and so to Pai...
Well I made it to Pai eventually...
I got on my bus at 5.30pm and sat next to the window but the FATTEST Thai girl I have seen was booked into the seat next to me. I was really annoyed and decided to stand (sit) my ground and make myself as large as possible. But after a few minutes I just had to laugh. It was so ridiculous that I had another hellish journey squished into the window of this uncomfy bus for four and a half hours.
The cliche about travelling - particularly by yourself - is that you learn stuff about yourself. Well, I learned that day that I could destress myself and shrug my shoulders when faced with a ridiculous amount of unnecessary travel and silly situations. Mai pen rai - it doesn't matter, no problem - as they say here.
I got to Chiang Mai at about 10pm and headed for a neon blue hotel sign. Naturally it was beyond my budget (stinky backpack and marble floors do not go well together), and even my winning smile could not budge them on the price. I was reluctant to head back to the tuk tuks to take me into town as I had to be at the bus station around 7am and some of the drivers were a bit scary.
Luckily, one of the staff popped me on the back of his motorbike and took me a couple of blocks to a guesthouse - it was a bit overpriced but fine and even had a TV. The only thing that i could vaguely understand was the Man City v Chelsea match with Thai commentary.
Unfortunately a bright neon light lit up my room all night but otherwise the place was fine.
I got to the bus station (passing a dead rat on the street the size of a cat) at about 7.20am to find the 8am bus was full and had to wait for 9am local bus. Trip was uneventful - mists clouded the peaks of the mountains so the view wasn't as good as hoped.
Rick and Mem, the travel to teach coordinators, met me at the bus station and took me to Wonderland House - the pai dorm. There is a big kitchen with balcony and four bungalows with shower rooms (hot showers!) and I have one to myself. Rick took me on a tour of the town by motorbike and we had much at Mem's sister's restaurant.
He asked me what I wanted to do and see here and I mentionned trekking, elephant riding and rafting. A cloud passed over his face. Two weekends ago one of the volunteers drowned rafting.
Her name was Susan and she was 23 I think. Dutch. She was a week and a half into a three year round the world trip with her boyfriend.
No one knows what happened but she was sucked down by the current. Her lifejacket and helmet were found seperately. It is just so heartbreaking. Her boyfriend had to pack up all her stuff, all the new things they had bought for their trip which such joy just weeks before. It leaves me cold. It could have been anyone.
The other volunteers are Gemma, an Australian journalist - an ex Sun and Sydney Daily Telegraph reporter, Rebbekah, a German girl who was in Namsom the first week I was there, Yessica and Elkie - two German girls I have only met briefly.
Coordinator Rick was staying at the bungalows until this morning when he moved out because he saw a rat in the room. Luckily his is the only all-wood bungalow...
Pai is a lot lot busier than Namsom but much nicer than Vang Vieng. The mountains surround Pai's valley but not in an overbearing way. The town is full of westerners (although it is not peak season) off to do hikes and treks and the sort of travellers you imagine meeting in hippie places - dreads, colourful baggy clothing... the kind who get stuck here for years and create a mini-Glastonbury green fields.
But there is plenty to do, from visiting waterfalls to hot springs, climbing to temples on the mountain (I did one yesterday), to watching movies in private rooms in bars.
At the weekend I hope to ride an elephant (don't get jealous Natalie) and go swimming with it, and go to the waterfalls. I may even treat myself to a day spa - all the volunteers will have left except Gemma and she is doing a visa run this weekend.
However the teaching is manic. Unlike my lovely Namsom class - I have three hours in the morning at one schools (various classes from Year 4 to Year 6 and all pretty naughty) and then two hours in the afternoon at a different school (much better behaved and varying from Year 1 to 6). I think I will be glad to see the end of the teaching next week...
I got on my bus at 5.30pm and sat next to the window but the FATTEST Thai girl I have seen was booked into the seat next to me. I was really annoyed and decided to stand (sit) my ground and make myself as large as possible. But after a few minutes I just had to laugh. It was so ridiculous that I had another hellish journey squished into the window of this uncomfy bus for four and a half hours.
The cliche about travelling - particularly by yourself - is that you learn stuff about yourself. Well, I learned that day that I could destress myself and shrug my shoulders when faced with a ridiculous amount of unnecessary travel and silly situations. Mai pen rai - it doesn't matter, no problem - as they say here.
I got to Chiang Mai at about 10pm and headed for a neon blue hotel sign. Naturally it was beyond my budget (stinky backpack and marble floors do not go well together), and even my winning smile could not budge them on the price. I was reluctant to head back to the tuk tuks to take me into town as I had to be at the bus station around 7am and some of the drivers were a bit scary.
Luckily, one of the staff popped me on the back of his motorbike and took me a couple of blocks to a guesthouse - it was a bit overpriced but fine and even had a TV. The only thing that i could vaguely understand was the Man City v Chelsea match with Thai commentary.
Unfortunately a bright neon light lit up my room all night but otherwise the place was fine.
I got to the bus station (passing a dead rat on the street the size of a cat) at about 7.20am to find the 8am bus was full and had to wait for 9am local bus. Trip was uneventful - mists clouded the peaks of the mountains so the view wasn't as good as hoped.
Rick and Mem, the travel to teach coordinators, met me at the bus station and took me to Wonderland House - the pai dorm. There is a big kitchen with balcony and four bungalows with shower rooms (hot showers!) and I have one to myself. Rick took me on a tour of the town by motorbike and we had much at Mem's sister's restaurant.
He asked me what I wanted to do and see here and I mentionned trekking, elephant riding and rafting. A cloud passed over his face. Two weekends ago one of the volunteers drowned rafting.
Her name was Susan and she was 23 I think. Dutch. She was a week and a half into a three year round the world trip with her boyfriend.
No one knows what happened but she was sucked down by the current. Her lifejacket and helmet were found seperately. It is just so heartbreaking. Her boyfriend had to pack up all her stuff, all the new things they had bought for their trip which such joy just weeks before. It leaves me cold. It could have been anyone.
The other volunteers are Gemma, an Australian journalist - an ex Sun and Sydney Daily Telegraph reporter, Rebbekah, a German girl who was in Namsom the first week I was there, Yessica and Elkie - two German girls I have only met briefly.
Coordinator Rick was staying at the bungalows until this morning when he moved out because he saw a rat in the room. Luckily his is the only all-wood bungalow...
Pai is a lot lot busier than Namsom but much nicer than Vang Vieng. The mountains surround Pai's valley but not in an overbearing way. The town is full of westerners (although it is not peak season) off to do hikes and treks and the sort of travellers you imagine meeting in hippie places - dreads, colourful baggy clothing... the kind who get stuck here for years and create a mini-Glastonbury green fields.
But there is plenty to do, from visiting waterfalls to hot springs, climbing to temples on the mountain (I did one yesterday), to watching movies in private rooms in bars.
At the weekend I hope to ride an elephant (don't get jealous Natalie) and go swimming with it, and go to the waterfalls. I may even treat myself to a day spa - all the volunteers will have left except Gemma and she is doing a visa run this weekend.
However the teaching is manic. Unlike my lovely Namsom class - I have three hours in the morning at one schools (various classes from Year 4 to Year 6 and all pretty naughty) and then two hours in the afternoon at a different school (much better behaved and varying from Year 1 to 6). I think I will be glad to see the end of the teaching next week...
posted by charlie at 7:47 pm
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