Just in case I haven't mentioned it yet...Pai is gorgeous. Absolutely stunningly beautiful and gorgeous. It is a small village surrounded by mountains- warm, jungle mountains. Clouds mist and gently surround the peaks. It is just as beautiful as the clear ocean- but a very different beautiful.
Wednesday I went rafting. White water river rafting. First time ever. It involved a bit of driving...an hour to the drop site, and about three hours back to Pai. It was worth it though. It was a beautiful way to see the jungle. floating along the river. Of course the most fun places, the rapids, couldn't be taken pictures of because you had to be paddling. There was one waterfall on the way that we got to stop and take pictures of...and it wasn't just one waterfall. It was a whole series of small waterfalls cascading down to join the river. We had lunch on a quiet part of the river. Floating along and out of the water proof casket in the center of the raft and out comes fried rice neatly packaged in banana leaves for lunch. It was quite fun and really natural. We stopped at a natural hot springs along the river too...just little areas of hot water...and if you buried your feet in the sand they got quite hot. The most fun rapids came after the hot spring stop...got wet but didn't fall in! By the end of the day I had this weird half sunburn going on one arm from paddling. The drive home was a lot of fun...lots of curves. We also stopped at some gorgeous view points overlooking the mountains, shrouded in mist and golden sunlight. Just like you see in the movies. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died at the very end of the boat ride...and it refused to take any pictures for me.But it was so gorgeous that I didn't really mind.
Thursday was travel day. I got up and hit the road, me and the motorbike. I was pretty nervous at first...not sure I had the motorbike mastered, and some of the roads are rather iffy. I got more comfortable driving as the day went on though. In the morning I stopped at the Chinese village...which has certainly kept up a touristy feel, Chinese huts and part of a castle greeting you. Plenty of Chinese decorations and food for sale. After the Chinese village I continued on to a waterfall...over some definitely iffy sections of road. Still, I made it! The waterfall was pretty and multi-tiered...but I scraped my foot when I lost my sandal the other day. Too much walking was a pain so I didn't explore as much as I would've been tempted too otherwise. That went until about lunch when I finally gave in and sought out some band-aids. Then I hit the road again, stopping at the Coffee in Love sign. It is a coffee shop overlooking Pai that is very popular among Thais because of a movie. I drove on to the World War II memorial bridge and Pai canyon. Pai Canyon is very pretty but definitely doesn't make you feel safe...when you are standing on a narrow strip of red rock and sheer cliff on either side. Then I went to the natural hot springs...relaxing in hot springs outdoors. It is always amazing to see steam rising from natural pools, but climbing in and relaxing was amazing. One pool was at 80 degrees Celsius! Obviously, people didn't go in that one. My last stop of the day was Wat Mae Yen...a temple that made me nervous of driving because of the sheer drive up, but had a gorgeous view of Pai. It was a nice temple in and of itself, but the view was what made it really amazing. Instead of going back right away after Wat Mae Yen I decided to go on another cruise...a circuit of the area I'd already been to. Just a nice drive on the motorbike- it was wonderfully refreshing.I even stopped and had coffee and cake at Coffe in Love!
Pai was wonderful, overall, and there were some nice people staying at the guesthouse as well to make the evenings even more enjoyable. The owners and a fun crazy hippy old guy and a few other younger females travelling through. If you ever visit Thailand...go to Pai. You will love it! I promise!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Vacation Tiiiime
Well, it's officially over. My time teaching at Chomsurang is over and done...the end was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Ups in excitement for vacation and going home, downs in the ending of teaching, saying good bye to students and most of all the teachers and friends I have made during my time in Ayutthaya.
The weekend was full of trying to cram last sightseeing visits and time spent with friends into as much time as possible...including time to pack. It was fun and exhausting...my shoes broke, I bought presents for people, I packed, I hung out with friends. It ended in a dinner Sunday night and a massage to kill some time before my bus for Chiang Mai left. I left the massage parlor to find that my new shoes had been stolen...however the nice Thai people let me have a pair of their sandals.
It was a long, tiring day travelling from Ayutthaya to Pai. It started with an overnight bus that was very well air conditioned...too well air conditioned. It was freezing, and made sleeping very off and on. Then I arrived in Chiang Mai, and caught a minibus to Pai...another 3 hour or so ride. It was very windy through hills and such. It was very pretty and very hard to stay awake and very hard to stay asleep...so it was mid-day before I arrived in Pai.
Pai is absolutely gorgeous. It's in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, a small quiet village. My hostel is gorgeous, overlooking the valley and sort of Thai style teak building. I just walked around a little on Monday before passing out, too tired after all the travel to do much.
Today, Tuesday, I got up and learned how to ride a motorbike! You need to in order to get around Pai and see all the sights in the hills. I am still a little bit shaky on turning and giving it power, but it's going okay. One of the co-owners of the hostel took me on the Pai zipline. It was in the jungle up in the canopy of the trees...it was a ton of fun and beautiful! At the end I got to see a nice waterfall. (After losing one of my sandals to red ants...which my guide found for me at the end!) I ended the day by treating myself to a nice dinner and a little blog post to all of you.
Two more days left in Pai, and then a trip to the beach!
The weekend was full of trying to cram last sightseeing visits and time spent with friends into as much time as possible...including time to pack. It was fun and exhausting...my shoes broke, I bought presents for people, I packed, I hung out with friends. It ended in a dinner Sunday night and a massage to kill some time before my bus for Chiang Mai left. I left the massage parlor to find that my new shoes had been stolen...however the nice Thai people let me have a pair of their sandals.
It was a long, tiring day travelling from Ayutthaya to Pai. It started with an overnight bus that was very well air conditioned...too well air conditioned. It was freezing, and made sleeping very off and on. Then I arrived in Chiang Mai, and caught a minibus to Pai...another 3 hour or so ride. It was very windy through hills and such. It was very pretty and very hard to stay awake and very hard to stay asleep...so it was mid-day before I arrived in Pai.
Pai is absolutely gorgeous. It's in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, a small quiet village. My hostel is gorgeous, overlooking the valley and sort of Thai style teak building. I just walked around a little on Monday before passing out, too tired after all the travel to do much.
Today, Tuesday, I got up and learned how to ride a motorbike! You need to in order to get around Pai and see all the sights in the hills. I am still a little bit shaky on turning and giving it power, but it's going okay. One of the co-owners of the hostel took me on the Pai zipline. It was in the jungle up in the canopy of the trees...it was a ton of fun and beautiful! At the end I got to see a nice waterfall. (After losing one of my sandals to red ants...which my guide found for me at the end!) I ended the day by treating myself to a nice dinner and a little blog post to all of you.
Two more days left in Pai, and then a trip to the beach!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Sunday Adventures
Of course as soon as I write a post about how nothing much is really happening in my life, I actually do something on the weekend. Part of that is that I am running out of time- running out of time to be in Ayutthaya, running out of time to visit Bangkok. Before I know it, my time in Thailand will be over, done with, a thing of the past, only memories.
I woke up early on Sunday morning to make a trip into Bangkok with a couple of my friends. The plan- to go to a Krishna event and get free food and then go see the Grand Palace. Unfortunately, the Krishna event started later than planned...instead of getting there at the end for food, we got there at the beginning. It was interesting at first to see the service, to listen to them sing and chant/pray. Once they got to the bible study part though...I was bored. So, instead of listening to the study I took off for a walk. The Krishna event was in a pavilion in Lumphini Park in Bangkok. It was a very beautiful park.
Lumphini Park was like a large botanical gardens. At least that's what it felt and looked like. We were in the center, but it felt like I should look up and see a glass ceiling high above my head. That of course, didn't happen. There were pretty flowers of all colors and trees and ponds and rivers and fountains. And a playground. With swings. That I fully took advantage of. Crazy foreigners and their swings. :)
It was fun just enjoying the park and taking pictures, until it was food time and my friends called me back to the pavilion. It was nice vegetarian food, not quite sure what it was, but it was tasty. They even had some apple slices for dessert. I was with Natalie and Jesse, and Natalie and I left pretty soon after we ate to head for the Grand Palace.
It took a bit, including a ride on an over priced boat taxi. (Foreigner only price on the weekends.) We ended up there rather later in the day than we had planned, so instead of going to the Grand Palace we went to Wat Po. It is the temple with the largest reclining Buddha, right next to the Grand Palace. It was a good choice. The temple was gorgeous and the Buddha was huge. Outside the bricks were covered in tile with so many flowers. It was gorgeous and elaborate. We saw a kitten, stuck in a tree, and many other cats.
Basically the temple was gorgeous. I couldn't help but wonder if that was what Ayutthaya would like like if its temples hadn't been destroyed in the war...if the layers of brick once had many decorative tiles all over them. Or would I have been shocked if I had visited the temples in Bangkok before going to the ones in Ayutthaya? It's very different but no less beautiful.
That was the end of the day...after we left the temple it was time to head back to Ayutthaya for another fun filled week of class. It is so weird and sad to think that next week is the last week of class. The end has come so quickly! I'll be on vacation before I know it!
I woke up early on Sunday morning to make a trip into Bangkok with a couple of my friends. The plan- to go to a Krishna event and get free food and then go see the Grand Palace. Unfortunately, the Krishna event started later than planned...instead of getting there at the end for food, we got there at the beginning. It was interesting at first to see the service, to listen to them sing and chant/pray. Once they got to the bible study part though...I was bored. So, instead of listening to the study I took off for a walk. The Krishna event was in a pavilion in Lumphini Park in Bangkok. It was a very beautiful park.
Lumphini Park was like a large botanical gardens. At least that's what it felt and looked like. We were in the center, but it felt like I should look up and see a glass ceiling high above my head. That of course, didn't happen. There were pretty flowers of all colors and trees and ponds and rivers and fountains. And a playground. With swings. That I fully took advantage of. Crazy foreigners and their swings. :)
It was fun just enjoying the park and taking pictures, until it was food time and my friends called me back to the pavilion. It was nice vegetarian food, not quite sure what it was, but it was tasty. They even had some apple slices for dessert. I was with Natalie and Jesse, and Natalie and I left pretty soon after we ate to head for the Grand Palace.
It took a bit, including a ride on an over priced boat taxi. (Foreigner only price on the weekends.) We ended up there rather later in the day than we had planned, so instead of going to the Grand Palace we went to Wat Po. It is the temple with the largest reclining Buddha, right next to the Grand Palace. It was a good choice. The temple was gorgeous and the Buddha was huge. Outside the bricks were covered in tile with so many flowers. It was gorgeous and elaborate. We saw a kitten, stuck in a tree, and many other cats.
Basically the temple was gorgeous. I couldn't help but wonder if that was what Ayutthaya would like like if its temples hadn't been destroyed in the war...if the layers of brick once had many decorative tiles all over them. Or would I have been shocked if I had visited the temples in Bangkok before going to the ones in Ayutthaya? It's very different but no less beautiful.
That was the end of the day...after we left the temple it was time to head back to Ayutthaya for another fun filled week of class. It is so weird and sad to think that next week is the last week of class. The end has come so quickly! I'll be on vacation before I know it!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Time Flies
It's been awhile since I posted. Mostly because nothing of any real interest has happened. Life is going by like normal- lesson planning, teaching, sleeping, eating. You know. The stuff that seems so mundane and every day to each of us in our own lives but can be interesting to other people because they have no clue what is going on in your life.
Since my vacation, I have been sick. Recovered. Missed home. Recovered. Planned my end of the term vacation and my flight home. Wrote my final exams just this week. Let's see...there was a little science fair that was really cute. Some of my students were selling orchids and wanted me to buy one...but I wouldn't have been able to do anything with it. As individuals I will miss my students, but I think as a class of 50 I will not miss them. Big class sizes are definitely not my thing!
Next week is my last full week of classes. Then there is a sort of half week before finals start, and I finish the week by grading. September 21st is my last day of work. At least I will have more to write once I've gone on vacation!
Anyways, I'll leave you with this short post before I end up telling you the story of George the cockroach. It's really only amusing to me...but poor George, he died just when I was getting used to living with him. Ah well.
Since my vacation, I have been sick. Recovered. Missed home. Recovered. Planned my end of the term vacation and my flight home. Wrote my final exams just this week. Let's see...there was a little science fair that was really cute. Some of my students were selling orchids and wanted me to buy one...but I wouldn't have been able to do anything with it. As individuals I will miss my students, but I think as a class of 50 I will not miss them. Big class sizes are definitely not my thing!
Next week is my last full week of classes. Then there is a sort of half week before finals start, and I finish the week by grading. September 21st is my last day of work. At least I will have more to write once I've gone on vacation!
Anyways, I'll leave you with this short post before I end up telling you the story of George the cockroach. It's really only amusing to me...but poor George, he died just when I was getting used to living with him. Ah well.
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