2001, Pai, Day 3

It's an early start today as we plan to get a moped and explore the surrounding area. It looks beautiful, but the prospect of a day on a moped never seems appealing. We get one and I leave my passport behind as a deposit (rather reluctantly after what happened to Amy's) and soon enough were on the road.
Immediately I realise the drives we have been doing have paid off, as I feel a lot more comfortable. Before long we have a full tank and have left pai behind. The scenery does not disappoint, and the morning fog that lingers in the distance only adds to the view. After around 30 minutes we reach our first stop, the land split. It is a crazy place in which at one point in the past the land just split (hence the name). It is very odd and does really take some seeing to believing. It's the kind of place that makes you wish you listened more in geography at school so you could know how something like this could happen. As we leave, the jolly woman at the entrance bombards us with fruit and fried banana and wine (not for the drivers, mum) and we make our way through as much of it as we can with the help of an Argentinean and Columbian couple.
We leave full up and a lot heavier, and it's not far to our next stop, a small waterfall that is pretty uninspiring but worth a few minutes look. Next up is a very long bamboo bridge that stretches over some fields and is a lot better then it sounds. The views are beautiful and the water buffalo that play underneath and next to the bridge are great to watch. We walk the distance and stop for a sit down and to take in the view, which we could honestly stare at all day, but we have other places to visit and so we head back to the bike and head off.
Pai canyon is the next stop, and it is similar to the land split much on a much grander scale and much scarier to walk around. Here in Asia health and safety seems like a made up idea, and it soon kicks in as we walk over very thin pathways with vertical drops at either side that one slip and we would be over the edge. Again, the views of the mountain on either side are incredible, and as we climb around the canyon pathways and take it all in, it really feels like you are on a film set, or in a post apocalyptic world. We don't go the full way as some of the paths look a bit too steep and deadly for our liking, and after a quick stop to eat we are back on the road.
We stop briefly at the world war 2 memorial bridge. A pretty cool structure but one that doesn't take much viewing, and after getting pulled over to take a photo of some very happy bikers, we are at the hot springs. They sound tempting but the 300 baht entrance free puts us off (six times what the locals pay!).
The day is quickly going, and we head to a waterfall that ends up being a 14km hike round. It's not a good idea to start this with three hours daylight left, especially as it heads through a jungle, but some crazy people do it anyway.
Our final stop is an amazing view point, that is at the top of a very steep hill. After a few minutes of worry that we were about to start going backwards, we make it to the top. Breathtaking views of the mountains in the distance surround us. Sitting down and staring out at it all is the perfect way to end the day.
Back at the hotel, with my passport safely back in my bag, we get sorted and head out for some tea. The food is good, and to round the day off we enjoy a few beers while listening to some great Dylan covers on guitar. It's a great way to end a great day, and it definitely seems the day of rest was a good idea!Читать далее