My minivan driver who took me to Pai finally showed up an hour late and there were fortunately just four of us passengers for this 3-hour journey up the mountains which they say has 793 curves. I needed to be buckled up to keep from sliding around the seats.
I had come to Pai in the fall of 2018, expecting to do some rafting and trekking, but my right knee injury got worse and I had to cancel the rest of my trip and return for a meniscus operation. At that time Travelguard Insurance paid for my medical clinic visit and paid for the cost of my change in flight back home.
This time of year the water level is low so there is no exciting rafting other than tubing down the nearby river. However, it doesn’t seem to be a pristine water adventure for me with lots of effluent draining down from the many restaurants and guest houses that line the river.
The place I had planned to stay at was full, so I ended up staying at the Pai Family Huts just next door. This bungalow costs just 400 Baht per night with a fan, hot water shower, and hammock.
I trekked up to the White Buddha at the Wat Phra That Mae Yen which included 353 steps. Upon my return, I enjoyed a mango smoothie for just 30 Baht followed by a coconut oil one hour massage for just 250 Baht—$8.35USD.
The downtown area looks like it is a transplant from the backpacker ghetto found in Bangkok along Ko San Road. Lots of bars with some live entertainment along with canned music—mostly Reggae—tattoo parlors, tour guides, restaurants, street food to go, and massage parlors. At night the pop-up food vendors, trinket vendors show up for the backpacker crowd to graze on. The number of tattoos on some of the people is beyond counting including those covering the neck, face, and scalp.
It surprises me that with so many similar towns up in the mountains that this one became the go-to place for backpackers and the tourist activities grew in response to their arrival. I wonder what will be the next “go-to” place will be for future backpackers.
I still get a kick out of seeing so many backpackers carrying not only a large backpack but also in front of a big day pack while many of them are wearing just tee shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. I enjoy the freedom of carrying my 8 lb pack which makes it easy to travel on moto-taxis, buses, and trains as well as walking about town looking for places to stay.
There were a number of musical performers at the restaurants and bars and Jane Luckana Santiyanont was my favorite. She said that she wasn’t on YouTube so I asked if I could post some of her singing there. She was fine with that. Her guitarist at the second place said he was on YouTube at Nhum Ondayspacial. I will have to check that out.
For breakfast restaurants served up the Millennial special-avocados on everything, even toast. I had the eggs, avocado Benedict that included a side of fried tomatoes and sorrel leaves in the Benedict. It was delicious and better for you than Canadian bacon, the usual ingredient.
I found a seamstress who patched up my man bag for just 30 Baht—$1USD.
I just wander Pai including visits to some of the Wats in town along with visiting the local market and reading while resting in my bungalow hammock.
In early mornings it is just 52 degrees and by afternoon the temperatures are in the low 90s. The fan in my room works just fine as well as the toilet with the bucket nearby to flush it. I didn’t need the mosquito net although it was hanging over the bed at the ready.
I got to the Aya bus area about 6:30 for my 7 am ride back to Chiang Mai and fortunately a nearby restaurant was open so I had another avocado treat—egg on avocado spread toast and bacon on avocado spread toast along with a cafe latte. Here you can’t just get a coffee and then add cream and sugar, but the crank up espresso machines for all coffee needs—another Millennial favorite or else some aggressive expresso machine sale person convinced all of these restaurants to buy these. No instant Nescafé for these Millennials here in Pai.
The ride back to Chiang Mai was just as curvaceous as coming up and fortunately, there were just 4 passengers in our van. The other two 7 AM vans were completely full. I arrived at the Pratu Tha Phae gate about 9:30 AM and made my way to the terminal 3 Arcade Bus Terminal just before the 11am bus left for Chiang Rai. Because of road construction it took us 4 hours rather than three at a cost of just 180 Baht.
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