Orientation was quite exhausting! They had class all day everyday pretty much so they weren't able to explore Bangkok. We all received a break from the hectic schedule when we hopped on a bus to Kanchanaburi about 4 hours west of Bangkok.
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| Nice Digs |
The scenery at this place was pretty much the opposite of the metropolis. Beautiful rolling hills, lush rain forests and winding river bends make up the majority of the Province, and it was definitely a breath of fresh air for us. We stayed at a lavish riverside resort with two massive pools, buffet meals and flat screen TV's. Interesting quarters considering the majority of the teachers are living in not-so-western accommodations during their duration here. It must have been a big dose of reality for them when they settled into their dorms.
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| Refreshing and Relaxing! |
Our one full-day in Kanchanaburi was eventful to say the least. We headed out to Taweechai elephant camp for some outdoorsy fun. First, we hopped on a handmade wood raft down this beautiful river in the middle of the jungle. Our guides were local hill tribe folk so they didn't understand the parts of broken Thai we were trying to speak to them. It was awesome to jump in and frolic about in the cool water surrounded by such beauty!
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| Easy There Big Fella |
After our trip down river, we got to ride some Elephants!! So fun & exciting! It was definitely one of the things I wanted to do in Thailand, but I didn't expect it to be so soon! Jody and I hopped on a big boy named "Pet" ironically and stomped through a good mile-long course up and down hills, through the tribe village and down into the river. Our hilarious tribesman guide jumped off and allowed us to sit on Pet's neck and ride him for the majority of the trek. It was an unforgettable experience because we got to share it together. His Ears kept flapping up and hitting us in the legs. Our guide was obviously a veteran guide because he knew a couple words in English. He kept yelling "Oh My God!" hahaha. We were lucky to get him because some of the other guides were quiet the whole time and didn't allow their tourists to sit on the elephants themselves. The whole experience made me gain some respect for elephants too. They really are amazing creatures. So smart. Pet even sprayed us with water from his trunk and stood up on his two hind legs while we were riding him! His skin was so course and the hairs so rough that Jody got a little rash from the ride. I think we may have to ride elephants again while we're here! So much fun!
After the ride, we got to get a little more up close and personal with some of the other elephants. They performed tricks for us (Soccer, Basketball and Hoola-Hoop included) and ate banana's and pineapples out of our hands. They even lifted us in the air with their trunks! I wasn't expecting that and though I was a little worried he might crush me to death, they were actually very gentle. So strong!
So, after the elephant craziness, we all headed over to the Bridge on the River Kwai. Many of you probably know this bridge from the classic movie (which I will have to see now). It's known as the Death Railway because during World War II in 1942, when Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control, tons of Allied POW's died from forced construction in brutal conditions. The railway is actually still in use as a few trains go through every day (One went through while we were on the bridge.) All-in-all about 100,000 Asian laborers and 16,000 POW's died constructing the 258 mile railway. It's such a sad place and quite a somber note compared to the crazy events from earlier in the afternoon. I must admit, It was strange to have so many tourists laughing, taking pictures in a joyous mood at a place that represented so much sadness and death. On a side note, the place is commonly mispronounced. It doesn't have a "y" sound but rather, it should have a dull "a" sound like "Kwae." Just a little FYI.
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| Amazing Meal! |
After soaking up the bridge for an hour, we headed to our last dinner of the orientation. What a memorable dinner it was too! We ate on a boat! We had a wonderful buffet of spicy tom yum soup, fried fish, chicken and basil, sauteed veggies and roast duck just to name a few of the dishes. (I'll have to make a few blog posts about the food in this country later. I'm in love with it!) We motored up and down the river as we ate and really soaked up the last meal we would all have together.
After dinner, things got weird. Not weird in a bad way, I mean crazy, epic weird! As it got dark, a violent thunderstorm erupted and our boat turned into a straight up outdoor dance club! Techno-rave music, strobe lights, party boats, pouring rain and lightning all contributed to one of the most memorable and unique dance outings I've ever had. It was great to let all inhibitions go and just enjoy the experience on our last night together. Sorry I don't have any pictures of our mobile club because I was soaking wet and it was dark :(
After the boat, we headed back to the hotel. You would think we'd go to sleep exhausted from a fun-filled day right? Wrong! Well there happened to be a little karaoke bar in the hotel, and we just had to keep the party going! So much fun!
So, that ended our amazing day of river swimming, elephant riding, bridge viewing, dinner cruising, dance clubbing in the rain, and karaoking the night away. I'll miss some of the people I met, but I look forward to getting away from all the Americans (thus my comfort zone) and becoming immersed in real Thai culture. Also, it will be nice to get away from the craziness that is Bangkok and start living in our little town up north - Chiang Rai.
Until next time.....
