The Songram festival

The Songram festival began as a simple annual ceremony to cleanse the Buddhist statues with water, where the statues were paraded up and down the streets and people would throw water at them.

However, it has evolved into a free for all water fight, and believe me, the Thais know how to have a water fight. It is impossible to go anywhere without getting doused with a hose, a water pistol or a bucket. If you ride past on a motorbike, they block the road and you HAVE to stop. There are ute loads of people patrolling the streets with large drums of water. The water is chilled with large ice blocks and thus, it is BLOODY freezing cold.

It really is madness- there are people walking outside as I write this shivering and looking like drowned rats, but they are really having a lot of fun. Its a bit like a New Years Eve and Australia Day celebration all rolled into one. And of course, they are more than happy for you to join them......whether you like it or not!

Up north in Pai

Well, if Thailand has a Byron Bay, then this is it.

Pai is around 4 hours north of Chiang Mai near the Burmese border. Pai is so relaxed, its horizontal. We sort out a little bungalow just over the river (via rickety bamboo bridge) and settle in to watch the sun set over the mountains. There isn't really much to do in Pai- which is perfect. We spend the next few days doing just that. Absolutely magical.

The Jewel of the North

The pride of the fleet, the jewel in the crown. Chiang Mai is the dream destination of many Thais, and it is not hard to see why. Since I have spent many a good night with friends in Chiang Mai, it holds special significance for me too.

Chiang Mai is the northern satellite city of Thailand, and even with 1.4 million, it feels like a country town. The city was built around 700 years ago, and still has a moat and remnants of the stone wall which protected it against Burmese invaders.

We catch the train to Chiang Mai- a great way to travel, but after 14 hours, we are ready to get off. Although it is not the peak of summer yet, it is hot and smoky when we arrive, so we head to a guesthouse with a pool. A welcome relief from the heat.

Chiang Mai is gearing up for the Songram- a Buddhist new year festival. Thais from all around the country converge on Chiang Mai to celebrate, with lots of water throwing, drinking, and general merriment. In an attempt to skip the early water throwing, we check out an amazing temple, Doi Suthep, which according to the local legend holds important Buddhist artifacts. It also affords an amazing panoramic view over the city.

Present company excepted, things are different without friends, and it feels really different in Chiang Mai this time. But the last time I was in Chiang Mai, I did hear about a sleepy little town up towards the Burmese border, Pai- somewhere not to be missed. I did miss Pai last time and was keen not to repeat this. So off to Pai we go.....

Bangkok

"Ko Sahn Road was backpacker land. Almost all of the buildings had been converted to guest houses, there were long-distance telephone booths with air-con, the cafes showed brand-new Hollywood films on video, and you couldn't walk ten feet without passing a bootleg tape stall. The main function of the street was as a decompression chamber for all those about to leave Thailand; a halfway house between the East and the West."

Alex Garland, The Beach

The main travellers hub in Bangkok is around KoSahn Road, and after the quiet solitude of the island, the energy and intensity of Bangkok is a little overwhelming. But we soon get used to it.

True to Garland's description, Ko Sahn Road is an unashamed melting pot of backpackers, tuk-tuks, mobile food vendors, lady-boys and loud music. You can buy anything on the road: CD's, designer clothes, 10B pad thai and "buckets"- a traditional full moon party cocktail served in large bucket with straws. It is crazy, sickening and great fun all at the same time.

Koh Phayam

Don't know what it is about islands- the feeling of isolation, insulation, freedom, or a combination of all three. Can't seem to stay away from them......and see no reason to either.

From Ranong, we decide to head to another island- Koh Phayam. Koh Phayam is 2 hours boat ride from Ranong. In contrast to the 300 strong on the Koh Tao boat, the Koh Phayam boat has only 25 people on it- and most of them are locals. After a crazy trip through the mangroves, we hit open water and the scenery is breathtaking. The mountains and islands of Myanmar serve a perfect backdrop to our journey, and we chug along just inside Thai waters heading south.

The island looms on the horizon, and the water gradually becomes that magical crystal blue colour. We are greeted at the pier by some motorbike taxis and our host, Num. After a 20 minute ride through the cashew nut groves, we arrive at a deserted sandy beach- the first beach in Asia that resembles an Australian beach (top photo). It is amazing!

Koh Phayam's main industry is cashew nuts- an extremely labour intensive crop which keeps the locals very busy. On one of our exploratory strolls, we find a cool baan chalok (tea house) run by a groovy French expat. A full range of herbal teas, fantastic cakes and cookies, and some fantastic south Indian cuisine. And they have Chai- yipee!

Around sunset every afternoon, a group gathers to play volleyball and watch the sun set. A few sets of volleyball and everyone is sweaty and ready to toast the sunset with a beer. As you can see, the sunset is pretty amazing.

The Visa run

Our visa is getting close to expiry, and we plan to spend at least another 3 weeks in Thailand. A quick trip to Myanmar is the perfect answer. Instead of booking a package through a tourist agency, Steph and I decide to go it alone- organising everything ourselves.

We 'depart' Thailand, getting stamped out at immigration and then head to the pier to get a boat to Burma. After getting a handle on the melee at the jetty and some friendly haggling over the fare, we chug across the channel and back 40 years to the port of Victoria Banks. Burma is the antithesis of Thailand- it resists industrialisation and development of any sort. The society is stratified into the haves and the have-nots, and even at the Victoria Banks pier, the difference is obvious, as is the poverty.

A perfectly groomed military official greets us in English, and for the fee of $US10 stamps our passports. We 'enter' and promptly 'leave' Burma- within 15 minutes we are heading back across the channel to Thailand. At the other end, Thai immigration supplies us with another stamp, and hey presto, a fresh 30 day Thai visa.

Life after Koh Tao

Well, after the "bike" incident, we made up our minds to move on from Koh Tao. She is undoubtedly beautiful, and we had fallen for her advances, but we had almost forgotten that we were in Thailand. Everything is in English, no Thai culture or tourists..... life is easy, a little too easy.

So we board a Chumpon bound ferry, and aim for Myanmar to recharge our Thai visa. Chumpon feels like we have just arrived in Thailand again. The language, the FOOD- night markets, ordering food in Thai again- another buzz forgotten on the islands.

The bus ride from Chumpon to Ranong goes quickly, and we step out to a sleepy little town of 24,000. Though Ranong is the provincial capital, is it laid back and relaxed and we easily manoeuvre around the touts and stroll into town. We find a room and share a bottle of Chang (the local beer) as the sun slips below the mountains of Burma.