Making the decision to stay in Pia for two weeks whilst on crutches was the best thing I could do. I paid a little extra to have my own room, with balcony and easy access. The bonus was the room faced a beautiful garden and like Pai itself very peaceful. The owners bent over backwards to make my stay enjoyable. The other bonus was that I was only 5 minutes from cafes and convenience stores. The downside is that when you stay in your own room you often miss the interactions of other people. Not that I really cared as I was struggling with myself after the accident. However that all changed in a flash when a new guest (Jody) booked the room next to mine. We hit it of straight away. We had many things in common at the time. Jody had quit her job as a Research and development chef (geez I hope I got that right Jody?) and she was looking for new options in life. One was not to be controlled by others who could only see the bottom line. I am also sure there were heaps of others reasons, but she wanted to travel and most importantly focus on her online business.
Food is her passion, but not just food per say but the process that goes into each completed dish. I was fascinated by her work and folks if you are wondering about flavor in processed foods well Jody is the inventor of those flavors. She also was a chef in many places including New Orleans and what I love about Jody is her passion and willingness to make a success of her life. Jody was also searching for a place to stay and make a base. She was also traveling solo for the first time. It takes courage to give up everything you know and embark to countries and cultures unfamiliar. So the timing of us meeting up was meant to be. I suppose for Jody meeting me, helped her adjust to the oddbods travelers you meet. Pai is a place where the lost often head to. Pai reminded me of where I was at 30 years ago, without a dime to my name. I understood the many reasons why travelers ended up here. That is the beauty of traveling without an itinerary, everyone is on their own personal journey. Not what society expects you to do or should I say the pressures that modern life makes you feel you should do. The comfort of a job that brings in a wage is also the devil in disguise. Work, make deadlines, and then have a performance review so the boss can get their bonus for all the work you have done. Jody also felt this also.
When time had come to leave Pai and travel to Chang Rai (I had another doctors appointment and my plaster was removed) we were happy to start our journey together. I had spent plenty of time in Chang Rai, so it was like a homecoming. I also had to spend a week staying in one location to rehabilitate and get some confidence back. For Jody she again wanted to investigate the flavors of northern Thailand. This was great because I could share food for a change and we certainly had fun doing so. Jody also for the first time stayed in the hostel for a few days. For Jody this was well out of her comfort zone, however apart from the odd issues with sharing a room, she made the most of a hostel I would rate the best I have ever stayed in. Always good to make good first impressions. I knew that it was going to be hard to follow. So after a week we came to the decision that we would go to Vietnam. For me I don’t think I would have gone on my own, as I was still very limited in my movement. We were both super excited and now when I think about it although it was the beginning of backpacking together it was also the beginning of the end as well.
After 2 weeks we travelled from Saigon to Phnom Penh in Cambodia then went our separate ways. It was nice and also a relief to have a travel buddy especially when I was trying to get back onto my feet. I will always be indebted to her. I also hope I had a positive influence, however sometimes living 24/7 can be a challenge and we were starting to find that we wanted to take a different path. Jody atm is based in Vietnam (update now in Bali after 3 months in Vietnam) and uploads daily posts through Instagram the amazing food safari she is on. Here is her link, please follow and do yourself a food favor.
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