Day 19

Flying to Pai...we wish. That only takes 20 mins. We had the pleasure of enduring another 3 hours on a bus on some of the windiest roads in the world. Tim and Steph had warned us. That doesn't help you retain your breakfast, not that we lost it, it just wasn't where it should been after the trip.

We arrived in Pai and ended up after a detour at the place we booked (who couldn't have us one of the other guests got ill and had to go to hospital) at the Breeze of Pai. The second place we have ended up at through no planned effort that Tim and Steph stayed at.

We headed out for dinner and about half way there the power goes out. Lucky we had brought our head lamp. We arrived at the pizza place the guide recommends. Which was eerily dark (like everywhere else but they seemed to be a little more stingy with the candles) and had only one other diner. We were cautious an just ordered a cheese, basil and tomato pizza. It was really good, nice thin base and holy basil tastes quite good even if it isn't authentic.

We walked back and had a drink at a bar along the way. Now unfortunately Steph Pai is probably fantastic in high season but in low season most places are closed (the vegetarian resturant included) and the only travellers left seem to be posers. The hot season is low season because the slash and burn argiculture leaves a haze that covers the entire valley obscuring the hills and the rice paddies and jungle are dry. I can see the beauty that would be here though.