Chiang Mai and Lampang (again)

Thursday, February 10th, 11:00 am

21 classes. That’s all I have left to teach before final exams start. After that we will proctor exams, grade, and our time at Takpittayakhom school will come to a close. The next phase of our adventure will begin. I am excited to start journeying the rest of the way around the globe, but I will miss the life Molly and I have created here in Tak. Living in Thailand has been full of surprises, mostly good, but occasionally we find ourselves in frustrating situations where the lack of communication becomes a real hindrance. Trying to catch a bus to Lampang this past weekend was one of those times.

The roots of the frustration both Molly and I felt were planted the weekend before. We made it a point to get to the bus station early on Friday so we could get to Chiang Mai at a reasonable time. We bought a bus ticket for a bus departing at 4:30 but it left early and we were forced to wait for the next bus through the company we bought our ticket with. This was the first time we bought a bus ticket before getting to the bus station and it totally backfired. We were forced to wait a long time while other buses to Chiang Mai came and went due to an “accident” with the bus from the company we had already bought a ticket from. Then on the way back from Chiang Mai our bus took 2 hours longer than normal. This time we did not pre buy a ticket, but the same company said they had a bus that would be leaving within 30 minutes. Again this company had a mysterious bussing accident that caused the two of us to spend two and a half hours waiting at the bus station. We were both fuming but eventually we caught a bus and got where we needed to go. Part of the frustration came from not being able to talk with the staff to say something like “look the same thing happened last time, is a bus really coming or not?” Safe to say we will not be using that company again. Despite all the bus frustration we had great weekends both times.

From reading this blog it may seem like we go to Chiang Mai a lot. This is because it is one of the closest places that has western food, craft beer, and there is just so much to see and do there. Every time we have gone we have done something different. It also is a fairly central place for all of our friends to meet. This time we all booked a hostel together and had 8 people in one dorm. We had drinks and dinner when we finally go there Friday night and went to bed so we could get up early on Saturday. We woke up to catch the sunrise on the mountain by Doi Suthep, the temple we visited during orientation and again with my parents. We headed up there to check out some gardens in the morning. The cherry trees blossom around this time of year. Unfortunately, we were a bit late and most of the blossoms had already come and gone, but it was still a beautiful place to visit.

The other spot we decided to check out on Saturday is called the “Grand Canyon”, a quarry that has been filled with water to swim in and jump into. My friend Willie and I jumped off of a ledge that was about 55-60 feet tall. It seems a lot taller when you are standing there waiting to jump. It is one of the only times in my life that I had enough time in the air to think, “ok, yea I am still falling”. It was an awesome sensation. The Grand Canyon was a beautiful place to relax in the water and spend a few hours. That night about 20 of us all went out together and we had a great time. I knew I would do a lot of amazing activities here, but I truly underestimated how many great people I would meet through this program.

Check out this video of Willie jumping

That night in Chiang Mai was also mine and Molly’s three year anniversary of when we started dating. It blows my mind that we have been together for three years already. We went out to dinner just the two of us for Greek food. The meal was great and it was nice to spend time reflecting on our relationship. I can’t imagine what this experience would be like without her here. Having someone who I am so close to and knows me so well is such a blessing. She is such an amazing part of my life.

The next weekend in Lampang we spent Friday night catching up with friends and grabbing dinner. Then on Saturday we visited Chalermprakiat Temple and Chae Son National Park. The temple had the feeling of Doi Suthep’s hipster cousin. It featured breathtaking views, a giant gong you could ring, and caps built on nearby peaks that gave the temple a more sprawling feel. It was a truly beautiful place.

The gong sound was much louder in person. You could feel the vibrations

On the way from the temple to the national park, Thailand delivered one of its delightful surprises. We passed a field littered with flowers and blossoming trees. We had to stop to take in the sights and explore the little park. The pictures below do this hidden gem more justice than any description I could come up with.

We had a great hike in Chae Son, the water was freezing but it felt great to be out in the wilderness. Hiking through the jungle in Thailand always makes me think “wow I’m hiking in the jungle in Thailand right now”. Two years ago it would have been hard for me to imagine that this is where my life would take me, but I am so glad that I ended up stepping so far outside my comfort zone for this adventure. It is moments like these that make the frustrations from the lingual and cultural barriers seem like a small price to pay for the overall experience I have had here.

There was a hot spring you could boil eggs in!

That night in Lampang instead of going out to bars, we all grabbed pizza and beers. Long Jim’s pizza is undoubtedly the best pizza in Thailand. The owner is from Oregon; it is the only place I have been where the pizza measures up to the pizza back home. They also have ranch sauce, a rarity here in the kingdom of smiles. After pizza we grabbed some Changs and gathered around my computer to watch the Cavs vs. Celtics game from earlier that day. Willie is a Celtics fan and Sean has ties to the greater Boston area so there was definitely rooting interest in the game. I didn’t realize how much I missed watching a game with friends. It was a night that reminded me a lot of home.

Speaking of home, this week something a little crazy happened. My sister, Katie, has left to study abroad in Ecuador. My dad is on a business trip to England. My mom is at home. So right now each member of my immediate family is in a different continent. Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. I think that is pretty cool.

We have some great stuff planned for the next two weekends. Melanie, Molly, Clay, Chanida and I will be headed to Thi Lo Su next weekend. It is the largest waterfall in Thailand, and quite difficult to get to. We have been trying to arrange a trip there since we arrived in Tak. We will also be done teaching when we leave for that trip. It is the premier site in Tak province and I am so excited to see it. This weekend I am headed to a neighboring town called Phitsanulok. I will fill all of you in on how that goes, thanks so much for reading!

Bonus pic of me and "Swaggy" for reading all the way through!