Would you like some coffee with your Pai?

Pai is a place where you can go to a coffee shop, sit down next to an Israeli stranger, and have the most meaningful conversation of your life.  Pai is a place where the sun is shining, but it doesn't burn you because you've been out traveling for so long.  Pai is a bustling town of 2000 people surrounded by hills and rivers that smile at you and sing "welcome to your new home."

In Pai, the most commonly used word is "love."  Signs everywhere say "Pai is in love."  Souvenirs are covered in hearts and smiley faces.  What a change from the vagina ashtrays and marijuana posters that are the top-selling items in Bangkok.  What a welcome change.

Pai is a place where a Muslim woman in a full burka sells the best blueberry muffins in town.  Pai is a place where an old man - completely white from his hair to his toes - can say "this is my home now."  Pai is a truly international town where people come for the rumors and stay for the truth.  People find trivial reasons to stay in Pai: They like the ice-cold mountain rivers splashing against their backs on hot, rainless days.  They like the rain when it finally comes and the warm Thai father figure who says "Sawatdekup.  Come sit here - it's too wet out there."  They like how the geckos change colors and how the dogs sleep in the middle of the main road.  They like Pai (and coffee and icecream and papaya salad), and they find no reason to be anywhere but here.

But really - How many times do you look at your life and smile because you're truly happy?  How many times do you lie down because you want to, and not because someone pushed you there?  How many times do you let a mosquito bite you because, well, this is their world too?  How many times have you lied down on a warm rock in the pouring monsoon and thought "actually, thunder has a very nice sound."  For me, Pai is a special place because it gives me these things.

I left Pai yesterday.  I guess I'm on a schedule now - I have to get through Laos and catch a plane from Bangkok on June 13th.  Where did the last 5 months go?  When I bought that plane ticket to leave Thailand, June 13th seemed so far away - like it would never come.  Now, I'm becoming that traveler who gets to say "I'm going home soon."

"Home?  Like, to your bungalow?"
"No, I'm leaving Asia."
"Good for you, dude.  Good for you."

I know that this traveling life isn't a sustainable thing, but it's hard to let go of something so great.  Pai is an especially hard place to let go of.  However, I guess that one of the best things I learned on this trip was how to let go of the people, places, and possessions that become very special to you.

OK, enough sentimental stuff.  Here are some pictures from Pai.  This is the Nam Tok Mo Paeng waterfall with some American boys swimming in it.  The waterfall actually continues into a bigger waterfall after this little pool.  The little waterfall that you see in this picture is a perfect natural waterslide.  You can actually even jump off the rock above the waterfall into the pool - it's pretty deep.

This is the Chinese Village right outside of Pai before you get to the waterfall.  It was a really cute place, and everyone there actually speaks Chinese. 

This is more of the Chinese Village.

The Chinese Village has a man-powered Ferris wheel.  This picture is a few of us on the Ferris wheel. It's a really difficult project to get on and off of it, but it's a blast once you're on.

This is the main temple in the Chinese Village.  It's really nice and clean, and it has a good view of the valley.

This is the view from the Chinese temple.  It looks much better in person.

This is one of the American guys (Mike) shooting things with a crossbow.  It's much harder than it looks.

This is me on my motorbike riding around the Pai countryside!  I've gotten really good at riding them, and I think I might even get one once I'm home and I've made a little bit of money.

This is a lovely Irish man named Will/Steve.  When I met Will/Steve, he had this brilliant idea that we should all just pick random names for eachother, since we're just travelers and would forget eachother's names after a few days anyway.  The German girls and I decided that he looks like a Steve, but I found out later that his real name is Will.  He and the American boys decided that I look like a Sara, so that's what I was called for my week in Pai.

This is another waterfall right outside of Pai.  I can't remember the name of it for the life of me. 

Here's me under the waterfall.  I've always wanted to stand under a waterfall.

This is me at the Pai canyon.  It wasn't too impressive of a canyon, but at least it had a nice trail that you could walk around.

Here's Will/Steve at the canyon.

This is the trail that goes around the canyon.  It was kind of fun to walk on these skinny little paths - it makes you feel pretty hardcore.



These pictures don't even show half the beauty of Pai.  I was so excited about being there that I barely took any pictures.  I guess I'm also a bit behind on writing my blog, because I've now been in Chiang Rai for 2 days, and I'm leaving to go to Luang Prabang (in Laos) tomorrow morning.  Compared to the schedule I made while I was planning my trip, I'm only 1 day behind for entering Laos.  Not bad, I'd say.  Throughout my trip in Thailand and Malaysia, however, I've been visiting many fewer places than I initially planned on and spending more time in those places.  I hope I have enough time in Laos!