A 2 a.m. wakeup call on February 20th had me out of bed and running out the door, suitcase in tow, faster than my ride could arrive. The time had finally come for my trip to Chiang Mai, the camp I had been waiting for since my arrival in Thailand almost 8 months ago. The 15 hour bus ride, broken up with countless truck stops, 7 eleven snack runs, a roadside noodle shop, and a quick temple tour, passed rather quickly. I traveled with 2 friends from Surin, and we passed the time by sleeping, talking, and eating fruits in an attempt to distract ourselves from the altitude sickness we felt as we drove through the mountainous provinces in the north. A quick temple stop was the highlight of the journey, as this temple was unlike any others I had ever visited. Situated in the mountains, the view was spectacular, overlooking deep, untouched valleys, and the design of the temple looked like something out of Gaudi’s Park Güell. Inside the temple, we had the opportunity to tour a modern art gallery, something I had never seen before in Thailand.
In the final hours of our trip, we were able to connect YouTube to a TV in the van, and we sang along to 2014 top hits until our voices became hoarse, surely blessing the ears of our AFS volunteer and van driver. We arrived at the hotel at about 9 p.m., and when Sofia and I saw each other, our embrace and squeals were obnoxious enough to catch the attention of everybody else in the lobby. The next reunion was even better, this one when Kenna, Chloe, and Luke arrived. Bags were dropped, sprints and screams were involved, and we all enveloped each other in a giant huddle, giddy with excitement after our separation since October. We reconvened with the rest of our group in the lobby, and after discussing camp rules, we took our keys and went to check into our rooms. Not 2 minutes after being warned about the 3,000 baht ($95!) replacement fee for lost keys, while we were all clambering into the elevator, Chloe’s roommate dropped hers down the elevator shaft. We looked around in shock, hoping that this wasn’t an indication of how the next 4 days would be, and thanked the universe for not letting it be one of our keys. Fortunately for her, hotel staff were able to retrieve the key, and Chloe’s roommate escaped paying the hefty fee. Later that night, I suffered my own scare when I thought I had lost mine. My roommate hadn’t yet arrived, so I had sole responsibility for holding onto our key, and at some point in the night, as our group was hanging out on our floor, I realized that the key was no longer on my person. We hadn’t moved around much, so I retraced my steps, and when I couldn’t find anything, I started to worry. After about 20 minutes, my stress was relieved when Gonzague (our French friend) pulled a second key out of his pocket, one he mistook for his own. Relief overtook me, and I vowed to give responsibility for the key to my roommate for the rest of the trip. She didn’t arrive until late that night, but I was elated to learn that I would be rooming with Gio, an Italian friend that I met at the last camp.
We work early the next morning, ready for a long day of sessions, group meetings, and a 3 hour Thai language lesson. The sessions were mostly uneventful, but we paid close attention when they discussed the optional activities that we would be able to sign up for. During our lunch break, Chloe, Kenna, Sofia and I planned out the activities that we wanted to do together, and ranked the camps that we wanted the most. That afternoon, a bloodbath ensued, with kids running and shoving each other while racing to write their name on the sheets with limited spots. I was fortunate enough to get the 2 camps that I wanted the most, a 10 day massage course in Ayutthaya, and a 4 day island trip in Koh Lipe. Our entire group is signed up for Koh Lipe, and Chloe, Sofia, and I will be in Ayutthaya together. I put myself on the waitlist for 2 other camps, and I was just offered a spot on a trip to Krabi from March 8th to 11th, along with Kenna. I’m currently on week exchange in Kenna’s city, Kamphaengphet, and we will travel together to Krabi on the 7th.
After signing up for the activities, our favorite Thai language instructors from Dhurakij Pundit University gave us a Thai lesson. At this point, I’m nowhere near fluent, and I know I won’t be by the time I leave, but I can understand almost everything I hear, and I can communicate most of what I want to say. It was a sad goodbye for the Americans when our instructors had to leave, especially after how close we became with them at our YES language camp in October. That night, we had a dance party in my room, and hung out with some new friends from Italy, France, and Germany.
The second day of camp was an excursion day, and we all dressed in our (very cute, mustard-colored) AFS shirts that we received the day before. Our first stop was an elephant village, and our first activity was a raft ride down a river. Sofia didn’t hesitate to break out her harmonica, and she serenaded us as we took in the sights along the ride.
The ride lasted a good half hour, and when we were finished, we took a short ride to another area of the camp for an elephant show. I’m not a fan of elephant shows, and a few of us didn’t want to support the practice, so we stayed back as the rest of the group watched the show.
Afterwards, as the others went off to ride elephants, we opted out, and headed over to the “elephant hospital” where we listened to a director explain why they use picks to control the elephants. We didn't respond well to his reasoning, which made us feel no better about the whole thing, so we busied ourselves with petting the elephant that was in the hospital.
After the hospital visit, we headed over to a tent where dung paper was made, and we watched a demonstration about how elephant poop could be turned into paper products. The idea is super cool, but I blocked everything out after I saw the guide eat the “before” product in a poor attempt to engage the crowd. We were all too happy to take a lunch break, after which we took a short songthaew ride to a local tribal village, the Karen Long Necks.
The Karen are refugees from Myanmar, and they all hold refugee status, so their movement is restricted, and they have limited access to education, healthcare, and employment. Because they are refugees, there are no truly “authentic” villages in Thailand. Known for their long necks, the Karen people are of interest to many tourists because of their appearance. It used to be thought that women wore the rings to prevent tigers from biting their necks, or to make themselves seem less attractive to men from other villages, but those theories are mostly regarded as folklore. Today, the Karen see long necks as a sign of beauty. Girls begin wearing rings around their necks from a very young age, and a new ring is added annually. Contrary to popular belief, the rings don’t actually make the neck longer, but they press down on the collarbone, which gives the appearance of an elongated neck. I had some ethical concerns about visiting a tribal village, and whether or not I would be supporting a “human zoo”. When we arrived, we were assured that everything was ethical, but I still felt a little uneasy during the entire trip. The section of the village open to tourists is lined with shops, and Karen women sell trinkets and crafts, weave silk, and take photos with visitors. I debated whether or not I should buy something, but I decided to purchase something small in hopes that the profit would support a woman who had limited income opportunities. After researching, I learned that in many villages the operators pay villagers small wages for toiletries and food, and villagers are punished for speaking to visitors about their plights and using modern technology. It is true that wearing the rings is a choice in these villages, however, women who wear the rings are paid higher wages. I don’t have any photos to post, as I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures with/of any of the women, but you can look up the Karen Long Neck tribe if you’re interested in learning more/seeing photos of the rings.
After our visit to the village, we took a quick van ride to a temple, where we received gloves, trash bags, and instructions to pick up any trash we found on the property. We walked around for awhile, eventually not even bothering to pretend that we were cleaning the already trash-free temple. Chloe and I walked into one of the empty prayer rooms, and I taught her how to do a special Buddhist wai. We mostly just walked around and took pictures, and although this temple was not unlike many others I had visited, the view was notably superior. After our excursion concluded, we headed back to the hotel, where we had some free time before dinner.
For dinner, our group headed to a Lanna Khantoke show, a dining experience native to northern Thailand. The place we visited was undoubtedly geared towards tourists, but Thai people do still celebrate holidays and special occasions with Khantoke dinners in their homes. We all sat on cushions that were arranged on the floor, and each group of people had a platter of food to share. We began our meal with fried bananas, but the main course included rice, sticky rice, boiled vegetables, pork, fried chicken, sweet crispy rice, rice cakes, and watermelon. During the meal, we listened to live traditional music and watched Thai dancers perform. I sat next to Chloe, Emil, Gonzague, and Sofia, and at some point, we were invited to dance with the dancers. The performances were interesting, but the company was the best part of the evening. I absolutely love my friends that I’ve made here, and make sure to take advantage of every opportunity to talk with them, which are limited.
The next day was our last day in Chiang Mai, and we started the morning with a songthaew ride to Wat Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in the city. We blared our American music and sang along as we drove through the mountains, the wind tossing our hair around as we entertained our European friends. Once we reached the temple, which is situated at the top of the mountain, we needed to make the hike up 309 steep steps. Chloe and I got separated from the rest of the group, and we explored the different areas together. The view was spectacular, and we were content to just sit and look out over the city.
After we had taken an adequate amount of pictures, including some with monks who recognized a photo-op, we headed back down the steps and met up with the rest of our friends. As we waited for the entire group to reconvene, we decided to serenade the others with some “traditional” American songs, including, but not limited to, Sweet Caroline, our national anthem, Country Roads, and God Bless America. This of course prompted the Italians to perform their own anthem, followed by the Germans.
Once we were finished singing and posing for photos, we hopped back onto the songthaews and began our descent down the mountain. We made a quick stop for lunch, then switched back to our buses and rode to Bor Sang Umbrella Village. We were able to watch as craftsmen handmade umbrellas, and as painters decorated phone cases, t-shirts, bags, and other items for customers. I wish I had had the foresight to bring a t-shirt or something for the artists to decorate for me, but alas, I left empty-handed. From Bor Sang, we headed back to the hotel, where we cleaned up before making a trip to Tha Pae Walking Street for the evening. Chloe and I explored together, snacking on kebabs and smoothies along the way. By sundown we had walked most of the street, and needed a little break, so when we saw a sign advertising Thai massages for a decent price, we jumped at the opportunity. We followed a man into a building on the streets of the market, where he pointed us to two thin mats lying on the floor. Chloe and I had gotten a foot massage together before, but this time we had opted for the full body massage. We laid down, not really knowing what to expect, and then our masseuses came over. My masseuse started with my feet, worked her way to my legs, arms and fingers, and finished by giving me a face massage. Without washing her hands. After touching my feet. And presumably many others. I had a similar experience with the aforementioned foot massage, so although I was slightly less surprised, I was equally unenthused. I can’t say I felt too different after the experience, (although my pores definitely responded negatively to the face massage), but it was a fun way to break up the night.
Back at the hotel, our group was a mixed bag of Americans, French people, Italians, and Germans. Little sleep was had that night, so the bus ride home the next morning was a silent one as everybody caught up on sleep. I’m currently on week exchange with Kenna in her city, Kamphaengphet, so I left the hotel with her and the other kids in her region. It was awful saying goodbye to all of my friends at the hotel, especially some of my foreign friends, because I will never see many of them again. I was recently informed that the YES Abroad group will be heading back to the US 10 days earlier than everybody else, so apart from those that we will be with at different camps, this was the last time our cohort would see everybody. I’m really glad that I’ve been able to spend time with Kenna in her community, and we just finished our last day of school, so it’s officially summertime! I’ve got a lot of cool travel plans coming up, which I’m super excited for, and I’m hoping that these remaining 2 months don’t fly by too quickly. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for 8 months already, and that my time here is truly winding down. I’m doing my best to take advantage of every opportunity to strengthen friendships and learn about the culture, and I can’t wait to see what comes of my remaining time here.
Thanks for reading this post, and be sure to check back soon for another update!