This was the first time I was away on my own for two whole weeks. I have always wanted to join a service-learning trip and experience the culture and their way of life. It was quite hard leaving Singapore as the airplane took off but I know that the next two weeks are going to be filled with new experiences, fun and enjoyment.
As the plane landed and my first step onto the Chiang Mai Airport, I felt a sense of adventure awaits me. As we collected our bags and arranged it in the respective vans, I already discovered something new along the shops at the Airport. There was an ice cream shop called Blizzard where they served ice cream upside down or else it is free.
Soon, our four hours journey to Chiang Rai begins. Along the way, I realized that the streets were really clean for a country that big. It was just as clean as Singapore. I was pretty impressed with that. First pit stop was lunch at a halal food stall. The very first Thai food of the trip was Chicken Noodle. The noodle was slightly crispy, served with chicken soup and parsley, which made the food very fragrant. The next pit stop was visiting the tallest hot spring in Thailand. It was a new tourist attraction, so there were buses of tourists slowly coming in.
At 3.20pm, we finally reached Chiang Rai. Mae Yao Organization was our home for the next couple of days. We were introduced to our Thai leader, P Somsak, and the other guides. We also had an orientation dinner with them.
The next day started firstly by visiting the Mae Yao Subdistrict to discuss about the project. Then it was on to the Elephant ride to the Lahu Tribe where we would be having our homestay for one night. On our ride there, I was captivated by the beautiful scenery surrounding me. There were padi fields, farms, villages in areas I didn’t know it was possible. It was a nice change of scenery apart from the usual skyscrapers and busy streets found in Singapore.
The first time I met the people of the Lahu Tribe, I found them to be shy people but really talented. One of our guides, who is also from the Lahu Tribe, would make for us cups and chopsticks from bamboo. I noticed that the men would do the cooking and entertained the guests while the women would take care of the children. In Singapore, it is not a common sight where men would prepare the meals for the family. For dinner, we were served rice with egg and two kinds of vegetable soup. They also had their homemade chilli which I loved. What I realized about the food in Thailand is that their must-have dishes are eggs, vegetables and chilli. It is what they eat almost everyday together with rice.
After dinner, we were treated to a campfire dance and we were allowed to dress in their traditional costumes. The costumes were bright and colourful. After putting it on, somehow I felt like I was a local. In their tradition, the men would be able to buy and marry the girls of their tribe for a certain amount. Most girls would have to be married by the age of 18 or they would be considered unwanted.
The next day we trekked all the way up to Doi Bo Viewpoint which was 945 meters above sea level. The trekking was fun and personally it was not as tough as I have experienced tougher treks but it was a good workout. Upon reaching our destination, we pitched our tents and experienced bamboo cooking for dinner. The bamboo rice was quite similar to the Malaysian dish called Lemang except that this doesn’t have coconut milk in it. During our time there, I even managed to get my hands at chopping the bamboo. Though I was not as accurate as the guide, it was a fun tryout and it was not as easy as it seems.
We continued our trekking expedition to the Huaymaesai Waterfall the next day. We played in the freezing water and we saw some locals jumping off the cliff into the water. Though it was my second time swimming at a waterfall, I still liked the experience. After an hour, we move off to the Ban Jalae Hilltribe Museum. It was built by the students of the NUS to promote and educate the tourists about the hilltribe culture.
Slightly further down the way, was the Akha Tribe Village. We had our one night homestay just like we did in the Lahu Village. Four students were assigned to each house owner. I met my house owner whom apparently was the grandmother of one of the guides too. She was a very cheerful woman. At night, we had our campfire traditional dance where we also wore their traditional costumes. We tried to sing along and followed their dance steps. A very fun experience and I could see that everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves.
We went back to Mae Yao Organization the next day and took a trishaw ride around the city to the night market. It was there when I experienced my very first exotic food, eating fried bamboo caterpillars and Thai silk worm. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined but I was happy I managed to try it without throwing up. I had my first fish spa too. Very ticklish at the beginning but I got used to it after awhile.
To show our appreciation to our guide’s family, we visited his school and taught the kids some basic English like reading, listening and spelling. The kids were all very energetic and friendly. They welcomed us with open arms and at the end of our visit, they couldn’t bear to leave us.
After that, we headed to the Mae Yao Subdistrict to present our project to the Chief Administrator. They were pleased with our work and presented a plaque as a token of appreciation.
Thai Massage! Look like mental patients.
Go Kart.
Finally I get to ride in a truck!
I feel like in a floating parade.
Go Kart.
