RETURN TO THAILAND – A SECOND STINT IN PAI

RETURNING TO THAILAND

I left Yangon, after spending four amazing weeks in Myanmar, and flew back to Chiang Mai.

It was so refreshing to land back in Chiang Mai, which instantly felt like a home from home. I knew how everything worked in Thailand and I felt like I knew this city really well.

I stayed again at D-well hostel, where the guys who worked there recognised me instantly and this only helped to accentuate the feeling.

I didn’t do much while in Chiang Mai this time, as I was only there for one night, before heading off to Pai. I met a Polish guy from the hostel and went our for a bite to eat and a couple of beers with him, where we exchanged travelling stories.

Another single serving friend.

I headed off in the morning on my journey to Pai, again on the gruelling 3 hour bus journey through the winding roads up into the hills.

ARRIVING IN PAI

Arriving in Pai also felt like such a familiarity. It had been my favourite place when I’d visited Thailand previously and I was excited to return.

I was staying again at the Common Grounds hostel. Getting off the bus, it was just around the corner. I headed there, dropped off my bags and was greeted by the guys who worked there, who I had spent a week with the last time I was there.

Welcome home, one of them said.

DICE TATTOOS

While I was in Pai, I didn’t do anything new. I’d seen the touristy sites before and I knew the town well enough.

After having that sickness bug in Myanmar I was keen just to relax and spend time at the hostel. I’d planned initially to stay only 2 or 3 nights, but this place gets into your blood. I stayed for 7.

There’s not much to really blog about, however. I spent nights boozing and making new friends. Chilling out in hammocks, reading, writing my blog and catching up on sleep.

One thing to mention though, was that Jordin, one of the guys who worked at the hostel let me tattoo him with the image of a dice.

I’d never given a tattoo before and never even seen how one would do this with bamboo, but I was happy to give it a go if he’d trust me.

Here’s a quick vid of it:

MOVING ON

I’d spent another great week in Pai; catching up with old friends and making new ones.

This place will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m sure I’ll be back.

I was heading off again though, and this time down South to the Thai islands. The weather was looking a bit dicey, but I was looking to meet up with my friend Johan in Krabi and wasn’t going to miss this.

I journeyed back to Chiang Mai and flew down to Krabi.

Keep following the blog to see what the islands had in store for me….