December 21, 2006 Pai, Thailand

December 21, 2006
Pai, Thailand

Spizz and I woke up this morning at around 9:00. It was so cold outside that we stayed in our warm beds and read for almost an hour. A few minutes before 10:00 we decided to brave the cold and head into town for some breakfast.

For the first time in months I felt like some eggs. Even more strange, I also had some tea (which I almost never drink) to warm up my body. After this strange breakfast we returned to our room and got ready for the day. It was almost 11:00 and the day had started to warm up. I threw on some shorts and Spizz (still feeling sick) put on his flowy outfit.

We wandered back into town and found a place to rent a couple of vespas (mopeds). After selecting our vehicles and grabbing our helmets we were driven just outside of town and given a crash course on how to drive the things. The first time I started mine I lurched forward. After that, everything was a breeze, even for Spizzle.

After a quick stop at the gas station we set out for Mo Paeng Waterfall (9 km northwest of town). Driving the Vespa was much more fun that I had anticipated. I absolutely loved it cruising through the Thai countryside on the motorbike. Still, I found it quite strange that on the way almost everyone we ran into offered to sell us marijuana and opium (we refused).

With a little help from the Thai military (directions) we made it to the waterfall. The waterfall was composed of several tiers and was the centerpiece of a beautiful area. We climbed up the rocks and headed upstream. We reached a flat area and came across a meditating monk. Not wanting to disturb him we took a few pictures and headed back down. After taking a few pictures we headed back to our vehicles. NOTE: not much water was flowing through the waterfall. I imagine in the rainy season that it is much larger.

We then made the short journey back into town and stopped for some lunch. We finished our meal at approximately 2:00 and then made our way to Tha Pai Hot Spring (9 km southeast of town). In was a fun, curvy road that took us past several elephant camps and over a couple of bridges. In all, it took about 20 minutes on our vespas.

When we reached the hot spring gate we were shocked to find that there was a 400 baht entry fee. Still, we forked over the money and started hiking toward the heated water. We followed a small creek up a hill for about 10 minutes before reaching a pool with water that was 80 degrees Celsius (or 176 degrees Fahrenheit). Knowing that this was much to hot we followed the path. We were slightly disappointed to find that it started looping back to the beginning of the creek.

It was then that we decided to feel the water temperature of the creek. It was perfect! I threw down my backpack, took off my money belt and shirt and got in. It was the temperature of a hot tub (a little over 100°F). Spizz and I chilled out in the creek until 3:30 and then decided that we better get home before it started getting cold. I grabbed my backpack and my shirt and we returned to our mopeds.

We leasurly cruised back into town and decided to stop at the bus station and purchase our tickets back to Chiang Mai for tomorrow morning. It was then that I realized I left my money belt at the hot spring. In total panic I jumped on my vespa and took of like a bat out of hell (sorry mom…). I pushed went as fast as the motorbike could go and flew past all other vehicles. I desperately wanted to get to my valuables (credit cards, IDs, money, tickets) before anyone else. I got back to the hot springs as fast as is possible on a bike with an engine of only 125cc (whatever that means?).

I quickly parked the bike and ran up the trail. To my great relief I saw my money belt sitting in the exact place that I had left it. I scooped it up, put it on and slowly walked back to my vehicle. I then started the 9km journey home. I’ve always heard that speed is a drug and I must say that I found it quite hard to return to normal speed on the way home. But, for the sake of those who worry about me, we can pretend that I went very slowly and cautiously.

When I got back to the room I found Spizz hiding under several layers of blankets. In the time since I had gone back to the hot spring the temperature had taken a severe dive. It was feeling quite cold again. Feeling quite clean from the hot spring water, I decided not to take a shower and instead put on my “flowy outfit” and then played on my computer.

A little after 6:00 we grabbed dinner at our hostel and then headed up to use the internet. The rest of the evening we are planning on taking it easy and getting a good nights sleep.