My First Time!
The feeling of the wind in your face, the unobstructed 360 degree views, the bugs in your teeth..... On Friday (22 December) I road a motorbike for the first time in my life. I've been on the back of a motorbike many-a-times, but never directly behind the wheel. I had scouted motorbike rental places the previous day while exploring Pai, but today was the day to follow through. Pai was the perfect place to 'learn how' to ride a motorbike. Very little traffic and plenty of small, windy back roads to explore. I thought the balancing part would be very similar to a bicycle but it wasn't. A motorbike is much heavier than a bicycle but I got the hang of it soon enough. After riding around Pai town a little bit getting used to the new sensation, figuring out turning, signals, brakes, and gas, I headed off to explore some of the sights around Pai that are best reached on a motorbike. To make things just a bit more interesting cars drive on the left (i.e. wrong) side of the road in Thailand, but it had been so long since I have driven and I've spent the past ~2.5 months in countries where they drive on the left (Nepal too), that that part really wasn't an issue for me. In fact so many people have their first motorbike ride experience in Pai that there are signs along the roads which read "please remember to drive on the left". I rented an automatic so as to make things as simple as possible, since I've never actually driven a stick..... It was really cheap to rent the motorbike, only 100 Baht plus 40 Baht for insurance. So less than $4/day total. Plus maybe $1.50/day for fuel. The motorbike only holds 2 liters of fuel!!
First I drove to Mo Paeng waterfall which wasn't really that impressive but a nice place to explore a little and hang out in the sun. I met 4 Canadians there (1 guy and 3 girls; Scott, Blair, Kara, Jess) who I would continue to run into in Pai and beyond. Then I went back to Pai for lunch and then on to Pam Bok waterfall. Getting to this waterfall was a little tricky due to the bumby, dirt road and narrow bridges. This made riding on paved roads feel like a breeze. I was extremely cautious and super aware the entire time I was on the motorbike. I didn't want to go very fast either. Local drivers are extremely motor bike friendly and give you plenty of room and communication (i.e. honks). After Pam Bok waterfall I road to Tha Pai Hot Springs. Only a couple of small, way-to-hot pools, are outside the park entrance and it was too pricey to go into the park, so I had to be content with watching the locals boil eggs in the springs just outside the entrance. Here I ran into the 4 Candians again who were going into the park. Then I stopped by a resort/hotel (Tha Pai Resort Camping) that pipes some of the spring water into a bathing pool there. I didn't get in though.
Then I headed back to my bungalow in Pai where I ran into Ivo and Helen again. I knew they were coming in Pai that evening and it was fun to meet up with them. We went out to dinner at a great Mexican food place (Pai has really, really fantastic Thai and international food) and then for some beers by fire at the bungalows.
On Saturday (23 December) Ivo and Helen rented a motorbike too so I had some company to explore some more of the back roads with. We had a good map and drove all around just enjoying the scenery and fun roads. After lunch in Pai, we drove out to Pai Canyon and hiked around there for a little while. Pai Canyon is not really anything much other than some small, unique ridges rising above the valley affording some moderate views of the surroundings. Then we made some stops at both hot spring spots again, opting once again not to get in at either place. Then back to Pai for dinner and a little drinking and fun. There was a ban on alcohol on Saturday due to a public holiday (local elections) which had the affect of causing everyone to consume more alcohol due to the difficulty in obtaining said alcohol.
On Sunday (24 December) morning I returned the motorbike, having explored all the local backroads and points of interest. Then I saw Ivo and Helen off, who were going to Chiang Mai to spend Christmas there. We made plans to meet up at the Thai/Laos border on 28 December to take the boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos together. I spent the rest of the day walking around Pai, relaxing, doing laundry, and hanging out with some others in the bungalow restaurant which over looks the river. All the restaurants in Pai are open-air which is really nice this time of year. After dinner at the bungalow restaurant, we went out looking for something to do, but ended up coming back to the fire by the bungalow which was packed with people, many very intoxicated (second and last day of public holiday). I had decided to take a night off from all the partying due to an ever so slight hangover Sunday morning.
Monday morning, 25 December, Christmas day, I decided there wasn't much left for me to see or do in Pai so I decided to head up the road to Soppong, Thailand (per Alan's suggestions). It felt like any other day to me but would turn out to be unlike any Christmas I'd had before.
First I drove to Mo Paeng waterfall which wasn't really that impressive but a nice place to explore a little and hang out in the sun. I met 4 Canadians there (1 guy and 3 girls; Scott, Blair, Kara, Jess) who I would continue to run into in Pai and beyond. Then I went back to Pai for lunch and then on to Pam Bok waterfall. Getting to this waterfall was a little tricky due to the bumby, dirt road and narrow bridges. This made riding on paved roads feel like a breeze. I was extremely cautious and super aware the entire time I was on the motorbike. I didn't want to go very fast either. Local drivers are extremely motor bike friendly and give you plenty of room and communication (i.e. honks). After Pam Bok waterfall I road to Tha Pai Hot Springs. Only a couple of small, way-to-hot pools, are outside the park entrance and it was too pricey to go into the park, so I had to be content with watching the locals boil eggs in the springs just outside the entrance. Here I ran into the 4 Candians again who were going into the park. Then I stopped by a resort/hotel (Tha Pai Resort Camping) that pipes some of the spring water into a bathing pool there. I didn't get in though.
Then I headed back to my bungalow in Pai where I ran into Ivo and Helen again. I knew they were coming in Pai that evening and it was fun to meet up with them. We went out to dinner at a great Mexican food place (Pai has really, really fantastic Thai and international food) and then for some beers by fire at the bungalows.
On Saturday (23 December) Ivo and Helen rented a motorbike too so I had some company to explore some more of the back roads with. We had a good map and drove all around just enjoying the scenery and fun roads. After lunch in Pai, we drove out to Pai Canyon and hiked around there for a little while. Pai Canyon is not really anything much other than some small, unique ridges rising above the valley affording some moderate views of the surroundings. Then we made some stops at both hot spring spots again, opting once again not to get in at either place. Then back to Pai for dinner and a little drinking and fun. There was a ban on alcohol on Saturday due to a public holiday (local elections) which had the affect of causing everyone to consume more alcohol due to the difficulty in obtaining said alcohol.
On Sunday (24 December) morning I returned the motorbike, having explored all the local backroads and points of interest. Then I saw Ivo and Helen off, who were going to Chiang Mai to spend Christmas there. We made plans to meet up at the Thai/Laos border on 28 December to take the boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos together. I spent the rest of the day walking around Pai, relaxing, doing laundry, and hanging out with some others in the bungalow restaurant which over looks the river. All the restaurants in Pai are open-air which is really nice this time of year. After dinner at the bungalow restaurant, we went out looking for something to do, but ended up coming back to the fire by the bungalow which was packed with people, many very intoxicated (second and last day of public holiday). I had decided to take a night off from all the partying due to an ever so slight hangover Sunday morning.
Monday morning, 25 December, Christmas day, I decided there wasn't much left for me to see or do in Pai so I decided to head up the road to Soppong, Thailand (per Alan's suggestions). It felt like any other day to me but would turn out to be unlike any Christmas I'd had before.
posted by Dustin at 4:05 AM
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