Temple in Lamphun

(From journal written on Saturday Aug. 29th)

Today  my host family took me to see the temple in Lamphun. There were several in one enclosed area. They were amazing. So much detail, so much gold, so many Buddha figures. I can’t even describe how cool it was. One of my favorite features were the paintings around the inside and outside of the largest temple that told the story of the Buddha (Siddhartha). There was  huge gold structure that was under repair/maintenance but you could still tell it was beautiful. My tour book said that a piece of the Buddha’s hair was supposedly enclosed inside of the structure. My host mom said it was a bone of the Buddha. Who knows?

My host mom bought me a cool T-shirt with an elephant on it--a nice gesture. Then we had lunch and I ate a really spicy curry (my host mom chose it for us to share). It had fruit and tomatoes in it. Who knew you could make apples and grapes so spicy. Anyway, my host mom wanted me to finish the dish and one bite was the spiciest thing I’d ever consumed. I began to cough and cry. My nose was running and I felt uncomfortably hot. Meanwhile, a man had engaged my host parents in conversation. The situation was pretty comical because I going through the most intense eating experience of my life and no one noticed. Finally my host mom saw how much I was suffering and told me to stop eating (the first time I’d heard that). When I “came to” I felt like a new person. I was a little worn out but my sinuses were cleared. A stomach ache and headache followed.

Then we drove on the old road from Lamphun to Chiang Mai. Along the road were huge, beautiful trees. My host mom told me that they had orange cloths around them because someone had wanted to cut them down, so the trees had been ordained as monks. By law people are not allowed to hurt a monk. Genuis!

Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures

(from journal written on Saturday August 29th)

I just had the most amazing past two days. 

Yesterday was a “fun Friday” so we went rock climbing and caving with Chiang Mai Climbing Adventures at Crazy Horse Mountain. The climbing was so much fun because it was on real rock faces. I didn’t think I’d be able to do much, but I did three routes. The last one was the one of the toughest routes there. It was a chimney so you had to climb up with the use of two walls. There were many times on the climb that I thought I wouldn't make it, but I did! I might have been the most physically exhausting thing I have ever done. When I got down I was soaked in sweat--it looked like I’d just gotten out of the shower. I felt so good and accomplished. People were cheering me on and giving me help from below.

Apparently CMCA has a climbing gym in the city that we can go to for discounted visits (and free ladies nights). Plus we can get free transportation there from ISDSI. I’m so there! I’m so excited to climb more…in Thailand! It was Amazing! The rocks we climbed were limestone.

Then we took a break for lunch. I was so exhausted from my three climbs. I thought I’d keel over. We ate rice (of course), veggies and meats while sitting on  elevated huts. In the afternoon we zip-lined and rappelled. Our practice rappel was only 5 meters, but was in a beautiful location under the head of the crazy horse rock. The view of the valley was incredible.

Then we climbed up into the opening of a enormous cave. It began to rain, but we were kept totally dry—the other group of climbers, however, came into the cave to climb below. We then ‘zip-lined’ across the cave and changed (by only standing in stirrups) lines and rappelled to the bottom of the cave 35 meters. The cave was even bigger than 35 meters, but we started at a mid-height. It was still really scary. I was petrified, but once I got in the haraness I felt safe and secure. I pushed off and flew have way across and stopped in the middle of this enormous cave. I could looke through the side opening and see the rain. Then I had to use my arms and abs to pull myself the rest of the way across.  I felt incredibly small, hanging mid-air in a giant limestone cave. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. So much natural beauty! I felt like I was one of the people in the Planet Earth caves episode while I was rappelling further down into the cave.

Then we went caving. We learned about stalactites and stalagmites. We saw some old ones and some new ones just beginning to form. It was so cool. Ryder would have loved it. Apparently you can kill a stalactite just by touching it. Then we slid down into a little chamber and crawled into a larger chamber. It was sooooo cool. There was some light from a little opening above and the whole place was so peaceful. Apparently monks used to climb to the top of the hill andinto the caves to meditate …I can tell why.

The whole day was physically tiring but so amazing. I’d never done such cool stuff in my life!!! It was so much fun and I got super dirty! My host mother laughed when she saw how filthy I was, then she quickly ushered me into the shower. 

 

Arrival in Thailand

Thailand Day 1: 8-22-09

The views from our windows as we approached Chiang Mai this morning were stellar. Tall green mountains and low lying clouds surrounded the verdant city. Going through customs was a hoot. I was the first to walk through and they asked me, “are you with a group” I said yes and then they didn’t even look at my passport and let everyone behind me in. When Adam passed through, they looked at his passport and asked, “is this you?”

We were waiting in the airport lobby when two members from the ISDSI staff found us. They greeted us by putting jasmine leas around our necks. They were beautiful and smelled good. After exchanging some money we went outside to get driven to the ISDSI school. We were serviced by 3 song-tao taxis (pick up trucks that had benches in the back and a tin roof). We crammed in as many people as we could with all of our junk. As Phillip dutifully noted, those kind of taxis wouldn’t pass standards in the U.S.  (Note, the Thai people drive on the opposite side of the road!)

In fact, while on the road, I saw a lot of different things that wouldn’t pass U.S. standards. It made me wonder what the Thai driving standards were and how strictly they were enforced. For example, many people ride mopeds or motorcycles barefoot and without helmets. Little children ride on their parents laps without helmets on motorbikes. I saw other people riding on the tops of cars. And from what I’ve observed from the driving of both my host father and the taxi driver, the road lane lines are just a suggestion. Everyone was driving in between them, on them, occupying two lanes at once, and passing at very close distances. I think it’d be a stressful place to drive.

Pulling off into a small driveway we arrived at the ISDSI school. I looked nothing like I had expected it to. It’s a small white building with two large patios, one in the front and one in the back. The back patio is full of lounge chairs, hammocks and there is a climbing wall!!! The front patio, by the lawn, is where we met for orientation. The whole place had a really relaxed feel…helped along by the Thai custom of taking shoes off of your feet before entering a private building (or temple). Going to class barefoot will be awesome!!!

During our orientation we were given yummy, exotic fruits. One looked like a mini pear and separated into little capsules with seeds at the center of each. The other was a red spiky ball, that when split, had a cloudy white fruit inside with a large pit in the middle. They were both really good.

At orientation we learned some new vocabulary words, which I promptly forgot, and then learned about some basic Thai customs. The one talk that stuck with me was the one about the bathrooms. Apparently in Thailand there are several different types of toilets; the western kind, the western kind with a hose and a trash can for your toilet paper, and one where you squat, rinse yourself off with water from a bucket, and then wipe yourself with toilet paper and throw it away. There are also different showers. The western kind, and the kind where you pour ladels of water from a big basin over you, while getting the whole bathroom wet. Thankfully my host family has both a western toilet and shower. I’m not averse to trying the other kind, but it makes everything a whole lot easier.

My host family is very sweet and so far they have been very patient. They are a middle age couple that has a grown daughter living in New Zealand. I have already forgotten their names and anything else that they taught me  (it’s been a long day). But I do know that I tower over both of them by at least 6 inches. Thankfully the host mother speaks some English but her language skill is minimal…let me stress the minimal. It is very difficult for us to understand each other (and I thought communicating with my French host mother Claudie my was difficult!). I understand absolutely nothing! I have never been so lost. Not even in France. I thought I was completely turned upside-down there…but it doesn’t even compare to how turned around I am here. Everything is different.

Advice for my travels

With four days left until I leave for Los Angeles, I have been receiving a lot of odd advice from well-wishers. 

1. Avoid the land mines

2. Don't swim in the Mekong River because of the giant sting rays

3. Don't eat the food

4. Watch out for the Islamic terrorists

5. Don't chew gum

An odd assortment, eh? I wonder which of the above mentioned will turn out to be the most helpful...

Aside from collecting advice, I have also been packing and saying goodbye to friends. It hasn't really hit me yet that I'll be leaving the country for 6 months in just a few days, but I'm sure it'll dawn on me soon enough. Until then, I'm slightly nervous, but too busy to really be anything but excited.