For the first three days we roamed the streets and temples of Bangkok. The city of Bangkok seems to be in constant motion. Even in the middle of the night you can hear cars honking and music playing from the streets. This picture is of one of the Wats (temples) in Bangkok. Each temple is beautifully designed with glass tiles and white and gold colored paint. Any time we entered a Wat we had to remove our shoes as a part of the Thai culture.
We then took a minibus to the island of Koh Chang and spent four days lounging on the beach, swimming in the ocean, trekking through the jungle, kayaking in a mangrove forest, and touring the island by scooters. This picture is from the top of one of the mountains in Koh Chang. Getting to the top required a hike through the jungle.
After the island, we made it to Ayutthaya (the ancient city of Siam) for a couple of days and explored the old temples, some of which were constructed in the 1330s. This picture is of a few of the numerous Chettis in Ayutthaya.So far, our trip has been supremely educational and busy. The group has made it to Chiang Mai, where we will be for the remainder of our time in Thailand. The geophysics field session begins in only a couple of days. It is going to be a great experience interacting with the Chiang Mai University students and other students from various parts of the world over the next couple of weeks!
- Randi
