The Motobike Excursion of Pai; its surrounding villages, lands, and muddy roads (it is rainy season afterall).

We took the suggestion of the English couple at the bar to ask the bar owner to give us his map and route of the surrounding area by bike. It was great and the map only got us lost once when after the waterfall and before the big Wat on the hill, we realized the road was out. Definately, a big river blowout and from what we hear this big monsoon left some huge damage when it came through a few months ago. Anyway, the day was overcast and the rain stayed away, so it was a perfect day for cruising the motobike. It was very free and refreshing and we enjoyed the views, the people, It was nice to be out of the touristy stuff and into the big wide countryside. We stopped for beverages at random places; one such place being a two-story bamboo hut made of nothing (including the floors) but bamboo. The dog ran by and the whole place shook. At this point, we were also rethinking our travel schedule. With Laos as a new viable and side excursion trip...we wanted to get moving. The options included a 11PM bus, skipping Chiang Rai, down to Chiang Khong (the Laos border crossing) but we didn't know what to do for another day in Pie (a bit teeny of town) and I wasn't so keen on the overnight bus trip. So instead we opted for the mini-bus (van) to Chiang Mai and then the local bus to Chiang Rai. It added an hour or so, but we got to see and spend the night in Chiang Rai, which turned out to be good decision. The city was smaller than Chiang Mai and way fewer tourists. we stayed at a place called Mae Kok Guest House (say that...yup, you said it right) and the bed was a bit like sleeping on concrete, the shower needed to pushed with a wire hanger to get the leaves to go down and I frieked out on the worms (not earthworm looking) that accumulated at that time and wouldn't go into the bathroom without shoes for the rest of our stay there. We had big giant fried prawns and spring rolls from the market and stopped at a traveler hangout for guidance on Lao called the Teepee Bar. We went to the Hill Tribe Museum the next day which was great and an NGO type of place I see myself working at some day. I'm glad we stopped in Chang Rai and one day was enough. Even smaller of a town than Chiang Mai, more of a import/export city from China and elsewhere in Asia, down to Bangkok.

Next we head to Laos and the journey to get there.....



Local scenery in northern Thailand.



To cold to swim and a bit overcast...but me being mimika(show-off) at the waterfalls.


This was where the bridge was supposed to go across. Hence our turnaround point.




Rice fields...