Slow Boat he Wrote

Sad to leave those adorable little kids at Mercy Ministries Orphanage, we pressed on to our next destination, which was Luang Probang to meet a business friend of Tommy’s named Ryan that just so happened to be living in Laos and offered to show us around. We heard of a few options of how we might go about getting to Luang Probang, but when we heard about the two day slow boat that went down the Mekong River we jumped on the opportunity immediately and booked our tickets at the Laotian border. A bit apprehensive at first, as over fifty travelers piled onto a long tailed boat that looked slightly less than buoyant with its ancient, thick wooden hull we soon set off with the current and were on our way. Getting further and further way from civilization, we soon began to see small villages scattered along the river’s edge. Small children would run to the banks of the river to wave to our passing boat as we slowly cruised by. Waving back with a huge smile on my face, I began thinking to myself just how secluded these people were. With no access to their villages other than by this river, some have never seen the world beyond the boundaries of their village and shoreline. Their lives consisted of only what they had to do to survive; catching fish, growing whatever crops they could along the shore and using only what natural resources they needed to get by. No eco-footprint whatsoever and one hundred percent sustainable.

Much of the slow boat ride to Luang Probang was spent reflecting on the trip so far and logistically planning out some of the next adventures in Laos and Cambodia. Quite a bit of reading was accomplished and plenty of socializing with other travelers became a must as we spent ten hours that first day on the river. Meeting new people and getting to know the most interesting characters this world holds is something that never gets old to me.

As the sun began to set, we saw the valley the river was running through transform as the sun brilliantly casted shadows and silhouetted various mountains and hills. The glimmer of the sun off of the water dazzled radiantly making it hard to not just stare at and appreciate how beautiful this part of the country truly was.

Arriving in a small stop over village for a night, we all piled off the boat, and stayed at a guesthouse overlooking the river. Surprisingly tired after a full day of doing really not a whole lot, we got to bed early that night, sure to catch the 9am boat the next day that waited for no one.

A bit groggy, Tommy and I made it to the boat and set off for another full day of beautiful scenery, card playing with a group of Brits we met, and of course more reading. Slowing down for a bit was actually quite nice; it gave Tommy and I a chance to re-energize and get prepare for the adventures that were ahead in Luang Probang.

Pulling into the dirt boat slip at around dusk, Tommy and I headed out into the town of Luang Probang with our packs and all of our gear, eager to meet up with Ryan and to see what adventures this new place might hold for us. 

                                     

A Peace of Pai

More than overjoyed to have finally arrived in the small town of Pai, Tommy and I took a good ten minutes of stretching our cramped bodies from the winding, uphill bus ride, before beginning to explore our options of where we might stay. As we began to walk down the street, we could instantly see that the people here were much different than in the towns we had visited prior. Dreadlocks, tie-dye, piercings, instruments from all over the world and much, much more was just the beginning of the unique followings this town held. As we came to a river, we noticed that on the other side, there were tiny huts lining the banks that were almost too quaint to pass up. Crossing a rickety, bamboo bridge, we began exploring which huts suited us best. Coming to a group of huts called “Family Huts” we put our bags down on the bamboo covered floor and headed out to see more of the town.

As we walked down what we thought was the main boulevard, I stopped in my tracks astonished, as I instantly recognized my good friend Mike that I hadn’t seen since we trekked together in Nepal. While this may be a small town, it was still quite shocking to just happen to run into him within the first hour of being there. With a big grin on both our faces, we began catching up and telling him about the shenanigans Tommy and I have been getting into in just the mere week we have been in Thailand.  After sharing a few beers, he then showed us his impressively matchless house and offered for us to stay with him to save a bit of money. Instantly accepting the offer, we moved into the second story, where every crossbeam had a hammock hanging from it to relax or sleep in. Hanging out a bit more with Mike later that night, he began telling us about what we could possibly see or do while we were here in Pai, but he said that most people don’t come to Pai to do things, they come to do a lot of nothing. Unsure what he meant at the time, Tommy and I were determined to see all three of the waterfalls in the surrounding area and maybe even camp again in the jungle.

Waking up the next day, Tommy and I mentioned the "Uh, oh" sound we had heard in Chiang Mai and with a slight laugh, he said that they were simply just lizards doing their thing. Relieved, Tommy and I headed into town with Mike for a bite to eat at his favorite local joint. With everything on the menu costing less than a dollar, Tommy and I were a bit skeptical at first at how good of quality this food might be. Sure enough however, Mike’s recommendation ended up being our regular spot to eat everyday due to how tasty this small, local spot was. After getting some food, Mike parted ways for a bit as Tommy and I began to explore the town on our own, via motorbike. It didn’t take long to circumnavigate the town, and we soon found ourselves in search for the first waterfall just outside of town. Going up a winding road with farms on either side of us, we soon made it to a dirt parking lot with many Tuk Tuks parked as well as rental scooters. Figuring that this was a pretty popular spot for locals as well as tourists, we began hiking into what we thought would be a beautiful waterfall. As we were hiking, we saw that there were all sorts of pipes along the trail, leading out towards the road. A bit bewildered at this, we put it off as a question to ask Mike later on.

After the short hike, we came to a clearing, where we saw a bunch of local, naked children sliding down the slippery rocks into a massive, natural pool. The giggles and cries of enjoyment from the children made the natural water park lively and energetic as both locals and travelers co-mingled among one another. Being the curious type that we are, Tommy and I wanted to find the source of where all of this water was coming from, so we began hiking up stream only to find more pipes, ruining the picturesque landscape before us. Reaching a point where we could go no further, the bundle of pipes also discontinued as the stream pinched through a narrow crevice of boulders. As Tommy and I sat at the top of this water source, analyzing this interesting place of abode, we then laid eyes on a quite interesting ex-pat that was sitting by the stream. Interested, not only in this ex-pat, but also about the pipes, we walked over to him to inquire about our curiosities. With long, salt and peppered hair and a mustache that would put Burt Reynolds to shame, his lengthy, string bean figure crouched by the water as he stroked a small, white puff of a dog that we assumed was his.  As he gazed down at the slippery, natural waterslide below we walked into the stream in front of him and gave him a friendly, “Hi, how you doing?” Un-phased by my presence, he slowly looked up at me and even more slowly stood up to give me a lethargic hand shake and a, “Hey maaan”. With glossy eyes and smile that hadn’t been acquainted with a dentist in years, I knew this guy had escaped from the daily grind of the states long ago and had been living in Pai for quite some time now. After speaking with him for about half an hour, Tommy and I had found out that the pipes were the town’s only source of water, and that the pipes we had seen ran from the falls, all the way back to town to three different water towers, all gravity fed.

Our new friend, John, then showed us some pretty cool local sights that most don’t get to read about in their Lonely Planet’s and internet searches. We ended up spending the entire afternoon with John listening to stories, hanging out, and really getting a feel for what Pai life was all about.

After realizing that it was almost dark, we then left our new found friend and went back into town to hang out with Mike and some of his local buddies. Mike lives in Pai for approximately six months out of the year. The other six months he spends as a personal chef on a yacht, so he is quite well connected with the locals in town and knows his way around quite well. We spent quite a bit of time with Mike as he showed us his way of life here in Pai. Each day we hung out with him, the more and more Tommy and I wanted to move there and live blissfully in this tranquil paradise.

The next day Tommy and I tried to imitate local life in Pai by doing nothing. Sometimes it’s great to just have no agenda and see how the day unfolds. We started off by walking into town, running into new found friends we had met the previous days, talking, eating, hanging out by the river, playing instruments and really just relaxing. In complete contentedness, we managed to spend six days like this, and by the end of the week, we couldn’t walk more than a block without running into someone we knew or someone that was friendly enough to chat with us for a while. We quickly began to see why there were so many foreign locals here living in Pai. It was perfect here; complete beauty in every direction, good people, incredible food, great live music, and a simplistic way of life that had everyone walking around with a smile on their face and a shoulder to lean on. What a great experience to encounter such a unique culture.

To top the week off, Tommy and I decided to visit the elephant camp just up the road from Mike. Arriving to a scene of five, massively beautiful creatures, masticating the trunks of banana trees as if they were cotton candy, Tommy and I just stood in awe of these extraordinary creatures. Walking right up to one of the larger ones, it instantly reached out towards me with its bristly trunk. Grabbing hold, it powerfully pulled me in and gave me a gentle hug against its massive head. Instantly falling in love with these gentle giants, I couldn’t wait to become more familiar with them in the river. With a sharp command from one of the elephant guides, my elephant, (Mimi) lifted a knee for me to step on as she then boosted me up onto her back. Sitting well over then feet off the ground, I instantly had a beaming smile that lasted the rest of the day.

With Tommy then getting hoisted up onto Mimi’s neck, she then effortlessly began strolling towards the river, slowly and methodically. Analyzing this magnificent creature from upon its back, I could see how tough and rugged she really was. With thick, coarse hair growing out of a leathery, wrinkled, light gray skin, stretched over a massively burly body, Mimi hardly noticed the both of us as she casually sauntered towards the much desired river with her tree trunk sized legs. The magnitude of Mimi’s head alone was the size of the front of a car and her playful, curious, ten foot long trunk waved about, grabbing bits of vegetation along the side of the road that she would toss in her mouth.

With the river in sight, it was almost as if Mimi began to get a bit of pep in her step a she eagerly awaited the feeling of the cool water on her dry, cracked skin. As Tommy and I entered the water with her, we were immediately doused with water from the spray of Mimi’s trunk, and before we knew it, we were rolling around with her in the water. It was unbelievable how playful Mimi was, as well as all of the other elephants as they began spraying water all over the place, and submerging themselves, revealing nothing but their snouts. It was easy to see just how much enjoyment these elephants were having as they frolicked about in the water, weightless and free in their watery playground.

Spending well over an hour in the water with Mimi, I felt as though I created a connection with her. Maybe it was because I was overwhelmed at the fact I got to meet an elephant for the first time, but as we played in the water, I gazed into her wise, intelligent eyes, hugged her telephone pole size trunk, and felt as though we bonded that day.

Leaving the elephant park was not easy, but as Tommy and I putted down the road on our scooter, I couldn’t help but hope that the old saying, “An elephant never forgets” was nothing but true. 

Chiang Mai Pt. 1

Excited to leave Bangkok, Tommy and I took and overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai where I luckily didn’t have to chase down this train or become a stow-away, running from ticket collectors and ducking in and out of bathrooms (http://bobby-thisisindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/crazy-train_26.html ).  This train was nice, and air-conditioned and had friendly people on it. Arriving the next morning to a smoky Chiang Mai, where the “dry season” was really quite apparent, we headed out towards our guesthouse passing a few farms where left over crops were being burned off, leaving a blanket of gray in the sky. At first we thought it all just looked kind of dingy outside, but we optimistically found the beauty that lied in the amazing red sunsets that filled the skies with all sorts of oranges and pinks, similar to that in Chitwan, Nepal during their summer. Being that it was noon, and had a half day to explore this new town, we walked around town to try and get a feel for the city. As we strolled the busy streets of Chiang Mai, we met up with some other travelers and were able to see a few temples and get some good street food. Later that night we went to the busy night market, exploring the little knick-knack filled street carts that lined the sidewalks for over a mile on each side.   Weaving our way through all sorts of underground shops, stumbling upon an outdoor stage performance with Thai dancers performing cultural dance, we couldn’t turn a corner without finding some new interesting area to experience. With it getting late, and thinking that we could easily spend all night at this market, we decided to escape at a decent hour to get a good night sleep for the next day.

Knowing that you get an overall better sight-seeing experience by not following the crowd, Tommy and I decided to rent scooters the next day and do our own little tour, away from the packed out, scheduled tour busses. Getting everything mapped out, we would plan on visiting a few waterfalls and temples, the king and queen’s Pagodas, as well as the tallest mountain in Thailand standing at about 2100m. All of this could be found in the beautifully enormous Doi Inthanon national park and all was suppose to take a full day to see. Or so we thought.

Heading south, down hwy 108, we quickly had to get used to riding the scooters among hundreds of other motorcycles, scooter carts, tuk tuks, busses, semi-trucks and just about anything else that had wheels and an engine. And to make it all more interesting, there are no lanes. If the drive to Doi Inthanon wasn’t fun enough, the drive through the national park definitely was as we twisted and turned through small mountain roads, trying to keep our eyes focused on the street as beautiful forests, rivers and Thai culture was around every turn. Arriving at the first waterfall we saw a river community of people, whose homes, shops and living areas were literally right on the river shore, and also sticking over the water on bamboo stilts. Making our own path, hiking through the forest and right up through the river, we were soon refreshed by the cool water that misted down on us as hundreds of thousands of gallons flowed off of the cliff down onto the slippery rocks around us. Looking back down the valley, we could see the how much life thrived around this nurturing water. Soaking it all in, Tommy and I sat up by the waterfall for a bit, before heading back down river to our scooters.

 Driving up steep hills and coasting down into valleys, we soon came to the next waterfall, where we amazed at the vast size of this colossal waterfall. Hopping over the unpatrolled railing we balanced our way out onto an ancient slippery log that protruded towards the falls. We were able to get an amazing view of this cascade of water as we tilted our heads back, almost falling over, trying and see the top of this water source that was soaking us from head to toe from the mist alone. Exploring every facet of the waterfall, we followed the water down river a bit only to find a few smaller waterfalls and pools that had a more tranquil, calming fundamental nature to them as the greenery shaded the slowed water.

Arriving at the next waterfall, we were a bit discontented at the fact that you had to view this amazing flow of water from a distance, up on a platform, hundreds of meters away. While the view was still spectacular, we thought we would go ahead and blaze a trail down from the platform and up to the waterfall. Sliding down the steep slopes of the jungle, we finally made it to the base of the waterfall where we were then determined to scale this watery beast. Free climbing up the rocky sides of the falls, Tommy and I carefully maneuvered from one stronghold to the next until we reached a point where we could go no further. Three quarters of the way up the waterfall, we stood beside thousands of gallons of water, free falling down onto the rocks below.  Looking out into the dense green jungle, seeing all of the way out to the silhouetted mountains in the distance, we both knew this climb was well worth the view.

With the sun beginning to drop in the sky, Tommy and I decided that we would see one last monument and then begin our journey back to Chiang Mai. The king and queen’s pagoda sits at the tallest point in all of Thailand, in the Doi Inthanon national park. These stunning structures were amazing to peruse as we not only walked around the pagoda’s well manicured gardens, but also got a glimpse of the dramatic interior, furnished with the most extravagant artwork I’ve seen in all of Thailand thus far.

Looking down into the valley, the smoke of the burning forests and crop fields created a mysterious tinge to everything the fading light touched. Wanting to get a little bit of sunlight on our travel home, Tommy and I coasted down the mountain, back to the ranger station, or national park checkpoint to get advice on the quickest way home. After a little bit of charades and enough hand motions to make a mime dizzy, Tommy and I headed out to what we thought was the right direction back to Chiang Mai. Little did we know that this was about to be one of the longest, brutal journeys of our lives…