Tuesday: Suk chai in Pai

Oh sleep...how I love thee! Slept over 10 hours and it felt oh so wonderful! The sound of the pouring rain and frogs has become comforting. No earplugs required for howling dogs & cats or the  trumpeting  of elephants. Your senses can't help but be on high alert here. 

Upon waking I readied for the day then headed to the bar area of my hotel and enjoyed some oolong tea that is native to the northern area as well as coffee grown here at Aqua. Den, the owner showed me and another Malaysian girl the coffee plants and explained it a bit to us.

Following Den to the coffee trees.

 Pai is the perfect elevation of 1300' and the plants prefer the protection under the larger trees. 

These beans will be ready to harvest in 3 months.

In our short walk he picked us "lord's apples" to try. 

It reminded me of the way cranberries make your mouth feel dry. Not too sweet and not too tart. Wouldn't say it's my favorite, but always try it!

His daughters Jessica and Jaya (above) are visiting on holiday from Phuket where they live with their mother. Two gorgeous girls!

My pinkie. This guy was so cute! 

Plumeria everywhere. Heaven

From a the little bridge en route to my room.

Nearly all the lights have hats. This place has such charm. 

I left for town to explore and grab a bite to eat. Right around the corner was a darling little place called Fat Cat. I wish I had a place like this at home!  And the word cat is enough alone for me!

Homemade kambucha and fresh fruit (mango, watermelon, apple & passion fruit) with homemade yogurt.

This cross eyed lil guy greeted me.

My spot, a little bamboo deck.

A little hut to the side. If you look closely you can see the cute lil cross eyed bugger at the top of the stairs.

As seen on my walk further into town...

I adore banana flowers.

Two cows are tied up under the shelter.

The Pai river.

I have decided this town is better than Nevada City. Always music and slow food...in heaven!

It's true...I'm in love with Pai and haven't even been here 24 hours!

This way to the "toilet". Even the bathrooms are pretty (outside, some are a little primitive for my liking)

Always something to do... Perhaps get a tattoo with bamboo instead of needles? Don't worry moms, I didn't do it! (I may have contemplated)

I walked around town a bit aimlessly and enjoyed the bohemian vibe and adorable shops. Meandering down a side street headed to Art in Chai to refill my water bottle (happy hippie heart moment! This country wastes a lot, but not in Pai), I met a fellow traveler from the Bay Area (whom actually purchased a one way ticket) and we sat and enjoyed a soy chai.  I mentioned over chai that I was headed to get scooter riding instructions (deep breaths, moms!), but was offered a lesson right there-which I later learned just how easy it is and conquered my mini fear/uncertainty. And a bucket list item crossed off!

Before scooter lessons we ventured to a nearby waterfall...

The top. Dogs are everywhere and are always taken care of.

The bottom. You can't see how amazing the clouds were. So many travelers were here enjoying a little cool off before it started a steady monsoon. I was drenched within minutes. I just rode on the back of a scooter through the jungle to a gorgeous waterfall and am now walking around soaking wet without a care in the world! Real life. 

After leaving the waterfall we stopped for lunch and then I had my lesson! 

Getting comfortable. (I'm drenched)

Weeeee!!! SO fun! And I'm alive to tell the story! I didn't drive much, but this was enough to make me ecstatic.

Riding through the rain can make one cold, so we ventured to the hot springs up the road from my hotel. Yes, I'm in a hot springs in Thailand, in the rain with monks walking by.  I love my life!

Later in the evening it was time to eat dinner from the street carts, one of my favorite pastimes here! Enjoyed some sweet corn on the cob, a bit of squid and mango sticky rice. 

This lil cat sits under the squid truck every night. Smart boy. 

After filling my belly with an unbalanced meal, a group met up at Follow Me, an outdoor bamboo deck bar for an open mic night. After sitting on the floor (some in hammocks), we ventured to another local watering hole called Hi Five. So much fun to meet so many fellow travelers! This is addicting! 

Fire dancer at Follow Me. There is so much energy and creativity here. It lights a spark within you. 

Thank goodness I had so much sleep the night before, looooong day!

Suk chai means happy heart. This couldn't be any more true for how I feel right now! Now I just need to learn how to say hippie in there! 

One last...

30 more curves than I had thought!