As we look upon the ruins of a once prosperous city, visions of grand temples and elaborate ceremonies enter our minds. Once the capitol of Thailand and the largest trade hub of the Asian world, now left to trade in its stones for dust. The disintegrating stone temple towers loom high overhead each once serving its own distinct purpose. These ruins are a monument to a once great people now distracted with the allure of tourism.
After six weeks at our newfound home in Northern Thailand, we said a sad goodbye to the comfort of Chiang Mai as we boarded our ten hour train to Ayuthaya. After arriving at 5 AM, the group divided so that those with housing and leadership roles could find a hostel. Once the mission was completed successfully, the group settled into their new hostel and got a few more hours of sleep. With only one day devoted to exploring this historical city, we set off on bicycles to investigate Ayuthaya’s temples. After a whirlwind day adventuring around Ayuthaya the group settled in for the night before departing for Bangkok the next morning.
A city full of misadventures that turn into adventures. Bangkok’s beautiful Wats rise above us. People flock to its market stalls and tourist attractions. It sprawls endlessly as cultures and peoples combine and mingle. Smoothies and pineapple become staple foods. Bangkok is a city that lives and breathes, a constant moving story unfolding before us.
We boarded our two-and-a-half hour train to Bangkok with anticipation for what wonders might lay ahead in our last couple days in Thailand. On our arrival to Bangkok we discovered that our hostel was too far out of the city and mostly inaccessible. As we meandered about in search of the appropriate bus, locals supplied us with differing advice. After two hours of searching to no prevail, we decided to regroup in the courtyard of a metro station where it then promptly started to rain. It is in these moments that the discouraged tourists and separated from the hardened travelers. Thanks to Brett’s quick last minute thinking, we found a hostel in the heart of Bangkok’s backpacking district. After another hour of travel, which included but was not limited to, a trek through the back alleyways of Chinatown, a beautiful sunset ferry ride down Bangkok’s main river, and a shortcut through an alleyway which smell was reminiscent of a pound, we finally made it into our hostel, which was located above an Indian restaurant. As we unstrapped our excruciatingly heavy bags, we stumbled down the three flights of stairs in our hostel in search of some delicious street Pad Thai.
The next morning whilst Brett, Andy, and Parker went to get suits made, the rest of the group found their way around Bangkok attempting to explore the many Wats. As night approached, the group headed over to the Grand Palace (which was closed) and then to the market on the pier to see Wat Arun lit up at night. However, the market was not set up and the temple was under construction. We then missed the last ferry of the night and had to walk back to the Grand Palace where we hoped to catch a bus to the closest movie theater to see the new James Bond movie. As our search for the right bus got longer and longer, we jumped on the first bus in sight. The bus promptly took us to an unknown part of Bangkok where we then entered the most opulent mall any of us had ever been in. As it was getting later and later, all of the restaurants were closing, which made it perfectly acceptable to eat Coldstone for dinner. We then discovered that the new James Bond movie was not going to be released until the next day. So, our group stayed at the movie theater and unwillingly listened to Sam Smith’s new song about 400 times as we waited for A Bridge of Spies and The Last Witch Hunter to begin. Thus, our night ended with a group of hysterically tired and mildly delirious Carpe Diem students who finally go to bed around 3 AM.
Our last day in Bangkok involved a lot of funny individual experiences. Some of these experiences were caused by all of the traffic in Bangkok coming to a standstill for about two hours. This traffic caused a disoriented Parker to walk five miles with his new guide and Thai friend Annie, as well as forcing Andy to run ten blocks to make it to his suit fitting on time. Maura, Kat, and Emma accidentally jumped on a service elevator and rode it to the top floor of a hotel in Chinatown while an extremely concerned Thai man watched their ascent and laughed with relief when they finally got back down. Our last night in Bangkok concluded with a group meeting remembering our time in Thailand. Our time in Thailand was a whirl of movement and volunteer opportunities. We trekked through Hill Tribe villages, lived in Thai home stays, helped build a road, learned about Eco-farming, explored ancient cities, and laughed through it all. There were ups and downs and everything in between. It was bittersweet to leave early the next morning as the group made their way to Cambodia, but everyone was excited for the start of a new adventure.
Cambodia, here we come!
Emma and Caspar