Let me first outline the intended plan for the final week. On Monday leave for Journey to Freedom (Elephant Nature Park's new program where you go into a hill tribe a stay with a week and see elephants in their natural habitat), arrive in the afternoon, spend the remainder of the week in the hill tribe visiting the elephants and helping with their care, leave on Sunday, change clothes at Spicy, leave for the airport. I present this as a reference for what actually happened.
On Monday morning we left for Journey to Freedom (ok...so far so good!). At this point, it had been raining for about 24 hours off and on. We had great rainy season weather our first four weeks in Thailand but it looked like this week we were going to get slammed with some serious rain. The van ride was supposed to take about 5 hours. With the rain, it was taking a little longer. Then we came up on our first obstacle; a mudslide that blocked the road. Road crews were already on the scene and attempting to clear away the mud. This was great and all but how do we get around and on our way. It was decided that we should get out of the vans, walk past the mudslide, and then the vans would go around it on the shoulder. It worked and after a short time we were back in the vans and on our way. By about 2:30 we made it to the end of our time in the vans. This meant that it was time to switch to the pick-up trucks because the vans could not navigate the dirt roads we needed to take. By this time it was only sprinkling which was promising and we split into two groups and climbed into the bed of the trucks. I was encouraged by the beginning of the trip because the roads were decent and we seemed to be making ok time. I was starting to wonder why the vans could not take us on the roads and then I figured out why. Soon we started onto roads that were once dirt but were now large, potholed, mud pits. Every bump we hit you could feel and every hill struggled to get up. Eventually we got to a hill that the truck and its 12 passengers could just not climb. This meant ----- EVERYBODY OUT! Up the hill we walked. This was fine until my foot went deep into a mud hole. I extricated my foot but without my flip-flop. NOOO!! I needed those so I dug down and retrieved it but accepted that I would be doing the rest of this climb barefoot. Needless to say I was covered in mud by the time the truck made it up the hill after us. All muddy, we climbed back into the van and continued our journey. It took another couple hours to get to the village we were staying in. Coming in the mountains were hazy and the scenery was breathtaking as the sun began to set. At our site we unloaded our luggage and set up our beds in our houses. Ours unfortunately did not have light but that was fine because I was exhausted. After eating a little dinner, I quickly feel asleep under my mosquito net.
The next day it became clear that the rain was not going to let up and we started to discuss our options for the rest of the week. Because of the rain there was not a lot for us to do because hiking around in the mud was a little tricky. We started the morning with a blessing ceremony from a local shaman. This was similar to the blessing ceremony our first night at Elephant Nature Park. Then it was time to go save trees by tying blessed monk robe fabric around them. After lunch we decided that it was probably best if we depart early due to the rain. Before we left, though, the villagers wanted us to see the elephants. They spent the afternoon going and getting them in the forest. While we were eating dinner, we heard that they had made their way back. We could hear the familiar calls that we woke up to every morning at ENP. So we decided to venture out in the rain to go see them. Upon coming up the road we saw three adults and got our first glimpse of the twins. Yes, that's right --- twin 1 year old girls!!!!!! I was with a few of the students walking up the path when we heard some yelling by the mahouts at the top of the path. We backed up and simultaneously saw the source of the commotion. The 6th elephant they brought down, a boisterous male juvenile, was barreling his way down the road towards the rest of the group. After he calmed a little, we moved to the porch of one of the houses to watch the elephants from there. It's hard to describe how cool it was not only to see them in their natural environment but to see twin babies as well. With the mist and the trees, it was magical. Many of the villagers also wanted to watch them and they joined us on the porch to watch the group.
We decided that we should leave Wednesday morning and that we would go back to Elephant Nature Park for the remainder of the week. We left early in the morning in the pick-up trucks. Luckily we were in a different truck this time that had cover and four wheel drive. We were much better able to deal with the muddy roads but still felt every bump and dip in the road. After a long trip on the back roads we loaded up in the vans again and began our long trek to ENP. We had to deal with a few mudslides again that were blocking parts of the road but eventually by about 7 pm we made it to the park. They had saved dinner for us and we enjoyed a nice meal before getting some much needed rest.
The remainder of the week was very similar to our previous time at ENP; chores, elephant feeding, elephant bathing, other chores, hanging out, amazing food, and movie time at night. Compared to the more rustic conditions in the jungle, ENP felt like a palace. We did some leadership/wrap-up activities during this time and learned a lot about the kids while they learned a lot about themselves. Sunday we left ENP and headed back to Spicy to clean up before our overnight van to Bangkok. After that it was time to head home.
Now that I've been home for about a week and a half and I'm back in my regular routine, the trip is starting to feel like a dream. This was definitely an adventure from the elephants, to the trips, to the injury. I met some really great high school students who I have no doubt will do great things in life and I miss their constant entertainment.
I can't wait for the next adventure --- what should I do next???
Saturday, August 20, 2011
More photos!
 |
| The rice field that we helped plant. What you can't see are the 10 fields that the locals planted during the same amount of time. Oh well! We gave it our best effort! |
 |
| Elephant feeding time! |
 |
| After we made our Buddha Day offerings that we were going to take to the temple. |
 |
| The friend I made at the school visit |
 |
| The whole group (with Aek) on our last day at Elephant Nature Park |
 |
| Me (and my lovely feet) after rice planting. I don't know if I've ever been so dirty in my whole life!! Mud, mud, and more mud! |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopabroad2011/
Day of Tigers and Gardens
I realized that I forgot to tell you about our day of tiger adventures and garden visiting. To put it in context it was 6 days after my injury and the day before I got my new teeth. I'm not sure how this eventful day got forgotten in my last post. Anyway, this particular weekend I was feeling a little down because I was still recovering and was missing home a little. I was told however that this day would cheer me up. We departed Spicy early-ish. Ok, it was like 9 but that was early for our crew. We departed for Tiger Kingdom which was about 45 minutes from the hostel. Upon arriving we had to decide what tigers we wanted to go in with ---- wait...go in with?!?! The little ones looked harmless enough but I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the big ones or even the "medium" ones. It was decided we would go in with the small and medium tigers. The entire walk to the area where the small tigers were was soundtracked by the ooohing and aaahing of a few students who I figured would attempt to take the tigers out with them. There were 4 small (2 year old) tigers that we got to go in with. They were all siblings and behaved just as you would expect 2 year old siblings to behave. They ran around us to explore and played with each other. There were a lot of very cute moments. I have to say the small ones seemed more like playful house cats. I kept having to remind myself that they were tigers. The staff in with us simply had to tap them on the nose and use voice commands to get them to move or stop playing so hard with each other. After prying everyone out of the small tiger area it was time to go see the medium tigers. In coming up on the area I quickly decided that "medium" is not an accurate word to describe the size of these tigers. They appeared large to me. After receiving a few warnings and reminders, in we went. Now, for me and my previous zoo experience, going into a holding area with 2 "medium" tigers was absurd. They are NO TOUCH animals but we were just going to go in with them. Hmmmmmmm....ok! We made are way to the side of the exhibit where the tigers were and most waited back a little. One student (I wonder who!!) marched right up to cuddle with the tiger. However, in maneuvering around the large animal she managed to step on the tail. While Jane and my hearts started beating again, the students got comfortable with our new friends. We got a lot of pictures with the tigers and started to actually feel fairly comfortable with them. Below are some pictures with our friends. I still had a lot of the stitches in my mouth and chipped front teeth (hence the weird smiles).
After leaving Tiger Kingdom we headed to the orchid and butterfly garden. We roamed around and looked at all the beautiful orchids and went into the butterfly garden to watch them fly around. After that it was off to the caves. When we arrived, I decided not to hike around in the caves because I was still nursing my lip and teeth and didn't want to further injure myself in a dark, damp cave. I went in though and explored the opening to the cave. What I found very interesting were all the statues every little crevice and outcrop. Everywhere you looked there was some small (or large) shrine or statue or sculpture. After leaving the group and exiting the cave, I made my way around the grounds outside the cave. There was a crystal clear pond of waterfall water surrounding the cave entrance that looked almost like a mote. I was tempted to find the waterfall that fed but again was trying to be careful with my face. Therefore, I continued to roam and explored the numerous temples on the Chiang Dao cave grounds. There were so many and each one was intricate and unique. As I was walking around one near the front, I looked up and there were about 10 dogs just lounging on the temple. About that time, I also heard what sounded like a little thunder. I decided that it was time to seek cover. I found a covered hut with a small bench in it. This was the perfect spot to watch the storm and read some of my book. It rained, I read, and then eventually the group came out of the cave. In speaking to them I definitely made the right choice. At points during their exploration they had to crawl through small passages in the cave and climb up and down slippery rocks. Eeeek!
Eventually we made our way back to the house, had some dinner, and spent the rest of the evening chilling. I went to bed early to rest up for my trip to the hospital the next day.
After leaving Tiger Kingdom we headed to the orchid and butterfly garden. We roamed around and looked at all the beautiful orchids and went into the butterfly garden to watch them fly around. After that it was off to the caves. When we arrived, I decided not to hike around in the caves because I was still nursing my lip and teeth and didn't want to further injure myself in a dark, damp cave. I went in though and explored the opening to the cave. What I found very interesting were all the statues every little crevice and outcrop. Everywhere you looked there was some small (or large) shrine or statue or sculpture. After leaving the group and exiting the cave, I made my way around the grounds outside the cave. There was a crystal clear pond of waterfall water surrounding the cave entrance that looked almost like a mote. I was tempted to find the waterfall that fed but again was trying to be careful with my face. Therefore, I continued to roam and explored the numerous temples on the Chiang Dao cave grounds. There were so many and each one was intricate and unique. As I was walking around one near the front, I looked up and there were about 10 dogs just lounging on the temple. About that time, I also heard what sounded like a little thunder. I decided that it was time to seek cover. I found a covered hut with a small bench in it. This was the perfect spot to watch the storm and read some of my book. It rained, I read, and then eventually the group came out of the cave. In speaking to them I definitely made the right choice. At points during their exploration they had to crawl through small passages in the cave and climb up and down slippery rocks. Eeeek!
Eventually we made our way back to the house, had some dinner, and spent the rest of the evening chilling. I went to bed early to rest up for my trip to the hospital the next day.
Friday, July 29, 2011
It's Been Awhile
Ok...I know it's been awhile since I posted. A LOT has gone on during that time. I'm going to try to get all caught up. The last adventure I wrote about was cooking school. The next day (Sunday) was a free day for the students to relax, do some shopping, and enjoy Chiang Mai. That night we went and saw the new Harry Potter movie (sorry, Laura!). While there were a few previews before the movie, there were a lot of commercials in Thai. Also, prior to the movie starting, everyone stands for a singing of the national anthem. The movie was good and marked the end to a relaxing day.
The next morning was a big hiking day. We were hiking Doi Suthep, one of the highest points in Chiang Mai. I was not prepared for the steepness of the climb and about 1/4 the way up, I opted for the much easier Spicy Thai van. I hopped in the van with Aum and we met the group about halfway at this magnificent jungle temple. Everywhere you looked there were statues and Buddhist sayings. Upon reaching the top, I had some time to walk around and shop a little while waiting for the rest of the group. Once they were up (and exhausted), I was glad I didn't try to make it up myself - it might have been the end of me. Little did I know what the rest of the day had in store. To get to the temple at the top of the mountain, we still had to ascend about 300 steps to the top. It was worth it though. The temple and the view were really great. We learned more about Buddhism and shrines in the temples while up there. After grabbing some lunch, it was time to head down the mountain. The decision was made to all ride down to a waterfall halfway and then hike the rest of the way down. The waterfall was really nice (much bigger than the one in Peru, Megan!) but everyone wanted to do a little hiking alongside it and find the swimming area above. We hiked up this little path by the waterfall and with the students a little ahead, I made it to this large rock that I needed to get up. The rock was a little slippery. I was determined that I would get up it though. I stepped halfway up the rock and could feel myself slipping. All of a sudden my foot slipped out and I fell. Apparently the first thing I yelled was, "my face is gone!". I remember thinking it -- I don't remember yelling it. After a trip to the hospital, I came out with a stitched up lip and two chipped front teeth. This pretty much put me out of commission for a week. The students went on a meditation retreat and trekking during that week and I stayed back at the hostel and recovered. It was hard watching people go out and do things but not be able to participate. The following Monday, I returned to the hospital and got some of the stitches out and got fillers put on my teeth. I didn't realize how much that would make me feel better. It brought me out of my funk. The hospital was great and did a really wonderful job with everything. Thanks, Chiang Mai Ram!!
Even with my new teeth and stitches out, I still decided to take the next day off as the group was going and hiking around in a national park. I'm still a little wary hurting myself again. Wednesday was mostly a work day in the house. The students worked on projects, essays, etc. and we went to the student market at night for dinner and shopping. Yesterday, we spent the morning at a Botanical gardens. We had a tour led by Eric and he was great. It's rare to find someone with so much passion that can convey that passion to others. He was a testament to the fact that you can take the thing you love and make a career out of it if you really want. We saw different areas of the gardens and he taught us about edible plants. His blog is here (http://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/) and he already has a post up about our visit.
Today started with a trip to a snake farm that included a snake show. The students enjoyed holding the python. It reminded me of my Cincinnati Zoo days! Now there is some project work time and a pretty chill rest of the day.
Soon we head back into the jungle for a week and then I'm home. It's been a whirlwind trip and I can't believe it's almost over and the school year will start up soon. Didn't the summer just start?!?!
Hope everyone is doing well. Instead of me posting pictures, you can check out all the photos from the trip on our flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopabroad2011/)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopabroad2011/
The next morning was a big hiking day. We were hiking Doi Suthep, one of the highest points in Chiang Mai. I was not prepared for the steepness of the climb and about 1/4 the way up, I opted for the much easier Spicy Thai van. I hopped in the van with Aum and we met the group about halfway at this magnificent jungle temple. Everywhere you looked there were statues and Buddhist sayings. Upon reaching the top, I had some time to walk around and shop a little while waiting for the rest of the group. Once they were up (and exhausted), I was glad I didn't try to make it up myself - it might have been the end of me. Little did I know what the rest of the day had in store. To get to the temple at the top of the mountain, we still had to ascend about 300 steps to the top. It was worth it though. The temple and the view were really great. We learned more about Buddhism and shrines in the temples while up there. After grabbing some lunch, it was time to head down the mountain. The decision was made to all ride down to a waterfall halfway and then hike the rest of the way down. The waterfall was really nice (much bigger than the one in Peru, Megan!) but everyone wanted to do a little hiking alongside it and find the swimming area above. We hiked up this little path by the waterfall and with the students a little ahead, I made it to this large rock that I needed to get up. The rock was a little slippery. I was determined that I would get up it though. I stepped halfway up the rock and could feel myself slipping. All of a sudden my foot slipped out and I fell. Apparently the first thing I yelled was, "my face is gone!". I remember thinking it -- I don't remember yelling it. After a trip to the hospital, I came out with a stitched up lip and two chipped front teeth. This pretty much put me out of commission for a week. The students went on a meditation retreat and trekking during that week and I stayed back at the hostel and recovered. It was hard watching people go out and do things but not be able to participate. The following Monday, I returned to the hospital and got some of the stitches out and got fillers put on my teeth. I didn't realize how much that would make me feel better. It brought me out of my funk. The hospital was great and did a really wonderful job with everything. Thanks, Chiang Mai Ram!!
Even with my new teeth and stitches out, I still decided to take the next day off as the group was going and hiking around in a national park. I'm still a little wary hurting myself again. Wednesday was mostly a work day in the house. The students worked on projects, essays, etc. and we went to the student market at night for dinner and shopping. Yesterday, we spent the morning at a Botanical gardens. We had a tour led by Eric and he was great. It's rare to find someone with so much passion that can convey that passion to others. He was a testament to the fact that you can take the thing you love and make a career out of it if you really want. We saw different areas of the gardens and he taught us about edible plants. His blog is here (http://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/) and he already has a post up about our visit.
Today started with a trip to a snake farm that included a snake show. The students enjoyed holding the python. It reminded me of my Cincinnati Zoo days! Now there is some project work time and a pretty chill rest of the day.
Soon we head back into the jungle for a week and then I'm home. It's been a whirlwind trip and I can't believe it's almost over and the school year will start up soon. Didn't the summer just start?!?!
Hope everyone is doing well. Instead of me posting pictures, you can check out all the photos from the trip on our flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopabroad2011/)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loopabroad2011/
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Photos from the Elephant Nature Park
I know these are a little late but since I didn't take any of my own, I had to wait to get them off someone's camera. Most of these were from the first few days. Anyway....ENJOY!
 |
| Welcome to ENP!! |
 |
| Elephants making their way over for bath time |
 |
| Looking out towards the mountains. Great view!! |
 |
| I loved how close you could get. |
 |
| Bathing time!! |
 | ||
| Elephant Nature Park - looking out over the water |
 | ||
| Unloading bananas from the truck |
Temples and volleyball and cooking...Oh my!
Sawadee Ka!!
I think I left off on Wednesday. Because Wednesday had an earlier wake-up call then most mornings, we left Thursday free to give everyone time to sleep in or go exploring if they wanted. It was a lazy kind of morning! I find, for me, that being in a different place and having the sunlight coming in that I can't sleep past about 8 here. This is good because I won't get too far off my school schedule! We rounded everyone up around 2 and headed to the old city walled city. Aum led us on a tour of the city. We discussed the history of Chiang Mai and then made our way to a temple in the middle of the city called Wat Phra Singh.
The temple above was in the center of the area and was surrounded by other temple buildings; each one ornate and unique. There is an ongoing debate about whether to restore/refurbish the temple or to leave it the way that it is. Currently, they are leaving it the way that it is. After walking around the temple (clockwise) we went into one of the nearby buildings. It was a shrine to a famous monk. There was a wax sculpture of him right in the entrance. Normally the don't make shrines to living monks but this monk was so influential that they made a shrine to him prior to his death. After he died a couple years ago they added jars of hair, ashes, teeth, and nail clippings in the shrine from that monk. After that we continued on to another temple in the city. This was the first temple that we had actually gone in to. Everything is so ornate inside the temple and lavish. You really can't help but be reverent and respectful because the space demands it. Inside the temple, Aum continued to teach us about Buddhism. It was fascinating to hear his explanation of it. You can read about it in books but it does not compare to having someone who practices explain it. At one point he addressed a question that had come up many times; why are temples so ornate while Buddhists profess simplicity. As he explained it, monks often start in a small village; their home village. They start with a small, simple temple. Over time and good work, people want to provide a bigger space for the monk to show their appreciation. This continues over time and produces these fantastically ornate temples. We wrapped up our tour in the market and weaved through one of the local markets in the old city. There were lots of items that I had never seen before that I was tempted to just buy. For dinner we went to a local curry place, Aroon Rai, and then headed over to the night market. I didn't really feel like shopping so I just hung out. Back at the house, I hung out and watched everyone play poker for a while and then headed off to bed.
Friday!! Happy Buddha Day (and Maria's birthday)!! Friday's first activity was a game of volleyball at Chiang Mai University. We just played on their courts. I held my own until slipping a little in the water and popping my knee. Not a great feeling. Not surprisingly, I continued to play for awhile after it happened. Ultimately, my team won one of three games and the one they won -- I sat out -- go figure! We ate at Organic Vegetables for lunch. Instead of just getting plain fried rice this time, I got it with yellow curry and vegetables. It was a good change. Back at Spicy, we had a little brainstorming session about possible college essay topics that the students write about. Once we got going on a list, they came up with some really good moments/thoughts/experiences that they had that could be formed into solid essays. Rest time complete and snacks eaten - we headed to Noom's village to make preparations for Buddha Day. At Noom's house we made cones out of banana leaves and decorated them with banana leaf foldings. I desperately needed my sister Laura, the origami queen, in that moment because I could not manage to adequately made the object. Several misfolds and staples later, I had a decent enough product that I decorated with flowers, incense, and a candle. Once everyone's were complete, we headed back into the city to a temple. We bypassed one temple because it was already too crowded. Walking up to the temple at night with candles and incense lit up outside and the temple illuminated was a calming sight. We lingered a little outside as Noom expressed the chanting inside the temple was almost complete. Soon monks and others were filing out of the temple with offerings in hand. We all followed in line behind them and circled the temple three times going clockwise for good luck stopping each time at the doors to the temple to wai. During this time our incense was lit. Following the third trip around, we deposited our incense and lit our candle and left it on a big metal stand. After leaving my incense and candle behind, I went up to the shrine to pay respect and leave my cone of flowers as an offering. It was strange because it was one of the first moments that I didn't feel as much like a foreigner. To be invited into someone's home and village and be allowed to participate in a ceremony that is very sacred to Buddhists made me feel more a part of the culture. We hit up the noodle soup place near Spicy for a little dinner when we were done and then walked home. After a lot of scheming, whispering, and planning it was time for Maria's birthday celebration. The song "Sweet Sixteen" was blaring and Maria came down the stares to a lopsided (there was some Fahrenheit/Celsius oven confusion) but beautifully frosted cake with an M&M "M". In the cake were two candles; a 6 and a 7 that was whittled into a 1 - nice problem solving team! I was impressed that after only two weeks, the students went above and beyond to make Maria's 16th birthday special. Because I'm lame I couldn't stay up much longer and had to call it a night so that I was fully rested for cooking class!
Saturday morning we all hopped in a red trunk at about 8:15 to take us to the train station where we met our cooking instructors. We made our food selections so that everything would be ready when we got to the cooking school. Two stops on the train and we were off. Waiting for us were a row of bikes. All morning my knee had still been bothering me; popping in and out regularly. Jane suggested that the bike ride might do the trick. We mounted our bikes and began to ride off somewhat single file towards the school. Despite the bike turning at will a few times, the ride was lovely. We made our way through a few villages and allow a small stream. I greeted people as we passed and everyone (except for a truck that was delayed) seemed amused by our parade of bikes. After about 20 minutes we arrived at the cooking school. We were given refreshments and a snack. The snack was delivered to our tables. It was a big plate with several piles of food; leaves, roasted coconuts, roasted peanuts, honey sauce, chilli slices, shallot, ginger, and small lime pieces - rind on. It appeared that we were in essence making lettuce wraps. However, I was not so sure about putting all the ingredients in together as the instructor suggested but when in Thailand...So I put it all in the small leaf and took a bite. It was really delicious. I don't know why I was skeptical. A recipe can be found at this link. After we had a little sustenance, it was time to cook! We started with the first two dishes; soup and stir fry dish. I chose to make sweet and sour prawn soup and pad thai. After those, we sat down to eat them. Both were great but the pad thai was I think the best I've ever had. Then it was time to make our spring rolls and salad and get our curry paste ready. I made traditional spring rolls and papaya salad. The salad was made with green papaya and is a savory dish. Round 3 was our curry and desert. My phanang curry turned out so good it became my favorite for the day. The desert was sweet sticky rice with mango and jackfruit. Everyone was full and satisfied with their cooking endeavors and we even got a cookbook with all our recipes to take home. I would definitely recommend the cooking school to anyone coming to the Chiang Mai area. It's called Smart Cook: Thai Cookery School (this is the package we did - Daily Course). Only problem, now we had to bike back to the train station on a full stomach. As with the ride in, though, it was a really nice. As we got off the bikes and milled about waiting for the train, I noticed my knee was no longer popping. Jane was right -- the bike did the trick. Soon we hopped the train back to Chiang Mai and descended back on Spicy Thai. The students were eager to sign out and do some shopping. I was eager to lay down and have a little quiet for a moment. That quiet moment led to me thinking that it had been a few days since I had updated everyone on all that's been going on --- so here we go!
Hope everyone back home is having a great summer. I miss you guys a lot and hope you are having great adventures as well. I would love to hear what everyone is up to - leave a comment or e-mail me!!
I think I left off on Wednesday. Because Wednesday had an earlier wake-up call then most mornings, we left Thursday free to give everyone time to sleep in or go exploring if they wanted. It was a lazy kind of morning! I find, for me, that being in a different place and having the sunlight coming in that I can't sleep past about 8 here. This is good because I won't get too far off my school schedule! We rounded everyone up around 2 and headed to the old city walled city. Aum led us on a tour of the city. We discussed the history of Chiang Mai and then made our way to a temple in the middle of the city called Wat Phra Singh.
The temple above was in the center of the area and was surrounded by other temple buildings; each one ornate and unique. There is an ongoing debate about whether to restore/refurbish the temple or to leave it the way that it is. Currently, they are leaving it the way that it is. After walking around the temple (clockwise) we went into one of the nearby buildings. It was a shrine to a famous monk. There was a wax sculpture of him right in the entrance. Normally the don't make shrines to living monks but this monk was so influential that they made a shrine to him prior to his death. After he died a couple years ago they added jars of hair, ashes, teeth, and nail clippings in the shrine from that monk. After that we continued on to another temple in the city. This was the first temple that we had actually gone in to. Everything is so ornate inside the temple and lavish. You really can't help but be reverent and respectful because the space demands it. Inside the temple, Aum continued to teach us about Buddhism. It was fascinating to hear his explanation of it. You can read about it in books but it does not compare to having someone who practices explain it. At one point he addressed a question that had come up many times; why are temples so ornate while Buddhists profess simplicity. As he explained it, monks often start in a small village; their home village. They start with a small, simple temple. Over time and good work, people want to provide a bigger space for the monk to show their appreciation. This continues over time and produces these fantastically ornate temples. We wrapped up our tour in the market and weaved through one of the local markets in the old city. There were lots of items that I had never seen before that I was tempted to just buy. For dinner we went to a local curry place, Aroon Rai, and then headed over to the night market. I didn't really feel like shopping so I just hung out. Back at the house, I hung out and watched everyone play poker for a while and then headed off to bed.
Friday!! Happy Buddha Day (and Maria's birthday)!! Friday's first activity was a game of volleyball at Chiang Mai University. We just played on their courts. I held my own until slipping a little in the water and popping my knee. Not a great feeling. Not surprisingly, I continued to play for awhile after it happened. Ultimately, my team won one of three games and the one they won -- I sat out -- go figure! We ate at Organic Vegetables for lunch. Instead of just getting plain fried rice this time, I got it with yellow curry and vegetables. It was a good change. Back at Spicy, we had a little brainstorming session about possible college essay topics that the students write about. Once we got going on a list, they came up with some really good moments/thoughts/experiences that they had that could be formed into solid essays. Rest time complete and snacks eaten - we headed to Noom's village to make preparations for Buddha Day. At Noom's house we made cones out of banana leaves and decorated them with banana leaf foldings. I desperately needed my sister Laura, the origami queen, in that moment because I could not manage to adequately made the object. Several misfolds and staples later, I had a decent enough product that I decorated with flowers, incense, and a candle. Once everyone's were complete, we headed back into the city to a temple. We bypassed one temple because it was already too crowded. Walking up to the temple at night with candles and incense lit up outside and the temple illuminated was a calming sight. We lingered a little outside as Noom expressed the chanting inside the temple was almost complete. Soon monks and others were filing out of the temple with offerings in hand. We all followed in line behind them and circled the temple three times going clockwise for good luck stopping each time at the doors to the temple to wai. During this time our incense was lit. Following the third trip around, we deposited our incense and lit our candle and left it on a big metal stand. After leaving my incense and candle behind, I went up to the shrine to pay respect and leave my cone of flowers as an offering. It was strange because it was one of the first moments that I didn't feel as much like a foreigner. To be invited into someone's home and village and be allowed to participate in a ceremony that is very sacred to Buddhists made me feel more a part of the culture. We hit up the noodle soup place near Spicy for a little dinner when we were done and then walked home. After a lot of scheming, whispering, and planning it was time for Maria's birthday celebration. The song "Sweet Sixteen" was blaring and Maria came down the stares to a lopsided (there was some Fahrenheit/Celsius oven confusion) but beautifully frosted cake with an M&M "M". In the cake were two candles; a 6 and a 7 that was whittled into a 1 - nice problem solving team! I was impressed that after only two weeks, the students went above and beyond to make Maria's 16th birthday special. Because I'm lame I couldn't stay up much longer and had to call it a night so that I was fully rested for cooking class!
Saturday morning we all hopped in a red trunk at about 8:15 to take us to the train station where we met our cooking instructors. We made our food selections so that everything would be ready when we got to the cooking school. Two stops on the train and we were off. Waiting for us were a row of bikes. All morning my knee had still been bothering me; popping in and out regularly. Jane suggested that the bike ride might do the trick. We mounted our bikes and began to ride off somewhat single file towards the school. Despite the bike turning at will a few times, the ride was lovely. We made our way through a few villages and allow a small stream. I greeted people as we passed and everyone (except for a truck that was delayed) seemed amused by our parade of bikes. After about 20 minutes we arrived at the cooking school. We were given refreshments and a snack. The snack was delivered to our tables. It was a big plate with several piles of food; leaves, roasted coconuts, roasted peanuts, honey sauce, chilli slices, shallot, ginger, and small lime pieces - rind on. It appeared that we were in essence making lettuce wraps. However, I was not so sure about putting all the ingredients in together as the instructor suggested but when in Thailand...So I put it all in the small leaf and took a bite. It was really delicious. I don't know why I was skeptical. A recipe can be found at this link. After we had a little sustenance, it was time to cook! We started with the first two dishes; soup and stir fry dish. I chose to make sweet and sour prawn soup and pad thai. After those, we sat down to eat them. Both were great but the pad thai was I think the best I've ever had. Then it was time to make our spring rolls and salad and get our curry paste ready. I made traditional spring rolls and papaya salad. The salad was made with green papaya and is a savory dish. Round 3 was our curry and desert. My phanang curry turned out so good it became my favorite for the day. The desert was sweet sticky rice with mango and jackfruit. Everyone was full and satisfied with their cooking endeavors and we even got a cookbook with all our recipes to take home. I would definitely recommend the cooking school to anyone coming to the Chiang Mai area. It's called Smart Cook: Thai Cookery School (this is the package we did - Daily Course). Only problem, now we had to bike back to the train station on a full stomach. As with the ride in, though, it was a really nice. As we got off the bikes and milled about waiting for the train, I noticed my knee was no longer popping. Jane was right -- the bike did the trick. Soon we hopped the train back to Chiang Mai and descended back on Spicy Thai. The students were eager to sign out and do some shopping. I was eager to lay down and have a little quiet for a moment. That quiet moment led to me thinking that it had been a few days since I had updated everyone on all that's been going on --- so here we go!
Hope everyone back home is having a great summer. I miss you guys a lot and hope you are having great adventures as well. I would love to hear what everyone is up to - leave a comment or e-mail me!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Go to the Cause!
I'm still trying to get the students to put their pictures on the computer so that I can share some of them with you - soon, I hope!
So we went to Jungle Flight on Tuesday. It's the longest and highest zipline tour in Thailand.
I decided not to participate. I was feeling a little tired and with my fear of heights there were a few parts of the course that I felt might be a little much. The real adventure, though, was the drive up to Jungle Flight. It was the most windy, narrow road I think I've ever been on. That didn't stop our driver from taking the turns at a fast speed and hugging the edge of a cliff for most of the way up (and down!). It took the students about 3 hours to complete the whole course. During that time Jane and I rested and did some planning and hung out. It was a lovely day in the shade. The students all came back alive and seemed to have a really good time. That night we decided to make dinner in and Jane and I prepared an Italian feast of pasta, salad, and garlic bread. It didn't quite taste like home but it was a hit! I went to bed pretty early that night because we had an early wake-up time for Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we were off to explore nature. Jane's father, Brian, led us on a nature hike through a local park. We saw a lot of different kinds of birds and am now able to pick out Myna birds fairly easily. This park had a shrine on one side with a gazebo. We sat there for awhile and let the students feed the fish. We then made our way to the other side of the lake and everyone had the chance to hang out and enjoy the rest of the morning. There was swimming and napping and frisbee - good times! All the relaxing made everyone quite hungry so we headed off to get a Northern Thai specialty - Khao Soi. It egg noodles in a coconut curry broth with the option of getting some meat in it. I had khao soi with meatballs and then another bowl with pork. Note to self: Next time go light on the chili paste when adding it in (mai ped - no spicy!). The second bowl with less spice was better and it's probably one of my favorite things I've had in Thailand. Eventually we made our way back to the hostel and did a reading and discussion on Buddhism and becoming a monk. This was all in preparation for our "Monk Chat" that night. We went to Wat Suan Dok temple in the city and three times a week they allow you to sit and chat with a monk and ask questions. So we listened to an introduction about Buddhism and then had time to have a question and answer session with a monk. It was a very cool experience. My favorite thing that he said was stop trying to fix the affect -- just go to the cause. Simple - but always a good reminder in life. Below are a few pictures of the temple (not ones that the students took but ones from online).
After the monk chat we did a little dinner and then made our way to iBerry for ice cream. iBerry has a bunch of sculptures and interesting art pieces in their lawn and shop. We went there during the day on our first day in Chiang Mai. It was cool to see iBerry at night because all the sculptures are lit up and it's very festive. Below is a picture of the big sculpture right when you enter.
Well, it's now Thursday morning. We gave everyone the chance to sleep in and then we are doing a Old City tour this afternoon led by our two Thai staff, Noom and Aum. It should be interesting.
So we went to Jungle Flight on Tuesday. It's the longest and highest zipline tour in Thailand.
I decided not to participate. I was feeling a little tired and with my fear of heights there were a few parts of the course that I felt might be a little much. The real adventure, though, was the drive up to Jungle Flight. It was the most windy, narrow road I think I've ever been on. That didn't stop our driver from taking the turns at a fast speed and hugging the edge of a cliff for most of the way up (and down!). It took the students about 3 hours to complete the whole course. During that time Jane and I rested and did some planning and hung out. It was a lovely day in the shade. The students all came back alive and seemed to have a really good time. That night we decided to make dinner in and Jane and I prepared an Italian feast of pasta, salad, and garlic bread. It didn't quite taste like home but it was a hit! I went to bed pretty early that night because we had an early wake-up time for Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we were off to explore nature. Jane's father, Brian, led us on a nature hike through a local park. We saw a lot of different kinds of birds and am now able to pick out Myna birds fairly easily. This park had a shrine on one side with a gazebo. We sat there for awhile and let the students feed the fish. We then made our way to the other side of the lake and everyone had the chance to hang out and enjoy the rest of the morning. There was swimming and napping and frisbee - good times! All the relaxing made everyone quite hungry so we headed off to get a Northern Thai specialty - Khao Soi. It egg noodles in a coconut curry broth with the option of getting some meat in it. I had khao soi with meatballs and then another bowl with pork. Note to self: Next time go light on the chili paste when adding it in (mai ped - no spicy!). The second bowl with less spice was better and it's probably one of my favorite things I've had in Thailand. Eventually we made our way back to the hostel and did a reading and discussion on Buddhism and becoming a monk. This was all in preparation for our "Monk Chat" that night. We went to Wat Suan Dok temple in the city and three times a week they allow you to sit and chat with a monk and ask questions. So we listened to an introduction about Buddhism and then had time to have a question and answer session with a monk. It was a very cool experience. My favorite thing that he said was stop trying to fix the affect -- just go to the cause. Simple - but always a good reminder in life. Below are a few pictures of the temple (not ones that the students took but ones from online).
After the monk chat we did a little dinner and then made our way to iBerry for ice cream. iBerry has a bunch of sculptures and interesting art pieces in their lawn and shop. We went there during the day on our first day in Chiang Mai. It was cool to see iBerry at night because all the sculptures are lit up and it's very festive. Below is a picture of the big sculpture right when you enter.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)