Last weekend we were back in the city in Chiang Mai, down from the mountains and ready to party hardy with Alam and his crew. Turns out I still have a bit of party left in me (for one night, but not two), and we ended up having a really great weekend. Last Monday, we made our way down to Pai for a few days, which has now turned into a week and counting…
The ride up here was spectacular. Up a winding mountain road where the scenery never got dull and the twists and turns never seemed to end. And then, all of a sudden, we were here.
Pai was probably once quiet and quaint, but it has turned into a backpackers town through and through. The main street boasts bars and guesthouses one after the next, and the riverside near the town has been overtaken with bungalows and bars and bamboo bridges. But for us, it’s not so bad. There is wifi access everywhere (except, as luck would have it, the guest house where we’re staying), there are lots of places to eat, and some local live musicians who can play a mean acoustic guitar.
We’ve taken to dropping by The Buffalo Exchange in the evenings – a resto/bar with a drummer and guitarist who sing classic pop and rock covers with perfect English accents. A place (much like all the other places) where you can get a beer for $1, and if your tastes lead you in this direction, an entire mickey of whiskey for $5, mix included.
The Pai river runs along the edge of town, and our wifi-free guest house sits on the river, with a beautiful, quiet garden in the back, which is what is keeping us there. There are hammocks and green space and it’s set back from the road and away from the town so the noise isn’t a bother.
Stu and I went tubing down the river yesterday – my first time tubing in a real river (I don’t think the lazy river at Wild Water Kingdom really counts). We were the only two people out there, on a hot lazy Sunday afternoon. Two hours floating down a cool river under the hot sun through quiet, untouched northern Thailand. Not bad at all.
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