Chiang Mai – Valpo Voyager

Author: Ellie Ashbrook

Program: CIS Summer in Thailand

This is my last blog entry for my study abroad experience in Chiang Mai, Thailand, so I will try to make it as inspirational as possible. I was thrilled to be accepted to participate in this study abroad program because I have always been curious of what’s happening on the other side of the world. Being chosen to have a blog was another plus, so my mom can follow my adventure, and I can ensure her that countries outside the United States are as safe as our campus at Valpo. I had no clue what I was in for when I chose to apply for Thailand other than knowing I would be riding elephants, mountain trekking, learning how to cook Thai food, and going to Bangkok for a weekend. You can only learn so much from the internet, and YouTube videos are helpful, but everyone has their own experience.

Before I left for Thailand, my family and also my friends told me that I needed to be careful because, “it’s a whole other world over there.” This was obvious, but I didn’t want what they had to say to scare me. I was told that I would be eating monkey brains and that I needed to watch out for dangerous critters. The more I didn’t know about Thailand, the more nervous I became, so I did my own research…a few nights before I had to leave.

I found out that I would have to use a ‘squat toilet’ and a few other handy tips. I did not come across dangerous creatures, nor did anyone talk about monkey brains. I decided that I should just go on this trip with no expectations (but I did bring a good amount of packages of tissue for the squat toilets).

I couldn’t say that I expected any of my experiences from this trip to happen. An elephant kissed me, I went flying through the mountains of Bann Wang Hang, trekked in the mountains of Doi Chiang Dao (my happy place), I lost my phone in the streets of Chiang Mai, went white water rafting the Mae Taeng River, saw break dancing in the middle of traffic of Bangkok, and just this past week, I ended up at the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai.

My weekend trip to Bangkok was incredible. It reminded me of Chicago but bigger and a lot busier. Walking through the markets was equivalent to running through the doors of a store on Black Friday. The group went to the Grand Palace in the heart of Bangkok. The palace is the official residence of the Kings of Siam, so it was crowded because everyone wanted to see the royal family’s gold. The amount of gold on the buildings was quite overwhelming. The weather was brutal because of the humidity, and the amount of people in the area made it unbearable, so the group decided to take a break and visit another area of Bangkok where they had a few street markets.

The Grand Palace

My friends and I decided to skip the street markets because a nice cold coffee from Starbucks sounded so much better. We went to the Starbucks at the right time because as soon as we arrived, the Frappuccino Fun Party just began. There were only a few other people for the party. They didn’t know much English, and we only knew so much in Thai, but it was still a fun time. We tried the Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly and the Double Chocolate Green Tea Frappuccino. Both were delicious.

This past week, our Thai professor took us to the hot springs where they have hot tubs throughout this huge park with a mountain view. Eggs are available to purchase, so you can cook your eggs with you while you hang out in the tub. It was an interesting pair. The best time to visit the hot springs is in the morning when it’s cooler, so I can see why people enjoy eating eggs while they sit in a hot tub.

Group at Hot Springs

The last unexpected thing I can tell you that happened on my trip is that I visited the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai. It’s a huge quarry that’s filled with water. They have bamboo rafts spread throughout the body of water so that you can hang out and cheer people on to jump from high cliffs.

The Grand Canyon

I have to cute it short, but I still have so much to share. I had no expectations for Thailand, and I’m glad I didn’t. I think the most important thing I learned about myself on this trip is to not make false assumptions. Life is unpredictable, so enjoy the ride.

Mai Pen Rai.

-Ellie

Author: Ellie Ashbrook

Program: CIS Summer in Thailand

It’s been my third week in Thailand, and I would say that have become even more adventurous and more of a risk taker since the other week when I mentioned it. There’s this phrase that would describe Thailand’s motto, “Mai Pen Rai.” The phrase can be translated to English like, “you’re welcome” or “don’t mention it,” but when you ask a Thai person, they would say that the phrase has a deeper meaning. The phrase means, “It’s okay…everything is okay…don’t worry.”

My Buddhist philosophy teacher repeats this phrase to us when he goes into a discussion about Buddhism. The whole idea about Buddhism is that people practice the teachings of Buddhism to reach a state of mind where you have no worries. In other words, you stop what causes your suffering and your mind can be at peace. One main thing that causes suffering among a lot of individuals is attachment. My professor will always joke around with us that Americans can’t get enough of their iPhones (Thailand is a Samsung country). This is very true for teenagers and young adults because our phones become our everything.

Long story short, I ended up losing my phone this past weekend. The same day, we went trekking in the most gorgeous, mind-blowing place. My group and I followed a guide named Three through the Doi Chiang Dao Mountains. He described every plant and why they are useful to humans. He even showed us how the village people cut the bamboo in such a way to create toys for their kids so they can entertain them while they cook and clean for the family.

Our guide also provided snacks on our trekking. We had these chocolate bar sweets called ‘Beng-Beng.’ They resemble a chocolate covered sugar wafer with a caramel fillings and have a crispy texture. We also ate Thailand Pineapple cookies. It was a coconut biscuit with pineapple jam. They were both delicious. Three took us through the village, and we saw how the Thai people lived in the countryside. It was very different from how the city people lived. These people made their children’s toys, their houses, clothes, and pretty much anything I can’t imagined doing for myself.

After trekking through the Mountains of Doi Chiang Dao, we stopped to have a lunch buffet, Thai style of course. There is nothing better than eating rice with every meal. Afterwards Three took us to the famous spot of Chiang Dao. The cambers are huge, but you can only walk so far until the cave becomes pitch black. It’s possible to see the unlit part of the caves, but the group was drained from the long hike. I’ll make that an excursion for the future (and so should you.)

That same day, I had lost my phone. I took the most beautiful pictures of trekking the mountains, and all I could do was accept the fact that I would have super boring blogs. I didn’t want losing my phone to ruin the rest of my trip That night, I repeated “mai pen rai” until I could fall asleep. I woke up the next morning and get ready for my next adventure, white water rafting in Mae Taeng River. I knew that I would only focus on surviving during this excursion. I had some time before we needed to meet, so I decided to take a walk around the area.

I had no intention of finding my phone, but as I was walking several blocks away from my hotel, I heard the “note” tone go off. I know that this was an iPhone and kept looking on the ground while I walked. Mai pen rai, there was my phone with a text from my mom. Although I don’t have pictures of my white rafting trip because my phone died shortly after finding it, I am able to show you my happy place in Thailand. A detachment from something that we see or use in our everyday lives can be a difficult adjustment but try to remember the phrase, “mai pen rai.” Everything will be okay.

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