2002-02-06

Back from Pai

I took Lao Tzu's advice to heart today. Enjoyed a good breakfast, wandered around Pai for a couple of hours and left with plenty of time in reserve to get to Botter's house.

Pai has everything: hiking through the mountains, visiting hill tribes, whitewater rafting, canoeing, elephant rides, even motorcycle enduro training. I could spend a week there but much of what they offer I've already done and if I stay any longer there won't be time to visit the golden triangle. Or more precisely, there might be just enough time to visit the golden triangle and then it wouldn't be any fun. Better to go now while I can still enjoy it.

This old bridge just outside of Pai dates from the Japanese occupation during World War 2. There's nothing left but the bones.

At a roadside cafe along the way. Look closely. Can you guess what this is made from? It's a trash can constructed from old tires. Even the handles and the pedestal are made from tires. Every village I've seen in northern Thailand uses them for trash cans.

I take my time down the mountain and use it as an opportunity to practice driving on poor surfaces. I've always believed that the best motorcyclists learn on dirt bikes. I learned on street bikes and as a result I'm not as good a rider as I could be. Dirt bikes teach you how to manage traction and not to be afraid of losing it. Adam, Deb's son, is 12 years old and I've promised to take him to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation dirt bike class to teach him to ride. He'll start out right and have an advantage that I didn't get.

I'm getting better with practice and every hard corner I round gives me more confidence. I can feel the precise point where the rear wheel starts to give way. Some times I get it wrong and the bike goes into a momentary slide but I am able to correct it and never fall down. This is getting fun, incredibly fun, and I find myself taking little side routes to delay arriving at my destination. What a difference. Just yesterday this same road seemed so miserable and now I don't want it to end. The only thing that's changed is my way of thinking.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for the golden triangle; the point where Thailand meets Myanmar (Burma) and Laos.