Well I finally found where to get the good opium, and it came as a surprise. I got up early, did some yoga by the river, drank a coffee, and then took off on a motorcycle ride around the hills. (We biker dudes have to do that, you see, it's part of the contract). I took a nice long loop, then decided to see how high up I could get as I followed a sign to a waterfall to the north of Pai.
Went up through several villages, up and up, banana trees on the side of the road, morning sun warming me and the land. The higher I got (higher in elevation, people), the more I was going 'wow'. I must have said it thirty times, it was just so cool to be tooling around in places I wouldn't get to on foot. Now I'm past the last signs, no more snack places or roadside stands and still the road is rising. Oh there's one more sign.... for a reiki mater class.... perfect.
OK Now there are no more signs as I make it up to the last village before the waterfall. This is the poor one that doesn't get any tourists. a woman was leading some cattle, couldn't tell what kind exactly, water buffalo?, and she yanks them to the side of the road and motions 'do I have a cigarette?' (or so I thought). I shake my head, no. Up ahead are few women walking in the road, and each of them makes the same sign to me. first it's 'come here' (Italian style, hand going from up to down), then the sign of smoking. It was too much of a coincidence that they all wanted a smoke, so I slowed down and raised my shoulders as if to ask, 'what's up?' She smiles and says 'Opia' Aha, they were all offering opia to the white man on the scooter.
"Gee, I'd love to, but I have a meeting at 10:30, and I've got to get my reports finished before then.... some other time" (I thought to myself). What a trip! Part of me would like to go back up there sometime and do some 'research', but this wasn't the day for it, as I'm leaving Pai in a few hours, and I need to pack and return the scooter, and besides I've never tried opium, so I'd likely run the bike into a ditch.... or start driving on the right and get into a head on crash, who knows? But wow, I'm in the golden triangle, and I got a glimpse into the history of the opium trade which has nourished this part of the world for centuries. the women did seem a little buzzed, but what do I know?
I wonder if there's anything about this in the Lonely Planet, opium edition....
a final note from Pai.... Last night I was on the street listening again to that incredible German guitarist named Thomas Porrman, when a woman friend of his passes by, and starts doing a silly ragamuffin dance barefoot in the street. she's a beauty, dressed in flowing clothes (which she made herself, I found out). then she starts dancing for real, whirling, leaping, totally unafraid, totally free. It was electric, a crowd gathered and she continued to dance, and began adding some imprmptu vocals, performance art, the likes of which I've never seen. she could sing, dance, create in the moment like a goddess. (which she was). after several minutes she looks down and her toe is bleeding, which ended her performance. People offered her some toilet paper to stop the bleeding, and she said, 'I lived in India for 4 years, I think I'll survive'. She said it with a laugh.
I had to talk to her, compliment her from my heart on being an incredible artist, and I asked if I could ask her a question. what's her name, and her country of origin? Her name is Uma, she started in Korea, spent 4 years in goa and Varanasi and has performed all over the world. She was very touched by my compliments, and we exchanged the hands to heart greeting of friends. wow, again. One of the most inspiring artists I've ever seen or heard, theatre of life.
And that's one of the things which is impressing me by being in this part of the world. You meet so many people from other countries, people who have become world citizens, working, creating, living untethered to a particular nation. I've heard some amazing stories.... the brit who smuggled gold from Hong Kong to Nepal, and hash from Nepal to Hong Kong... and spent two years in a thai prison in the 90s (they hardly feed you), the guy from NY who runs a museum in Ireland and winters in thailand, The german who lived in India and is on his way to china.... or maybe australia... It's a wider world out here, and endless fascinating...
'That guy' part deux
In our first 'that guy' episode, he about passed out on a trek in the hills north of Chiang Mai. In today's installment, our hero is motoring his way along a gorgeous and quiet paved road out of Pai. Passing elephant camps, hot springs, the wind in his hair, what views, what freedom, life is good! Wait a second, how come when I picked up the scooter it was nearly full of gas, and now, after half an hour, it's totally full? That doesn't make sense.
Oh fuck!, I misread the gauge, I'm totally on empty and 12 miles from a gas station. Did a quick turn around, hoping that 'empty' wasn't really empty, and that I'd have enough to make it back to town. Hang on, which way is back? I don't remember passing this stuff... Oh shit, what am I doing? Doubled back yet again, to make sure that the turn I made was the right one, all the while burning precious drops of my empty tank.
OK whew, at least I made it back to the main road where there is some traffic if worst comes to worst. I'm within 5 miles of ...cough cough, zzzzzz out of gas. I start pushing the bike on the side of the road, and the first bike to pass me pulls over. It's a couple of Thai teenagers, really cool cats, she with colored hair and a giant crucifix, a little Madonna, Thai style, and he with a nehru cut black shirt, a cricifix around his neck, and some pretty wide gauges in his ears. They were both gorgeous kids, and they offered to help me out, and go get a liter of gas to send me on my way.
I asked if they had time, and they were like 'yes, of course'. They take off, and I hang on the side of the road, trying to massage the cramps out of my hands. Both hands were cramping up from, I don't know, gripping too tight? and maybe motorcycles aren't for me? The kids were back within ten minutes, they poured in the fuel. They let me pay for the gas, but wouldn't accept any payment for their kindness. I asked her (she was the English speaker) if they were Christians, and she said, 'no, we're Buddhists.... this is just for fashion'. And we were on our way. He was driving, she was on the back riding side saddle, no helmets, no fear, and they proceeded to rip past everybody on the road, just zipping along the highway. Yet another 'wow' on this day...
Oh fuck!, I misread the gauge, I'm totally on empty and 12 miles from a gas station. Did a quick turn around, hoping that 'empty' wasn't really empty, and that I'd have enough to make it back to town. Hang on, which way is back? I don't remember passing this stuff... Oh shit, what am I doing? Doubled back yet again, to make sure that the turn I made was the right one, all the while burning precious drops of my empty tank.
OK whew, at least I made it back to the main road where there is some traffic if worst comes to worst. I'm within 5 miles of ...cough cough, zzzzzz out of gas. I start pushing the bike on the side of the road, and the first bike to pass me pulls over. It's a couple of Thai teenagers, really cool cats, she with colored hair and a giant crucifix, a little Madonna, Thai style, and he with a nehru cut black shirt, a cricifix around his neck, and some pretty wide gauges in his ears. They were both gorgeous kids, and they offered to help me out, and go get a liter of gas to send me on my way.
I asked if they had time, and they were like 'yes, of course'. They take off, and I hang on the side of the road, trying to massage the cramps out of my hands. Both hands were cramping up from, I don't know, gripping too tight? and maybe motorcycles aren't for me? The kids were back within ten minutes, they poured in the fuel. They let me pay for the gas, but wouldn't accept any payment for their kindness. I asked her (she was the English speaker) if they were Christians, and she said, 'no, we're Buddhists.... this is just for fashion'. And we were on our way. He was driving, she was on the back riding side saddle, no helmets, no fear, and they proceeded to rip past everybody on the road, just zipping along the highway. Yet another 'wow' on this day...
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