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
4 comments:
I'm loving reading your blog! It's how I spend part of each Saturday morning :) The Mork Fa waterfall is gorgeous -- so impressed with your 360 views -- have no idea how you do that :). And loved the video of the lantern. Sounds like you're having a blast and thanks for letting us live vicariously through you! Much love to you both, Aunt Wow
Hi Wow!
Thank you for the encouraging words, and I'm glad that you are liking it! :) The 360 panos are pretty neat huh. Since you have an iPhone you could make one too. Just download the app and you can be making cool panoramas in less than a minute! Shaina and I send our love.
Hey guys, of course your pics and blog are magnificant!! I agree the 360 is awesome, although kinda scary--narrow path to ride on.
Did you really count all 762 turns? ha ha Keep the great pics coming (and the commentary).
Miss ya and love ya. Mom
Yes we counted every single turn on that twisty curvy road! :)
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