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| The beautiful White Temple, outside the city of Chiang Rai |
Traveling to places so far from home can be arduous, but the rewards of doing so far outweigh the pain, for me at least. I found what I expected to in Thailand - temples, rice paddies, elephants and tigers - but I also found much more. I was moved by the way Buddhism permeates life in Thailand, not realizing until our trip, that most Thai men will live as monks at some point in their life, even if only briefly. I loved the morning ritual of giving offerings of food to the local monks, and the way the Thai people give a small bow of greeting to each other as they pass on the street. I loved the gentle spirit we observed everywhere we went, and the presence of temples on virtually every corner.
Thailand is very diverse, containing areas of tremendous lushness and beauty, as well as areas of mass population and air pollution. We loved how affordable Thailand was (a full meal, including a glass of the local beer, regularly ran us about $3.00 each), and the friendliness of its people, even as we lamented the poor quality of much of the air and water, and the "ownership" of animals like elephants, that in a more perfect world would live in freedom in the wild.
We experienced poverty in Myanmar and Laos, each of which we visited only briefly, and I realized that the next time we are in a similar position I need to be better prepared by having a large quantity of small currency that we can hand out. Yes, I understand that it would be but a small ripple in an otherwise difficult life, but as our travels become more diverse, I'm learning I can't simply come in and "take" from another culture without also giving or leaving something in return.
Which is why we continue to crave travel, even as it often leaves us exhausted. We inevitably return home with a deeper understanding of this complex world we live in, and a burning desire to be better humans in whatever capacity we can.
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| A woman from the Longneck Hill Tribe of Thailand. We were touched by the gentle spirit of those we met, as well as the beauty of their handicrafts, particularly their hand woven products. |
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| Children in Laos, the one in the middle apparently charged with taking care of her little brother while her parents worked. I regretted that we hadn't thought to bring more money to distribute during our brief stop there. |
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| Workers transplanting rice in one of Thailand's abundant rice fields. |
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| This is a tuk tuk, a common (and fun!) form of cheap transportation in Thailand. |
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| We saw this amazing sight in person. You may recognize it from photos - it's been displayed many times in travel books and articles about Thailand. |
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| An ancient temple in Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO world heritage site dating back to the 13th Century. |
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| Also in Sukhothai Historical Park . . . a beautiful Buddha sculpture. The yellow flowers are offerings given by the Thai people. |
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| At The Grand Palace, from the Old Kingdom of Siam, in Bangkok. The temple behind us in covered in 24 karot gold leaf, pounded thin and protected by an acrylic-like clear coat covering. |
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| Also at The Grand Palace. |
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| A small portion of the amazing and enormous Reclining Buddha in Bangkok. |
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| More beautiful temple artwork |
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| We so enjoyed the sight and sounds of monks everywhere we went in Thailand. http://www.gate1travel.com/southeast-asia/thailand-video.aspx |
Welcome home! 36 hours of travel and a short time later you are blogging. Tamara, your energy level is incredible.
ReplyDeleteThailand is a country I know little about in a corner of the world I have never visited. Thank you for giving me a glimpse in both words and pictures.
Well, at the moment I'm feeling rather jet lagged, so its good I got this post up when I did!
DeleteThe more we see of the world, the more we see the similarities between people regardless of their religious or cultural differences. We all want much of the same thing - family, God, country, peace, and the basic necessities.
Honey - Great post and a good sampling o the great pictures that you took. I would also impressed by the amazing energy of the people in this country that are working quite hard at building up the links between their country, the USA/West as well as tying themselves to the growth of the Chinese economy which has such a huge impact on them. As a result, I was reading that the Thai economy is growing quite quickly (5-6% GDP grwth) and their currency is gaining strength against the dollar with growing concerns of inflation beginning to arise within the country - Thailand and the other countries in SE Asia are definitely a part of the global economy that all should be aware of and begin to monitor given the likely impact that this part of the world will increasingly have on many areas of life in the USA in the years ahead. Mike
ReplyDeleteYes, it's an amazing insight into the changes that are already occurring, and the changes that will soon be forthcoming.
DeleteGreat pictures seems like a preferred place to visit.
ReplyDeleteIf I had one wish, it would be that everyone had the opportunity to travel to another place during their lifetime. You can't help but see the world differently afterward.
DeleteGreat pictures Tamara. I hope you will share more in a follow-up post. I am also interested in your hearing your thoughts about accommodations, local food, traditions, etc. Glad you returned inspired to see more of the world.
ReplyDeleteI made notes during our trip about the moments that made me laugh or think hard . . . there were many! We travel to see things, but I think it's the stories that make travel so interesting, and would guess you agree.
DeleteGreat photos and commentary Tamara. I have been looking forward to this post as Terry and I are thinking about visiting Thailand late next winter.
ReplyDeleteI try to keep my travel posts brief, as I think most people have a limited amount of patience for reading/hearing about other's travel adventures, but I would be only too happy to go into whatever detail you might need by email.
DeleteIt is a marvelous country, particularly the Chiang Mai region, which is where we would choose to settle down for a long stay were we to return. There is no question you can live well in Thailand for very little cost based on what we observed. I regret we didn't get to the coastline, but there simply wasn't time. From the returning tales of those in our group that went on to Phuket, it's gorgeous. More expensive, however, in that the coastline is so popular.
Tamara,
ReplyDeleteIt looks absolutely beautiful! It's funny how some people love to travel and others (like me) feel much more comfortable staying close to home. I live in such a diverse area I sometimes feel like I've traveled around the world! :)! Thanks for sharing your experience...I can travel the world through you!
Well, keep in mind we started long ago with Hawaii, then England, then Ireland, and so on. Meaning, it's taken some time to grow to the level of comfort we have now in exploring more exotic places.
DeleteThe world seems smaller, and much more fragile, once one leaves the comforts of the US for sure. As just one example of how travel has changed us, I now support any and all legislative efforts to keep our air clean and our waters pure here at home, regardless of the personal cost to me. When you've been in countries that don't have the ability to do either, it permanently changes how you view the precious resources we have here.
Meeting people from other cultures also breaks down barriers. I increasingly see past ethnic, religious, political and cultural differences, and simply see the essence of the person I'm interacting with. And you're absolutely right . . . you can also do that right here in the US if you live in a diverse area and keep an open mind. :-)