Wow so I think riding elephants is going to be my new hobby! LOVE IT. Let’s start from the beginning! We all got up super early on Thursday and checked out of our hotel, had our final lesson plan presentations and then piled onto the buses that were taking us to Kanchanaburi! It was about a 3 hour drive but they showed Transformers 3 twice so that made it a little easier. We arrived at the famous Bridge over the River Kwae and it was pouring! But I had to see it and walk across it! Luckily it let up a bit and I was able to walk across the whole bridge! They let us know afterwards that trains still run through there and there are side panels to jump onto just in case that happens...great! I guess that’s Thailand for ya!
We jumped back on the bus and headed over to our surprise dinner, which was a floating restaurant! A little tug boat pulled this huge house boat while we ate dinner on it. Then they started playing music and it turned into a dance party on the River Kwae! So fun! After docking they took us back to out hotel which was a really nice resort and everyone headed to the pool to cool down and relax. It was really nice to have all 85 of us together on our last night!
Friday morning we had to be in the lobby at 7:30 for our big elephant adventure! We all headed over to the Saweechai Elephant Camp and jumped on an elephant! It was so fun and awesome! They are so strong and big and beautiful! I loved every second of it. We walked around a bit and then in the water where I got to go around her neck. After they made me get off, we headed over to the bamboo rafts and rafted down the River Kwae where we all jumped in and saw some ginormous bugs! They drove us back to the camp and we got to see a mama and baby elephant do some cool tricks like hula hooping, patting people on the butt, and dancing when we clapped! It was super cool. I even bought a picture frame made out of dung!
Then we headed back to the hotel to shower and get our things and head back to Bangkok where our school coordinators would be waiting for us. AH so incredibly nervous! Three hours on the bus of my stomach twisting and turning, at least I got to watch Transformers 3 again...
The other girl going to Phrae with me is Melissa, or Mel. We met the two women there to pick us up Nong Lak and Nong Noot. They informed us that we would be driving back to Phrae right then, in the school van, and would arrive and 2 am! Ugh. They also asked which one of us majored in Biology, we both look at each other, “is it you? it’s not me?!” Everyone giggles awkwardly, uh oh do they want to take us back?? We say goodbye to our new CIEE friends and start our long journey to our new home! It took about 9 and 1/2 hours. We arrived at 2:30 and I was so exhausted but I go to lay down on my bed and it is seriously a rock. I will have to find an egg crate or something!
Our coordinators told us to come to the school in the morning some time and they will show us around the school and the town a little. Mel and I headed over around 12 and found Nong Lak who will be my co-teacher for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. We expect her start showing us around but there are kids everywhere, on a SATURDAY. She tells us to introduce ourselves to the class and then tells me to memorize their nicknames, there are 40 of them, by the way, and there is no way I can tell you even one of their names now. uh oh. She tells us to ask them questions and just basically sits there while Mel and I are teaching this class, we should have expected this but I didn’t expect this. Then class ends and we go to Mel’s co-teacher for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We basically teach another class until she says ok do you wanna take a break and I say we are really hungry and haven't eaten yet today...She looks at me horrified, dismisses her class early, and finds Nong Lak and they get on their cellphones and laugh at us while we sweat and remain confused. Then Nong Noot informs us she will take us to the Big C where we can eat and buy stuff for our apartment. It is like a hug walmart, we definitely like it! She informs us that she will pick us up in an hour, at 4. We eat, shop and then look at our watches half way through the store, CRAP! It is 3:50! We rush through, check out and go outside to try to find her, alas she is not there. We wait...wait some more, I try to call her and she doesn’t answer! Are we stuck at the Big C?? No, 45 minutes later she finally comes, and with another teacher we had met earlier, Bomb. He shows us around Phrae and buys us yummy smoothies. We like Bomb!
Well, that is enough for now, I am going to plant myself under the A/C for awhile! Love you all!
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