So far, my posts have mostly focused on the highlights of my Asia trip. Even though I’m usually able to find something to appreciate about any destination, there were definitely a number of places where I had a much harder time enjoying myself. While chatting with travelers in Chiang Mai, the common theme was that everyone was either coming from or soon to be heading to a place called Pai. I had heard and read only good things about the village, so on a whim, I decided to devote my last weekend in Thailand to this place everyone was raving about. Summed up: it wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t the best.
Have to admit, walking through banana fields was pretty cool
Pai is known for being a sort of paradise mountain village, close to the Thai border with Myanmar, full of hippies and yogis, with a lively bar scene, all surrounded by lush hills and fields. To get there, most people rent a scooter or motorcycle in Chiang Mai and drive the 700 or so switchbacks on the mountain highway to Pai themselves, which I was planning to do until a couple of British chaps I met advised against it after hearing that I had never ridden a motorized bike of any sort in my life. Some Californians I had met at the hostel had been in a similar situation, and assured me that I would get the hang of it quickly, and have no problem with the mountain drive to Pai. I elected to follow the advice of the Brits, partially because I didn’t want to end up having waited 27 years to get my first tattoo, only to get obliterated the very next day in a Thai-mountain-highway disaster of my own making. I ended up booking passage on the daily shuttle to Pai, which picked me up right outside my hostel and allowed me to comfortably sit back and enjoy the winding road to Pai. The start of the journey was promising: The shuttle slithered from one switchback to the next in a sea of soft, forested mountaintops, with splashes of orange and purple cutting through the dense blanket of green. If I had been wrestling with a scooter the whole way, I would have been tense and focused on the road, with the magic of the journey all but lost to me.
One of the many street food stalls in the village
Upon arrival in Pai, I found the village to be less than mesmerizing. The streets buzzed with tourists at a much higher concentration than Chiang Mai, and all of the bars and restaurants were gimmicky and very Western (to be fair though, the street food was fantastic). Even though Pai has the reputation of being a party town, many people visit to wander its gorgeous, surrounding countryside. Unfortunately for me, I learned upon arrival that late February is deemed ‘burning season’, meaning that the local farmers had recently finished harvest, and have burned the remnants of their crops, sending columns of smoke up into the atmosphere, creating a thick, dusty haze obscuring the distant mountains, and fouling the air. Even given the less than desirable air quality, I felt that I’d have more fun exploring the countryside than sitting around in the village. The best way to get around, however, is via scooter/bike. I found a spot to rent one and was about to put my deposit down when the owner asked me if I have ridden a bike before. I answered honestly, and his facial expression suddenly suddenly gave way to concern. With healthy skepticism, he had me sit down on a bike, and watched as I fumbled around looking for a way to try and start it. I convinced him that I would be fine as long as he could get me started. He then proceeded to give me a short but disastrous lesson on how to ride a scooter. To be fair, he tried to teach me while he was sitting on the back of the damn thing, meaning I had double the weight to deal with when trying to maneuver the bike around the village. I felt confident and comfortable, until while taking a corner, I couldn’t figure out how to compensate for his extra weight while slowing the bike, and we narrowly missed a pole. That was the end of it - he told me he wouldn’t rent the bike to me, as he had no faith in my riding abilities.
From Pai Canyon. Notice how difficult it is to make out the distant mountains through the thick, smoky haze.
The scooter fiasco was a nice little hit to my ego. Determined to explore, I soon found myself riding through the hills on a mere bicycle, pedaling away as other travelers zoomed past on their scooters. The way I thought of it, was that now I was able to better connect with my surroundings, traversing the countryside using only my own two legs. I ended up turning around on my way to a famous bamboo bridge, because the road leading to it was too treacherous for a bicycle - dangerously steep and rocky, I felt like I would fly over my handlebars at any instant as the little bike and I rumbled down a gravel slope with my hands gripping both brakes like vices. After a short visit to Pai Canyon, I popped a tire on the highway when I was at exactly the furthest point along my circular route from town. So I waited at the roadside for half an hour for my replacement bike, and as I looked out at the smoggy, distant mountains realized that these were probably not the best atmospheric conditions for one to engage in physical activity without a pollution mask.
Where I waited with a flat tire for another bike. The Thai SIM card I purchased sure came in handy.
The weekend was not a complete loss, however, as it did have its moments. For starters, I got my first ever Thai Massage - from an old local woman - who made a sudden “uh oh” noise at the unfortunate discovery that the sunburn on my back from Goa was still peeling. And then on my bike ride back to the village, after pedaling fiercely to escape a couple of snarling dogs that nipped at my heels while chasing me down the road, I came upon what I thought to be an elephant sanctuary. I got to meet a couple of the beautiful, gentle animals, but soon realized that it may not have been a sanctuary, as both of them had a set of chains keeping them constrained within their shelters. But most importantly, I got to meet many kind and genuine people at the hostel I was at; both fellow travelers, as well as a couple of young local pool sharks that challenged me to a match in the common room.
I only won because they both scratched on the 8 ball.
Pai is a great place to go if you just want to relax and have a good time (and if you have any measurable amount of skill with a motorized bike). I wouldn’t recommend it if you desire to experience Thai culture. From the context of me having just spent a challenging three weeks in India, and having so many meaningful interactions with the locals, I think the easy-going, touristy atmosphere of Pai was at odds with what I was used to (Goa had a similar vibe, but the beaches were infinitely more pleasant than the dusty mountains around Pai). I probably could have avoided the visit with a little bit of Googling, but it was still a valuable lesson and exercise of making the most out whatever situation I happened to find myself in.
