Golden Triangle Excursion

Ok, I suppose being a blogger is not my calling.  My apologies for delays in posting. Time seems to pass too quickly.  Here we are at the end of March!  I wanted to briefly show my trip to the Golden Triangle, a lovely (and warm!) weekend to the border of Thailand! A large group of us went along with some of our teachers who guided us and provided history lectures throughout the trip.  The Golden Triangle is where Thailand, Laos and Burma meet along the Mekong River.  The area has a large history of producing opium, but today produces tea!  Along the way, we stopped in Chiang Rai, to visit Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple, a relatively new temple (1997) created by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.  The temple was amazing, it had so much detail in the art from passing through a bridge over hell to the mural inside the temple which included many familiar popular characters painted on the back, including Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley!  Not something I see in most temples!  There was a gallery of some of his impressive work within the same complex.


                                      

After a quick lunch we were off to an NGO called The Sold Project. An organization dedicated to helping prevent children from entering the prostitution industry. We learned about what a typical day at the center was like, and what services they offer, such as mentoring, education for children on a variety of topics and providing scholarships for children to attend school.  They are also involved with each child in their home life and offer a safe, fun place for the children to hang out at after school.  I was moved by their passion for helping children - it is clearly a wonderful organization.

I must admit that one of my favorite parts about the trip included the hours spent driving to our destinations.  However, some of my peers do not share the same sentiment.  Many people had motion sickness as the drive was up and down over hills and hills of countryside.  I do not get motion sickness and enjoyed the winding empty roads.  It was nice to stop and stretch our legs though!  We made a stop to some of the barracks of Khun Sa, a Burmese warlord who formed his own army and headed the largest opium production in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s.  It was definitely  interesting to learn about the history in this area while being there! We made a visit to the Hall of Opium which is a $5 Million dollar museum about the history of opium and narcotics to present day.  It was very sad to see how narcotics have ripped through the lives of so many people throughout the years and I found myself very emotional. We ended the day at a tea plantation that was once an opium plantation.  Opium is not grown nearly as much in the area, instead tea has become a product that is distributed throughout the world.  We were able to have a taste of different teas and take in the breathtaking views while reflecting on the history of the region.

We made it to the Golden Triangle! Had my first view of the Mekong River and bordering countries! We stopped by a temple, settled into our hotel and made our way by boat to Laos, for a quick visit to a market.  There was no official border to pass, so although I can say I have technically been to Laos, I do not have a stamp in my passport.  I hope to make a trip back to Laos before I leave though.  I do have a stamp in my passport from Burma, also known as Myanmar.  I crossed for about two hours, to visit a few breathtaking temples and to get a new visa stamp. Burma surprisingly had a different feel from Thailand even though I was only a few minutes away.  In my classes we have been learning about the history of Burma, the Saffron Revolution and how Burma is beginning to open up to relationships around the world.  It would be incredible to visit Yangoon and the temples in Burma. I really enjoyed the Mekong River, and we learned about the dams scheduled to be built (mostly by China, who is not apart of the Mekong River Commission) and the impact dams have on the river ecology as well as the local economies who depend on a healthy Mekong.  It is truly a beautiful area and I hope to visit again before I leave Southeast Asia!

                                         

 

Thailand from Laos

Entering Burma!

Busy in Chiang Mai

Thailand has sure kept me busy in the past few weeks!  It is hard to believe it is March.  Each day brings a new adventure, whether we are traveling out to the city for a field trip for a class or finding a new street vendor or restaurant for dinner.  And of course... doing homework - lots of reading and now due dates for papers and midterms are due. Luckily I have a large selection of coffee shops to study in, which all include A/C, Free WiFi and cool drinks of Iced Lattes, Thai Iced Tea and fruit smoothies!!

School is in full swing and each of my classes bring an exciting part of the experience.  In my Buddhism class we are learning about the history as well as present life and the differences and similarities of Buddhism in surrounding countries.  We took a trip for Buddhism to a local temple which had cave temples for worship and a large Chedi on top of the caves.  We also examined many pieces of art which I enjoyed as each piece depicted a different story and symbolic meaning, and they were also painted directly onto the walls of the building!  It has been great to learn things in class and then go see them in real life. There is so much art incorporated into Thai culture, the structure of the temples are beautiful and then the murals and intricate details inside are absolutely stunning!  We have also taken another trip to town for my International Relations class where we visited the Burma Study Center.  A center with a library of books on the history of Burma as well as present day material.  The center helps Burmese students learn English and prepare for exams, as well as offer an array of resources which have made a huge impact in their lives.

One night while walking back from birthday dessert for a friend at the most luxurious hotel I have ever been to (http://www.dharadhevi.com/) we happened to walk right along with the Chiang Mai Flower Festival Parade for a few miles.  It was grand! Floats, marching bands, authentic cultural dresses and lots and lots of flowers!  The entire city suddenly blossoms with arrangements of flowers at every corner during the Flower Festival - a very beautiful occasion. There is always something going on in Chiang Mai and I have picked up a strong sense of community.

On Valentine's Day our group from America set off for a long weekend in Krabi, a delightful break from homework and classes.  Krabi is a destination in Southern Thailand for its stunning beaches and hot tropical weather!  During our stay we spent hours on the beach (mostly in the shade), rock climbing and spent a whole day out on a long tail boat island hopping.  Each stop was a little different, one included a cave temple, another a sandbar, wild monkeys, and snorkeling.  It was lovely to experience Southern Thailand and life on the coast.  The weather was much warmer than Chiang Mai, and each of us left with some sort of sunburn. (But we did apply sunscreen!)  My favorite part was being out on the green water, observing all of the rock formations that jet out of the ocean sporadically.  It was interesting to think about the amount of time it has taken for these formations to form.  Although I am learning I am not a fan of intense heat, I would love to go back to visit Southern Thailand. Beautiful landscape and so much to do!

Long tail boat in Krabi

One of my favorite things to do in Chiang Mai has been to visit the temples.  There are over 300 temples in the city and we have visited many for class trips and have had lectures in them about the art of temple structures, depictions of Buddha, as well as how they relate to Buddhism.  You can't go five minutes without seeing a temple and therefore it is easy for me to visit.  Each temple is different in size and includes a variety of sculptures, paintings and beautiful artwork.  It is always a quiet space and you must remove your shoes before entering and wear appropriate attire including covering your shoulders and knees to show respect.  During one class we had the opportunity to go to a Monk chat, which is an open question and answer format with a panel of Buddhist Monks from Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam - all students at the temple we visited.  It was an amazing experience and no questions are off limits, the monks are also encouraged to ask the audience questions!  I am definitely going back with some friends because there was not enough time to ask them everything I wanted to know!

Temple over 600 years old, partly destroyed by an earthquake hundreds of years ago.

There are sculptures of Buddha for every day of the week and are considered when a person is born on a specific day. This one represents Wednesday night and includes a monkey and an elephant making an offering to Buddha.  I enjoy this one because I was born on a Wednesday night!

Large reclined Buddha