PAI IN THE SKY

Monday, May 4, 2009 10:00 AM

Idalis:

Every once in a while, we find a place to take a vacation from our vacation. The little town of Pai, nestled in northern Thailand's hills, is exactly that. We arrived at this mountain paradise a week ago, and are having a very hard time finding the heart to leave!

Our simple little bungalow on stilts, perched on the banks of the Pai River, has become our new home. The attached bathroom makes us laugh, half covered and half exposed to the elements, you can shower while looking at the green mountains (and also get rained on if you have to pee during a storm!). At night, so quiet is this side of the river, that the frogs, birds, and “uh-oh” geckos lull us to sleep.

The town of Pai itself is beautiful. Part of the old “hippie trail,” it has retained its laid-back feel. The restaurants and shops in town are creatively decorated, inviting you to taste their yummy noodles or buy their linen clothes. One of our favorite restaurants, Na's Kitchen, is no secret. People come in all day and night to sample tom khaa kai (coconut soup with chicken and galangal) or one of the many delicious kaeng (curries). We now have an addiction to Thai iced tea, bright orange and served with condensed milk. Last night, we were introduced to mukata, or Thai barbecue, for the first time. Our group was given a large metal dome, surrounded by a shallow moat, that sat on a clay pot with flaming hot coals. Each diner is in control of their entire meal, as they place various types of meat on the dome to be grilled as an assembly of greens, water and seafood stew in the moat. All this for 80 baht (about $2.50). It is a do-it-yourself all-you-can-eat affair! We even sampled fried crickets at the local market, tasty if you don't think about what they are!

We have met such friendly and interesting people while here, and striking up conversations is easy to do while lounging in one of the hammocks at our guest house's communal sala. Noah is from Holland, Sauli from Finland, and Jenny is from England. Alex from Costa Rica has been our official tour guide, as he's been here the longest. One day, the six of us rented scooters and visited one of the local waterfalls, hot springs in the jungle, and then went to watch the sun set at Pai Canyon. A perfect day! We have become fast friends, and will often meet up for dinner or just talk into the wee hours of the night over a Chang beer.







There's a lot to do here besides swinging in a hammock or stuffing your face. Kevin has been taking muay thai boxing lessons twice a day. While he's kicking and throwing punches in the morning, I practice yoga facing the river. Yesterday we went on an elephant ride! A touristy activity here in Thailand, yes, but a must-do for me, regardless. It was so much fun, although with nothing to hold on to, I was REALLY nervous during the steep descents. We got to bathe the elephant in the river, or rather, it bathed us! Today we will get Thai massages and enjoy our last days here. In a few days, we will return to Chiang Mai and then make our way to the Laos border. But for now, we are truly enjoying our Earth-bound “Pai in the Sky!”





LIFE OF PAI

Tuesday, May 5 @ 15:20

Kevin

My day begins at 7:20AM when the clock alarm goes off. I lay in bed for another five minutes and then it is on to the shower and into some work out clothes. I stumble out of the elevated bamboo bungalow that hugs the bank of the Pai river and walk about 100 meters into the 'True Bee Muay Thai Boxing Gym'. It contains a boxing ring and a work out area located under a canopy cover and surrounded by stunning vistas of the Pai mountain range. There are a few dogs that usually hang around and fighting roosters located in wicker cages that crow during our morning workouts. There are about ten people that attend the morning class, from 8 to 10, and another ten or so that attend the afternoon class, from 3 to 5. I attend both sessions and am about the only one who is not training long term, professionally or preparing for an upcoming fight.

The Muay Thai gym is owned and operated by Roengam Chomthong, better known as Bee. He is a 32 year old champion Muay Thai fighter. He also receives help from his brother, known as 'A', and trainers Wantree and Mitiporng. Together they run the 'True Bee' camp. We start our sessions with some skipping (jump rope), then into the ring for a round of calisthenics. After that, we get our hands wrapped in tape and move to the floor to practice our punches, kicks, blocks and combinations. One by one, we are called into the ring to go four rounds attempting to pummel our trainers who are heavily clad in padding and call out shots and combinations. Between each round we take water from the three little Thai boys who Bee is currently training free of charge. They are small, but they are powerful and focused. The remaining students are all farang, or foreigners, and many come specifically to train with Bee and usually stay long term. Of those training, two will be showcased in upcoming fights.

After training four hours a day for three days, I am shot. My legs hurt, my shins hurt and my feet hurt. However, Sunday is an off day and we celebrate the week's training with a barbecue on Saturday night. Most of the trainees show up and we share grilled meat, chicken and pork along with some Thai whiskey with soda water. I end my short Muay Thai career having 0 wins, 0 losses and 1 near knockout, but also make a bunch of new friends and gain a new appreciation for this sport and all the people who participate in it. As I write this, we lie down in the bed of the guesthouse that we just procured a few minutes ago here in Chang Mai. Leaving Pai was not easy, but our travels continue this Friday with a bus ride to the Laos border. In the meantime, we will have dinner at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and will go to one last Muay Thai fight to see the three small boys and one farang, from the Real Bee Gym, in their debut matches here at the Taphae Stadium. I spent every day after class swimming in the Pai River with the Thai boys, who I nicknamed 'B-Boy', 'Champion', and 'Spikey' and can't wait to see them in the ring, living their dream. A perfect send off and a great way to remember my life in Pai.