having come from the Perhentian Islands we decided to ignore the commercial islands off the west coast of Thailand and head straight to Bangkok and then travel to the north. We’d had our sights on Pai since our arrival in Thailand with it being described as “a flash-back to the stories from the 70’s and counterculture colonies in Kabul and Kathmandu” and hoped that it would be a nice place to spend some time and perhaps take a trek to visit the hill-tribe villages, the ethnic minorities who migrated here from Tibet, Myanmar, China and Laos.

The minibus ride there took about four hours. With driver seemingly determined to get there in record time along the twisting mountain roads only the most hardened stomach could avoid feelings of travel sickness. Thankfully though the minibus was modern, air-condition and relatively comfortable so despite having to hold on something most of the way it wasn’t a bad journey. Things weren’t quite as we expected however, with the landscape far drier and less green than the Cameron Highlands back in Malaysia. We were arriving at the start of the hot season, with little or no rain having fallen for weeks. In fact, this was really the end of the season for this part of Thailand but that wasn’t a worry as we had no desire to be anywhere busy. Pai wasn’t really as we expected either though. We’d both imagined a smaller town, with the population given as 3000 people. However it was clear that this was a major resort for tourists and not just the backpacker variety. When we were dropped off by our mini-van we were a little disappointed by how built up it was. However, when we made our way down the road, over a bamboo bridge, to the other side of the river, we quickly found ourselves in a village of more traditional huts. For a very reasonable price we managed to get ourselves rather luxurious accommodation with a nice view of the hills. We felt at home straight away. Later on, after a good meal at one of the local restaurants, where I had a beautiful red chicken curry served in a huge coconut we realised that despite our initial misgivings passing time here would be very pleasant indeed.

During our first couple of days we did very little other than relax and we quickly established some routine to our day, especially mornings. We’d discovered a great, and probably the best, breakfast in town at Good Life a product of the hippie culture that subtly permeates much of Pai. Along with beautiful food, the Good Life specialises in Tea from all over the world. In fact their menu has several pages of tea and a description of their benefits to the drinker, from a pick me up after a heavy night, to immortality! As well as tea, they also sold a nutritional supplement called 3-G, which is made up of Wheatgrass, Spirulina and the immortiality herb Jiaogulan. I’d come across wheat grass shots at home, but I’d never heard about Spirulina, an algae with some very interesting properties, notably being nearly 70 percent protein and apparently one of the foods selected for cultivation in long term space missions. Along with the tea and the great organic food, there was also a half decent collection of second hand books and often some easy Jazz playing on the stereo. It was easy to lose the entire morning here and after first visit we never went anywhere else for breakfast.

After mastering the art of lazing about in Pai we decided hire a couple of scooters to see more of the surrounding area. There were a few places that looked of of interest, notably a couple of waterfalls and canyon, along with some small villages. However most proved to be a bit of a let down and unremarkable, especially the waterfalls. We’d already been told not to bother with one, since at this time of year there wasn’t much water, but “big” waterfall was still less than impressive and had litter strewn about from careless tourists. As we explored the rest of the area, it became increasingly clear just how commercialised Pai had become over the years as we passed resort after resort on the road. To be fair though, many of them looked like beautiful places to stay with the usual Thai standards of aesthetics and the natural countryside creating quite a picture.

However, just as we were about to head home for the day we’d noticed another sign to a waterfall along a dirt road. After following the road to the end we came to what was a small farm, run by a Thai called Joey who provided information about the getting to the waterfall. He and his girlfriend, a Swiss girl told us that it would take a good couple of hours to walk upstream and it was too late to set off now. So we hung out for a while, while they made us a fresh coffee and listened to their story. Joey had spent the last ten years working in the islands of Thailand and after slowing seeing them increasingly commercialised and wrecked by rampant expansion had decided to embark on a project he called “Pai Land” here in the hills. He’d taken a lease on a plot of land for the next 10 years and wanted to turn it into a self-sufficient farm, where he could live off the land. His offer, to anyone that passes by, is a place to stay in return for helping out on the farm. Anyone passing through just to see the waterfall can stop by for a coffee and ask for information. Everything was free, with donations to the farm made on a voluntary basis. I was impressed with what Joey had already achieved having constructed accommodation, a “bar” and was successfully growing a wide range of vegetables. He already had some guests, including his girlfriend, Janine, who he met just as he’d started out. This was exactly the sort of counter-culture that I hoped might still be alive in Pai. There was a good vibe about the place, especially from Joey himself who was so friendly, perhaps to a fault, even if he was perpetually stoned every time we ran into him. And this is much like the rest of Pai. Whilst it is somewhat commercial you always get a good feeling about the place and the people here, with its mix of influences from the hippy westerners that originally came here and the best elements of Thai hospitality.

The next day we were up at a decent time so we could return to Pai Land and take the path along the river to the waterfall which we’d been assured by Janine was worth seeing. After another big breakfast at Good Life we jumped on our scooters and drove back to the start of the path and began our walk upstream. Whilst it was a fairly easy walk, with no steep hills to climb the path kiss-crossed the river requiring us find stepping stones to cross the river each time. As we got closer to the water fall the path disappeared completely requiring us to just follow the river bed. Fortunately this was easy since the level of the river was low. After about two and a half hours the waterfall finally came into view and this time, as we’d been promised, we weren’t disappointed. Whilst it’s by no means a natural wonder of the world, it’s a beautiful spot and we were quick to take a dip in the pool at the bottom of the fall. We would have stayed longer, but as we ate the lunch we’d brought with us we were quickly surrounded by insects which literally crawl and fly everywhere. Not a problem when you are on the move, but not so pleasant when you try to have a picnic. As a result it wasn’t too long before we packed up and decided to head off. By mid afternoon we’d successfully made it back down the down river. It was a fun day and reminded us of the fun we’d had trekking in the Cameron Highlands.

However, with it now being low season in Pai with few guided treks on offer and our time in Thailand running out it was going to be difficult to have anymore adventures in the hills. We decided that we’d spend our last couple of days at the leisurely pace we’d enjoyed when we’d arrived and start planning the next part of our trip. Laos was now in our sights. In a couple of days we’d be making taking another mini-bus to the border town of Chiang Khong where our next adventure would begin.

Link to all the images from Pai http://picasaweb.google.com/kris.lander/Pai