Travel Diary #16 : Muay Thaï, Christmas and Buddhism...last week of 2019!

We stayed in Chiang Mai, in northern Thaïland for a few days. There, we decided to take on one challenge on our list : Bet on a Muay Thaï Fight. (You can find the full list at the end of the article)

We created "The Great Christmas Hitchhike Race to Paï", a hitchhiking race of 130kms to reach the village of Paï, tucked away in the mountains. It took us 7 hours and 8 different cars to finally arrive at the finish point !

A local offered his help and wrote "Paï" in Thaï for us...but we were holding the sign the wrong way for half of the race. Oopsy.

But unfortunately, we arrived in second place, so we didn't win the precious squirrel medal.

The race from Vasilis point of view here :

Paï is a small foggy town at the border of Thailand and Burma. Lost in the mountainous jungle, the atmosphere there is particularly unique. A peaceful place and a paradise for backpackers. After experiencing a festival in the middle of the jungle and getting lost every night in the street food market, it was time to celebrate Chistmas. My first Chirstmas far from home.

What is christmas without decorations ? Here is my DIY Beer-mas tree :

Finally, we decided to go out of our comfort zone and try a new experience : live like a Buddhist monk for a few days. We left Paï and hitchhiked to reach Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Temple, a Buddhist monastery in Mae Hong Son.

Credit : Vasilis

I know it really looks like it but...no, we are not a cult. In the monsatry, you can only wear white clothes. A classic day at Wat Pa Tam Wua starts at 5am and is punctuated by meditation classes, offerings to monks and chantings.

Walking meditation in the forest :