Author: BHay

Day two of the journey began with an early wake up call at 5:30am in the morning. We woke up, dragged ourselves out of bed for a 6:30am session of Muay Thai boxing. The instructors there were friendly as they bandaged our hands and showed us the basics of Muay Thai. We went through drills and practical tasks (with much stumbling and laughter) while also learning the discipline and respect of the martial art. We then piled back into the buses and arrived back at the hotel to a much awaited breakfast. 

After breakfast we jumped back into the buses and headed for the hills where we did white water rafting. It was incredibly fun and more exciting than many had expected as we dipped and dived over rocks, drenching ourselves in the process. The scenery was amazing, especially as we climbed up the stairs to where we would eat lunch. We were served a buffet of traditional Thai food, overlooking the river.

When we arrived back in the city we rode in a small army of tuk tuks for a tour of the city before exploring the wet market of the city. The machine themselves were amazing (felt a little bit like flying whilst the Thai version of Baby by Justin Bieber plays faster than you can talk). The wet market was interesting, as we walked past a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, a severed pig head and homemade contraptions to shoo away flies. 

We then ventured out again into the night market in mid Chiang Mai. We were given time to explore and barter for gifts and “quality” items. Our local guide gave us the tip that when bartering, a useful technique was to halve whatever the starting price is, commence walking away if not satisfied with the counter offer, and then wait to see whether you are called back. People were able to use this technique with varying degrees of success. We also had time to buy ourselves dinner after another adventure filled day.

The day was jam packed but exciting and a terrific step on the Pagoda’s journey. 
(Annika and Riley) 

We certainly made the most of our first full day in Thailand. Upon arrival at Chiang Mai airport we were greeted by our friendly guides and taken directly to our hotel. On the way to the hotel we were struck by the ancient walls that line the city – Chiang Mai is a city with an incredible history and we were looking forward to learning more about it. 

Having dropped our bags off to the hotel, we commenced a walking tour of the city. On this tour we were fortunate to be able to visit various ancient shrines that held cultural significance. The golden furnishing on the outside of the shrine was particularly striking.

After spending a tranquil half hour wandering the sacred sites of Chiang Mai, we were then treated to some traditional Thai cuisine at a local restaurant. The serves were extremely generous and it was a nice time to sit and relax with friends and discuss the last 24 hours. After lunch we then walked back to the hotel and were able to check into our rooms. After some time to freshen up we reassembled at 3:30pm and caught buses to a nearby farm to take part in a cooking class. After an introduction to the local herbs and vegetables that were grown on site and used in the dishes, it was time to test our skills. Some students also chose to experiment with the aptly named “Volcano Chilli’. The dishes we cooked were Tom Yam soup, Kaeng Ka Ri Gai (Yellow Curry with Chicken), Pad Thai and Sticky Rice with Mango. Various proclamations about entering Masterchef were made, and no doubt all parents can look forward to some delicious meals being prepared for them by each student. 

Reflecting on the end of the day, most could not believe that we had only been here for such a short time yet already managed to do so much. Tomorrow we will be starting the day with traditional Muay Thai boxing, before then taking on white water rafting. We will certainly sleep well tonight and you will hear from us again tomorrow.

We have all safely arrived in Bangkok for a 2 hour stopover before our connecting flight to Chiang Mai. It was an extremely smooth flight. Some are sleepy, some are tired, but everyone is excited for the journey.

Everyone is safely through customs. We are boarding in 25 minutes. The next time you hear from us we will be in Chiang Mai.