We'd heard a lot about how great Pai was from people that we'd met in Chiang Mai. Most of them had made a round trip on motorbikes and back to Chiang Mai. We decided to take the safer option of a 3hour bus ride along the most constant winding roads ever (762 bends). We had a massive breakfast and just missed the bus by about 5seconds. Whilst waiting an hour for the next we met a crazy Dutch girl called Frederike :). We stayed in Pai Circus school for the first night, didn't learn any circus tricks but just ended up having the coldest nights sleep in a long time, even in three layers and blankets. Next 3nights we stayed in the place over the road where Frederike was staying.
As Pai isn't very big we thought we would do a bit of exercise and make a trip around on bicycles. Joe from our huts joined us too. "7km and one straight road" the man who rented the bikes told us it would take to get to a lovely waterfall. The whole way was majorly up hill!! We stopped off for a break in a Chinese village and went on a Thaiman powered ride. It was very strange but fun (See little video). After a few hours up the hills we'd made it to the waterfall. It wasn't the most spectacular yet but nice to sit and have a coke next to.
On the way back we enjoyed no effort down the hills and bombed it back within half an hour or so to have a great dinner and cookies.
That night we bumped into a few guys that we'd met in Chiang Mai and went out. Me and Frederike asked to play a few songs in the first bar and somehow ended up djing for the rest of the night. We turned the Rasta den into a 80's and dance music bar. After taking our wages in thai tequila shots we moved onto the next few bars.
The morning after the night before and we all agreed to get motorbikes for the day, to shake off the beer and shots. As Pais saying is "do nothing in Pai" we thought when in Rome :). Found a swimming pool for the day and sat around eating good food.
Our last full day in Pai and the four of us went to the big White Buddha in the morning and then on a trip with the guys from Chiang Mai. It was to Tham Lod Cave that we'd heard about where at sunset around one million swift birds make their way inside the cave to sleep and bats make their way out. We had a guide who took us on a bamboo raft thought the cave. Along the way they liked to persuade us that rocks looked like certain things: dinosaurs, UFO's, boobs etc.. but we weren't buying it. At sunset we sat and watched the thousands of birds and it was really amazing to see. With that many birds coming overhead someone's bound to get pooped on. It wasn't us in the end luckily :)
Pai is extremely laid back. Most bars have bonfires as it's not as warm as southern thailand at night. Like everywhere we've been to so far the people are really welcoming and don't want to say no. They laugh nervously in a lot of situations (even when accidentally banging a trailer into your legs) hehehe. If you ask them how to get somewhere and they don't have a clue then they'll usually tell you a direction just so they don't feel humiliated.
Today we're on our way to Laos with Joe and Frederike. It's going to take us 2 and half days with a boat and a few buses. Goodbye for now Thailand!!
Love Sarah xxx