Pai River Trip

Home for the night

Pai River Trip

October 17-18, 2012

We had a wonderful two day river trip through the jungle on the Pai River in northern Thailand with the misty mountains rising above us and the gibbons calling from the tree tops. Only 3 tourists in our group, ourselves and a French woman. Our two delightful guides laughed the whole trip while we taught each other our languages, French, English, Lanna and Thai. They fed us very well with fried rice wrapped in banana leaves, passion and dragon fruit and real Thai coffee.

Path to the outhouse

Our cook

 

















The rapids were great fun, and the captain made sure we hit every rock where the water was the most turbulent, churning us around like a washing machine. We managed to stay in the raft and arrived 60 K down river safe and sound. Unlike our first bamboo raft trip, this one had us wear helmets and life jackets. The difference was this outfit was run by a French guy named 'Guy' not Thai. We feel so lucky to have been able to see this stunningly beautiful part of Thailand with a peak into Myanmar.

Pumping up the raft while the farm kids watch

Fried rice in a banana leaf for lunch on the river

Jenise at the front of the raft. Note helmet and life jacket

Banana flower plucked from the top of the tree to use for salads

The three hour drive back to the town of Pai was beautiful on a very windy road that went up over a mountain into the clouds. The little round-topped mountains are very green with tiny rice fields nestled in the valleys. At the top we could look down and see the white clouds down in the valleys like fluffy quilts protecting the villages.

Up in the clouds