My day in Pai

We drove into Pai at 10 AM Saturday morning. Still freezing. I had been clenching my jaw so tight to keep my teeth from chattering that I had given myself a headache. My calves were sore from having tightened my muscles to try to keep warm. But we had arrived. The town was just waking up, eating breakfast and enjoying their morning coffee. We drove through the streets and found the hotel my coworker's friend was staying at. The hotel didn't have additional rooms so we would have to go hotel hunting. While my coworker's friend rolled out of bed and came to see us I stood in the sunlight to try to warm up. I was grateful for the warmth of the sun.

The first thing we needed to do was to find a place to throw down our bags. We got some recommendations from the hotel owner who didn't have room for us and off we went. We headed slightly out of town which made me so happy. Pai is set among beautiful mountains and countryside. The thought of being surrounded by the beauty of fields and nature filled my soul. I felt so at home. After a few attempts we finally found a place with 2 bungalows available. They were the cutest little things. I even wondered about just making it my second home. And for just over $21/night, the price was right.

While I was quite in love with my little room I was starving and anxious to see the town and surroundings. I left my coworker and headed out for brunch. I drove through the streets of town and determined there wasn't much to entertain me there so I grabbed food and then headed for the countryside to see what I would run into. I started driving down a main road and then found a little side road that look like it had potential. Sure enough the street wound through the countryside and I stopped to watch farmers in their fields and then I went a little further. I stopped to watch men working in the river. What they were doing is not clear. Pulling out rocks, maybe laying irrigation lines. Whatever it was it seemed like the perfect job for a day that was quickly going from cool to hot. My gloves and jacket had come off and feeling the wind as I drove felt nice.

Not far from the river workers was a special treat. A strawberry patch selling all things strawberry on the side of the road. Strawberry jam, strawberry wine, but most importantly...fresh strawberries. I was happy to take a break and enjoy this surprise. For 100 Baht ($3) I bought a container of small strawberries and began to pop them into my mouth. They were so small but packed such sweet flavor! My intention to just eat a few flew was short lived. Sitting on the side of the road eating sweet strawberries freshly picked from the patch just behind me enjoying the breeze, surrounded by mountains and green fields was my idea of perfection.

Deciding it probably wasn't a good idea to sit and eat strawberries all day long I wrapped up the rest of the strawberries, hopped back on the bike and backtracked up the road to find my next stop.

Along the way I passed monks walking in their orange robes, a dog riding on the seat of a motorbike behind its owner, the driver, cows feeding on the leftovers of dried up, harvested fields, through several villages and lots more ordinary southeast asian countryside. Then I turned off a side road of a side road of a side road and the atmosphere changed. I was suddenly surrounded by a very Chinese atmosphere. The color red, dragons, pagodas, dried herbs, teas, all things Chinese. This must be the Chinese village I had heard about. I parked the scooter and went walking up the main (perhaps only) street. The village was definitely geared towards visitors with several shops filled with an assortment of clothes, teas, tea paraphernalia and other touristy kinds of things. I ended up walking into an open area which held what I only know how to describe as the prehistoric ferris wheel. I sat in a chair and several men hoisted the ferris wheel into circular action taking me up and around, over and over again. It was pretty fun!

I met some new friends who enjoyed the ferris wheel after me. A group of Muslim Thais from the southern most part of Thailand bordering Malaysia. We had a good giggle over the childlike experience of being swung around and around. While they chose to ride the ponies afterward I opted for a bite of Chinese buns and continued on my way. What would I run into next?

Next was a less than impressive waterfall I found after climbing up a mountain side. I wondered at times if my bike would make it up the hills. I'm sure the waterfall would have been much more impressive had it been rainy season and more water had been gushing over the edge of the cliffs. Maybe I'll have to make my way back there to see it in a few months.

I decided it was time to head back towards town. My tank was near empty but I was pretty sure I'd have enough fuel to make it back. I ran into a slight problem when I realized I'd taken so many side roads it was hard to remember how to make my way back. Luckily, at a critical intersection there was a friendly man who was able to point me in the right direction and also informed me that either either direction would lead me back to the town.

Once back in town I met up with my coworker and his friends who were enjoying drinks and telling stories. We made plans to meet up for dinner and then make our way to the Reggae Festival. A reggae festival...that that would be a most interesting experience. I decided to go along for the ride. Another of life's memorable moments.

We bundled up for the cool evening and headed out for pizza and then mounted our motorbikes to ride to the festival. Making our way under the moonlit, star filled sky, we turned down a dirt road and made our way over the bumpy road to the festival which was in full swing. The music was pretty good and the company was very interesting. Definitely a different crowd than the one I normally hang with. With drugs and alcohol flowing freely people watching was at its best! In fact, I could write a whole blog just on that night! But I'll just highlight the fight that almost broke out between one of the girls I was with and a French girl that liked pushing buttons. It made for some tense moments but luckily no one was hurt.

I had a great conversation with a girl who was trying to decide what to do with her life. It was funny to have such an deep conversation with a stranger in a wild and crazy place but I was grateful for the distraction.

At midnight I decided I'd had enough fun and told the group I was headed home. They would remain until 3 AM and then make their way to another bar before heading home. I heard that riding a motorbike after several drinks ended in a mostly harmless tipover...and this by the girl who already has a scar on her face from driving a motorbike intoxicated. Meanwhile, I was shivering in my bed in my cute bungalow, fully dressed trying desperately to stay warm. My feet were so cold it was impossible to fall asleep. I finally grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my feet. That provided the warmth needed to allow me to fall asleep. What a terrific day!

Road to Pai

I woke up to something but I wasn't sure what it was. It took me a second to realize someone was knocking at my door...and sunlight was barely visible outside. Uh-oh. That could only mean one thing...indeed, I had overslept! How did that happen? I set my alarm! I ran to the door and told my coworker I was so sorry but that if he could give me just 10 minutes I'd be ready to go. It was 6:40am. I took a look at my alarm to see what went wrong. I had forgotten to change the PM to AM. Oops. Luckily I had done most of my preparation the night before so I quickly put on my long sleeved shirt and on top of it a short sleeved shirt, pants, socks, shoes, scarf, jacket and gloves. I made my final preparations for the trip and ran out the door. I had a backpack with some clothes, my camera, all my enthusiasm and my confidence that I could successfully make the trip. By 7am we were on our bikes headed out of town.

The morning sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains. My coworker asked me to lead the way so he could follow my speed. The wind as I drove at 50-60 kilometers/hour was cold enough to take my breath away and make me grateful I'd bought the long sleeved shirt and gloves. As we hit the outskirts of town and into the countryside the mist became thicker and thicker. We began climbing the mountain, curving back and forth, and back and forth, higher and higher. The wind shield on my helmet became so misted over it was obscuring my view so I had to do without it. Sometimes I would slow down to 40 km/hr and it felt so much warmer! I was tempted to stay at that speed but was afraid I would annoy my coworker who had plans to meet up with friends in Pai. Sadly for him, he didn't have gloves to protect his hands. I'm not sure how he managed to maintain feeling in his hands. There were a few occasions when I insisted on stopping for photos but when I stopped and began to thaw I began to loose my desire to begin again.

I maneuvered the curves with some trepidation at first. In fact, on the first sharp hairpin turn I took the turn too sharply and ran off the edge of the road. Luckily my speed was slow enough for me to easily regain control and continue. Lesson learned. The rest of my curves were fine. Slow, but fine.

The scenery was terrific! There were layers of mountains in my view. At one point I counted 6 layers. The mist and low hanging clouds added a mythical feel to the drive. In the valleys between the mountains were beautiful fields growing a wide variety of crops at differing stages. Rice, garlic, onion, cabbage and much more. It was still too early for farmers to be working and there was hardly anyone else on the roads so the quiet and stillness of the countryside was peaceful. The view as we climbed higher looked over such incredible beauty. I felt such gratitude for the beauties of the earth which my eyes had the blessing of taking in.

They say there are something like 800 curves in the road from Mae Hong Son to Pie. I enjoyed every single one! Once the sun came up and warmed the air a touch the 3 hours went by quickly. We had made it safely to Pai. After sitting on the bike for that long my legs had some adjusting to do to enable me to walk again. Plus, I was still shivering from the cold. During the ride I'd had to clench my jaw together to keep my teeth from chattering. The clenching left me with a headache. My calves were also stiff from having tightened my muscles to keep warm. It felt good to be off the bike and stand in the sun for a while.

Shortly after arriving my coworker received a call from the office manager in Mae Hong Son. He expressed his deep concern about me riding a motorbike all the way there and suggested my coworker really should encourage me to take the bus instead. Too late, he responded, we just arrived. :-) Yeah! I did it! The cold had made it less than relaxing and almost unbearable since I wasn't completely prepared for it. Nevertheless, I had made the trip. I was in Pai. So, once I had thawed the next thing to do was decide what to do next?

Learning to Ride a Scooter

With a little shifting of responsibilities at work I have now been given the opportunity to supervise part of our operations in northern Thailand. And as we are currently short on staff in this new area of my responsibility, and to give me an opportunity to familiarize myself with the operation it became necessary for me to head to the area of Mae Hong Son to lend a hand and provide some oversight. I left on a Wednesday early afternoon and arrived a few hours later after 2 short plane rides.

Northern Thailand is known as a great jewel of Thailand with beautiful mountains, cooler evening and morning temperatures and a more relaxed pace of life. It is mixed with a diversity of hill tribes, each with their own culture, clothing and language. I had come to this part of the country when I first arrived to Thailand over 2 years ago but I hadn't been back since. I was grateful for a chance to get out of the Big Mango and enjoy different surroundings as well as connect with the people I supervise and the populations we serve. In fact, it was hard to contain my excitement!

Before coming I had asked people what I should do while I was here, knowing I'd have 2 weekends to relax and enjoy some sight seeing. I was told that a motorbike ride to the town of Pai was a must. Not that Pai was an amazing town but that the ride was beautiful and the surroundings of the town picturesque. There was just one problem. I have never learned to drive a motorbike. So, I made up my mind that I would learn to ride a motorbike so I could make the trip to Pai (I know I just made some people very nervous..I was a bit nervous myself).

So, how was I going to make this happen? I decided it wasn't a good idea to make the trip alone so I needed to convince someone as crazy as me to make the trip by my side. On Thursday it happened! I was telling my coworkers that I wanted to make this trip and someone mentioned that another of my coworkers was planning to go that weekend to meet some friends. PERFECT. I spoke to him to see if he wouldn't mind my tagging along and he agreed that it would be a ideal for us to go together. Now I just had to figure out how to ride a motorbike before Saturday. That gave me 2 days. Could I do it?!

I spoke with one of my trusted coworkers who had made the trip to Mae Hong Son from Bangkok with me and asked him if he would teach me to ride a motorbike. He said yes and suggested I start on a scooter which doesn't require shifting. Sounded like a good idea to me so that evening after work I walked down the street with him and rented a scooter for 3 days at 200 Baht or approximately $6/day. We went off to a quiet street and he showed me all the controls and handed the bike over to me. Thirty seconds later I was a near expert. Who knew it would be so easy! Balance was a bit difficult with my coworker as my passenger but we rode around town for about 45 minutes and I felt pretty good.

Friday after work I headed for the scooter and once I remembered how to start it (insert and twist key, hold the break and press the button) drove through the streets of town, alone this time. My confidence was building bit by bit. Balance was much easier with just my weight and after an hour of practice I decided I was ready for the big trip.

The ride to Pai would take about 3 hours and it is notorious for the hundreds (no exaggeration) of curves along the way. In fact, there are T-shirts you can buy advertising the fact that you have made your way through the hundreds of curves to Pai from Mae Hong Son.

My coworker suggested that we begin the journey at 6:30am Saturday morning. I knew it would be chilly at that hour and I would need a few additional clothing items to ensure I didn't freeze in the cold wind. I managed to find a long sleeve shirt at the market and a pair of cheap stretchy gloves to protect my hands. I packed my bag with clothes, snacks and camera and lay down to get a good nights sleep. I was admittedly nervous, wondering if I was crazy. I decided that I might be crazy but it wasn't stupid. I could go slow if needed and I would be with someone else if anything went wrong. Once I had determined this the excitement of the adventure filled me!

I finally drifted off to sleep.

Chiang Rai for the New Year-Day 3

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I never finished writing about my Chiang Rai adventures! Time slipped away I guess. Well, really there isn't much more to say except that on the last day the plan was to go and see the flower festival I'd heard so much about before heading to the airport. We packed our bags, checked out of the hotel and left our belongings with the hotel staff. Then we caught a truck taxi and told the driver to take us to the flower festival. It took a few tries before he understood my Thai. He drove us outside the town and stopped in an area where there were a number of other cars parked. We hopped out, thanked the driver and paid our fare and then wondered where we were supposed to go. There was a path we decided must be headed in the direction we wanted and made our way towards what turned out to be a market. We wandered through the market, making mental note to return for some shopping later, and across a small road. There was a large fenced area so we determined that it must be where we were supposed to find the flower festival and we began to wander around. The amount of flowers was disappointing for a flower festival and I told my friend I didn't think we were in the right place. There were, however, replica traditional homes built around the area we were in which you could stop to meet various hill tribes and see their handicrafts. That was interesting but I was dissappointed in the flower display.

We walked back across the road and found a flower market where all sorts of flowers and trees were being sold. My friend was resigned to thinking that must be the flower festival and I reluctantly gave in. We wandered around enjoying the flowers and then made our way back through the market we had spotted earlier where I purchased a wood carved elephant and watched a man carving a very ornate clay statue. His works were displayed around and were quite impressive.

It became time to head back to the hotel to gather our belongings and then to the airport. We walked back down the same path we had taken upon arrival and again caught a truck taxi. We drove several meters down the road and there it was...the flower festival in all it's blooming glory! There were THOUSANDS of beautiful flowers and lots of people wandering up and down the paths enjoying them...and we had missed out on the whole thing!!!! What could I do but laugh to myself and make a mental note that when things don't feel right...ask.

Chiang Rai for the New Year- Day 2

After the festivities of the evening 9 AM sounded way to early the next morning to begin our next adventure. Since it was our agreed upon time we had no choice. The potential of the day motivated me. Today we would head to the boarder with Burma (Myanmar) and then to go to the area known as the Golden Triangle.

We began after winding our way through hairpin turns up, up, up the mountain, at the Mae Fah Luang, the Princess Mother's home in Doi Tung. The current King's mother spent a good deal of time in northern Thailand and was very concerned about the health and livelihood of the hill tribe inhabitants, especially the amount of efforts being spent on the drug trade. Initially she began by traveling to the area with doctors to care for the sick. Ultimately, she decided to fight against the drug trade by encouraging alternative sustainable options. Opium became replaced with coffee beans and other plants. It was inspiring to learn about her endless efforts in her older years and dedication to helping people improve themselves. A truly selfless woman. It's no wonder her son, the King of Thailand, is so good and beloved by the people.

We also visited the garden the Princess Mother had planted. Since her home is situated in the hills of the area she recognized that it could support the growth of plants from cooler climates. With a passion for travel she decided to produce the flower garden giving those who were unable to travel the opportunity to experience a wide variety of flora. It was a place I could have spent all day. Definitely a place of beauty. I felt grateful to begin the new year inspired by the good works of others. I felt the desire to increase my efforts to make a difference in the lives of others around me, looking for ways to make the world a better place.

After too short of a rushed visit to the popular and packed highland getaway we continued to our next destination the boarder town of Mae Sai, the northern most city of Thailand which boarders the city of Tachileik, Burma. There was a lot of activity at the boarder. People were crossing in such a variety of modes of transportation. By foot, by rickshaw, by bike, by tuk tuk, car, mini bus and on and on. The variety of what they transported with then was equal to the modes of transport. I would have been perfectly happy to sit at the crossing and watch the activity the rest of the day. But there was exploring to be done!

We started by walking the crowded streets packed with vendors and shoppers. Vendors sold food, clothing, electronics, jewelry ranging from costume to precious stones. Just getting down the street on the sidewalk was a challenge. I picked a side street and turned up it. More shops selling herbs, healing concoctions, hill tribe fabrics, souvenirs and more. As we walked further up the hill we arrived at the foot of a long set of stairs leading to the top of hill, home to a Buddhist temple. We took on the challenge of climbing the stairs along with several others already making the climb. The stairs were uneven and seemed endless but we finally reached the top and found a great view of Tachileik. I have to admit that I've now seen enough temples that they rarely hold my attention. This was the case at this particular temple. The view, for me, was the most exciting discovery.

We descended the stairs, swearing that would be our last climb of the day and made our way back to the busy streets of city. I would have enjoyed spending a few hours wandering through the markets and doing some shopping but it was time to move on. I made a mental note to return someday and spend the day in this point of crossroads as we made our way, slowly, through the traffic and out of town.

I appreciated the drives between locations allowing us to see the countryside. I have a real passion for driving through farmlands. I love the view of farmers and animals working in their fields, planting, grooming, harvesting. Food, a basic necessity of life, yet there is such variety in where and how it is produced. A common thread is that it requires hard work.

Driving up another mountain we passed a caravan of trucks carrying people- young, old and monks- colorful decorations and instruments. I wondered if it was a wedding procession but there wasn't a couple I could identify as celebrating a union. It wasn't until we got to the front of the 10+ car procession, passing a few cars at a time up the narrow 2 lane road, that it became clear. The lead vehicle carried a large Buddha image. It was making its way to a temple. A family or community was beginning the year by making merit and ensuring good karma.

We continued up the mountain and finally reached a town. Again we met a crowd of people, the consequences of choosing a popular destination for the New Year weekend. Luckily, we were among the less than 10 people in the Opium Museum. Inside we learned about the role opium played in the lives of those living in the area, the folklore around its beginnings, the process of growing and delicate harvesting techniques. Displayed were the numerous tools used in each of the stages up to its use. All very interesting.

After learning the history through current day we then went to the Mekong river's edge where we could see both Burma and Laos, each on either side of the river dividing the three countries. This area, know as a key location in the transport of the drug is referred to as the Golden Triangle. While we didn't witness any trafficking of drugs there were shops lined up and down the street selling all sorts of souvenirs. I opted not to purchase any drug paraphernalia.

Before heading back to Chiang Rai we made one last stop on the edge of the town of Sop Ruak which had vinyl lanterns strewn back and forth across the streets. There was a ruined temple. The sun would soon begin to set and we were tired from a long day so we just spent a few minutes walking in and around the ruined bricks. What was once surely a beautiful ornate temple had lost its outer beauty but with its insides fully exposed, somehow the beauty remained in the mystery of what once was.

Day 1 of the New Year came to an end over a bowl of noodles.

Chiang Rai for the New Year- Day 1

The New Year holiday fell on a weekend this year giving me a 3 day weekend. As with all 3 day weekends I began to wonder which part of Thailand I should explore. Chiang Mai is a favorite for ringing in the new year but I was too late for that as all the flights were sold out. So, I decided on a city just north of Chiang Mai...Chiang Rai. I had heard that it was a beautiful place with a cool climate in the winter and it's located just an hour from the Burma, Lao boarder. I booked a ticket, found a hotel and began planning out the trip.

Since I couldn't take time off work I departed on Saturday morning and arrived to the hotel around 11:30. I met up with a friend who had arrived a day earlier and learned that she had arranged for a driver to take us on a tour of a few sites south of the city. Off we went to explore.

The first stop was at a Karen Long Neck Village. This is a hill tribe group that still practices neck elongation by placing rings around a woman's neck. It is thought that this custom began years ago after several attacks by tigers. It was decided that if the women placed these rings around their necks it would protect them from the murderous teeth of the tigers. I had mixed feelings about visiting this village knowing that such experiences are often turned into something more like a human zoo than an educational experience. My fears were accurate as we walked through the village which was basically just a shopping trip. The walking paths were lined with displays of various mass produced handicrafts, very few of which were made by the Karen. At one point we were sat in a thatch covered area to see some traditional dancing. A group of about 5 men and 5 woman unenthusiastically walked and shuffled a rhythmic circle while a few played instruments. The music played drum, gong and cymbals seemed a completely different song than what was played simultaneously by the bamboo flutes. Each on their own would have been interesting to hear but the combination was not music to my ears. The complete lack of emotion by the dancers left me chuckling as I again reflected on the zoo type feeling of the visit.

Despite my discomfort I did manage to take a few photos and find some handicrafts to purchase which I watched the artisans craft. There were several women hard at work on their looms weaving scarves. Typically this would be up my ally but I find I have very few opportunities to wear scarves in this climate and I'm pretty sure my friends and family are looking forward to the day they get something other than a scarf from me. :-) One of the handicrafts I purchased was a mug made from green bamboo. Very unique.

Next on the agenda was my main

purpose for wanting to visit Chiang Rai. I'd seen pictures of a new Buddhist temple which began construction about 12 years ago. It is completely white and has the feeling of an ice castle to me. I was excited to actually get to see it with my own eyes. My experience matched my expectation. The sight was fantastic. The temple, so ornately constructed was happiness to my eyes despite the swarms of people in and around the temple grounds. I was surprised to see that the inside of the temple was not yet finished. The construction was complete but the painting of the walls was still in progress. No photos were allowed inside but I snuck a picture of the painters pallet. The paintings on one wall were humorous, depicting images of super heros such as Spiderman, Superman, Harry Potter and others on the lower part of the wall and above it were paintings of heaven. I'm not completely sure what the painter was going for but I was left with the impression that the message was to rise above the world and things that aren't real, a message I can relate to.

The last stop required an 1800 meter hike up a mountainside to a lovely waterfall. It was a terrific ending to the outing. We headed back to the hotel to prepare for the evening festivities celebrating and end and a beginning.

The plan for the evening was to walk up the street a block to the city center which had been blocked off to traffic for the celebration. Food vendors were lined up both sides of the street which was already packed with families and friends visiting and enjoying the various stages of performers. My pick was the center stage which featured traditional dance of both the Thais and the hill tribes. Before setting off the fireworks a story was told that I didn't understand a bit of. But it involved a dragon in Chinese style, dancing around the stage. It was a beautiful performance and ended with fireworks being spewed out of the dragon's mouth.

We headed back to the hotel, drained from the days adventures and listened to the fireworks from our room. Welcome 2012! Please be as good to me as 2011.