So I've been pretty much failing at life for the last few days, been too ill and dehydrated to make any decisions about anything more complicated than getting out of bed and generally been wandering around like a zombie. This has somehow ended up with me back in Chiang Mai on my own when all the people I know are going to Laos. I think my reasoning was that I wanted to buy a netbook somewhere but really I should have just stayed in Pai, it's horrible being back somewhere where it takes 5 minutes to cross a road after being somewhere as chilled and lovely as Pai. Plus I decided to stay near where I stayed here before and it's somehow making me nostalgic, I forgot being on my own is actually a bit lame, someone get the violin.

The last few days I've been staying in Pai with the group of people I met in Bangkok and Chiang Mai (Pat, Ruud, Ross, Amber and Heather, all of which now call me Dave), and it's been so so nice actually having a group rather than a smattering of people you've had a conversation with. Plus they've provided me with some of the strangest anecdotes, travelling definitely brings out the crazy in people! We'll blame that anyway. We were booked into Darling View lodge which is owned by the sweetest little woman ever, she's called Darling and calls everyone else Darling and introduces all new people as new darlings and it all sounds a bit strange but she was brilliant. She kept telling us off for turning the music too low and she wouldn't go two sentences without telling us to dance. Her and this Dutch man who looked like God in travel clothes provided some pretty interesting parties! She cried today when we left, we all had a group hug... I miss Pai.

As I said I've been ill on and off in Pai so been pretty lazy, missed out on most of the nights out which is sad, seeing as I didn't actually see the Pai nightlife, but had a pretty good hostel party so that was ok! Pai is one of those places where there's not a massive amount of things to do but people always end up staying there way longer than planned, I forgot for a while how nice it is to just chill and talk to people and admire the scenery a bit. It's got a really good 'vibe' and is really small with a proper community feel, after a while you end up recognizing loads of people just by wandering through town. Plus it's a proper backpacking destination meaning that there are no families and 5 star types, and all the people you've met on your travels suddenly turn up there. It's quite strange, I see so many faces and my brain tells me I know them but I have no idea how, there's been too many hostels, brain can't cope.

We did go for a trip to a waterfall one day, it had lots of natural slides in it and loads of local kids throwing each other off rocks. We did a bit of sliding, it was really refreshing considering Pai is the hottest place I have ever been. Today was the worst, walking up a tiny hill left you looking like you'd been for a swim, lovely. I was feeling a bit dizzy that day from dehydration so decided not to take my scooter as everyone else was doing but to ride on the back of this guy's massive motorbike. To be fair I was technically being sensible, nobody drives in Pai, there's no other way to get around. It was crazy though, speeding down the winding mountain roads, almost choked the guy hanging on so hard! Amazing views though!

That's about it for Pai I think, it's been more of a meeting cool people kinda trip, which was nice even if I was pretty crap comany. I no longer care so much about doing every single thing in the country anyway, slowing the pace a bit! I'm off to Laos tomorrow for the Gibbon Experience Ziplining and treehouse if I can get on it then hopefully I'll catch up with the everyone else somewhere along the road! Back to my horrible dingy blue room (it looked so nice in the photo) to get a proper night's sleep then, now that I actually feel properly recovered (no bus vomcanos this time!) xx