Pai is undoubtedly the best place I have visited in Thailand. Me and six others have rented out a guest house and have hired motorbikes with the intention of exploring this tranquil land.
Those who know me know that I'm not an automobile expert. I am without a Driving License and think Jeremy Clarkson is a huge tit, so this quest to conquer the Motorbike is going to be a challenge. Time to grow a pair of testicles. Okay so I'm not going to be handling a Harley Davidson. My ride is a Yamaha 125. Not exactly an American Bad Ass yet. We head to the mountains in search of natural hot springs and a waterfall that one of the guys earmarked on the map. With ever more confident twists of the accelerator I hit impressive speeds on the highway. The land unfolds either side of me. Rice fields and dense bush fall away like fabric either side of a needle on a sewing machine. Driving out of Pai I begin to understand why people love these machines. With the wind blowing in my face and the tarmac below dropping to the Earth's centre, its not difficult to feel emancipated. The freedom they allow physically lends itself to the spirit. Driving through the wilderness I envisige Hunter Thompson riding with the Hell's Angels and Dennis Hopper adventuring in Easy Rider. It's fair to say I'm feeling pretty cool right now.
We get to the springs to find that fifteen minutes is the recommended duration for any person to stay in at one time. It's so hot. The group jokes that we should have brought vegetables and chicken stock and jumped in, cooking, bathing and feeding at the same time. There is a sign that reads 'No Boil Egg' which also rouses amusement. Out of the invigorating springs and en route to the waterfall 'Tripp' the American leads the way. What a guy. Funny and head strong, one of the best individuals I've met on the road. Suddenly, he swerves out of the way of something on the narrow lane. Riding fifteen yards behind it becomes immediately apparent what it was that he so abruptly dodged as a huge sand coloured Cobra rises onto its hind and stares aggressively looking for the impending threat. Luckily there are some equally amazed local children on the side of the road who divert the snakes attention as I swerve around its body, no more than a foot away from its colossal head. If it would have been facing the other way I would have been in serious trouble, an unbelievable turn of events.
After an excitable pit stop we continue into the mountains. The views are breath taking. Trees seemingly as old of time stand tall in all directions. A mystical silence permeates the mountains occasionally punctured by the sound of crickets and exotic birds. In the distance vast mountainous ridges stand tall like club bouncers protecting the villages they house. We reach the waterfall and the the majority of the group slide down it. Tripp suggests that its pretty lame on the scale of waterfall slides but I'm happy with it. We proceed to head back to the city.
On the way home the air has a sudden, sinister chill as we find ourselves quite literally riding through clouds. The roads are now very testing. Hair pin turns succeed each other whilst cows take naps in the most obscene places. The winding roads are much more difficult to navigate now we're heading down the mountain. As I turn yet another excruciating bend I accelerate fully to blast away when I encounter a van half way over the road. Panicked I veer left without taking my eyes off the reckless vehicle in front of me, stupidly neglecting where I'm heading. When I regain focus I find myself perilously close to the road's edge. I turn sharply to avoid a certain crash when my tyres slip on the paint marked tarmac and the bike folds beneath me like a tree amid deforestation. Me and the vehicle plummet to the ground with my head whacking the floor. Lucky I've got a helmet. We slide along the gravel with my face scraping the rough surface before plummeting into a three/four foot concrete ditch at the side of the road. Luckily again the ridge is filled with bushes which absorb a lot of the impact. As the bike comes to a halt my momentum rolls me over the handle bars which I still have a firm grip of. There's a five second period were I genuinely have idea what I've done to myself. Have I broken a bone? have I torn my skin all over? I put my hands to my face to discover a trickle of blood, not much though. I get up, check my surroundings and find myself in perfect condition bar a scratch on my arm and cut cheek bone. Traveling at forty/fifty kmh its a minor miracle I didn't injure myself severely.
At this point my friend Jess comes from behind and helps me pull the beaten up bike out of the ditch. I dust myself off, put my wing mirror in my bag and drive home. A ridiculously close call. Back at our perfect teak guest house I drink huge gulps of Stolichnaya Vodka from the bottle. Today was a roller coaster. I sampled the delights of the most Bohemian of Thai town's whilst suffering a near death experience. My emotions are an exhausting labyrinth. I return my scooter in a bitter sweet exchange with the garage assistant. Perhaps I'll leave the biking to Richard 'The Hamster' Hammond and the like for now. Until Laos at least.
Of all the destinations I've visited in Thailand Pai is the least geared toward foreign tourists. The locals are friendly and relaxed, and the bars diverse and eclectic. The towns inherent calmness seems to seep into all those who visit here. A motorbike is the best way to see this place because of its rich scenery out of the town centre. Just be careful if your a novice, don't kid yourself that you're Valentino Rossi after a day's riding. You may not end up as lucky as me.
No comments:
Post a Comment