Winter 17/18 – Even in Pai time does fly

A Trip to the Mountains

Pat wanted to take Brigitte for a ride to the Burmese border. He asked us if we wanted to come. Mailin went with Mark on his bike, Addye on her Scoopy, and I got a Yamaha for the day.

My ride today: A 115 cc Yamaha Semiautomatic

The beginning of “Fall” is almost the best time in Pai. It is dry and everything is green. The best thing: There is still not too much burning and the air is clean and blue!

Extensive farming cuts a lot of roads into the mountains

There is a small stream coming down the mountain – it does fuck the road

One pipe could easily fix this in the dry season

Some Bee construction. Not sure if the locals are farming honey here.

Burma in the distance

On the hill in the middle is the Myanmar Army base

The last Village before Myanmar

The last village before Myanmar

This is where the road ends. A small hamlet in the middle of nowhere. Last year the government build a new school for the kids from this village and the other ones around. For the opening, the Thai Princess flew in. Must have been the biggest day ever for this village.
There are a few basic shops and an army outpost on a hill next to the school.
They even have a solar field to generate some power.

Like everywhere here – dogs greet you when you enter a village

A solar field on the right and the new school up the hill on the left

Most of the houses look like this one. A super basic construction with a tin roof.

This woman is over 100 years old!

View from the Thai Army base. Pat knows a few guys here, so we could drive into it. Got some water and chilled a bit in the shade.

The new school

On the way back, some sad remains of the big trees that stand here before

It looks green and unspoiled, but some sort of farming is going on all over the place

More fun on the way back

The best time – blue sky and almost no smoke

Nice rocks in between the green

On the way back I stopped at the little temple

There was only one monk sweeping leaves. Quite peaceful.

More rocks and the start of all evil – cows

Time to head back before it gets dark. The light on the bikes are not perfect at night

Empty roads and Myanmar somewhere in the distance

Our trip today. I switched it on a few kilometers after Pai

Music Nights at Mojo

The new place in town if you want to hear loud, handmade music. The pictures are from a few evenings.

Back at Mojo – Supaporn Santi on the guitar

Wiriya Wiseatkun – the Pai Multitalent

Always nice to listen to her

She sang only one song

Open mic – everybody can come on stage!

Kittideis Bunthanom

Evenings like this!

And there was this guy! Tepraksa Aekchai

He is 110% full power all the time

Full power

There you go!

The bass players usually prefer this corner

Rock’ n’ Roll it is!

The other bassman in the back

Nate

The one and only KOB Drummer

Jason long hair

Mr Base

One of the house drummers

And the usual Pai Days

Breakfast is included with the bungalow at Twin Hut. They stop serving before 11, so you have to set the alarm at 10:50 and order at last. I have only a fruit salad and black coffee every day, and so the day starts.
You meet everybody at the breakfast tables, and sometimes you sit here and chat till way after midday.
After that, it is usually email and the internet, and before you know it is time for the sunset beer. From time to time somebody might visit, you might need something from town. The days fly and so do the weeks.
Evenings are usually filled with music or a birthday party or something like that. Some evenings we are too lazy to go out and hang at our campfire. If I am lucky, somebody does a BBQ.

At the beginning of the season, one is about 0,50€