There were other activities to do in Chiang Mai besides feeding rehabilitated elephants. After arriving in this city in the mountains of Northern Thailand, I explored the night market full of goods and watched a dance show set to mostly disco music, as well as exploring the old city. I took a cooking class where I learned how to make pad thai, coconut chicken soup, and my favorite meal in the entire world: green curry. I was amazed by how tasty everything turned out, although we’ll see how well I can replicate everything when I’m home again. One of the most interesting parts of my week in Chiang Mai was meeting new travellers every day in my hostel. The nature of travelling like this means that you have to make new friends every day, because everyone is always moving on to somewhere new. You make such close bonds with people over the course of one day, exploring new sites with them, learning about their life and the country they come from. But then you have to so quickly say goodbye. However, you can also frequently meet travel partners this way, at least for a short leg. Thus I met two girls who were as intrigued as I was by what we had heard of a small mountain town called Pai. It ended up being my favorite place in all of my journeys thus far.

So we began the most winding bus trip I had ever been on. Nonstop curves meant we had to take anti-nausea medicine and sleep the whole way up, but when we arrived we knew we had come to an amazing place. Tucked amongst verdant mountains, the main street of Pai is lined with lights in the trees and strange shops and cafes. The road ends at a river, where one must cross a rickety bamboo bridge to arrive on the other side where people lie by the riverbank on mats with their drinks and the stars overhead. To walk back to our hostel we had to navigate small creeks and mud paths in the dark, climbing up a hillside before we could get to our accommodation but the view in the morning was worth it. This was the Thailand I had hoped to see—mountains and valleys, tropical trees and bungalows as the sun rose.

While the hammocks that were scattered in abundance were tempting as a way to relax in this most relaxing of towns, I also needed to explore. I visited a hot springs, where light rain helped cool our faces as our bodies basked in the heat, our calmed states only interrupted when a snake went slithering by in the water. We explored the local canyon after a rain storm, where we warily walked across a narrow and slippery mud path that had nothing on either side but sheer precipices. I decided to stay longer than I had planned, and went by motorbike with a friend I made to a beautiful waterfall, where we waded in the cold mountain water, pondering if we should plunge all the way in, but instead climbing up into the caves looking over it. I ate a different type of curry everyday, and in the mornings would visit my favorite café, the Witching Well, to drink teas labeled as “potions.” I truly fell in love with Pai, and didn’t want to leave. I understood why it was full of expats, hippies, and musicians. The people around you are unique and in good spirits, and you’re surrounded by the most idyllic setting. It’s the type of place you find yourself visiting for a weekend and never leaving.