Posts about Thailand
Last Day in Thailand
Waking to the sound of roosters and “Tea or coffee, Rachel?” as offered by a fellow traveler, I gathered my things and enjoyed breakfast on the porch. Then, we all made our way down to the river for a wonderful bamboo-rafting adventure!
Somehow, our three-hour ride flew past with unimaginable speed, the time filled with attempts at fishing, attempts at steering, and awesome rides through small rapids. The scenery was astounding, and the calls of wild animals escaped the forests to reach our raft just before disappearing into the churning water. We passed families of elephants guided by bands of children, our guides sang Thai folk songs as we took the chance to swim alongside the raft, and the splashing wars with other tour groups were very clearly won by us. Next up, it was lunchtime in a small riverside restaurant before boarding our truck to head back to the city of Chiang Mai. Just as we climbed into the truck, the blue sky darkened and the first raindrops fell. By the time we had begun driving, torrential rains came down in sheets outside the car, and the jungle that had been our home was a beautiful blur of deep green and gray. We said goodbye to the villages along the way, to the elephants and their guides, and to an experience that shall always hold an extremely special place in our memories.
We arrived back in Chiang Mai with a couple of hours to explore or rest, and then we headed out for one last evening on the town. We had a fabulous dinner on Rasta Row, complemented by the live music and enhanced by the unexpected performance of our guide Dong and fellow trekker Rob…I never knew “La Bamba” could be so beautifully sung! Then Megan, Nikki, and I headed to the night market to explore and indulge in half-hour massages that cost us less than $2. Yeah, Thailand!
The following day, the group attended a cooking class and learned to make some fabulous Thai dishes before we boarded our overnight train. We spent one last night sharing jokes and stories on the train, and in the blink of an eye it was morning in Bangkok. Warm embraces and goodbyes were made easier by the notion that we’ll hopefully see each other again on the road sometime (you can trust that I WILL be calling these fabulous people if I end up in the UK, Holland, or Australia again in the near future).
And after separating, I spent the day exploring the astounding Grand Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and riverside activity of Bangkok. I indulged in another extremely cheap and unparalleled massage for all of $3. For dinner, I wandered Khao San road until I found a place with cheap pad thai. I sat enjoying my food and people-watching, and out of the blue a friend from high school wandered into the same nondescript restaurant! My beautiful pal Fiona, with whom I played field hockey and did various other activities, happened to also have just one night in Bangkok (in transit just like me, no less), and somehow she ended up in the same tiny, boring-looking restaurant as I did. Talk about a small world! She and her friend Kim joined me for dinner and drinks, and we took one last spin around the night market before calling it a night and each heading off in different directions to our next travel destinations.
All in all, Thailand has been one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life. At this point, I’ve been to just under 30 countries, and somehow in a span of only eight days Thailand catapulted itself to the top of the list of favorites. And I’m not the only one to fall in love with the magical land of Siam; everyone I know who has visited says the same thing: “Thailand may very well be the coolest place I’ve ever been.” So, get yourself here A.S.A.P. I guarantee you – you’ll be charmed, challenged, and inspired.
Visit, and let Thailand become a part of you. You won’t regret it.
And now I’m off to the Land Down Under. Stay tuned for my final weeks of adventure as STA Travel’s World Traveler Intern – I’ll make sure you see some skydiving, snorkeling, 4-wheeling, and beach adventures! Australia, here I come…
Exploring Thailand
On morning two, we met in the hotel lobby packed and ready to board our safari vehicle and head into the mountains. We made a short jaunt to a local open-air market outside the city to taste crazy-looking and delicious tropical fruits (green oranges; star fruit with the neon pink and green scaly exterior and translucent white flesh with black seeds; tasty fruit with long pink hair and pits in the middle) and dried worms that tasted like seasoned potato chips. Then back into the car for a quick drive to the awe-inspiring Mork-Fa falls in the middle of the jungle, where we splashed about in the warm waters and generally stood astounded. The mist tumbled from above and the blue of sky and water contrasted with the white of the falls, gray of rock, and varied greens of the foliage.
Before we knew what was happening, Dee — our young Tarzan of a jungle guide, was scaling rock faces and doing flips off cliffs and through the waterfalls. He led us up a slick rock platform and through the roaring current of the falls to a spot behind the wall of white, through which we could just make out the shapes of the travelers and jungle behind. The winds behind the falls were so intense that small currents of water rushed UP the rock face behind us to create an arch overhead before joining the greater flow on the other side and crashing down into the pool of water below.
After our invigorating swim, we made our way back through the jungle, climbed back aboard the vehicle, and made the short trip to a lovely wood-framed road-side restaurant with excellent local food, and after lunch our trekking adventures began! We followed hillside ridges up and down and through the forest, small packs on our backs, exposed skin bathed in impenetrable insect repellent, and eyes wide to the surroundings. Our guides showed us miraculous little tricks of nature, like how to make leaves explode in our hands, blow bubbles from the stems of soap plants, and create face paint with the charcoal of burned trees (Dee painted a large black handlebar mustache on my face…how pretty). They pointed out the wildlife, climbed trees to gather mango and papaya for us (which was absolutely the most incredible fruit I’ve ever eaten), and chopped down bamboo chutes to use in home-cooked dinners. Since it’s rainy season at the moment, the trails were quite slippery and we all looked interesting with our ponchos and shoes covered in red clay from wiping out (we’re not so coordinated), but it was absolutely a blast!
After a couple hours of walking (including breaks, don’t worry), we got our first glimpse of the village in which we’d be staying for the night. Rice terraces tumbled down the mountainsides, and wooden homes broke up the sea of green. Cows, chickens, and pigs wandered about the footpaths, and brightly colored clothing hung from balconies like festival flags. And let me tell you, folks: it was breathtaking. We watched and helped the village women prepare the rice just brought in from the fields, and then we made our way to our home for the night. Since three generations of family members live in house that was offered to us, that meant that we were surrounded by grandparents with beautiful smile lines, parents with welcoming arms, and children with the most gorgeous big brown eyes I’ve ever seen. What an incomparable scenario!
I was invited to help the family and guides prepare dinner, and then the whole group learned to make Thai spring rolls. Dinner was fabulous and followed by a night on the porch that hung just above the top of the jungle’s trees. The evening was made complete with games, conversation, and a most beautiful exchange amongst travelers and locals. That night and its openness prove the perfect example of why I travel.
The following day, we had to bid adieu to the family that so kindly hosted us, and upon our departure we were all given the gift of bamboo cups carved by the family’s son that very morning! We then trekked further through the rice terraces and jungles, stopping to take in the scenery, rehydrate, and eat the fruit of the trees surrounding. At lunchtime we arrived at an elephant camp along the river, fed ourselves and fed the beautiful elephants, and then took a fantastic ride through the forest on the backs of the gentle beasts! We waded through rivers and maneuvered paths that seemed far too small for our massive transport. Then some of us took the opportunity to ride the necks of the elephants, guiding with our voices and with our legs which were tucked so nicely behind the colossal ears of our new pets. What fun!
Then it was on to our next home, a modern and handsome village on the banks of a winding river. We dropped our bags and ran straight down to the water for an afternoon dip. We jumped off the cliffs into the gentle current, splashed about, and then built sandcastles and sand temples on the shore. Before we knew it, late afternoon had faded into evening and dinnertime was upon us.
I joined Megan and Nikki, the two young Brits, in the home’s large kitchen, and we three were soon employed as the taste-testers of various foods and local rice whiskey. Excellent. We sat around on woven mats as spices filled the air and Dee strummed the guitar. Other guides came and went, and soon enough dinner was served. The group ate in a candlelit circle on the floor of the huge porch and watched night fall in the jungle. After yet another delicious meal, we filled the night air with guitar and singing, and we shared stories and wonderful Thai massages (you really must have one…they’re especially glorious on the feet). It was only when we realized it was past midnight that we decided to get some sleep before our next day in the hills of Thailand.
Visiting Thailand
Dear Family,
I’m terribly sorry to break the news this way, but I don’t know how else to tell you: I’m never coming home. I know you’ve provided everything I’ve ever needed in life, but Thailand beckons me with a call that I cannot (and do not wish to) break. Thus, I shall remain here until the end of time.
All my love,
Rachel
***
That’s about how the letter will go. It’ll be short and sweet – easier on all parties involved, don’t you think? No, but seriously, Thailand is absolutely incredible. I haven’t felt this impressed by and connected to a country in a long, long time, and I have no doubts you’d feel the same way. In fact, do you remember Hayley, the British girl I worked with at the conservation center in China? Before China, she traveled Thailand for 5 weeks and judging by the way she reminisced about the trip I’d bet she’ll have trouble getting over her love for Thailand when committing herself in her next relationship. It happens…welcome the passion and beauty! I know I did.
Before I met up with my tour in Chiang Mai, my Thai adventures began with some rejuvenation in Bangkok, made easier by copious tropical fruit shakes, rain washing away all stress as I ate in bungalow-esque restaurants, and shopping at the night market on Khao San Road. No matter what you hear about Bangkok being a big or busy city, you must know that it’s very relaxed compared to other cities of its size. Relaxed enough that I felt at home, and for me that’s really saying something!
After some R&R in Bangkok, I headed to Chiang Mai in northwest Thailand, settled into my hotel, and met up with a friend from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio! Whoa. Now, this guy’s been in Thailand for 3-and-a-half years teaching English at the university, so he really knows Chiang Mai.
I met some of his friends over coffee at the Chiang Mai institution of Wawee Coffee on Nimmanhaemin Road (known to many as Coffee Lane) and it was a blast. When in Chiang Mai, you must visit Nimmanhaemin since it borders the university and is an awesome spot to wander for cafes, boutiques, or the innumerable coffee shops (it’s literally one after another).
Don’t go to Starbucks – that’s where only tourists and rich Thais go. Instead, head to Wawee or a place that supports the local hill tribes by buying their crops. That, my friends, is what we call “responsible travel,” or travel that respects and gives back to the local people. Anyway, later the crew and I had some awesome vegetarian grub and then paid a visit the bars along Rasta Row, the spot where travelers and locals convene and people-watching is a must. After that, I grabbed a ride in what happens to be my favorite form of transportation so far: the tuk-tuk, or a little motorized cart that whizzes around the city with flashing lights and wind in one’s hair. Fu-un.
The next morning, I met with my tour guide Deng and the five other travelers in my group, and we grabbed a ride in one of the city’s many deep red taxis converted from an old pickup truck with the addition of a roof and some benches in the bed of the truck. I love Thai transport. We wound up through the mountains, observed the scenery and many signs of loyalty to the Buddha and the Thai royal family (man, they’re beloved), and got to know each other (the others were a delightful mix: an Aussie couple, a Dutch guy, and two young English gals).
Then it was out of the car to visit Doi Suthep, a beautiful and renowned Buddhist temple situated on the mountaintop. We removed our shoes, made sure our shoulders, arms, and legs were covered out of respect for Thai culture, and wound through the complex in utter amazement. The place was chock-full of intricate tile work, dragons, spires, Buddha images, circumambulation (the walks of the pious which circle around statues or shrines), incredible artistry, golden towers, candles, prayer and devotion. We all made sure to point our toes away from the Buddha and keep our heads lower than Buddha and the monks, as in Thailand the foot is the lowliest part of the body and the head the highest, so one shows disrespect by undermining another with his/her feet or head in the wrong place.
Before leaving, I made sure to get my fortune by kneeling to offer a prayer in one of the temple’s many small annexes, then shaking a group of numbered sticks until one separated from the group. My fortune read simply: “The 26th number tells you that you are going to be lucky. Everything will be getting better and better.” Uhh, AWESOME. I didn’t even know it was possible for things to get better than this summer…but, I’ll gladly take that fortune 
At the end of the day, we all met up again for a trip to the trek gear shop, then dinner in an open-air market to eat awesome pad thai and witness traditional dance and music on stage. The dancers swirled about with candles and elegant hand movements as intensely-colored clothing laced with gold moved about them like water, and children watched on with bobbing heads and mimicked motions. Then the group took a spin through the night market to buy comfy cotton shirts, cool wall-hangings, and tribal jewelry before getting some pre-trek sleep.
