Some More Sweet Pai

Hey guys... I've been in Pai now for a about five days and it's still keeping it's magic. There's not so much to do within the town, so the last couple of days have been spent on a motorbike exploring the outskirts, including a couple of waterfalls, good hiking, and the deepest cave Thailand has to offer.

There's an interesting atmosphere and attitude within the town. 25 years ago, Westerners passing through Pai loved it so much they decided to stay. They built little eateries or shops, and the town was their hidden gem no one else knew about. Thais didn't even know Pai existed. But a Thai movie was recently shot here, and it populiarzed the place so much that now the wealthy of Bangkok have been buying land and building on it. Also, the young generation of 20-somethings have read all about Pai in their guidebooks and it's slowly becoming a staple in the backpacker route. So as a result, there is a big divide between the older Westerners and young backpacking Westerners because they feel like we, the younger generation, are trespassing into their territory. They found it first, it was tranquil and escapist, but now it's slowly fading away into the upscale and mainstream. More expensive hotels are being built and more Thais are moving in... their gem has been found. So, the older Westerners stick to their spots in town and the young Westerners stick to theirs, and they don't mix. It's like the Sharks vs. the Jets in West Side Story, without the dancing.


Aside from that, this place is great to meet other travellers. And I use the word 'travellers' specifically. I have found over the course of four weeks that there is a huge difference between a 'tourist' and a 'traveller'. Pai is full of great travellers. There's John the spiritual Brit, Gareth the pessimistic vegan, Jean the mountain biker from Quebec, Gabby the tatted up wanderer from Austria, Carla the actress from London, Amit the jokester from Israel, and a big crew of British guys that I've gotten tight with. Hailing from Beantown, Ryan's favorite things to do is trip on shrooms and go snorkelling.

Pick your poison.