Bangkok and Pattaya Excursion

Sorry it's been a while since my last blog, it has been super busy around here since my class and my time in Thailand is coming to an end!  We got back from our excursion early Tuesday morning-6:30 AM to be exact-by bus which took us 12 hours.. it was dreadful.  I guess it was practice for my 12 hour plane ride, which is tonight! Ahh so crazy to think that I am leaving already!  But here is the low down on my excursion..
Bangkok:
We left around 9:00 PM on Thursday night and arrived in Bangkok around 7:00 AM Friday morning.  The bus was like an upgraded coach bus which was nice but the air was on so high that it was freezing the entire time!

Bobby and Monica trying to stay warm

Since we got in so early we went to our rooms right away to sleep for a couple hours.  We ended up staying at a guest house called, The Bangkok Christian Guest House.. kind of ironic considering we were there on a class trip to learn about the sex industry.  Also, it happened to be located two streets away from Patpong, Bangkok's red light district.

Bangkok Christian Guest House

Our stay in Bangkok was not organized what so ever and we didn't do anything class related besides seeing Patpong later that first night.  The rest of our time spent in Bangkok was free time just bumming around since we didn't know the area too well.  Anyways, Patpong was an eye opening experience.  Just an fyi, this may get a littlee graphic..  Everywhere you looked there were half naked girls, men and women getting up in your face and trying to get you to come to ping pong shows (don't ask..), and old white men preying on young Asian women.  Walking down that street was one of the most uncomfortable feelings I have ever experienced.  I felt very violated and disgusted.. especially when our group leader actually led us into a ping pong show to be able to experience it.  I won't explain what it is here but if you want to know you can ask me.  I didn't expect to react the way I did but there was something about Bangkok and Patpong that I really didn't like..
However, on our second day in Bangkok we got to see the Royal Palace!  It was absolutely beautiful!  It happened to be on one of the hottest/sunniest days though and the outside tour lasted about 2 hours..

Temple

Trina, Me, Monica, and Bobby

The Royal Palace

The third day of our excursion we headed off to Pattaya.  Pattaya was about 2 hours away from Bangkok and we took "mini buses" aka big vans to get there.  We had to make a hotel change last minute since the hotel we were originally were supposed to stay at overbooked.  We were told our new place was near the water so that made me super excited.. buttt Sawasdee Sea View was far from nice.. Since we were only there for one night we stayed in short stay rooms which basically are used for one night stands.. awesome, right?  There were even condoms on the bedside table for sale next to the peanuts and toothbrush!  Because of that we decided to spend as little as time possible in those rooms..  Ohh what made it 10x worse is that we were surrounded by all these new and nice hotels.. real coool.

Nice hotel across the street

The not so lovely Sawasdee Sea View

Pattaya turned out to be a lot more fun than Bangkok.  We went and talked to three different organizations regarding sex work.  One was Take Care Pattaya which focused on handing on condoms and educating about safe sex to help prevent HIV and AIDS.  Another was a group called, Swing, which was male sex workers who were also promoting safe sex.  Last we went to talk to transgender sex workers at the Hon House.  All of the talks were so interesting and it gave me a different outlook on the industry.  Later that night we went to dinner as a class to Cabbages & Condoms.  The restaurant was right on the water and was so beautiful.  Also, it had the craziest decor!

Made from oral contraceptives..

Our closet of a room at Sawasdee Sea View

The beach!

We spent our last day at the beach which was soo nice.  The weather was a little gloomy in the morning but in the middle of the afternoon it started to get really sunny.  With that being said, I got soo burnt but of course didn't realize it until the next time.  Hopefully by the time I get home it will be a tan.. fingers crossed!
I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my blog!  This will probably be my last post due to the fact I am leaving Thailand tonight :(  I am being picked up from the dorms at 8:00 PM by my Thai friends, Nooky, Non, Natacha, and Nicha.  (Non and Natacha are actually coming to study abroad in Eau Claire next month!)  It's a bittersweet feeling leaving but it has been an amazing six weeks and I cannot wait to be home and see everyone :)

Last Weekend in Chiang Mai

This past weekend was my last weekend in Chiang Mai since we will be in Bangkok for this coming weekend.  A group of us decided to go to a waterfall on Saturday.  We started our day off by stopping to eat brunch at a cute little cafe.  I had a spinach and cheese omlette and it was soo good-I can't wait to have real Wisconsin cheese though!  After brunch we headed off to the waterfall which was about an hour away.  On the way there it started pouring!  It was still raining pretty hard when we got to the waterfall but we were going to get wet anyways so we decided to go!  When we got to the waterfall it was hardly raining but the area was covered mostly by trees so we didn't even feel it at all.  The waterfall was beautiful!  Even though it was freezing, we still all had a good time!

Laura, Denise, Trina and I

Pek, Laura, Denise, Trina, me and Bobby

After the waterfall we decided to check out a reservoir about 20 minutes away from our dorm.  I wish we had gone earlier in the day because we were all pretty exhausted after the waterfall.  It was so weird to see people just hanging out at the lake, it reminded me a lot of home.  We just ended up getting a little bit to eat and drink there and eventually headed back.  I wish I had another weekend here so I could hang out a little longer at the reservoir!

Little huts along the reservoir where we sat

 so pretty!

Yesterday my class took a field trip to "Can Do Bar" which is operated by a group called Empower.  Empower is an organization for sex workers who want their voice to be heard.  They are women fighting for equal rights in society as well as the sex industry.  Not going to lie it was a little uncomfortable and awkward hearing about this kind of work out in the open.. it makes me wonder how Bangkok and Pattaya will be.. but it was really interesting none the less, especially to hear it from some sex workers themselves.

Inside the bar

 

Tomorrow night we are leaving for our excursion.  Unfortunately we are taking a bus that is leaving at 9:00 PM and won't get to Bangkok until 6 AM Friday morning.. Can't wait.. But we will be in Bangkok Friday night and Saturday night and leave for Pattaya Sunday morning.  We will be in Pattaya until Monday night now because that's the only time a bus leaves from there back to Chiang Mai.  We will have a free day on Monday until we check out of our hotel so my friends and I might go check out the beaches.  We are going to have another longgg  bus ride on the way back also.  We are leaving Pattaya around 5:00 PM Monday night and won't be back to Chiang Mai until Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM. Fun, right?!  I probably won't have internet while I am gone but I'll be sure to blog when I'm back.  I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you all at home before you know it :)

Monk Ordination and Others

 Monday was the start of my second module of classes!  My class I am taking right now is called, The Economics of the Sex Industry.  So far, it is very interesting.  We were originally supposed to go to Bangkok and Pattaya this weekend but instead we are leaving next Thursday night on a bus.  It should be about a 7 hour bus ride and we will get there early Friday morning.  Aside from talking to some workers in the sex industry and things like that, we will also being doing some tourist sight seeing while we're there.  While our excursion is all fun and games we actually have some work to do in class.  We have assigned readings every night followed by discussion questions and we are to finish a 15 page partner paper by the end of our class.  Hopefully I can get a little bit done each day so I won't be rushed at the end of class!
On Tuesday night my friends and I went on a "dinner cruise" at the Riverside Restaurant in the Old City.  We happened to go on a night when it was raining and thundering a little bit but luckily it cleared up when we went out on the water.  We got on the boat at around 7:15 and ordered soon after.  Since there was not a kitchen on the boat our food was top priority and we got it 5-10 minutes after we ordered.  After everyone got their food and drinks the boat left the dock and we went out on the water for about an hour.  It was really relaxing night and fairly inexpensive for what it was.

Our boat

 Fried Rice and a Grasshopper.. very classy

The next day, my class was invited to a former Payap student's ordination to become a monk.  I met Champ when I first got here-he's the one that took us to the police station when Lina's wallet went missing and the one that introduced us to Thaitanium!  Champ is becoming a monk for 3 months to pay back his parents for raising him and also to show respect.  It is very common for young male adults to do this.  As any other monk, Champ is only to eat 2 meals a day before noon and meditate, go to class, and pray for the rest of his day.  He had told us he had become a monk before but only for 15 days.  We aren't allowed to post pictures of the ceremony anywhere since it is a religious event.  I was pretty confused most of the time but it was a beautiful ceremony none the less.  First, Champ's family sat before him and he got down on his knees to thank them.  After that they took part in cutting pieces of his hair before his head was to be shaved.  A monk shaved his head and even his eyebrows!  After that we had some down time where his family fed us-they were all extremely friendly!  The ceremony started at 12:30 and we had to sit in the most uncomfortable position for 2 hours..  It is considered rude to point with your feet in Thai culture so everyone sat with their legs under them to the side.  I gave up after a while and sat crossed-legged.. Overall I am really glad that I have able to experience something like this!

Champ before being ordained-he was so nervous!

 Temple where the ceremony took place

Tonight our Thai friend, Nooky, is taking us to see the new Harry Potter movie!  I'm really excited to see that and for my weekend ahead.  We are planning on going to a reservoir sometime this weekend that all the locals go to and I hear it is an awesome place to see and hang out at!  Also, I have to get my last minute gifts since this is our last weekend in Chiang Mai so we will be hitting up both the Saturday and Sunday night markets!  Its hard to believe I only have two weeks left.. this experience has gone by really fast yet I feel like I've been away from home for forever! My flight has been changed by the way!  I am now leaving Thursday night, July 28, at 11:20 PM and fly to Seoul and then have a direct flight from Seoul to Chicago so I wont have to stop in Atlanta for 8 hours on the way home.. yay!  I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll be sure to post before I leave for Bangkok!

Maetaeng Elephant Park

Today I went to an elephant park!  I was really excited to go but my overall experience was different than what I expected..

The park was about an hour away but we were picked up at our dorms which was really nice.  Other than elephant rides the park had bamboo rafting, an elephant show, and an ox cart ride.  The bamboo raft was just like the once we used in Pangmapha in the cave.

After the bamboo raft our we were taken back to the main part of the camp to watch an elephant show.  Although it was cool to see the elephants paint and kick a soccer ball, it just seemed very unnatural.

After the elephant show we ate lunch which was included in the price of the park.  The lunch was a buffet and was surprisingly really good with a lot of options.  We took about a half hour for lunch and then went to ride the elephants!  They're huge and there skin is so rough and hairy!  My friend Lynley and I rode on an elephant who actually had a little bit of a temper.. It was sad to see him misbehave though because the workers had sticks with hooks at the end and would hit them to steer them and if they misbehaved.  The ride was different than I had expected-like it wasn't smooth at all.  Luckily we had a bar in front of our seat.  I'm also surprised at the quality of the paths and thought they should've been more even.  I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing the elephant park so much, I actually did have fun!  After the elephant ride we were taken back to the main park by an ox cart.  After getting back I got to feed some of the elephants!  It was actually a little scary because they'll do anything to get some bananas!  Finally, we stopped at a butterfly garden before returning back to the dorms.

The most awkward picture ever.. Jeudi (the monk) is my classmate and Prince (right) is a Thai student and of course, Lynley.

This weekend is a little weird since we're done with our first class and the people who were only staying for three weeks left today and yesterday-including my friends Lina and Lynley :(.  It's going to be weird without them but we got three new students who are from the same school as the professor who is teaching our next class (St. Mary's in Maryland).  I'm half way done so it's all downhill from here! At least I hope..

Pangmapha

After 5 days in the mountains of Northern Thailand I am finally back "home"!  We got home around 2:30 PM on Thursday and we officially finished our class by taking our final last night at 8 PM.  It was actually harder than I expected but Ajan Chris is a pretty laid back guy so I'm hoping he won't grade too harsh!  Our class is getting together tonight to go out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant called, The Salsa Kitchen.  I'm really getting sick of all this white rice.. Anyways, I'll tell you more about my trip:
DAY 1:
We started our trip at about 9 AM through the winding hillsides up to Pangmapha.  I am surprised I didn't get car sick.. The drive lasted about 4 1/2 hours but it seemed short because we made a stops for lunch and to get snacks.  The first night we didn't do too much and just took the time to look around Baan Cafe Nature Resort.  Ajan Thanit, another professor that came with us, is the sister of the women, P'Oon (spelling?), who owns the resort.  P'Oon is the sweetest little lady ever!  Not to mention an amazing cook!  We wanted to take her back to the dorms with us to show them how its done.

The non air conditioned bus we drove 4 1/2 hours in..

 Baan Cafe! Such a cute place

 Our little bungalows

 By the river running behind Baan Cafe

 Luckily we had a normal toilet in our room..

 

DAY 2:

We started our mornings off everyday with breakfast at 8 AM and even got french toast!  Supposedly the syrup container said it was "Pure Wisconsin Maple Syrup" but it was actually honey.. Close enough!  The second day we went to the Tham Nam Lod Cave which was really cool.  I should tell you that all week our mode of transportation was by pick up truck.  When I say pick up truck I mean riding in the back of a pick up with 8 other people while it's pouring rain.. My butt is still sore.  Anyways, in order to get into the cave we had to ride on little bamboo rafts and then be guided through the cave by laterns.  It was pretty rainy out that day but luckily we were in the cave for a good part of it.  After we left the cave we went to have lunch, a Thai style sack lunch.  Our sack lunch consisted of noodles in a bag-so cute and funny!  After lunch we went to visited a Lahu village and talked to the headmaster of the village who practices agroforestry.  He has a lot of fruit trees because they grow the best in his surrounding area.

 Super sweet ponchos

 What we rode on into the cave

 Exit of the cave

 Sack lunch!

 Home of the Lahu headmaster: Ajan Thanit (right) translated for us

 

DAY 3:

In honor of the 4th of July I wore my American flag socks this day!  Brian and I had originally bought them to give to my Thai roommate as a gift but I decided not to and instead gave her a postcard of Chicago.  No one has any idea where Wisconsin is.. I was kinda homesick on this day because I knew my family was all together for the holiday and I wish I could have been there!  On this day we again went to see another village.  This time we talked to the headmaster of a Lisu village.  It is so interesting to hear the history of each village and to see how the people live.  We again rode in the pick up trucks and ate sack lunches.  However, this day our pick up truck was backing up and was so close to falling off the side of a little hill into a river-while we were in it!  The roads there were ridiculously muddy and bumpy.. I can't even begin to tell you how many things we have done that would be considered illegal in the states.

Happy 4th of July!

 Real safe..

 Lisu village

 Another sack lunch!

 Close call

DAY 4/DAY 5:

This was the day of our home stay!  We left after lunch and headed about 45 minutes up the mountain to a Lua village where we would spend the night with a host family.  I was really nervous going into the homestay because I didn't know what to expect, but I tried going in with the best attitude I could.  Thankfully we were paired up two to a home so my friend Trina and I stayed together.  When we first arrived we were greeted by the headmaster of the village who sat down to talk with us before we took a tour around the village.  After the tour our families we asked to come pick us up for dinner.  Trina and I were matched with our mom, Yoong.  The rest of our family consisted of a dad, a brother (12 years old), and a sister (4 years old).  Our sister, Nampoon, was the cutest little girl ever!  Even though our family could speak no English they were unbelievably nice and welcoming.  We were served dinner alone soon after we arrived because it's customary to leave the guests alone when they eat.  We were a little confused at first but caught on after a while!  After dinner we were shown to "our room" which was a mattress on the wood floor covered by a mosquito net.. Mom and Dad, you would have been so proud.  I slept surprisingly well during the night and didn't feel that uncomfortable-only when I had to use the squatting toilet in the shed behind our hut.. In the morning our mom served us breakfast again by ourselves before we went out with our class to see and help the villagers work in the field.  It was so hot out that day and I literally felt like I had just jumped into a swimming pool with all of my sweat.. Gross, I know.  After we did that our mom made us lunch before we left to go back to Baan Cafe.  Overall the home stay was such a great experience that I am happy to say that I have done.

Our lovely bed

 Hut sweet hut

 Lua village

 Our mom, Yoong, and sister, Nampoon!

 Hard at work in the fields..

Pigs that were born during the night!

My excursion was a lot of fun but I'm glad to be back.  We start our next class on Monday and I'm crossing my fingers it will be pretty laid back and interesting!  The date of our excursion to Bangkok and Pattaya is still to be announced but as of right now it is scheduled for July 14-17 which is soon!  I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!  Feel free to email me and tell me about your lives, please :)