After two amazing weeks in Laos I hopped a flight back to Thailand, arriving in the city of Chiang Mai after several days ago. It was a difficult decision to make after having such an enjoyable time in Laosand being tempted to journey on to Vietnam, but the timing was just perfect. Braden had been traveling through Thailand by bicycle during my time in Laos, making an incredible journey through the central plains and up the Thai-Burmese border to the town of Mae Hong Son. From there he crossed the striking mountains of Northern Thailand and awaited my arrival in the town of Pai.

Meanwhile,
I taxied straight from the airport to my hotel where I planned to meet
an Australian girl named Belle. We had been exchanging emails for a
couple of months and hoped to do some traveling together. Though this
would be our first face-to-face meeting, I was already pretty confident
that she would be a suitable traveling buddy, even if only for a short
time. You can imagine my excitement when the most adorable little girl
appeared with a huge smile on her face and a big bear hug for me. We
hit if off immediately, taking a swim in the hotel pool and then
venturing into the streets of Chiang Mai.

Though Chiang Mai
was a little big and busy for my taste, I enjoyed visiting the temples
and having some delicious Thai food. We didn't stick around long
though, boarding a bus for the town of Pai the next morning. As the bus weaved its way through the lush and rugged
mountains, my anticipation for this part of the journey began to reach
new heights. The scenery was outstanding and the eagerness and
excitement of my new companion rubbed off on me immediately. We arrived
in Pai and found a cute little bungalow next to the river made of
nothing but bamboo and wood set on stilts in a serene courtyard. Pai is
a groovy little town set on a rambling river and surrounded by lush
mountains. Though quite touristy, Pai has managed to maintain a bit of
small-town feel and from here it's quite easy to explore the
surrounding area by motorbike.

It was great to see Braden and
to hear the stories of his journey and the photos to go along. I'm
completely in awe of his mission thus far, having crossed a great deal
of the country in a way that so few can imagine. His experiences have
been amazing and I'm really glad that we'll be able to accompany him as
he continues through more of this country and beyond. Together the
three of us hopped on motorbikes and sped into the hillsides, passing
small villages and staring at the mountains
in wonder as we headed to a small waterfall. On such a hot day, it was
great to just lounge in the cool waters and be away from the busy
towns.

Our motorbike trip continued through Pai Valley passing temples and local homes as we sped towards a nearby hot spring
under the light of a setting sun. Arriving at the park, we walked along
the meandering creek where small dams had been built to facilitate
bathing in the thermally-heated creek. The source was a clear bubbling
pool where the pink rays of the sunset were reflected upon the crystal
waters that fed the creek. Braden found a nice spot to relax and lounge
in the hot springs, a perfect capper to an already amazing day. Our bike trip reached new heights yesterday as we left Pai on an hour-long journey to the town of Soppong.
This trip would take us over a high-mountain pass with incredible views
all the way. It's an amazing feeling whipping through an exotic part of
the world on a motorbike with the wind at your face and nothing but
lush, green mountains in every direction. The road carried us into the
small town of Soppong from where we enjoyed yet another amazing meal before visiting Lod Cave.

A
small path led us through the forest to the opening of the cave. As I
stared up at the massive formations and columns that greeted us upon
arrival, I couldn't believe how big the cave really was. A subterranean
river disappeared into the immense cave and we bypassed the guides in
hopes of finding our own way. When the cave became too dark, we
commandeered one of the many bamboo rafts anchored to the shore and
tried to negotiate our way through the cave. It didn't take long for
one of the guides to spoil our hijacking telling us many times that we
were "no good, no good." So we abandoned the raft and continued into
the massive cave on foot, splashing through water up to our knees with
only the dim light of a LED to light our way. First we explored the
labyrinth of steep ladders that led to higher points of the cave where
we viewed massive stalactites and intense underground formations.
Absorbed in utter darkness, we decided not to press our luck much
further with our low-light beam and returned to the river below. Though
I think both Braden and Belle were hesitant to folllow my lead, I
insisted we attempt to wade the river through the cave. So for a few
hundred meters we walked within the subterranean river using our
flashlight to observe the beautiful underworld. The cave, in itself,
was one of the most
spectacular things I've seen on this trip, but it would only get better
as we ventured further into its depths. When I began to hear the
piercing shrieks that lay ahead, I thought it could only be one thing-
bats, and lots of them. I led us closer to the end of the cave where
light poured through the giant opening and that's when I saw them.
Hundreds upon hundred of bats swarmed above our heads and could clearly
be seen against the bright glow ahead. When we looked up it was as if
the whole ceiling were alive and moving as bats dipped and dived in
every direction. All we could was watch and listen as this amazing
spectacle took place above our heads. In all my life, I've never
experienced anything quite like it~ and I have a couple of great videos
that captured it all.

We exited the cave, re-entered the
forest, and followed the trail back to our motorbikes. We departed
Soppong just as the sun was setting and began the journey back to Pai.
In the dark of night along a road littered with dirt and potholes from
extensive road construction, we maneuvered our motorbikes safely back
to town, a journey that left me covered in dust and my hands tensely
gripped as if I were still clutching the handlebars. Settling down to
yet another delicious meal, we all agreed that our time in Pai has been
not only memorable, but unforgettable.

In the coming days Braden will make the two-day trip to Chiang Mai and then on to Chiang Rai before crossing the border into Laos.
Belle and I will be right on his heels traveling either by bus or
motorbike seeing the sights in-between and savoring more of this
beautiful country. If all goes as planned, the three of us will cross
into Laos together and then decide how much of the country to see before Braden enters China. At this point, we're hoping to all stay together (more or less) until Braden reaches Kunming, China and then returns home. That will allow Belle and I to see the Yunnan Province of China before making our way into Vietnam and eventually to Cambodia. At least that's the plan for now.

So
that's the story for now. I'm sure there's much more to come and I look
forward to reporting it all. I hope life is treating you all well and I
can't wait to see many of you again this summer... or somewhere down
the road.