2013 TURNS 2014 IN PAI.

Christmas is over and after spending some days apart I meet up with Heidi in Pai in time to celebrate the new year. 

We rent a bungalow and have our own house cat (!!!) Free of charge - kaching 

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Found this flyer laying around. "No hippy bongo playing dreadlocked freaks please", mate - you've come to the wrong town then. 

Taking a shower looked like this - pretty pretty 

At Chang-o-clock we meet up with our new found Aussie friend Steve to spend the last afternoon of 2013 together. My instagram caption to this photo goes something like "Life of Pai", it's a hard knock one indeed. 

 As evening approaches we head out to the Trance Spirit Festival, stuffed on the back of a pick-up driving through the dark of northern Thailand. There we randomly bump into Mariana, a woman we met months earlier whilst exploring Luang Prabang. Such a funny coincidence, to meet her at the tiny Trance Spirit Festival of all places. 

After some time we head back to Pai in time for the fire works, which turn out to be complete madness. They go left and right (and at some points along the ground so we have to run away from them) as they fill up the dark night. 

To wrap the evening up we perform a (once and for all) quality check between Chang-Leo-Singha and have another round of peanut butter-banana-roti's before we finally head to sleep, wrapped in all of our garments to protect from the cold. Farewell then 2013! You've been a good year. 

Tuesday, August 20th: Market #2

A man sleeping "under the stars" in double sense, spotted on our way to the flower market. Ahh - the whole street turns into a floral shop. It smells heavenly. 

Tuesday, August 20th: Market #1

Took a river boat and got off like two stops from Khaosan Rd. Ended up by the cosiest market by the harbour. Such a change from the previous days at MBK. (Don't make me go there again!!) Drank expensive coffee and watched sushi being rolled at a restaurant Elme chose. 

R said something rather amusing yesterday. We were sat discussing bras whereby I say something about wonder bras being false advertisement. He goes "That's why they call it a wonder-bra, you take it off and you Wonder what happened!" ... I should go get my sense of humor checked. 

BANGKOK PHOTO DIARY (August)

Monday, August 19th: Monsoon downfalls 

Yet another trip to MBK, this time to fix a phone charger. Afterwards we look for some cheap grub to eat. End up in this street food stall. As we're sat eating some noodle soup, a lady walks in. This is no ordinary lady, I tell you. This is like a living teletubbie. From head to toe, she is covered in baby pink. She even brought her own plate and cutlery, on where she puts only pinkish food. OCD much? 

Sunday, August 18th

After a long afternoon wandering about the massive mall of MBK to find Elme a phone, we went up the Golden Mountain in central Bangkok. Overlooking the city. Afternoon coffee. 

PART ONE - BANGKOK (or "Curing a Jetlag")

Our first stop of the trip was the Big Mango. In the midst of monsoon season we'd tick the quintessential boxes of what a Bangkok tourist should do; watch the Big Buddah, eat deep fried scorpions, almost fall for the "goverment run tuktuk-scam" and make endless trips to the mall of MBK. Here we are, just off the 13hrs flight. 

 Bangkok was really like being thrown straight into chaos. The traffic, the pulse, the humidity. I instantly grew fond of the fact that everything was so decorated. In the midst of a dirty road someone would still make sure to decorate with blossoming flowers and golden details. During the first days I told Emily "This is like the perfect combination of Old & Gold", hence the title of this backpacking cathegory. 

We had been warned about arriving in the midst of the monsoon season. Despite its tendency to sneak up on you out of nowhere, I didn't mind the rain. I mean, I went travelling to discover new things and this rain happens to be part of it. This rain is intense and disappears just as quickly as it arrives. It also forces you to seek shelter in places you mightn't had gone otherwise. (This is how we one day have lunch in a little joint where a lady, from head to toe, covered in pink wanders in. It's like seeing a real life teletubbie. She has even brought along her own cutlery in pink shades and only picks food in a matching scheme. Most fascinating.) 

Saturday, August 17th

Friday, August 16th

Arriving in The Big Mango after 12 hours 11'000 metres above ground. The furthest I've ever flown. The first thing I notice stepping off the plane is how different Bangkok smells from any other city I've ever been. It's humidity. Even the airport doors are decorated. Despite my lack of sleep, I'm charmed already at the first date.