The Magical Mystery Pai

Our last week in Northern Thailand left me with fond memories, new friendships, and a strong sense that we will return in the future.

We trekked to Pai; a small town tucked away over the mountains. The journey alone was absolutely breathtaking. I sat on the back of our red motorbike, my arms wrapped around Tristan’s waist, and held on for a total of 762 turns through the mountains. We weaved through the jungles and watched as the trees slowly changed with the rising altitude. The experience put us in a meditative state, letting the hours wash over us. On the outskirts of the town, we passed a quirky witch cafe, and that solidified everything one needs to know about Pai; it is a mystical place.

At first glance, Pai looks like the set of a wild west movie; dusty colonial balconies and seemingly one main street, but all that changed in the night. Once dark, the road filled up with food and craft stalls, all illuminated by strings of lights. Everyone looked like an extra from Woodstock. I’m talking dreadlocks, flowy pants, moon necklaces, tie-dye, and a whole lot of mandalas. I even witnessed an old Thai lady wearing a dark blue cloak with what looked like Gandalf’s staff in her hand. In one of the bars, I felt as though I had stepped into my childhood imagination. Purple canopies flowed from the ceiling, and scattered candles flickered in the magical space. People sat on ornate pillows and laughed in the dark. Tristan and I took our drinks up a wood ladder which lead to an elevated fort, and we sat, smiling from above. I’m convinced the fairies were not too far from us.

The most magical part of Pai happened later on in the night. We found ourselves in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by warm fires and colorful lights. The music played, and the people danced, and everything was beautiful. It was such a surreal feeling. I felt immersed in the moment and then looked up at the millions of stars, reminding myself that I am literally a speck of existence surrounded by an uninhabited jungle on the other side of the world. Those kinds of moments don’t happen often, but when they do, they last in you forever.

Pai’s mystical powers didn’t diminish in the daylight. We spent the next day exploring the magic of its natural surroundings. One of my favorite spots was the Land Split. A few years back, a local farmer’s land split down the middle and ended his farming career. So what did he do? He opened his home for people to visit and see, and all for free! We were welcomed with drink and food picked from his very own garden, all complimentary. The drink we had was made from Roselle, which had a slightly bitter, but delicious taste. The path had two routes, jungle and garden. We, of course, chose the jungle. Our walk felt like we fell through Alice’s rabbit hole and landed in Wonderland. I felt so small under the enormous plants and even smaller as we climbed our way through the split. The green garden world that we were just in sat a good distance above us, as we sat in the underbelly of the earth for some time. It was truly remarkable.

Delving further into Pai’s majestic surrounds, we drove further up the road and explored a waterfall tucked between the caves. We were greeted with faces we’d seen the night before in the jungle. Pai is an intimate place. After our swim we made it to the canyon for sunset, this time watching the world from high above. In the early morning, we made the same 762 turns down the mountain and back to Chiang Mai for our final few days.

Back in the city, we did the things we had loved one more time. We ate at our favorite spot in the local student night market (The best Tom Yum we have ever had). We drank our last coffee at our favorite cafe, Annista, which also happens to be a quirky witch-themed spot. We walked down our favorite street one last time and stopped for what was supposed to be one drink and ended up being a whole lot more. The place was called Liquor in the Alley, and we had passed the sign several times during our stay. Whenever we walked by, it was closed. On this last night, however, we saw the lights. Liquor in the Alley was really just a tiny pop up bar with four stools outside a woman’s home. We sat with two locals and somehow, even with complete language barriers, managed to make conversation and enjoy each other’s company. The bartender ended up giving us as she said “the good stuff” for free and joined in on the action. We swapped stories, toasted the good times, and let the hours slip away. Her brother even cooked us a meal, on the house. That night was a proper send-off from Chiang Mai.

The north of Thailand is a magical place, and we were bittersweet to say goodbye as it had come to feel like a home. Until next time, sawat dee kha!

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