Highs of Thai...

When I left NYC back in April, I foolishly set July 1st ("2 months on the road should be enough...") as my probable return date to the States, thinking I'd have gotten my hearty fill of diversity and adventure and would be ready to return to some stability and familiarity. Ha! Believe it or not, I'm still out here loving each and every moment and not quite sure when I'll be ready to go back. This week marks my sixth week basking in the magical glow of the Southeast Asia region (fourth week in Northern Thailand) and in light of that milestone - plus the fact that I've received a few inquiries from prospective travelers back home who want to come to this area - I've decided to share some of my favorite experiences and places so far. 

Pai, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand

Last week, I jumped on a motorbike with a friend for a quick road trip through ridiculously steep, narrow, winding mountain roads to a little town called Pai, just about 2 hours east of the Burmese border. I'd probably recommend taking a rented van or tour bus there instead of a bike like I did unless you have someone who intimately knows the crazy roads and semi understands how the Thai drive (read: wrecklessly). After soaking up the gorgeous, lush green jungles along the way (Northern Thailand in all its glory) and then eventually gaining some feeling back in my bum from the 3 hour ride, we began to roam around and I instantly understood the charming allure of the place. A unique, very chilled out, relaxed vibe permeates the hippie-like Pai village, where images of Bob Marley's casual, carefree smile welcomes you from nearly every local bohemian art shop and cafe. There are endless amounts of boutique shops, unique bars, and one-of-a-kind restaurants at every turn, but we decided to venture off a bit to avoid the sea of dread-locked tourists in the village for some exploration of the all-encompassing natural beauty.

 

The rolling hills around Pai are home to several hillside tribes that have managed to sustain their traditional cultural identities amidst the encroaching forces of modernity. Luckily, my friend had been around the area several times before and has established friendly ties with several of the villagers, so I was able to tag along and enjoy an exclusive, authentic glance into the lives of the Lisu, Akha, and Lahu villages as he reunited with friends. Each little tucked-away village had its own special character and charisma...the colorful dresses, the architecture of the huts, the layout of the farmland, the overall feel of the place was just so different in each area. We ended up going to one village pretty close to the Burmese border zone that had tense undertones verberating throughout, where I instantly felt as though 'big brother' was watching (the border areas here are pretty heavily monitored and controlled in an effort to avoid illegal crossings, drug smuggling, etc.)...I probably wouldn't advise to venture too close in those directions toward the borders if I were you but I'm not really one to play by the rules sometimes so was not even a bit hesitant to go... Anyway, I loved to see that the distinct communities still primarily make a living from extensive farming and raising livestock (who they literally live side-by-side with) and it was truly amazing to see how in touch with Mother Nature they are. You can literally watch as the very suntanned, ridiculously muscular, wise-looking farmers slowly and confidently walk back from the fields, many of which are completely vertical, with healthy bushels of homegrown food to either sell to a local market or to cook themselves for their families. Really gives a different meaning to the "farm to table" concept. Such an honest, hard-working way of living. I was also happy to learn that although the opium trade had been ther livelihood for many generations, the production has stymied in recent years and most farmers have switched over to growing and selling other crops like corn and vegetables. Thank goodness.

 

Unfortunately, as we weaved our way through the vibrant greenery, the same kind of paralyzing nausea that had hit me during the trek in Kalaw overwhelmed me once again and so began another bout of food poisoning for the Bug. Argh, I knew I shouldn't have eaten that banana-wrapped cocoa thing that one random lady handed me in her shop! So frustrating, but at least my immune system must be getting much stronger...

 

We then stumbled off the beaten path to a little known riverside bungalow homestay about 7 kilometers outside of Pai, proudly marked by a bright red Swiss flag. "Michel" is owned by a Swiss man and his adorableThai wife who welcome visitors to their serene getaway year-round with open arms. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for some tranquility and authenticity outside the often bustling touristy town of Pai.  

Tiger Kingdom, Chiang Mai

This was actually about a month ago but I haven't written about it so wanted to highlight this experience as a must-do if you should find yourself in this part of the world. With my teeny green shorts and flashy Prada aviator sunglasses, I waltzed into a large cage full of grown 250-pound tigers within a quite touristy attraction that in my opinion is definitely worth visiting in Chiang Mai. It was truly incredible being so close and interactive with these gorgeous, enormous wild creatures. They absolutely could've eaten me in one swift bite, but they surprisingly remained pretty calm the whole time. Yes, there are accusations out there that the tigers are so tame because they are totally drugged out, but who knows if there is actually truth to that. Anyway, full of fear and hesitation and with my embarrassingly shaky hands, I rubbed their fluffy bellies, lay down with them using their bums as pillows, and pet them like they were simply giant kitties. 

Biking and Trekking in Chiang Mai

My other semi-life threatening yet completely exhilarating experience was on a motor bike around the hills of Chiang Mai. I totally recommend doing this if you're out here - but I'd advise to go with someone who knows what they are doing since there are tons of accidents each year where overconfident farangs go racing around stupidly and blindly and don't realize that Thai drivers are some other kind of crazy too. Anyway, after touring around the Hmong hillside village and a few gorgeous hidden Buddhist temples, we got caught in the daily rainshower that occurs here during monsoon season. My driver advised that we'd need to cut the trip short and go back to town on the route we had taken up there, but stubbornly, I insisted we try the trail that we originally intended to go on since it was supposed to be beautiful and was just something new. Doh. It was a downhill, rocky, painful, muddy disaster. After some slipping & sliding, and lots of falling and nervous laughter, we made it; however, my legs looked like peaches that were beaten by a baseball bat and it looked like we had just been in a crazy mud-wrestling match when we landed. Nonetheless, it was truly worth it. It's pretty hard to describe the scenic artistry in some of these areas that you can only get to by bike or foot and I definitely encourage anyone with a sense of adventure and keen appreciation of natural beauty to go off the beaten path around there to explore for themselves. 

 

Chiang Mai Bar Scene - Ladyboys and Locals

 

So since I'm trying not to spend too much money and I'm not so much into partying these days, I don't really have any great stories about the best trendy nightlife around here, but there were two nights that have stuck out so far that are worth sharing. One was after the muddy slip-and-slide down the mountain when I was half crippled and in desperate need of a cold, relaxing beer.  I roamed near my hotel to La Croix Road where there was a little boxing arena surrounded by neon-lighted bars and booming dance clubs. I sat down to watch some shirtless scrawny boys play around with each other in the arena and ordered a tall Chang from an unbelievably gorgeous, tall, voluptuous Thai waitress. When she returned with the frosted glass and talked to me in an alarmingly rich, deep voice, I clearly realized she that in fact, she was not a she... They are called "Ladyboys" here (yes, this is politically correct) and there are PLENTY of them here. The Thai's, I've learned, are getting pretty big on gender-bending norms and from what I can see, they are not afraid to show it all over. I've since learned that Thai Buddhism does not regard homosexuality as sinful and so perhaps that has enhanced the social acceptance of this throughout the cities. I looked around and realized the place was brimming with these gorgeous Ladyboys, all with meticulously made up faces, suggestive, sexy dresses, and all extremely friendly and welcoming to the skinny white girl sipping on a beer.

 

Another night, a friend and I were drawn to a bar that was full of young looking Thai students enjoying great live music in an outdoor garden type bar called Nube just outside of the Old City. Although there were no seats available, a group of giggly, smiling young girls (maybe 18-20 years old) waved us over and we joined them for a night of singing along to the music and cheers-ing our beers before every sip. Felt really cool to be hanging with the locals.

Silent Meditation Retreat, Wat Suan Dok

 

After days of racing around the mountains and drinking beer with scandally clad Ladyboys, I decided to take a healthy mental break for my first meditation retreat. What an experience. I didn't realize how crazy fast and jumbled and full my brain is until I was forced to sit silently on and off for 24 hours doing nothing but "breathing in and out, and solely being aware of your breaths...nothing else...". Sure, it sounds like a piece of cake: just sit lotus-style in a beautiful courtyard adorned with smiling golden Buddha statues and palm trees, relaxing and doing nothing but feeling comfortable and calm in flowing white clothing for hours at a time, listening to the soothing guidance of a tiny monk encouraging you to focus your mind. In reality, or at least MY reality, it started off to be a pretty painful and frustrating couple of hours until I really could get in the groove and understand what all this was intended for. We were allowed 1 Q&A session with the monk to ask anything we wanted related to practicing meditation or share what we were struggling with and were experiencing, etc. which was pretty cool. And after breaking for occasional chanting, some brief sleep sessions and a few modest-sized meals, I left the place feeling surprisingly refreshed and centered. I'd recommend doing the 2 day course like I did if you are just trying to get your toes wet, but if this type of thing is already your cup of tea, there are tons of retreats here you can look into for a much longer and more intensive experience.

 

So there are some experiences and hopefully inspiring ideas for now...more will be on the way. I am still here in Chiang Mai trying to soak up the culture and language (by the way, met an adorable little Thai teacher where I'm staying who agreed to help me with my Thai in exchange for helping him with his English...sweet deal!) and simultaneously working on some potential opportunities to do some good in some much-needed areas around in the region.

 

'Til Next Time...