PAI

So here I am in Pai(pronounced BI) in the mountains of northern Thailand near the Burma border...I finally 'escaped' the Chiang Mai 'vortex' & wish I had come here sooner!...this is small town nestled in a beautiful valley with mountains all around...the river flows by the town which experienced 2 major floods last year in Aug & Sept....a very chill place..today I went for a bike ride on a big loop through the villages across the river, came back for a coconut ice-shake, & then went to the pool for a swim!(the river is low now)...I'm staying at the Tonsa in town for 150bt/night..lots of Israeli's in rooms around me, very nice folks....I rented a scooter for past 3 days & explored the waterfalls, elephant camps, & had a nice soak in the 'camping' hot springs with a friend from UK yesterday(....had a wild time one night at the Be-Bop club with some other folks..ended up on stage banging the bongo's with the band...the girls have pictures of me dancing so hopefully they'll send them(yes, I don't have a digital but maybe before too long)...I leave tomorrow night on an overnight Bus to Chang Kong/border of Laos..then a slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prang...at least 15 days in Laos then back to NE Thailand.....Pai is great & I will probably be back here(there is a Rainbow 'scout' council here in Sept)...met a German girl today at good vegan dinner who has been here four months!....(except for the internet 'cartel' here of 1 baht a minute!)....blessings to all...