Back to Chiang Mai

Back from the Switzerland of Thailand - the region around Mae Hong Son along the border to Burma/Myanmar. This also means back to Chiang Mai to prepare my 2-day-trip up to Laos along the Mekong river by boat to the world heritage site of Luang Prabang. Chiang Mai also stands for more temple visits and Thai food, off course.

But let me start story by story. My short trip to Pai on the way up north was rather exhausting. Though less than 150 km by minibus, the pass crossing in Mae Hong son Province takes its toll like on a boat in heavy sea: sharp curves up and down with hardly getting a view through the jungle forrests, only rewarded after more than 3 hours to reach Pai village, settled along the slopes of the Huai Nam Dong National Park. Arriving with the notice of an approaching monsoon, it took me more than a day to recover physically from the bobsleigh track. Only to be followed by the rainfalls usually coming along with a monsoon. Suddenly my simple place just next the local busstation became crowed as the river left its banks over night. However, tropical rain under a dry shelter is something I like. The sound of rain approaching while knocking on the corrugated iron sheets is something familiar for me from my time in Africa: it means a welcome drop in heat and brings along that typical smell.

Pai itself developed over the last years from a rather small village along the road to "Switzerland" into a kind of honeypot place, with a funny mix of tourists - from backpackers to South Korean girls with their trolley suitcases in one and small sun umbrellas in the other hand walking along the narrow streets beaded with lots of small shops, restaurants and mobile stands. Click here to see my slide show of Pai village.

While I prefered a hike up the hills on my own to a Chinese Village, most enjoy more adventurous activities, like trekking, rafting, riding on elephants, or more relaxed taking hot spring bath or Thai massage. Maybe the latter would have been not such a bad idea, because in absence of a direct connection to Fang (onwards to Chiang Rai) I still had the "rough sea" back to Chiang Mai ahead.

I made it ... without bigger hassles. Hence, no better reward than searching today for the best-known-secret for northern style Thai food: the Huan Pheng restaurant in the old part of the city. What a pitty that I was without company. Thai food (as many other Asian dishes) is best served for a group of friends - ordering, sharing, and eating through the tasty variety of local food on small plates and cups. Afternoon I spend with the monks to get my favored dessert: watching tourists in search for the x-spot (to take the best pixel shot) from my shaddy place on a garden bench. Eventually I did find my x-spot too, as I share with monks my fascination and admiration for tall trees.