WHIZZ, BANG, FIZZ

Pai, North West Thailand July 8th

this is the third time I've started this blog and finally Ive found some peace and space for it lying on a hammock. Strangely it is perfectly fit for purpose.

while the several re-starts are spookily reminscent of work, the reason this time is better. We have been whizz bang fizz since we arrived in Bangkok a week ago. Just eight days actually and this is the fourth location and the sixth bed we have had in that time. In Bangkok for four days, then two nights in the jungle at the Khao Yai national park, one night in Chaing Mai and now we are up in the mountains in the north of Thailand in a beautiful spot called Pai. Eight days and already it is an adventure.

Gill and Lynda are built for speed. They leave packing to the last minute, while we set aside a couple of hours, and still they beat us to the bus, train, taxi, tuktuk – whatever transport it is we are using. They stride boldy across the teeming city roads and the cars just avoid them. We stare at each other – consult the map and hope we can plan a route that does not actually involve dicing with death.

Talk of dicing with death brings me back to transport – Jenks would not sit in the front of the taxi for the 2 and half hour ride to Khao Yai. I invoked Zen for the duration. It was for the best since the cash machine had swallowed my card earlier that morning, I'd spent 20 minutes trying to get thru to the bank hotline in Leeds finally to talk to real person – Richard – who was a little slow grasping the international dimension. Back to the taxi – let's say health and safety is not big in Thailand and non-existant on the motorways. Overtake inside, outside, any which way, up as close to the vehicle in front as possible. Anyway I had Zen-like calm which I maintained even after the taxi dropped us off 35 k short of the park and outside a guest house straight out of Rocky horror. Rocky horror lodge wasn't cheap either.

If I'd managed to write this a couple of days ago I would have entitled it 'rooms with character'. Beware rooms with character, or any Lonely Planet descriptions that include the words 'authentic', 'homely' and sociable. Read distressed paintwork, peeling lino, hairy brown blankets and towels, if there are any, that have serviced a thousand sweaty backpackers..

our lodge in Chaing Mai had character as well. Jenks' choice obviously. I was double dosing on antihistemines as soon as I walked thru the door.

now I'm in the hammock at Pai. Have found a truly delightful place, little bungalows set round a fresh water swimming pond, nestling in the mountains. The rooms fabulous. Pai is a small town that used to be on the hippy trail. I wonder if John came to places like this. Some of the older travellers have stayed opened bars, restaurants and guest houses. the place is seriously relaxed; it is at last the place to hang out in bars and cafes and watch the world.

We are starting to feel less like tourists and more like travellers. When we set off from Wales each with a backpack and carry-on we wondered how on earth we could live out of these for seven months. Now we wonder how come we have so much junk in our bags. A few days here and then we take the speed boat to Laos,our first crossing of the border.

enough for now..... Jenks is also keeping a daily diary of all the places we've been and people met, and as far as I can tell details of every meal we've eaten. More follows

Much love

Magz