Discovering Pai

This day started rather slowly. Ruth and I enjoyed a nice healthy breakfast at the Witch Cafe and made a plan for the day. Since we experienced biking in high temperatures and high humidity yesterday already, today we got us a driver. We decided to go to Pai Canyon first. In some travel guides Pai Canyon is very optimistically and picturesque described as the answer to the Grand Canyon - whereas it is not as large as one would expect. But the small red earth path with steep-sided valleys on each side is quite exciting and one really has to watch ones step.

Afterwards we drove over the WWII Memorial Bridge which was meant to be a comparison to the Bridge over the River Kwai. We did not feel a need to stop though. Instead headed right to the Tha Pai Hot Spring. This area was used during WWII as a Japanese military camp. Nowadays it has two hot springs - but as time goes by new springs pop up and run dry again all the time. In the hottest pools one can even boil eggs.

On our way back, we stopped at a nice cafe with wonderful views to the surrounding mountains. It was just perfect to get into one of the swings and just relax and enjoy the beauty of the world. Finally we headed back into town, walked along the river and strolled through the shops. One the streets we met some guy from the Netherlands who I had met before in Sukhothai - small world - he joined us for some delicious food, before I had to head back to Chiang Mai and then catch the night bus there to Bangkok. So off I was again in a small mini van with 10 other backpacksers who where heading south towards the isles for a full-moon party.