Thailand – Part 2:
Chang Mai: It was a nice city to visit as the old city was contained within a moat inside the rest of the sprawl. I stayed in Bebeez
Restautant and Guest House and was very happy with my choice as Beebee was
extremely friendly and offered good food and clean rooms. My first day there was a “temple
and market” day and exploring the town. My favorite temple there happened to be
a random one located outside the moat on the South-west side and made entirely from silver. The rest of the temples were all gold and very much “same same”, as the locals would say. It was therefore interesting watching the local
artisans sitting in workshops outside the temple shaping the silver into
various shapes. Interesting also was the “No women allowed” sign outside the
temple! The markets, especially the local Wororot Market, however stole the
show with all the weird and wonderful things on offer. Strolling amidst the
many stalls I could see strange and wonderful fruit and vegetables, barbecued
frogs, live eels, fried insects, bamboo filled with sweet sticky rice and much more. 
At one point I was considering doing an eco tour and it was
while chatting to one of the companies that I bumped into Amber – a California
girl although I had to wonder about her Texan “hey yawl”. The eco tour
never happened although I met up with her again after which we did a cooking class (Thai Farm
Cooking School) together. It was fun and interesting learning how to prepare various Thai dishes like Tom Yum Soup, Pad Thai, Massaman curry and Banana
Spring Rolls. We were shown how to crush curry paste with a mortar and pestle
with ingredients such as galangal, ginger, lime, chilies, garlic, tamarind,
etc. Our instructor, a very short Thai girl, was unfortunately very bitchy that
day,especially aimed towards Amber, who I could see had a hard time biting her lip. I had a big grin on my face watching the discreet bitch fight. It was a fun experience although I wouldn't recommend using the same company to anyone wishing to do a cooking course. 
I’ve always been amazed at how many friends I've bump into on random occasions while travelling. I was pleasantly surprised when I bumped into 4 of my climbing
friends from Ton Sai: Tim, Juanita, Mike and Sabina. We booked the taxi service
at Chang Mai Rock Climbing and went climbing at the Crazy Horse Buttress for a
few days - I liked to refer to it as “taming the horse”. Climbing with these guys was an absolute
pleasure made even more special when Tim took me on my first adrenaline rushed
multi-pitch. I found that when doing a multi-pitch the ground is A LOT further away although that made the experience even more memorable! After climbing we spent the ¾ hour drive back to
town engaging in friendly banter and drinking cold beers which was always a great way to end a hard day’s climbing.
I will remember Chang Mai for all its various markets like the Evening Market, Saturday or Sunday Markets, Wororot Market and the cheap evening Food
Market we frequented. I will also remember the cute little cocktail tuk-tuk “truck” parked at night on Ratchapakhinai Road selling cheap drinks. It was nice to sit around the truck on small wooden chairs while
chatting to randoms and sipping cocktails. During the day I use to love watching people walk past while sitting in The Funky Monkey biting into one of their delicious falafels. Most of all though, I
will remember Chang Mai for the great times I had spent in the company of good friends. .jpg)
I found a company in Chang Mai called "aYa" which offers a service where you could drive a motorbike from Chang Mai to
Pai while they transported your luggage free of charge! Being a motorbike junky I of course
couldn’t resist and booked a 125cc scooter. I decided on a slight detour as Amber wanted to join me to see Doi Suthep (The Temple on the Hill). It was a nice ride snaking up the mountain while taking in the scenery along the way. Doi Suthep offered a nice view over
Chang Mai although I found it very touristy so I didn't stick around for too long
– it was time to go to Pai! The
1095 road to Pai is very famous due to the 762 turns through the
mountains and driving that with my 125cc scooter was an hair raising experience to say the
least. Minivan taxis, trucks, pick-ups and cars were either cutting corners or overtaking while on turns, although that seemed to be the norm. I
passed a few taxis seeing people hanging out the windows while throwing up being
car sick. Also amusing was seeing a road sign advertising a "puke stop" showing a kneeling man throwing up into a toilet. I was glad I opted for the
scooter even though I had to constantly dodge the crazy traffic! 
Pai: I
heard many positive things from various travellers about the quaint laid-back hippie town and was keen to pay it a visit. Finding a place to stay was difficult at the time as it was a holiday weekend for the Thais which I didn't know about. I also didn't know that Pai was such a popular holiday destination for Thais due to a romantic movie (Pai in
Love) which was filmed there. It was amusing watching all the loved-up Thai
girls posing at various places while having their pictures taken and it was not just
them but also me who fell in love with Pai. The walking street at
night was the place to be to see all the art, food, clothing and tea stalls.
Hill tribes came down to sell their wares while local musicians played on
instruments unknown to me. The “tea dudes”, as I liked to refer to them, sold various
flavors of herbal tea in bamboo cups, which were delicious while the pumpkin spring rolls and northern style curry were just as good. The whole place simply had a great/happy vibe and I knew I was most definitely
going to spend some time there. At night the bars filled up with people having fun especially Bamboo or Don’t Cry Bar which had bonfires going
until the early hours of the morning. 
Just like in Ton Sai I quickly found myself in a group of
friends mixed with a few familiar faces: Amber, Sheerene, Wut, Brian, Jeff, Alex and Nadin. We found that the best way to explore Pai and surroundings was by hiring a scooter. We visited hot water springs, waterfalls, a lookout points, canyon,
WW2 Bridge and elephant camp. At one of the waterfalls it was possible to slide down the slippery rock surface which was great fun!
While driving up to the waterfall I noticed a few women running out from their homes and showing
me the “V-sign” which I at first couldn't figure out the meaning of. It only later dawned upon me that they were trying to sell me something to smoke. That “something” I later found out to be opium while chatting to another group of travelers who bought
some. Our group decided to rather hang out while playing guitar and
harmonica for entertainment.
Pai was also a great place to do nothing at all. A good place for that was at a spa with swimming pool and sun loungers
overlooking a small river and countryside. On a visit there I nodded off in the sun with a fruit
shake while Amber had an open air massage. Another nice place to hang out at was a swimming pool called Fusion which had more of
a party vibe. It is funny how party music makes you want to consume alcohol – which we did of course! Saraawut our talented Bangkok Thai artist, showed us his
skills by drawing tattoos: for me, a big Chinese Dragon on my
back and chest while Brian got a skeleton on his forehead. That night we continued our party at the Bamboo Bar after visiting the pool and paid for it dearly the next day - all in all good times! 
On a few occasions we lit lanterns as per the Thai
tradition. I don’t know why but there is something magical about doing so and seeing it float off while getting smaller and smaller, leaving behind awed
faces. We set a few off while at the Pai
Arts Festival, which in itself was a very interesting experience. The local hippies
and artists played live music, sold food and performed fire shows while for the main event they had a funny looking brightly coloured bamboo structure on show. The artists participating in the art show were
dressed in boiler suits while walking around muttering words and spraying
water. It was a very bizarre show which didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Maybe
that was meant to be part of the art? Who knows? Luckily for us the music
started again and with that the party.
My last view days in Pai I stayed in a hostel called Spicy Pai which was famous with fellow backpackers due to having a large communal area for either chilling out or laying in hammocks while overlooking the surrounding rice fields. They also offered barbecues on some evenings or day tours which made it an even more inviting place to stay. Needless to say I had a great time in Pai and would
class it as my 2nd favorite place in Thailand, after Ton Sai. Having
good friends around made all the difference! Even so it was time for me to leave as I really wanted to see the remote northern parts of Thailand. To do so I decided to hire a big motorbike although, unfortunately at the time, none of the rental companies had any. That left me with yet another 125cc scooter and soon to follow, very numb bum. It was time to say good and
travel north. 
Chang Rai: Ever
since seeing a picture of the White Temple I was determined to go. Yet again I had to brave the 762 crazy turns between Pai and Chang Mai and swung a left up the 107 road towards Chiang Dao. At Ping Khong I turned right on the 1150
which was a good detour as the scenery lived up to expectations. Going up the mountain I was amazed at just how green everything seemed to be - sometimes it almost seemed surreal! Even though getting struck by a few juicy bugs in my face, I just loved leaning into the corners while feeling the wind in my face. On the top of the mountain I was stopped by
the police checkpoint. Not sure what to expect I felt slightly nervous although there was no need to be. They were very friendly and insisted on having their photo taken with me. They also told me that I was the 1st South African there
in five years! 
The White Temple was located about 16km's outside of Chang Rai and I made it there with only a few minutes to spare. The temple closed at 5pm and I had to rush through franticly snapping away with a guard behind egging us on. The random art was bizarre with heads hanging from trees, hundreds of outstretched hands (as if in agony), warped sculls and a Predator statue left me scratching my
head! That night I stayed in a Rasta themed hostel (only because
it was cheap) and went to listen to live bands playing in one of the pubs.
After they played the 5th consecutive whining Bob Marley song I had enough and left. While in Ton Sai they played Bob Marley 24 hrs, 24/7 and I've reached my Reggae threshold long ago. At least the lit up clock tower in the centre of Chang Rai
was a pretty sight while I was having dinner.
I left early the next morning clothed in all everything I had and still shaking like a dog sh*tting razorblades. It was freezing cold and I was happy to reach a very deserted Black
Temple. I never knew the temple only opened at 9am
and I found myself walking alone photographing all the eerie buildings and art
on display. As it was early the sun was casting long rays through the fog
giving the place a creepy atmosphere, especially with all the skulls and bones
around. There was a very funny energy about the place and I was slightly
relieved to leave after taking many pictures. Travelling north after that I saw a sign for a Karen
Village aka "Long Necks"and as I've always wanted to take a few pictures of them decided to go. Previously I declined visiting a similar village near Chang Mai as to me it felt almost like visiting a “human zoo”.
While walking around I could see that the whole village was set up for
tourism with the women weaving and selling various souvenirs. I took the photos I
wanted but also supported them as best I could by buying a scarf and various other souvenirs. There is something just not right about having to pay a cover charge to enter
a village but then again, none of them are not forced to be there. Most tourists would
probably not pay anything while visiting a “normal” village and still take photos.
Debating whether it was right or wrong I I took off again towards Mae Chan and turned left on the 1089. I passed Fang and swung right on the 1249 just after Mae Sun and as it
was 14:00 decided to stop for lunch in an unknown village. There was another
foreigner having lunch with his Thai girlfriend who warned me NOT to continue. A friend of his warned saying that the 1340 road skirting Burma was dangerous due to high-jackings. While chewing my food and also what he told me I decided
to continue anyway as stories have a tenancy to grow over time. 
The 1340 was one of the most scenic roads I ever rode on and my poor little 125cc scooter was moving at a snails pace while struggled up the steep mountain slopes. Reaching the top I rode along a ridge flanked on either side by deep valleys. Lush green forest covered the mountain slopes and I found myself smiling the whole journey! It was a beautiful journey and I was having a good time! My original plan to travel anti-clockwise around the 1178
and down a dirt road back to Pai was aborted when I discovered the condition of
the dirt road. I had no choice but to cut my losses, turn back and ride down the 107. For the 3rd time I had to yet again do the crazy 762 turns along the 1195 back to Pai. Due to the small wheels on the scooter I could feel every bump on the road and suffered from a very sore ass. I had to stop every 50kms or
so for a “bum break” before heading off again! Something I noticed while
driving along was how many Thais wanted to race me. It was usually the same
scenario: I'd overtake a vehicle only to find them then suddenly speeding up and
tailing me. On the straights and down-hills I left them behind but as soon as I hit
uphill my litter scooter would slow right down. It was on those occasions I was
wishing for a bigger bike!
I managed to cover over 700km’s in two days driving on my small scooter and even
though I was left with a numb bum I found it a great experience. It
just showed, you don’t always need a big bike to travel the north of Thailand especially as the scooter cost way cheaper. While back in Pai I had
two options: either head to Laos or back down to Ton Sai to meet up with my
friends. I made a last minute decision and chose the latter which meant doing the
762 crazy turns yet again for the 4th time! Reaching Chang Mai’s Immigration Office I managed to get another month on my visa after which I returned my trusty scooter back at aYa. From there it took two buses, three taxis, a long tail boat and many hours before I finally reached Ton Sai. Welcoming me were many surprised but smiling faces which made my strenuous journey all worthwhile - it felt like being back home!
Ton Sai: I found that very little
changed in Ton Sai while I was gone. Bob Marley was still being played
at all the bars 24/7 by the tattooed, dread-locked Rasta wanna-be locals. With
Christmas nearing there were loads more people and it was difficult finding a
place to stay. I was lucky to have met a guy called Sander in a bar who told me
he had a spare bed in his cabin. Very soon I fell back into my old Ton Sai routine: eating muesli for breakfast at Chicken Mamas, sipping
Chai tea at the Backyard Bar, chilling at Sunset Bar and climbing one of the
many routes on offer. The monkeys (red eyed gibbons I was later told) still
“wooped” during the days while the grey monkey got cheeky and started stealing
food from Chicken Mama. It was very funny watching her shoot the monkeys with a
catapult when they tried their luck. If only her aim was as good as
her food there would have been much less monkey theft taking place...Randomly I noticed that the cat and monkey population rocketed since
I was there last, as well as the numbers of flip flops along the “flip flop graveyard” (Monkey Trail between Ton Sai and Railey). It was a fairly steep path that claimed the lives of many people's shoes.
Climbing and socializing was still a constant while in Ton
Sai and soon we were hanging out in a big group of friends. It was for that exact reason why I
loved Ton Sai so much! You could either climb or chill out during the day while socializing in the evening. That was usually done with a cold beer in hand while watching the sun set over the ocean and I was glad I chose Ton Sai to spend my Christmas and New Years! I realised just what a small world it was when I randomly bumped into an ex girlfriend of mine just before Christmas! The New Years party was great fun with most having a great time either dancing on the beach or in one of the many bars. The next day we experienced a heavy torrential downpour which continued to hammer down for a long time causing the whole middle
section of my bungalow to get wet due to a leaky roof. I found a small
“river” running underneath my cabin and when the rain finally stopped I discovered that large chunks of the beach were washed away. Ton Sai looked a whole lot different from the day before! Luckily nobody drowned although climbing
was treacherous due to the wet rock which caused one guy to slip and crack his head on a
rock! Even so climbing continued with
everyday life falling back into the normal rhythm soon enough.
Other than the rock climbing and socializing I will remember
Ton Sai for many other things. First of all I'm forever grateful to Steve who introduced me to rock climbing and for Aimee playing photographer. I will also remember Lek for grinding coffee beans with a
mortar and pestle while I was hanging out in the Chillout Coffee Bar. Not to be forgotten were the many pot smoking, dread-locked, tattooed locals playing Bob
Marley 24/7. There was Dum-Dum the dog chilling on the beach every day while Pon the guide practised playing guitar (Bob Marley songs of course). Also, Amber with her huge smile
and Texas “hey yawl!” and Will who supplied constant, random and highly amusing entertainment. I will most definitely not forget my adrenaline rushed multi-pitch when Dave took me up the famous “Huminality” or Deanna having her daily Oreo shake! Not to be forgotten also was Helen for her great sense of humor and deep love for
children (sarcasm). I will most certainly not forget Tim for climbing the Groove Tube 26 times on his 26th birthday or little Juanita with her not so little smile.
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