Rope up that Crazy Horse!

Photos from climbing in Chiang Mai and a few other goodies :)

Pi, Pai!

My last day in Chiang Mai has officially snuck-up and it has truly been a remarkable, refreshing experience. Although I am a traveler, I find myself feeling at home in this old city. I am even guilty while drinking my morning coffee of watching tourists and smiling at their confusion only to remember "o wait, I'm a tourist, too!" Needless to say, this city is enchanting, friendly and diverse.

Rewinding the clock for a moment; last week I traveled 3 hours north to the small city of Pai. Now there are two options for reaching this little mountain town. Option A) board upon a tour bus that will take about 3-4 hrs on a total of 762 mountain turns (guaranteed to leave even the strongest stomach feeling sick). Or, Option B) rent a motorbike for roughly 200baht a day and drive yourself personally through the beautiful Northern Thai jungle with the freedom to stop at any coffee shop, local lunch cart and any of the multitude of waterfalls and hot springs scattered along the way. I chose option B.

I rented my moped from a small shop in Chiang Mai called Mr. Mechanic. Although their rates are slightly above average, it is for the reassurance of a quality bike and overall service. My bike was 250 baht a day (including insurance). The insurance guaranteed paying full amount of any accidents, as well as any required transportation costs should the bike have an issue. I found this reassuring.

Driving on the road to Pai was possibly the happiest I have yet to feel in Thailand. Mainly because driving a moped up a severe incline consisting of dodgy gravel, 762 sharp turns and random wildlife crossing is my definition of a good time! I put in my headphones, rocked out to some awesome music and went into Fast and Furious montage mode. It was epic.

Personal suggestion: Bring a rain coat and wear a helmet, as well as eye protection! Additionally, before signing a rental agreement, check: tires, brakes, acceleration and if you are renting a manual make sure the clutch doesn't stick or jolt - these are popular issues when renting)

*On that note, if you are new to mopeds or just aren't feeling up to drifting on the corners, please stay in your comfort zone. The drive is dangerous and even one of my new friends was already in an accident. Honk around the corners, stay to the left and never go faster than you're comfortable!*

I arrived to Pai with, like always, no specific plans or reservations. My first night was spent at the Circus School. Hippies with long dreads and less clothes sat on cushions discussing their newest acts of free love and such while poy and slack line were performed with Bob Marley theme music. Sure, totally my kind of setting. However, sadly, not the most welcoming! Driving up on my moped with my climbing shoes and frisbee sticking out of my backpack, an immediate sensation of well.... judgement was overwhelming. Not a smile could be seen, only staring. Apparently I was not welcome in this circle and so I stayed only one night. 

I made the personal decision to Go-Big rather than Go-Home, so my next night I paid my $30 for a private villa at a resort. Now this place was high-class! My villa was overlooking the rice paddy fields and endless jungle mountains. Perched atop the closest mountain was a beautiful white Buddha overlooking the fields. The room had an open air rain-style shower and even came with two free bottles of water and bottomless coffee! For a backpacker, this place was incredible. Upon checking in, I made the personal decision to be reclusive while in Pai and work on relaxing and recharging. 

Most of my days were spent reading on my patio, watching the rice workers and simply absorbing the beauty of the mountains. When I would finally feel the necessary desire to do something, I would go on long drives. The back jungle of Pai is simply breathtaking. During the drive you'll find small villages, local restaurants, elephants trekking around and more. My favorite thing to do was drive until I could no longer find anything. Once this was achieved, I would find an ideal view to city and simply take in all the beauty of the landscape. 

My one day of adventure was spent at Thom's Elephant Sanctuary ( https://www.facebook.com/thomspaielephant ). Of course, being a solo traveler, signing up for a tour as a single person is always a unique experience. Fortunately, the staff was incredibly hospitable. Also, the company offers volunteer experiences so I was able to become friends with a volunteer named Ambre from France. She was my elephant riding co-captain! The tour included a 2-hr. trek through the jungle. 

*Note: I know that elephant trekking is controversial in Thailand because of the concern with the animal treatment. I personally only selected this company based upon reference and review. Thom's practices bareback riding and uses not saddles, carts, etc. Additionally, the elephants are not chained at night but are actually taken to the jungle for sleep. The staff and owner, Thom, grew up with elephants and genuinely treat them as family. It was warming to see and a practice I fully support.*

I had a fantastic experience riding the elephants though mostly because of the river part! Not only do you ride through the jungle, you are eventually brought to a rive that is runoff from the Hot Springs. The elephant walks into the water and you get to swim and bathe the elephant! They shoot water from their trunks at you and you even get to play "Ride the Elephant". Basically, "Ride the Elephant" is the Thai version of bull riding. You sit on the neck of the elephant, grab both ears and when the trainer yells "PI!" the elephant starts shaking its head vigorously until you are thrown off into the river! Now this scared the small Chinese child next to me yet I was laughing hysterically and tried multiple times to achieve 8 seconds (closest I got was about 2 haha!).

For food, almost ever night I ate at the local market. It is about 2 blocks up from the river on the northern side. Every possible food is served there. One night I had Pad See-Ew, another night was middle-eastern kebab and, of course, endless fruit smoothies. A meal with drink never cost more than 60 baht. Although, my favorite coffee has been in Pai at a place called Coffee In Love (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee-in-Love-Pai/584904048230114). A small shop overlooking the beautiful valley that serves true espresso and also has the best pastry items I've had in Thailand. Personal favorite: Banana chocolate cake - To. Die. For. I had coffee twice here and simply sat staring at the view and reading my books. Very relaxing and delicious. 

I don't want to overwhelm you all with information so I shall end this entry with discussing my insider advice on Pai. Tomorrow I will recap on Chiang Mai and especially talk about my new favorite massage and coffee shops in this beautiful old city.