Written by Samantha
S̄wạs̄dī kha! Or in English, hey! This is Samantha coming at you from a beautiful Eco Lodge in Mai Rim.
When we all met in the airport there was a tangible air of excitement and anticipation. We savored our last American meals and chatted about the mix of emotions that were shared for our coming journey. Our flights went quite well (aside from some very off plane food) but no matter how smooth a flight, over 24 hours of traveling will take it out of anyone. So we arrived at the Eco Lodge jet lagged and quite stinky (adjusting to the heat hasn’t been easy). I truly couldn’t have asked for a better place to begin this trip. Ajarn Pat Nom and Ajarn Petchara’s home/lodge is one of the most lush and peaceful places I have ever spent time in. The ample greenery and shrubbery in Thailand is one of the first observations I made after landing here and looking around. Everything is so alive. Even driving through the city on the way to the lodge, half-distracted by the conversations I was having with my peers, my eyes were met with so much green, it was shocking. I suppose this shouldn’t come as a surprise as Thailand is known for its jungles but actually experiencing it is so different from reading “tropical and wet forests” on Google.
Upon arrival we were assigned our rooms and unpacked, which we were all surprised to find fashioned with air conditioning and bidets. We got here around lunch so we spent the rest of the day fighting sleep, having some delicious Pad Thai, and talking. Overall it was a very chill first day.
I cannot say the same for the second. Despite any residual jet lag we might have had, we hit the ground running with a big breakfast and journal prompts to respond to from the OEs, we played a couple games and went over the itinerary, and then Ajarn Pat Nom went over a map of what was around us. He recommended a small restaurant that all the locals go to and we biked there for lunch. When I tell you it was some of, if not the best, food I’ve ever had, it truly doesn’t do it justice. There were tables gripped and noodles slurped for about 10 minutes and then our food was thoroughly devoured. I had a thrilling bowl of beef noodle soup and also tried Khao Soi, a coconut-based curry dish.
Upon our return, we started our Thai language classes. Many confused faces have graced the make-shift outdoor classroom we have made for ourselves. Thai is not an easy language but a challenge has never stopped me so I, along with my fellow groupmates, have been feverishly taking down notes for all five of the hour-long Thai classes we’ve had so far. We’ve been slowly learning all the basics and even practicing them in town. I know how to say: what’s your name, how are you, how do you say, how much is this, and more! Okay that might have been an over exaggeration, in theory I know how to say them, in the moment it’s a different story.
After our language class, we began our traditional Thai dance classes. I thought nothing could humble me more than repeatedly failing at pronouncing a word – turns out, I was wrong and simple coordination is even harder. But just like in the language classes, my groupmates and I buckled down and figured it out. We are learning two dances, one older and slower, and one more modern and folk dance-y. I, like many of my peers, prefer the folk dance and we practiced it for a while even after our first class ended.
I wrapped up the first full day by reflecting on it with Ava and Danica and Danica said, “I have never done so much in one day” and I couldn’t agree more.
Another notable experience we had was the seven hours we spent walking around Chiang Mai. We ate lunch there and then split into groups and ran around completing tasks on our scavenger hunt sheet. Once it was closer to dinner time we met up to check in and then walked around the night markets until 8:30. The night market has been a highlight of the trip so far. I exercised so much self restraint with my wallet, but I did indulge myself in a hand-stitched sunflower dress, a sarong, and a foot massage from some very kind ladies on the street for a killer price. While we were there it started raining, a kind of rain I’ve never experienced before. It was like taking a shower and every step I took water sloshed out of my shoes. Word of advice, don’t wear sneakers in monsoon rain, my shoes currently smell the smelliest I have ever smelt.
I’m writing this while the rest of the group prepares food for our parting ceremony from the Eco Lodge. It feels only right to have a decadent meal with banana leaf lanterns (made earlier by us) and traditional Thai dancing (we spent many hours practicing) to end our time in this beautiful sanctuary. We are all eager to move onto Pun Pun and so excited to see what adventures we have in store.
