Pai

We have been staying the past four days in a beautiful green valley high in the mountains in the small town of Pai.  We drove up with our friends Ricardo and Plaa in a wonderful truck they rented for the four hour journey.  There are hundreds of turns and curves as you head through the countryside with the last 20 K or so quite scary as you shift into one hairpin turn after another.   Lots of coffee spots along the way as coffee beans are grown up in the higher elevation.  Strawberries too.  We detoured several miles down a narrow road to a natural geyser which is a state park.  Entrance fee for tourist was 200 baht and for locals 40 baht.  That's about $6 for us.  I think Plaa bargained and got us a special rate!  There we bought a bamboo basket of eggs which we then lowered in the boiling waters of the geyser.  Ricardo reported the next day they tasted perfectly delicious!  We arrived in the early evening at Bueng Pai Farms, our destination, about two miles out of town.  A  beautiful garden created by a Thai couple.  A small slice of nirvana.  There are about a dozen rustic cabins around a large fish pond and several open air buildings where they have cushions to relax on, a small library extended on stilts over the water, and several sitting areas.  Breakfast is served out of doors.  It is the only meal they make but it is incredible.  Amazing how many things are offered. Eggs in many styles, home made yogurt, fruit and muesli, French toast, press pots of coffee, lemongrass tea... Fresh bananas hang from hooks for your pleasure and endless cups of tea provided all day.  Best, everything is served with colorful flowers dressing up the pretty dishes and cooked with a loving heart.  It is so quiet out here, just the birds, the fountains, the fish jumping and splashing. Occasionally there is music in the distance, and very softly I can hear the monks chanting from the nearby Wat across the valley.  Of course the ambiguous motorcycle sounds...  Pai is a mecca for young hippie travelers, and sadly, to many Chinese tourists.  They are like a small invasion.  There is a walking street each night with locals selling all kinds of foods, clothing, mementos, tea served in tall bamboo sections, rice grilled on a stick,  pad Thai, nuts, cookies and fruit shakes. The streets are alive with lights, music, and a party atmosphere.  Many excellent restaurants.  We dined the first night at Charlie and Lek's, which is a very popular place.   We got the last table available and ordered spicy curries, noodle salads, coconut soup, and Thai dishes you've never heard of. The black rice was the best I have ever had.  Sated we rode back to the cabins down the narrowest road which proved to be a challenge in the big truck. Two cars can not pass side by side and of course we encountered two on the way.  They were smaller so they had to back up.  One area was so tight a motorcycle rider had to stop and help the driver maneuver into a small side drive which was bordered on either side by a drop off of several feet into a waterway sluicing by.  Scary!  That night it was freezing cold in our little cabin with bamboo walls.  No glass in the screened bathroom.  Ronnie slept in his down vest and long sleeve shirt.  I slept in my long sleeve shirt that I wore all day and have worn every day since we came.  Oh well, this isn't really a fashion kind of place.  We woke to heavy mist over the pond.  You couldn't see the surrounding mountains.  Ricardo and Plaa were already up and eating breakfast as they had to drive all the way back down the mountain, and catch their afternoon flight home to Koh Samui.  We drank small cups of coffee around a fire and warmed up. It was 44 degrees. Ronnie and I bought woolen hats from the owners.  We ate as the sun was emerging around 10 am and the mist burned off.  Afternoons are quite hot.  We walked into town.  Cruised around, saw a small motorcycle accident, ate some lunch and walked back home.  Rested and read on our deck over the pond.  Then we walked back before sunset and ate dinner.  We hoped to find some form of taxi, either motorcycle driver or car, but there didn't seem to be any form of transport.  We went into a tour company and begged the guys in there to find us transport.  Happily one of the guys offered to drive us home.   Yesterday I paid one of the workers here to take us in to town.  He has a motorcycle with a type of metal cage sidecar attached.  He took the huge black hairy sheepdog and me in the sidecar and Ronnie rode on the back of the motorcycle with him.  We were a sight!  The dog liked it better than me!  Now we have a motorcycle.  This morning we took a ride down some small country roads.  Saw some elephants and fed them bananas.  Took a circuitous ride back to the cabin.  Now Ron's asleep in the hammock and I am enjoying the solitude.  We've booked our transport back to Chiang Mai for tomorrow.  For $5@ they load you into a big modern van with a dozen people and make the four hour drive back to town.  At least going down the mountain the worst 20 K is in the beginning of the ride and it gets easier as you get further down.  Tomorrow night is the big weekend market in Chiang Mai.  After we rest up we can go over there and take a look around.  It will be hard to leave the tranquility and fresh air of Pai, but that's part of the trip.....