I was excited to receive my first request for an international destination blog – Thailand! Since I traveled there a number of years ago, it was a great opportunity to re-live a wonderful adventure.
Thailand was a country for which I chose to do an organized tour. I knew that I wanted to see more than just one city or region, and an organized tour took care of all of the logistics for me so that I could just enjoy the experience.
The journey began in Bangkok with visits to several temples including the Grand Palace and the incredible reclining Buddha, and an evening boat ride on the Chao Phraya River. While the sites were beautiful, the traffic and congestion of a large city were at times overwhelming. Fortunately, our time in Bangkok was limited before leaving to explore other regions.
The tour included time in Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai. I think it is important to explore as many areas of a country as possible, as each region tells a story of the people, history, and customs.
Chiang Rai, the most northern region of the country, is an area known as the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge. We did a border crossing to Myanmar, and another day, rode a long tail boat on the Mekong River for a short stop in Laos. I was such an interesting experience to experience cultures so different from my own.
The region around Chiang Mai has a number of hilltribe villages in the mountains. The group piled into the back of pick-up trucks, as the steep, narrow roads were not suitable for the bus. Visiting these villages was one of my favorite parts of the trip, as it gave me the opportunity to interact with the people who live there. Some of them welcomed us into their homes, which often were not more than woven mats on the floor, but they were happy to have us as their guests. It was a valuable lesson in humility. But one thing that is universal is the laughter and singing of children. It always brings me joy to watch children at play, just being children, no matter how meager their living conditions.
Another stop in Chiang Mai was to an elephant camp. Now, I know that some people find these animal camps controversial. I do agree that some of these places do not properly care for the animals, and I would never want to support one of those, but other places not only take good care of the animals, they provided jobs for many people. This reality is where each of us needs to define our ideologies and do what is best for us personally.
At the conclusion of the trip to Thailand, I went on to Cambodia for a couple days that I will save for a separate blog.
I am still in touch with my tour guide, as he built many experiences and special moments into the trip. While organized tours are not my preference, this adventure would not have been the same without his expertise, and his attention to making sure every detail was taken care of for the group. For this reason, I am dedicating this blog to him. Nu, this is for you!
