From the Observation Deck

* Comfort level of pillows in guest houses so far:
1) doormat
2) briefcase
3) sandbag

* Stray dogs. Everywhere.

* Reggae bars seem to be popular, run by Thai guys with fake dreadlocks.

Pai in the Sky II

We've gotten into the habit of waking up very early, or maybe we never got over that initial jetlag....it's a good thing because by lunch time we feel like we've already accomplished a lot. We have a tiny fan only room here at Charlie's Guest House. The mornings start with a litany of sounds we forget exist, in the city. Descending out of the clouds of sleep, we first notice the whir of the fan which is fixed to the wall directly facing the bed. It makes a coffee perculator sound as it beams over us like a spectator at a tennis match. Multiple genres of birdsong nudge us across that final threshold into awakeness. Today is our last (half) day in Pai.

The color green must have been invented here. What a special gem of a place this is - dare I use the word "magical," even. We were in search of a swimming pool I'd read about in Lonely Planet. No address, just "the pool." We asked around and decided to just wander on our bikes til we found it. Out past the main drag, across the river, everything became our own. Aside from the occasional pick up truck and motorcycle rider, there were none of the same familiar faces we'd seen over and over again in town. There we were, two stick fgures yet to be colored in, against a canvas saturated with the most brilliant palette of greens. Bright apple green rice fields lapped at the shores of densely forested, darker green mountains that go from here to Burma. Tucked into one hill was a pagoda, its white and gold stupa peeking through the treetops. Corrugated roofed grain shelters stood stately in the fields like silent metal buffalo sunning their backs. So incredibly peaceful. We followed the hand painted "swimming pool" sign to the most unexpected of places. This eco-oasis in the middle of farmland and not much else. Finding this pool was like hearing the ice cream man's bell from around the corner - it put huge smiles on our faces. Not ten feet from the landscaped pool area, a water buffalo the color of potter's clay was contentedly grazing.

Ahh, but storm clouds were poised and ready, and not ten minutes into pool frolic did the rain start. :( When it cleared we headed farther into the countryside and found the most delightful place, a restaurant called Lazy Chair. It had a thatched roof and bamboo mats on the ground, on top of which were strewn big lazy pillows for resting on and wooden benches for tables. The absence of walls served as our window to the most magnificent backdrop of the rice paddies. The owner of the restaurant, a beautiful wordly woman was handpainting "Lazy Chair" signs to post in town. We had all this to ourselves and felt incredibly lucky. We explored the rest of the day, each place getting better than the last the farther out we rode.

This town is all smiles and friendly faces, from Bohd at the Lazy Chair to Dennis, a native Oregonian who owns the all MAC internet store in town (Apple Pai, ha!) to the sweet Thai Chinese store owner with whom I was able to speak Mandarin and who immediately gave me an automatic You're-My-Peoples discount on a shirt I bought. (We're on a race to revamp our wardrobe and mail our first world clothes home.)

We could spend months here. We will surely return.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31967627@N00/sets/72157594283867546/

Pai in the Sky

The farther north we go, the smaller and quieter these towns get. A four hour drive north through windy mountain roads through jungley scenery that reminded us of Hawaii, we finally arrive in tiny Pai, a hippy enclave nestled comfortably between rice padis and cloud wrapped mountains. There is one main street strewn with guesthouses and tiny stores. Michael is still in recovery but bravely survived the trip with no incident. In fact, he's talked more in 2 hours today than in the last 36 hours. He's much better but still under the weather. Could be the food, the ice (but those watermelon shakes are too good to pass up!) or our malaria meds....no worries.
Just got here a few hours ago and will spend a few days here before heading to Hanoi.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31967627@N00/sets/72157594280788099/

Mae Taeng Elephant Camp

Sometimes you just have to be tourists.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31967627@N00/sets/72157594280791371/

Dear Sam, Val's relative who lives in Chiang Mai, who is part Indiana Jones, part Tarzan, part Mother Teresa, takes us to an amazing Thai dinner (lost those photos in the upload) and also to an elephant camp where we rode elephants, an ox cart, bamboo rafted down the river and completed the day with Mike falling very ill with what I think was the flu.

I stuffed my poor husband full of drugs, water and vitamin C and he spent all of yesterday sleeping it off. Today we boarded a packed van on a four hour journey north to a small town called Pai.