To Pai and Back Again

Hello All!

Our second week in Thailand has been spent at a much more laid-back pace, and I think that Shaina and I were both happy for that. However, despite taking things down a notch we were still able to do a few things of note.

Shaina had to work on Friday, but it was only a half day and the rest of the time was spent barbecuing and playing intramural sports with the hospital staff. While I was busy grubbing on Phad Thai, fried pork meatballs, and cocktail weenies, Shaina was hustling up and down a basketball court playing a bit of "Chair Ball". Chair ball is a sort of mix between basketball and ultimate frisbee with an added dash a Thai silliness thrown in for good measure.

The game starts off with a tipoff just like in basketball, but unlike basketball you can't dribble or move around once you have possession. Your only choices are to pass to a teammate or try for a score. To score you must shoot the ball into a waste paper basket that is being held up in the air by a teammate who is standing on a chair! Hence the name "Chair Ball". The wining team is the one who has the most points after two 5 minute periods. To say that Shaina dominated at this game is a bit of an understatement since she scored 7 of her team's 9 points and her amazing defense kept her opponents to a paltry 3 points.


Here is Shaina in action as she sinks a point from way down town!

Saturday kicked off bright and early as we decided to bust out of Chiang Mai and head for the hills... Literally. We revved up our 100cc beast of a scooter and embarked on a 128km ride that twisted and turned through 762 turns to the village of Pai north of Chiang Mai.


Shaina and me wearing our badass biker mugs!

The route took us through some amazing country including the Mork Fa waterfall. Click here for a 360° view of the area. This is best viewed on a iPad or iPhone.

About five hours and many short breaks later we arrived in Pai. It would seem that since the guide books were written, Pai has exploded into a full blown tourist trap, where prices have quadrupled, the size of the city has increased by at least that much, and its former quaint mountain village essence has all but evaporated. Despite its newfound kitschy flare we still managed to have a pretty darn good time since there are some cool things to do around the city like visiting the Pai Canyon. 360° view here.


Shaina and me sitting rather precariously on the edge of one of the biggest cliffs at Pai Canyon.



Me in my flip flops and short shorts dominating the hills in Pai Canyon!

By far the coolest thing we did in Pai, however, was done in our guest house's back yard with some kerosene, bamboo, tissue paper, and wire. I know this sounds rather ominous, but I'll just let this short video I made do the explaining.

The Thais consider it good luck to release a sky lantern, and many also believe they are symbolic of wishes being released in the night sky. If you would like a full explanation of these sky lanterns click here for a wiki link that explains the history and use of these cool things.

On our way home from Pai we stopped at the Pong Duat Hot Springs. These were pretty cool to look at, made even cooler by the local family who was picnicking there. They were hard-boiling eggs in the hot springs. The family was super nice and decided to share some of their spoils with us, and since I was feeling quite peckish I pretty much inhaled our offerings. :)


Thai man placing eggs into the hot springs. The eggs were held in a bamboo basket as the hot spring bubbled over them. Our delicious and nutritious eggs!

The rest of our week we really had it really rough: $5/hour Thai massages, eating and drinking at cool little cafés, and climbing at Crazy Horse!

We've got some neat stuff coming up next week so stay tuned, and in the meantime please shoot me any comments or questions you might have.

Cheers!

Maxell

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Location:Pai, Thailand

Crazy Horse Time Lapse

Hi All!

So I was looking at the climbing photos that I posted and they really don't do a good job of showing what I'm doing, how high off the ground I am, or what the rock really looks like. To remedy this situation I have created a short time lapse video of my lead climb of "Sage".

Here are a few climbing terms defined so that if I use them you'll know what I'm talking about:

Bouldering is low climbing without ropes. It can be done alone, and does not require any certification or instruction. Top-roping is the most common type of climbing you’ll see in the gym, in which a climber goes up a fixed rope while their partner manages the rope (“belays” them). Lead climbing is a more advanced form, in which the climber brings their own rope along as they climb, clipping into the carabiners attached to the wall. Lead climbing requires advanced training, and allows access into the steepest parts of the wall where top-ropes cannot be attached.

The climbing you'll see in the video is me lead climbing a 6a/5.10a route. Here is a wiki article all about rock climbing if you want more info. :)


Here is the topo of the climbing area. "Sage" is route number two.


And without further adieu...

Cheers!

Maxell

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Location:Chiang Mai, Thailand

First Week in SEA

Hello family and friends!
Shaina and I are a full week into our South East Asia (SEA) trip and wow have we been going non-stop!

It all started in Bangkok where the hustle and bustle of tuk-tuks (motorized tricycles with a bench seat on the back), meandering monks, speeding mopeds, and the commotion of street markets gave us an exhilarating welcome to the Land of a Thousand Smiles.


Shaina eating a less than stellar pad thai in down town bangkok, but she still seems happy despite that fact.


Food is everywhere in Thailand. At first I thought that all these food stalls and shops where mainly for tourists, but now I realize that the Thai people really like their food and want it available whenever and wherever they are.


Wats pepper the streets of most Thai cities and Bangkok is no exception. Inside one can find examples of the excellent craftsmanship and artisanship of the Thai.


After a single day of Bangkok exploration we hopped onto a night train.

Our night train was set to leave at 18:10 and arrive in Chiang Mai at 07:45 and while it left on time, we did not arrive In Chiang Mai until nearly 10:00, and we were famished. Lucky for us we were able to arrange pick up directly from the train station from some a very nice couple, Clay and Su. They took us to lunch, gave us cell phones to borrow, took us on a tour of the town, and even found a perfect little guest house near the hospital where Shaina is working. Thank you so much Clay and Su! :)


Our time in Chiang Mai started out with a pretty hard core down hill mountain biking trip.


We found an outfitter with the apt moniker "Mountain Biking Chiang Mai" and despite their name's lack of excitement this trip was chalk full of it! They fitted us with helmets, knee and shin guards, elbow and forearm guards, water, and small day packs and we were ready to go. We jumped into the back of a flat bed truck and boogied up Doi Sutep Mountain that rises up above Chiang Mai to 5300 feet. This gave us nearly 5000 feet of downhill riding pleasure over 26 kilometers.


The ride was really quite difficult and four of the people in our group took head-over-heels spills before we reached the bottom, and this was only the beginner to intermediate ride!


Here is a view of some of the scenery that we got to pass though.


Our guide was fantastic! Kept us going at a good pace, was funny, and kept us as safe as one can be while hurling down a mountain at break neck speeds!


On Monday, Shaina had to start work at the hospital. She's working in the ER at the major trauma hospital in town. It's not much to look at from the outside, but lots of crazy stuff comes through those doors. Much of the severe trauma is due to motorcycle accidents, because the vast majority of people here don't wear helmets, locals and tourists alike. (We always wear our ours, so don't worry!) But she has had a few crazy cases, like a guy who fell off his elephant and got trampled. Don't see that everyday in the States! Overall the medical aspects have been very interesting, even though the language barrier is pretty hard for her sometimes. Either way, it'll be an experience for the books!


Man getting a chest tube after falling from and getting stepped on by an elephant.


A view into Chiang Mai University's Majaraj emergency room.


While Shaina was keeping herself busy saving lives I was busy 35km outside of Chiang Mai at a very cool place called Crazy Horse Buttress. Crazy Horse is an amazing area that has been developed over the last 15 years for rock climbing. I met up with an American named Walt from Tennessee and had 3 awesome days of climbing.


Here is Tennessee Walt! Climb on man!


Me at the top of the Hanging Gardens with my old shoes.


Me at the top of the Chimney Sweep with my new shoes.


When I haven't had the motivation to shlep myself out to Crazy Horse I have been getting my work out on with the awesome folks over at Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures (CMRCA). If you are wanting to do any climbing in northern Thailand this place is perfect for outfitting you with all you need.


Bouldering wall at CMRCA. Not all that big but set up with some great routes.


And that my friends brings week one to a close. It has been a blast and we look forward towards the next exciting things to come our way. Saturday we are leaving for a small village called Pai. Not sure what we will find there, but we'll be sure to fill you in soon!

Cheers!

Maxell

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Location:Bangkok & Chiang Mai