Blogs from North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 471

Chiang Mai had been variously described as an Amsterdam of the north, a seat of cultural learning, or a mini Bangkok with Wats (Buddhist temples) on every street corner. "There's a million Wats in this town" said Linda, reading the guidebook. "Is that a MegaWat?" asked Steve, getting a kick in the shin for his efforts. We spent a delightful few days in the city enjoying all of the above and more. The moat that surrounds the old town is particularly charming at night when the colourful lights of the hostess bars and restaurants lining it are reflected in it's murky waters. Being constructed largely on a grid system meant that there were plenty of street corners on which to find the famed Wats. Our favourite was Doi Suthep which was a little outside town nestling ... read more

Cant believe its been over 3 weeks since our last entry - time flies when you're having fun! We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Chiang Mai - I dont know where to start, theres so much to write... Lets start from the beginning.... The plane ride from Phuket to Chiang Mai was rather hectic! But we got there in the end but....our bags went missing! I couldnt believe it! They said they were expecting them on the next plane into Chiang Mai and that they would send them to our Guesthouse. We waited and waited with nothing but the the clothes we had on but finally they did arrive - thank god! In the first few nights we met so many people. The guest house we are staying at 'The Royal Guesthouse' is an ideal ... read more

Today the whole group visited an elephant camp where we were able to see an elephant show and ride them through the jungle!! The whole situation was absolutely amazing and I had to keep reminding myself that I was on an elephant in Thailand, what an unforgettable experience! The group that had gone on the trek for the weekend had ridden an elephant before, but it is a really peaceful time and it was great to do it all as a group. The jungle was so beautiful and I felt like I was at home (Washington) because of all of the green. After the elephant ride we went rafting down a river for an hour, the raft was made out of long bamboo poles. The guides make it look so easy to steer the boat, with ... read more

After a full weekend and a long Tuesday of teaching, activities, and/or lectures, we are back into the swing of things. Those of us who got sick over the weekend are resting and recuperating. We are all arriving over the hump of the trip tired and a little worn down, but the promise of the beach next week keeps us going. The education group has had a wild time facilitating English camps at some area schools: teaching 4th through 7th graders English through oral mimicking, visuals, songs, and games. Yesterday was a challenging experience with unprepared students and school administrators, while at today’s school, the administrators and teachers were much more supportive of our activities. In teaching the students English, we find ourselves returning to many old nursery rhymes and camp songs like “Old McDonald had ... read more

Bangkok bus station 8 am, I walk out of the 7/11 supermarket and it seems like somebody has pushed the 'still' button on the world. A big hall full of people and nobody moves and all have their arms straight next to their body. What is going on? ... hey... there is some music playing... and than it hits me: this is the national anthem and I am supposed to do the same thing... Sukhothai Lonely planet advised not to stay in this town as it is 'as attractive as a pair of old gym socks'. Went there anyway and it was awesome. Accidentally end up in a great hostel, which has a Tom Boonen (Belgian cyclist) on the bathroom door. Sukhothai is known for the ruins of the first Thai Capital from 14th century if ... read more