welcome to pai-radise

until we get our camera contents uploaded, i've resorted to getting images from google images to at least share a little of what we are seeing with y'all (though i suppose you can do the same!) the first two pics are of the surrounding valley and mountains here, and the third is the cutest little coffee place here in the VW van that we walk by every day :)

we are writing blogs simultaneously right now so i don't know what carson is sharing, but wow do we love pai! we have been going going going on our trip and now.....stop and breathe and be. we find more things to love about this place every day. the night before my birthday we sat down on the side of the street that is full of food vendors, clothes and things, little bars that remind me of burning man, etc. for some homemade indian food, samosas, fresh parantha bread, dal, chai, and vegetables...so yummy!...and we met the two other people who were sitting at our table randomly that didn't know each other either...a woman from west virginia and a man from northern france...we all started talking and talked of traveling, in india, in thailand, in bolivia, how to keep traveling, our love of traveling, etc, how you really do just want to stay in one place for a while to soak it up (cyril had come to pai last year intending on a three day stay and stayed for three months!). we walked through town a couple of nights later to the be-bop, the for sure most happening place after 10:30 or so, and there were four bands from bangkok playing, the most rocking roll almost metal music but really good, and the place was full of thai people and travelers and smoke and lots of buckets full of thai whiskey and thai red bull that have seven straws that everyone passes around and drinks together (carson discovered my trick of bringing the liquid up to my mouth like i was taking a drink, but then not sucking any in, he knows me too well :) it was so fun though, we all danced, and stayed till they close, we met some other people from holland, france, slovenia (who were so excited when we told them we'd just been there!), portland (!!), germany, and this great thai woman named bee that kept calling me "honey"....we all hopped on motorbikes after they closed and headed to don't cry, this place on the other side of the river that stays open till seven a.m. and has a big bonfire outside to sit around. by this time it was after midnight, and everyone sang me happy birthday around the fire! so special!! carson and i made it home by 4 and gratefully fell into bed. my birthday was wonderful, a breakfast by this place that has this huge beautiful outdoor pool a little bit out of town, a nice oil massage done thai style, lunch/dinner at our favorite place, na's kitchen (we ate there tonight too!), and we when to the most beautiful bar/music venue last night called phu pai where there is acoustic music, a man played guitar so brilliantly as we sipped on our fresh mint/lime/orange/sugar cane/thai rum mojitos, candles everywhere, remixed billie holiday music on inbetween acoustic acts....it was a really special day!

today we took a motorbike ride up into the hills out of town, checking out different places for more of a long-term rental. we saw everything from a bamboo grass shack for $5 a night, to a absolutely gorgeous landscaped former-orange-plantation pond/river/lotus blooming resort bungalow for $75 a night (a LOT for these parts!) we met some great people at all the places, co-owners from japan, new zealand, england, and their thai spouses. we found one place for around $30 a night that is absolutely gorgeous that we are going to inquire about renting for longer. we just happen to be here in the highest tourist season of the entire year, new years, so after that there will be more openings (we can stay at the place we are in for as long as we want). we just love it here....especially getting out of town a little, all the rice paddies and hills and green everywhere, and the people who are so very kind, and fellow travelers. we met a guy from england today who has just been extending his visa for a few years! he told us he will talk to some farmer friends and see if they have any places for rent.

since being in thailand, i have felt so peaceful, powerful, and connected. carson and i were talking today and i was thinking of my "home" places, those that i love the most where i feel so good and inspired to be in...bellingham of course, and heartwood always, and maui...and here too. it feels like we've been here for a couple of weeks, yet it's our 4th day! we are familiar faces now at our wheatgrass counter, one of the girls who works there is so sweet and is always happy to see us there, smiling, kap kun kaaaaah we say and bow to each other. i put my hands in prayer here a lot to say thank you.

tonight at dinner we met a man from texas who lived in hawaii and he told us of swimming with the sea turtles, honu, in hawaii and how he rescued a big "grandaddy honu" from under the coral, and then a few days later a turtle led him out to a community of turtles and they were all just swimming there facing him, as if to thank him. on thursday night, cyril told us of his time in senegal, and how everyone there is dancing, all the time. to think of not dancing is....unthinkable. constant rhythm and movement. if a person dies or gets married, they dance for three days and three nights, nonstop, people come and join from all over, dancing and dancing. i want to learn to dance like that! i want to be free in my expression. yesterday when carson told a thai woman at the massage place that it was my birthday, she just started laughing and raising her voice so excitedly, "happy birthday!!" laughing and laughing so happy for me, we both laughed so hard too, i felt so honored.

come to pai! (morgan, you would love it!)

i'm sure i'll write again soon, but i hope everyone is having a beautiful holiday season, we miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love,
melissa