I would like to start this post by apologizing for my inactivity on this blog recently. I've been a little distracted lately, and I've decided to start making shorter, more frequent posts. And now, time to talk about Thailand!
A few weekends ago, my host family and I piled into the car, off to some destination that was, as usual, unknown to me. Of course, true to Thai fashion, we left shortly after 11, approximately 4 hours later than was originally planned. On the bright side, I quickly realized that the 6am wake-up call was entirely worth it! After about 40 minutes, we pulled up to a large reclining Buddha statue, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and it was a pretty incredible sight. Even better was the Wat (temple) hidden a little deeper in the forest! This was my first time visiting a Wat, and I wasn’t disappointed! We toured around a little bit, and I was able to burn some incense and pray. The temple overlooked a gorgeous valley, and I learned that there was actually an inactive volcano hidden down there, along with a few caves. It is believed that the caves are inhabited by evil spirits, and those who dare to enter the caves will never return. Our excursion continued after we explored the temple, and we were off to do some exploring in the forest. We all piled into what was essentially a cart attached to an ATV, holding onto the rails as we dodged tree branches and tried to take in the views. The forest floor wasn’t designed for vehicles like ours, and I almost flew out of my seat more times than I care to admit, but it was a great adrenaline rush, and I was a little disappointed when we arrived at our destination We took a nature hike through the forest, and the Thai speakers learned about the various flora and fauna native to the area. I, as expected, didn’t understand a word that the tour guide said, but I was content to walk around and get a little mud on my shoes. We hiked back to the temple, and ended our adventure with a traditional Thai meal. Visiting this Wat was a perfect way to spend some time in nature and learn a little more about my province, and I hope to visit again sometime soon.
Thanks for reading! I'll be posting more in the next few days, so check back soon!