On Wednesday afternoon, we had a city orientation in the form of a scavenger hunt. We were given a list of locations and a time to leave and return. So, in groups of 3 and 4 we set off. We walked to the main road, and waved down a rot dang. It is a like a red truck with benches and a roof, with an open back to jump in. First we stopped at Chiang Mai University and took the necessary pictures to prove that we were there. Next was on to a mall. It is the biggest mall I have ever seen. I'm not sure how many stories there are, as we only went up to level 3. We had to find a post office, and search for a photobooth, which we never ended up finding. Next we stopped by a hospital. We were supposed to take a picture with a staff person, but when they started calling their superiors to ask permission, we thanked them and left...didn't want to cause too much trouble! Then on to a wat, which is like a temple, in the old city.
The wat we visited
I might be forgetting something, but the last place we went was a very large market. You could find anything you needed there. Food, clothing, shoes, and many other trinkets. I could have spent much longer there, and I'm sure I will visit again.
Today was another eventful day. Instead having class at ISDSI, we met at 7:30 in the morning and headed to the mountains as a group. We went to crazy horse buttress to rock climb and explore caves. It was sanuk, which is a bit hard to explain, but I'll boil it down to "fun." We split into two groups, and in the morning, my group went rock climbing while the other group explored the caves. Rock climbing was great. I had never gone climbing on real rocks before, and it was wonderful! And the view from the top was worth the struggle to get there.
The afternoon brought more adventures as my group headed for the caves. We got to rappel down 55 meters into a deep cave and walk around, with our head lamps on.
I have been having so much fun during my first week in Thailand; and I'm looking forward to my first weekend. Now I am heading to bed...spending all days climbing wears you out!
-Grace
Wow!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I can't believe that it's warmer in Thailand than in Ecuador. Doesn't really seem like what you would think, right?
Second of all, this was my favorite sentence: It was sanuk, which is a bit hard to explain, but I'll boil it down to "fun."
<3