Tuesday 11/3/15 3:00 PM
We have only been in Thailand for three weeks but it feels
like it has been much longer because of everything that we’ve done. So far we
have been to five major cities and a remote mountain on the northwestern
border. Last week the work week was cut short because of a college entrance
exam that was taking place at our school. On Tuesday we learned that class
would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday, and that we would need to come into
work on Sunday for an “English camp” for one group of students. Molly and I
decided that the three days off were a perfect opportunity to visit a spot that
we had heard was one of the more beautiful sights in Thailand: Phu Chi Fa.
The sunrise view at Phu Chi Fa
Phu Chi Fa is a mountain on the border on Laos. We were told
that it was amazing to view a sunrise from the summit, as the neighboring peaks
would form islands in a sea of fog below. The closest major city to Phu Chi Fa
is Chiang Rai. Another major pro to making the journey out there was that many
of our friends from orientation were stationed near Chiang Rai and others had
planned to visit the city over the weekend. Melanie, another American teaching
at our school, arrived in Tak last week and decided to come with us on our trip
across the country. This was my first experience travelling in a truly Thai
style: we booked nothing before arriving at the bus station to depart. We
arrived at the bus station Wednesday afternoon after school and asked when the
next bus leaving for Chiang Rai would depart. After being told that the bus
would arrive at 7:30 we grabbed a bite and waited for it to arrive. We then
spent around 5 hours travelling to Chiang Rai. We arrived in the middle of the
night, unsure of how to get to the hostel we intended on staying at or where
exactly it was. Luckily we found a tuk-tuk driver who took us to a street with
many options for places to stay. Our first choice had no vacancies, but we
quickly found another hostel and slept soundly.
The
next day we awoke and headed to the local bus terminal where we took a bus to
the small town of Thoeng. This is the closest bus stop to Phu Chi Fa. From
there we took a Songtow, which is basically a pick-up truck that uses the bed
as a miniature bus, up into the mountains. We met a group of Thai students from
Chiang Rai University who split the ride up with us. They were very helpful in
organizing the trips up and down the mountain, and having a larger group made
the ride much cheaper. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but I enjoyed the stunning
views as we meandered our way up the mountain. We arrived at a plateau where
there were several small guest houses where we could stay. We spent the
afternoon and evening wandering the mountainside. The little village had
stunning views of the surrounding countryside. There was a quick storm in the
middle of the afternoon so I got the chance to stand out in the cool rain and
enjoy the scenery.
Left: Me enjoying the rainstorm Right: The view from the village near Phu Chi Fa
My view with a brew at dinner near Phu Chi Fa
The next morning, we got up at 5:00 am to see the sunrise
atop the mountain. It was as beautiful a sight as I have seen in my life, and
was definitely worth all the buses and travel time it took to get there. The
view really does speak for itself.
The Sunrise View
Molly, Melanie, and I after the clouds rolled in
Molly and I with the Phu Chi Fa sign
Later Friday morning we travelled back to Chiang Rai where
we checked into a hostel and then got Thai style foot massages. They were
amazing and left us feeling refreshed even after the extensive travel we had
gone through. That night we met up with many friends from orientation and had a
blast going out to local bars near the city center. We even found a place that
served American style beef burgers. They were delicious and worth every bit of
the 120 (four dollars) baht they cost. Because the average meal in Tak costs us
20-30 baht and is some of the most delicious stuff I’ve ever eaten, this now
seems like an extravagant amount of money to spend.
Left: The clock tower in Chiang Rai Right: The burger stand we all enjoyed
Saturday morning, we met up with another Molly and Hilary
who are stationed in a rural town outside Lampang. We all went to a modern
Buddhist temple called the White Temple that was about 20 minutes away from
downtown Chiang Rai. Its construction began in 1997 and the entire compound
won’t be finished until about 2070. It was an unbelievably ornate structure.
The message of the temple was that one must experience suffering before
achieving nirvana and that hedonistic lifestyles are what lead to evils in this
world. In the mural inside the main structure the artist uses images of the
world trade center attacks as well as popular figures from western pop culture
(Darth Vader, minions, the hulk, Neo, Michael Jackson etc.) to drive this point
home. Seeing such a tragedy for our nation displayed in a religious temple was
more than unsettling, and I don’t really know how to feel about it. I do know
that it is not meant to be offensive although it has offended some western
visitors. With that being said, I am so glad I visited the temple as it is a
building straight out of a Halloween movie, and it was October 31st
after all.
Molly, Melanie and I at the White Temple
After visiting the temple, the three of us headed back to
Tak since we had work on Sunday. The bus ride took much longer on the way back,
but we made it home with plenty of time to rest up for the coming work week. Despite
travelling across the country to a remote mountain, staying three nights in
hostels, spending money to go out and paying for small trips around the city,
the entire weekend still came in at under 3,000 baht or under $100. It is truly
amazing how far money can go here. Everything seemed to work out last weekend:
we found a good place to stay every night, we didn’t know how to get up the
mountain but we found a Thai person who majored in English who was going to the
same place as us, the view in Phu Chi Fa was even more stunning than I expected,
and the list goes on and on. It was an incredible weekend in a beautiful place
with awesome people!
On Sunday, we helped run an all day English camp that
featured fun English games to help the students develop more confidence in
their English skills and to teach them a bit about western Halloween. It was
fun to be with kids and watch them bob for apples and play “pin the hat on the
witch”, but it was a tiring day. Today I finally am feeling like I am finding a
bit of a routine and a rhythm here in Tak. We have travelled so much that it
has been hard to really settle in, not that I am complaining; I have greatly
enjoyed all the trips thus far. Teaching here is disorganized but it is a great
feeling when you feel like you have helped a group of students improve, even if
it is just a little bit. I am looking forward to becoming a better teacher and
truly developing a routine here. Next weekend we are staying in Tak and may
even have a few visitors. There is a waterfall about 30 minutes away we are
planning on visiting. Life is good and me and Molly are feeling really happy!
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