Lampang

This past weekend all of the Rotary Youth Inbounds of District 3360 met in the city of Lampang for a welcoming orientation. Kru Dew and Kru Tim picked me up at about 9am. We picked up Joshua (Germany) and Eric (Taiwan) and went on our way. The hotel we stayed out was completely decked out with Welcome signs and Rotary Banners. The first few hours (Or two days actually) We grudgingly boring. The only thing we did was re-go over the rules and have a "Basics of Thai" Lesson. All of the lessons were in "English" so for those who didn't speak English, I imagine it was even more dull than it was for those of us who did. After the lesson they took us to a park and told us to "Run." I think they just needed something cheap for us to do for an hour and 1/2

Things picked up on Saturday when we headed to the Elephant Conservation center of Lampang. There was a caravan of Elephants when we pulled up. We went to an elephant show run by a family who had attended a three day camp to become certified elephant trainers (Yes family, when you visit we will do this camp) One of the trainers was an 8 year old from the U.K. riding a baby elephant, very cute.

Has anyone ever seen the movie water for elephants? Well, they really use those sharp, jagged training spears, and they have in the movie.

The elephants bowed and jumped and demonstrated traditional forestry techniques. After the show, it was time to ride! Two to an elephant, fellow American Sara and I mounted our Giant Grey beast.

In Thailand there are no seat belts, harnesses, or anything really, so riding an elephant is slightly terrifying. The majority of the time I was able to keep my balance, but at one point the elephant swam across a river, it started to get out right as we were headed into a waterfall. It started wobbling and as it stood up, Sara and I started to slid forward, it was a workout to stay on the elephant and not in the water. Surrounded by Mountains, it's truly a beautiful view from on top an elephant.

After gift shops and pictures, we went to the ceramic factory, it would seem dull after an elephant ride, but it was still fun. We toured the entire factory, from the molding and painting to the firing.

Lampang is one one the only cities in Thailand with Horse drawn carriages, just for tourists, but we all rode them to dinner.

Dinner that night was kinda like hot pot city, only everyone shared one wok/bowl type thing. Very fun, except that our pot ended up black and smoking :) I feel bad for whoever cleaned that up. Our bowl had Vegetables, Noodles, fish, Squid, baby octopus, and just about everything else, but that's what you get when two Americans, a Russian, and a Mexican all share a bowl!

We got back on the carriages and headed off to the Night Market of Lampang, at this point it was Pitch black outside, and the driver told me to leave the carage part and sit up front and the other two in the Carriage I didn't want to but the Rotarian told me to, so I do, then she left and we start to move. The driver put his hast on my head (Gross)

When we got there the two in the back got off and as I start to, the driver started going again . I start arguing with the driver in English/Thai to let me off, because at this point we have driven someplace else, it's just me and him, and I have no idea where we are.

When I'm finally able to hop off, I have no idea where I am, and I don't have anyone's phone number. About ten minutes later, I spot Sara, another American, and we are able to find our way to the Market.

We walk around, and people stare at us (Like they do everywhere) We headed back at a 1/4 to nine because the Rotarians told us to be back at the hotel by 9. The problem was that we came to the market from dinner, and did not know where it was in relation to the hotel. We walked for 45 minutes before we found a temple we knew was close to our hotel. We wanted to go across the temple grounds, but there was a funeral going on, so we had to go around, but it was a massive detour and got us even more lost. After some narrow alleyways, somehow we managed to make a gigantic loop and end up back at the market, where the sign for our hotel was, 20 feet from where we started. Somehow we managed to walk right passed it. It was alright though, because we were still some of the first back, and we had stopped in 7 11 to get some Thai candy, which ended up tasting like fluoride.

The next day we re-re-re went over the rules and listened to the Rotarians tell us how lucky we were to be in their district and bashed the other districts. Apparently all districts think they are the best because we had to sit through this in America too. They called me up to wish me a happy birthday (Attention on me = not good) They got me a cake and gave me some presents. Including a necklace and a mug from the Ceramic Factory.

Our host parents arrived at the hotel and had an orientation of their own.

We stopped for lunch at a noodle shop (Gloppy Brown Stuff) and went home.