Hey guys! With no surprise, this week was a blast! Everyday in Thailand has been filled with cultural and academic learning opportunities that I will cherish forever. Today, we got to explore Thailand’s history, by visiting Hell-fire Pass, a railroad track constructed by prisoners captured by the Japanese army during the second World War. We were all pretty shocked to learn about what occured during in Thailand because as Americans we ware only familiar with our history. We walked down many flights of stairs and walked on rocky paths to reach the monument, dedicated to these prisoners-I had to catch my breath. I couldn’t imagine the suffering these prisoners went through. It was reflecting and moving experience.
We shifted gears, and continued our education on sustainability in Thailand. We visited a small-scale organic melon farm. With the help of Mai,who was an absolute sweetheart from Mahidol University, Kanchanaburi, the owner of the farm discussed his agricultural practices, with ease. It was interesting to learn about his fertilizers, irrigation methods, organic soil to grow the melons in sustainable ways. He also treated us to a delicious melon smoothie, which satisfied our thirst in the hot weather.
The next day was very unexpected. We woke up at 5:00am to take part in the Annual MUKA Bike Run for Fund at the University. I am not a runner in the slightest, so I was incredibly nervous to take part in this run. However, I challenged myself and ran the 3K, with the others. I’ve never taken part in a run before, and tp do it in Thailand while studying abroad felt amazing. Would I do a 3K again? Hmm..still deciding. We were rewarded medals for our participation, met the president of the school, and were even interviewed on camera- can’t say I didn’t feel like a celebrity! This was our last day in Kanchanaburi, with the lovely staff. we bid our farwells and went back to the resort. The rest of the day, I spent time recovering and bringing my legs back to life. The next day we left our accommodations in Kanchanaburi to depart to Phetchabun. To survive the 8-hour car ride, we played a bunch of games, worked on our presentations and caught up on a lot of sleep. The ride to Phetchabun was filled with scenic views of the mountains, and filled us with excitement to explore the city. Right off the bat, the change in lifestyle here in Petchabun compared to Salaya and Kachanabur felt different. It felt independent from Thailand metropolis environment. We arrived at Uncle Tom’s Cabin, where the views were to die forand only birds chirping could be heard because of its location. The next day we took an exhilarating ride up the mountains to visit a lettuce farm and witnessed their processing facility. As we drove up we observed the community that resides in these “cookie-cutter” houses.
The trip is almost coming to an end, and I’m not ready for it to be over.
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