Pai

The environment is always different every time I go to Pai, Mae Hong Son. The soil, rice paddies, mountains, and cloud formations all change with the seasons. The majestic clouds on the horizon even change depending on the time of day.

Zoey and I went to Coffee in Love, sipped espresso and sat overlooking the incredible view. A blanket of gray clouds covered the horizon, and an island of snow white clouds hovered in the sky. A veil of rain was transparent in the distance.

I read a chapter in Kerouac's Dharma Bums - he was scaling the Matterhorn with 2 of his friends.

We rented a Honda motorbike. It rode so smoothly through the rolling hills and countryside of Mae Hong Son. With Zoey on the back of the bike, we rode for about 20km past Pai Canyon, World War II Bridge, and to the temple on the hill.

This is where my friend Khun Alex from Stockholm, Sweden taught me to ride - and ever since, Mae Hong Son has been by far my favorite place to explore on a motorbike (gorgeous surroundings, and nowhere near as hectic as Chiang Mai city traffic).

We stopped at an art commune built into the surrounding nature; Thelonious Monk's “Straight No Chaser” was playing on old speakers. Paintings were displayed on the walls, including my favorite - a human figure huddled in the middle of a swirling red vortex.

As night descended we rode in the dark to the Chinese village. Eventually the night became pitch black and we could only see into the distance as far as the headlights, so we headed home. Crickets sang peacefully as we drifted off to sleep in our cabin inside the small town of Pai.

In the morning we had fresh coffee, eggs, and toast at the Muslim bakery and talked before taking one last cruise around Pai.




Currently listening to:

Beethoven - Emperor
Scriabin - Preludes
Rachmaninoff - Etudes

(Photos: R. Zoey Setiawan)

Wat Umong

We took a songtaew to Wat U Mong to the east of the old city, a site that a monk from Laos described to me as the “forest temple”. The whole environment was much different from how I remember it from the dry season. Everything was lush and green, and jakkajahn insects no longer shrieked up in the trees.

Walking along the winding paths, we paused to read passages of Buddhist wisdom inscribed onto the trees. We continued through centuries-old tunnels with a damp musky smell leading to Buddha images surrounded with incense. Finally, we went to a pond where we fed popcorn and bread to the catfish and turtles.

Wat Rong Khun

Finally, we went to Wat Rong Khun. It is famous all throughout Thailand, and I have been so anxious to see it.

It is one of the most epic works of art I have ever seen; unlike any other temple in Thailand. Every aspect of its construction is symbolic of human existence, from hellish despair and suffering to ultimate enlightenment.

The artist has been designing and building it for 12 years straight, and it's still a work in progress.

He considers it his life's work...he has provided a vast majority of the funding from his own finances, and even lives right outside the temple in one of the adjacent structures.

He claims that he will continue working on the project until his dying breath. He has even trained a group of disciples to follow on in his style on this and similar projects in the future after his death.

He has set a timeline until 2070 for all his plans...he wants to create 8 similar temples around the area.

Mae Salong

We continued northeast towards Myanmar to a town called Mae Salong, a village of Chinese settlers who cultivate tea. The lush rolling green hills were spectacular, especially as the transparent mist of cool rain hovered over the mountains.

We sat down at a local tea shop, sheltered from the rain. I spoke Thai to the Chinese woman who was eager to pour us all kinds oolong, jasmine, and local Mae Salong tea. We sipped hot tea in the rainy morning air.

Chiang Rai

We took a van to Chiang Rai. We got off near a market, where we walked around and explored. All of the fruit in Thailand is ripe this time of year, and the local “lang ley” Chiang Rai pineapples were sweet and delicious.

We continued on through the streetside markets of Chiang Rai. A woman was slicing up a durian on the side of the street, and I bought some. We split it up and shared it amongst ourselves, and then gave the rest to a woman begging on the side of the street.

As dusk fell we walked towards the Chiang Rai night bazaar. It was not very crowded, but many merchants were still out selling fresh food.

Gray rain clouds began to close in on us. We bought some som tam and even a hot pot, which we put in the middle of the table, adding vegetables and raw meat and making a delicious soup that kept us warm in the raging thunder storm.

Royal Gardens (Doi Suthep)

Zoey and my parents came to visit me in Chiang Mai. It was great being able to show them around and give an idea of my lifestyle here.

We woke up early in the morning to drive up to Wat Doi Suthep. It was raining lightly, and the skies were blanketed with mist. First we went to the royal gardens, where the Thai royal family stays for vacations. The orchids and colorful flowers were beautiful in the damp misty haze.

By the time we got to the temple, the air was fresh and the skies were clear so the view of Chiang Mai was spectacular.

(Photo: R. Zoey Setiawan)