Thailand Trip Part 1
Hi readers! Finally another post! I promise this time is not going to be melancholic! This post will be about a trip that I recently undertook, a trip of a lifetime (so far). I travelled solo in Thailand for a week! I learned so much from this trip, I hope I woud at least be able to write half of it, because I know I will lose some of them on the course of writing it, simply because the writing won't flow if I try to stuff all the learnings in, not to mention me forgetting it since it's been a week...
This trip was initiated by a friend, a colleague who used to work in the same office, but she moved to Germany recently. I don't really recall how it went exactly, but she just kinda spontaneously asked a few of us (a small group of friends she hung out with when she's still in Singapore) if we're free in December to travel around Thailand. I was like, doh! I'll make the time! When else would you be able to get to travel to a country in which you don't speak the language with a local you can trust, and you don't even have to plan for anything?? Actually how the group started was also quite interesting, but I shall tell about it another time since this post is going to be long already.
Anyway, I barely took any leave this year, so I had plenty to spare. She asked how many days we can afford, and I was like, as many as *you* can afford. But others in the group are not so fortunate, so it was decided to be about a 4-day trip (Thursday - Sunday). I wanted to stay longer to spend more days, so I thought, why not just go on my own? I kinda wanted to visit some monasteries from the Thai Forest tradition, specifically Wat Nong Pah Pong and Wat Pah Nanachat. The background of why I have this urge was quite interesting too. Writing this kinda allows me to draw the dots backwards, but I shall save that for another time too.
Anyway this conversation about the trip was already floating around way before December (can't really remember when it was exactly), but in October, I told this plan to one of my Buddhist friends who I got to know somewhat recently (about 1 year-ish). She's also an interesting character on her own. Again, I shall not write too much about her, but let's just say that she's been a good influence on me - hope I can do her justice and write a post dedicated to her. Someday, maybe someday (more likely never).
Anyway, I kinda shared this rough plan with her, and she just kinda immediately blurted out "You should go stay at Wat Marp Jan!" Initially my immediate reaction was that, "are you crazy, that's not what I had in mind when I said "visiting monasteries"." She kinda ignored me and went on how it would be quite a waste to just come and look around without meeting and talking to any of the monks there. Initially I was thinking of ignoring her, thinking, "She's crazy, she thinks too highly of me, that's not what I wanted out of the trip, staying there would be too big of a commitment" etc. But as she goes on, there's a small part of me that was convinced with what she was saying. I think she told me about how she has a friend (her housemate in fact) who's doing the same and can help with the logistics and stuff. That kinda gave me the impression that maybe, just maybe, the idea isn't too crazy after all, that it is doable and not too far-fetched. I was still very reluctant though, so I gave the usual vague, convo-ending reply, "I'll consider it."
And after that conversation, I seriously considered it. I searched their website, and they actually have dedicated pages on the rules, regulations, guidelines, and the application process on visiting and staying there. To save your eyes from reading more wall of text, I got it sorted out, and got the approval from the "guest monk" (the monk who handles matters pertaining to guests) to stay for the period I requested.
Not gonna lie, initially a different, small part of me was half-hoping that they'd refuse me so I have a solid reason not to go. I wasn't disappointed when I received the approval though, my first reaction was "well, that was easy." In the website, they make it sound like they're doing the screening very thoroughly, but I literally got the approval on the first reply they gave me, though to be fair, maybe I did give them everything they asked.
And then what follows was worry: what are the things I need to get? How do I get there? And much more importantly, how do I get back? You readers who are familiar with the Thai Buddhist tradition (or maybe just Thai Forest tradition) would know that guests are requested (not sure if "required") to wear all white throughout the duration of their stay there. I was like, where can I even find white pants in Singapore? Ones that are appropriate and comfortable for a stay in a monastery, at least.
I was fortunate that the colleague who initiated the trip asked me what I'd be doing for the one extra week I'm in Thailand. Initially I was hesitant to reply truthfully, I've always been very insecure and secretive about my faith except to my Buddhist and my closest friends (they're not necessarily in the same circle in a venn diagram, unfortunately). But I thought, heck, she's Thai, maybe that's not going to be such a big deal for her. So I told her, and she was just like "oooohh" (this was in an online chat so I don't know the emotion/expression that came with it, but maybe that's for the best). And then what she told me next was such a breath of fresh air: her brother actually stays at monasteries too from time to time! So I seized the opportunity and asked if she knows where I can get some, and she actually offered to buy for me! I'm so grateful for her generosity :').
I'm often reminded time and again, be it from others or my own experience, that I should try to be more willing to share about my faith (or just be more truthful about myself in general), since you never know how the person you're talking to (or maybe even yourself, as is the case here) might be impacted positively. It happened time and again throughout the preparation of this trip, which hopefully helps me to grow to be more honest with myself, and with others about myself.
The Trip
First Leg: Chonburi with Friends/Colleagues
Fast forward to the trip (I'm getting tired of writing this already), the leg where I'm with my friends went on smoothly and relatively uneventfully. We went to Bangkok's Chinatown area on our first night there, then Ayutthaya on the second day, and then on our final full day, a few tourist attractions around Chonburi area such as Nongnooch Garden, Sanctuary of Truth, and Jomtien beach. I'm not sure how she decide on the places, but I generally liked the options - chill and not too much activity, just sightseeing, immersing in the place's vibe. I loved the ruins of Ayutthaya (forgot what's the name, was it Wat Mahathat?) and Sanctuary of Truth.
One cool thing that happened was that I appeared in my colleague's stream (she is a small game streamer for fun)! I've always wondered what it feels like being on the other side of a stream, being a stream viewer myself in the past (ain't got no time to watch those now that covid is over), so I was quite enthusiastic about it. The stream went smoothly, though I was kinda disappointed that I didn't get to meme as much as I'd like (like asking her viewers to like, subscribe, etc), partly because I was quite nervous, but also because I was exhausted - it was on the last night of the trip together. It was quite impressive how a streamer could focus on the thing they're doing, while interacting with chat at the same time. Especially for her, since her community is still quite small (about 10-20 viewers at a time), she kinda has to reply to every single person who talked in chat. Quite amazing how little (if at all) she missed, while still being immersed in the game, not to mention interact with us her friends IRL! Would definitely love to be part of it again, if I ever get the chance (and if she allowed me, not sure how it worked out for her channel lol).
Anyway, so on Sunday, it was the time to part ways. I purposely arrange my trip so that I'd fly from DMK airport at around the same time as the rest of the group (who are flying back to Singapore). My first destination: Ubon Ratchathani!
Second Leg: Ubon
The flight to Ubon only took 1 hour. The flight is so short that I don't think the aircraft even flew above the clouds (I could see the ground the whole time from the window). I did manage to catch a few zzz though so that was nice.
UBP is just like any other small commercial airport in the region - one-floor high, less than a handful of luggage belt (having more than one is already quite impressive), and hardly any amenity other than food. The airport is very well built and maintained though. Upon arriving, I decided to rent a car rather than going around by Grab (the Uber in the region for those who are not from the region). I was actually still quite torn whether I should drive myself or just use ride-hailing app even at the very last minute of going to the car rental counter - I wasn't going to go to too many places, so it feels like ride-hailing app should suffice - not to mention I'm just by myself ($$$). However, I'm worried that I won't be able to get any driver for the way back from the monasteries I'm visiting. I decided to drive anyway because I kinda wanted to know how it feels like to drive in Thailand - I've seen how the drivers behave on the first leg of the trip, and they seem to behave in the similar way as in Indonesia (maybe slightly better), and I can afford it anyway. After all, what's the use of wealth but for your enjoyment and convenience? :)
I drove out of the airport to my hotel, which turned out to be just a 5 minute drive (started regretting my decision already lol - jk). The building is quite modest and not modern - the air-conditioning unit is the usual kind you find at homes, the bathroom has no cubicle for shower, and the room keys are actual physical keys not access cards. I loved it though - because it has a tiny balcony that kinda doubles as an air-conditioning ledge. It allowed me to have fresh air if I want to - instead of just air-con air all the time.
Anyway for those curious, this is the place on Google Maps.
After settling in, it was a bit late for lunchtime (almost 2PM), but I was kinda hungry and I was feeling quite unwell (heaty) from the lack of sleep from the previous leg of the trip (my roommate snored and we shared a queen bed on the last 2 nights, so it was quite hard to get a good night's sleep), so getting food that wouldn't make me feel even worse (something not too oily etc) was *extremely* difficult. I was looking all over the internet and Google Maps, all the food recommendations are either fried, grilled, or spicy. I decided to just walk along the main street and see if there's any place that attracted my attention.
On the way there, there's a street food peddler that gave me an unsolicited direction for a Vietnamese restaurant (this is the place for those curious). He initially gave the direction in Thai, to which I simply said, "Sorry I don't speak Thai." It didn't deter him and he simply repeated what he said in decent English, to which I thanked him even though I didn't even intend to go there in particular. But since he directed me there and I thanked him, I thought it would be weird not to go to the direction he pointed, so I went there anyway and decided to eat there. Who knows, maybe it's a sign ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The restaurant is quite simple, like your typical suburban area kind of local restaurants you can find in the region. Not much fancy decoration to make it more thematic or anything. The menu is in broken English, and Google Translate couldn't help much, so it's kinda hard to guess what I'll be getting. There are pictures, but it's just top-down picture of the food that is getting washed out due to old age. Not to mention my requirements for eating something that is not too heaty.
After some deliberation, I decided to get something like rice noodle with sliced pork . From the picture, it looks like a dry rice noodle dish with sliced pork at the side, looking very bland. And I got exactly that, plus the usual sweet-sour Vietnamese fish sauce at the side (it looks like this, but the sauce is the Vietnamese fish sauce, and there are some sliced pork in the same plate as the noodle) and a tonne of raw greens that you typically get when eating at restaurants in Vietnam (they didn't adjust the serving of the greens even though I was just by myself). I also ordered a serving of fruit platter, of which I was assured that the serving is adjusted by the fact that I was dining alone. It wasn't though, or maybe it was but I just don't eat as much fruit in one sitting (it was like 2 quarters of dragonfruit, about a quarter of pineapple, sliced, and 4 quarters of apple). It was a decent meal, though I wished the noodle serving is slightly bigger.
Afterwards, I returned back to my hotel. It was almost 3PM, and I was deciding whether to go to Wat Nong Pah Pong or rest first. After worrying and going back and forth with my decision for like 15 minutes, I decided to take a nap for like half an hour, and then see how. The nap went ok, and I decided that I was well enough to go. However, as I was geting ready, I carelessly break the bottle of water that the hotel provided (for some reason hotels in Thailand provide glass bottles, maybe for environmental reason?), so I ended up spending another 15 minutes taking care of it. It was almost 4 then, and I was unsure if it even made sense to go there at all now, since according to Google Maps, the monastery gates close at 6, and breaking the glass bottle also didn't seem like a good sign (I'm a lot more superstitious when anxious). I decided to go anyway, since maybe I could get something out of it anyway with the drive, like maybe I'd know the area better and then I could go there faster the day after, maybe after the Wat Pah Nanachat visit.
The drive turns out to be quite quick, less than half an hour. Upon arriving at the gate, I see a car parked inside just by the gates, so I went in. Upon entering the gates, there's a building that Google Maps claim to be the Ajahn Chah Museum, though there's no way to verify since everything (literally every single text there was in Thai). The building is surrounded by a roundabout, and I decided to drive my car around the roundabout to scout the area. Halfway through the roundabout, I spotted a monk doing some chores (doing something with woods and a wheelbarrow). I wasn't sure if I could be in an area where the monks are, so I decided not to proceed further and park my car on the other side of the alleged Ajahn Chah Museum (there happens to be another car parked there so I felt a bit less wrong).
From there, I decided to approach the alleged Ajahn Chah Museum and immediately regretted my decision for not parking my car nearer to the gate, since now I needed to walk back to the front to find the entrance to the building. Anyway I did walk back towards the gate and found the entrance into the building, but they are closed. There was a notice near the door, I forgot what it says, but if I remember correctly, supposedly the place closes at 5, but there I was at the door at around 4.40PM and the place is closed. Bummer, I decided to just walk encircling the building as a sign of respect. Still have no idea if it is really a museum or the uposatha hall though.
Afterwards, I saw a couple more cars entering the monastery compound, some of them drove further into the compound, even further than where I parked. Wondering where they went, I decided to follow the road that the car took. According to Google Maps, they seem to be going towards "Luang Pu Cha Pagoda", so that's where I was heading as well. On the way there, I notice even more monks doing chores like sweeping leaves and pulling some wheelbarrows carrying some branches somewhere. The monks seem to be indifferent towards me, so I also decided not to go out of my way to greet them, avoiding any awkward encounter if turns out they don't speak any English.
Anyway, I reached the said Pagoda, and I made my way inside. The pagoda has 4 entrances, and at the center of it is a shrine with Ajahn Chah's relics inside glass stupas lined up along the 4 sides, with one big glass stupa at the center, probably with some relic inside as well. As a sign of respect, I bowed towards the shrine 3 times, and walked encircling the shrine once. There was a book with list of names, where they are from, and date that seems to be in Buddhist year, and it seems like people are kinda writing their names after making a donation (there's a donation box inside). I made a donation and left my name there.
And that's my Wat Nong Pah Pong visit. It didn't leave too strong of an impression on me, it just felt empty and quiet, but I think that's just how it's supposed to be. After all, it's a place for monastics to practice, first and foremost. Also I was quite impressed by the monastery's dedication in preserving the feel of a forest inside the monastery. It's quite a huge compound, and if this were used for any other purpose, people would say that the way they're using the land is the most wasteful use of land in the history of mankind. The whole place is literally covered by trees, some walls to segregate some areas, a few big structures here and there, and then small monk huts scattered all over the forest for the monastics to sleep in. But in the context of a Thai Forest monastery, that's just how it is (as apparent with my visits to 2 other monasteries, but we'll get to that later).
After my visit, I went to a mall to get dinner (it was Ubon Central Plaza, which by the way is not centrally located at all - it was literally just by the intercity highway). I didn't do any research for what food to eat in Ubon, so I thought malls should have more options to cater for my "needs" (something not too unhealthy so I don't fall sick, which I could really feel was coming...). I found the food court in the mall, which has many intersting food options that I unfortunately think I shouldn't get due to my heatiness (they had green curry, minced meat basil, all those good stuff). Going around, I think my best bet would be this beef noodle, as it doesn't look spicy, but it looks like it has some "nasty" stuff in it (blood, tripe, and those other non-meat part of a cow). I tried to ask the lady staffing the stall if I was right, but she couldn't understand me. Luckily, someone else was also ordering from the same stall, and he kindly helped me to translate, so I managed to get my food without the cow blood. The food tasted ok, but for some reason the beef slices looked not well cooked, so I decided to only eat the noodles. So much for finding something nutritious to help my potentially ailing body...
Fortunately, the next morning I was feeling quite ok. Not sure if it's because I slept early (around 10+) or because of the supplements I got the day before. But anyway, I woke up early enough to get ready and catch the morning pindapatta/alms round. I've watched a YouTube video about it, so I kinda have some expectation of how things will turn out. It pretty much looks similar to the YouTube video - people line up along the road leading to the monastery, put down a picnic mat (for the lack of better word), put the food that they're going to donate down, then sit in a position that people usually see in Japanese tea ceremony (the one where you sit on your heels) while waiting for the monks come out, or return from alms round from other places.
I came not very well prepared; I don't have any mat to sit on, and I don't have nearly enough things to put into the alms bowl of all the monks passing through. I had some dorayaki from the previous leg of my trip, and I bought some fruits from the mall the previous night, but I didn't know how much should I prepare exactly. I ended up running out by the 12th monk or so. As I was getting up to move away from the line, some Thai lady in her late 40s or 50s from the line came to me and spoke something to me in Thai, while giving me some packet food/drinks to offer to the monk. I thanked her with one of the two Thai phrase I'm fluent in, and stayed on my spot to continue with the alms offering. The line of monks never seemed to end, and the food she gave me run out quite quickly, and she swiftly approached me with more stuff to offer to the monks, and it lasted me to the last batch of monks, which was good (as I'd be confused what to do with the remaining if there are extras lol). I was really touched by her initiative to help this random stranger who doesn't even speak Thai. I wanted to thank her but the crowd quickly dispersed and I wasn't sure of the face of the lady who helped me. Disclaimer, it's not because I'm racist and all Thais look the same, but things were happening so quickly that I didn't have time to process everything fully. But that won't be the last of her I'd see!
I was actually quite surprised how there is not a single foreign-looking person during the alms round, and how no English was spoken for the entire thing, with Wat Pah Nanachat being established specifically for foreigners and the medium of teaching is specifically English. But I did spot a foreign-looking lay guest in all the kerfuffle of the alms round, and I gathered my courage to talk to him. His name was Bea (hope I spelt that correctly, it's a guy btw) and we chatted a bit about our travels (turned out he went all the way to Ubon on a scooter from Chiang Mai) and since he's a lay guest, he should (and wanted to anyway) help out with the meal preparation in the kitchen. I offered to help, but he said that they should have more than enough people already, and suggested me to just go around and explore the monastery while waiting for the morning alms chant to start, so I did.
The monastery was quite busy, many cars coming in with more food that goes directly to the kitchen. There are also just some visitors who come to take a look around. I kinda regretted for only staying one morning in Ubon, since I think if I want to experience Wat Nong Pah Pong fully, I should also go for the morning alms round. But maybe it's for the best, it might be much harder to follow along the things there, since again, everything there is in Thai and thus less likely for someone who can speak English to turn up.
I found a small building which I think is a shrine dedicated to Ajahn Chah. I wasn't sure if I could enter, so I decided to just circumumbulate it 3 times as a sign of respect. I didn't find much else, but I got a slightly more modern vibe of the place. Not to say that the place is modern, but in comparison to Wat Nong Pah Pong, Wat Pah Nanachat has pebble-scattered footpaths that seemed to be designed to look nice, like at someone's home. Also the toilets that I found at Wat Nong Pah Pong didn't have any lightbulbs, the floor is just cement, and the building was like in the middle of the forest. The one at Wat Pah Nanachat is also simple, but it's tiled, has foot mat outside of it, and has lighting. Oh how the practice of these white disciples of Ajahn Chah have slided after his passing, they're living in indulgence now! (/s)
It was almost 8 when (I thought) I heard a bell which indicate the start of the morning meal chanting. By the time I reached the eating hall (it's actually the eating hall only for the Sangha, the lay people eat in the kitchen area. And even the Sangha generally don't actually eat there, as far as I know) and they haven't started yet, but people have started to come in, so I got myself a spot somewhere at the back so that I can watch the entire procession fully. I was just minding my own business, when suddenly someone approached to talk to me. It was that same lady from the alms round! She told me to sit closer to the front, passed me a bag of sachet drinks, and struggled to tell me something. I decided that it's a good time to ask for Google Translate's help since I have no idea what to do with the bag of sachet drinks. She was elated when I demonstarted to her how to use Google Translate. She spoke some really long sentences in Thai, which unfortunately didn't get translated perfectly, but I kinda got the gist of it. It was something along the line that I'm supposed to offer that bag to the monk after the morning meal chanting is over. I wasn't sure how that's going to happen (I thought all the offerings procession was already over) but I just kinda took the stance of "let's just see what happens," something that I've been doing a bit more frequently during the trip.
The whole procession was again, to my dismay, done in Thai. Actually, the chanting is done in Pali (as is the custom of Theravada tradition), but the things in between to tell people what's happening, they're in Thai. I guess it made sense, having all these things spoken in English would be quite troublesome to most day-to-day needs of the monastery, it being located in the less touristy place of Thailand, which means there are less people who understand English, but I was hoping that at least maybe there will be some English there other than the writings on the tree.
But anyway, the chanting was finally done after about 20 minutes. I turned to the lady and she gave me the cue. Fortunately, there were a bunch of people also making their way up to do moar offerings after the chanting, so I could simply follow the crowd. Later I found out that the offerings after the chanting is for "other requisites" (I saw toilet papers and bottles of water, for example), the offerings that happen during the morning alms round is just for food.
After that, we chatted a bit and then go to the kitchen to have our breakfast. And oh boy, if it wasn't the best meal I've ever had in Ubon, and possibly my entire trip so far! The food was kinda laid down like what you'd see in a buffet restaurant, just rows of food one after another. I was only given a large metal bowl to put my food in, which would make it a little difficult to separate different food, but it was something I expected so I didn't mind. And the food was still so good despite them being mixed with one another. We chatted a bit more over the meal, and I found out that she is a nurse, she came with a friend - also a nurse, drove there from a nearby town south of Ubon (also about 15 minutes drive). She has a daughter who's currently studying in Bangkok, so I figured she must be quite a bit younger than my mom. After the small talks are done, we just kinda eat there in silence for a little bit, then suddenly she asked me for the app. I passed it to her, and then she started kinda monologuing, but she's saying the most kind thing I've heard from someone whom I just met, and that's after the words are butchered by Google Translate (jk Google Translate we love you pls don't fire me). She spoke how it is good karma (fated/yuan fen) that we got to know each other, advised me to study the "Buddhavacana" (the word of the Buddha, this usu refers to the Pali Canon, which is something that I'm already kinda doing), wished me to have friends who "show me the treasure" (I think she's referring to "kalyanamitta", true/real/wholesome/spiritual friends), and warned me to be careful of people in Bangkok. She also remarked how she hoped the app translated her words well, and then wished me a safe trip. It did, Pae, it did :).
She went and helped me wash my bowl, and asked me to wait there. Bea came around and we chatted a bit again, until the Thai lady returned. We said our goodbyes and good wishes, and then the Thai lady asked me to follow her again, somewhere deeper into the monastery. I was unsure what it was about, but since I was interested to see more of the monastery, so I followed. There were a few others who walked in the same direction also, and again I was thankful for having someone who's willing to bring me around, since I wouldn't have known that this is even an option if I was on my own.
At the end of the walk, I was met with a rectangular white structure, with big black spheres surrounding the perimeter of the building. This is the picture of the building, with the black spheres in the foreground. As it turned out, it was a recently finished Uposatha Hall, and I came during the time window when they're doing the gilding of those black spheres, called "luknimit" (I heard it as lubninit, now I know why the lady kept repeating it to me when I said "lubninit" instead of "luknimit" LOL). The Thai royalty (the king himself!) was apparently due to come and do a luknimit gilding too on 28 Dec, on a special luknimit located at the center of the hall.
She told me how fortunate I was to come during this period, since a monastery would only build an Uposatha Hall once. We proceeded into the hall and paid our respect. At the center of the hall, there are rattan baskets with a set of prayer things inside: a pair of candles, incense, and flowers. There's also numerous sheets of golden papers for the gilding. There's a small Buddha statue there, partially covered in golden papers. She told me to stick 3 golden papers onto the statue, one on the head, one on the heart, and one on the... I forgot, hands maybe? Or maybe the lotus seat. Each symbolizes something, but I don't remember either lol. I think head is for intelligence, heart for kind heart, and the last one.... I really don't remember. Sorry, Pae!
We then proceeded to outside the hall to gild the luknimits. She initially wanted to teach me some prayers/chanting in Thai, but it was so long and I couldn't memorize a single syllable of it, so she instead she made me repeat after her. We did it on each and every luknimit around the hall (except the one in the center for obvious reason), there were 8 in total I think, excluding the one in the center. She then proceeded to tell me what the chanting meant. I shall copy it over here (thanks Google Translate for keeping the history!), since it was really beautiful, but also sounds like a standard chant that might be available in Pali, so if any readers (is there even any reader?) recognize it, please reach out to me and let me know!
Thai:
English (from Google Translate):
Then she proceeded to say some more kind, beautiful words:
I don't know about you guys, but this encounter was very surreal to me. A complete stranger, barely speaks English, decided to go out of their way to include me in all the processions happening in the monastery. I don't think she's a permanent volunteer there or monastery staff or anything, or even if she's one, I don't think it's standard procedure to do such a thing... And the most confounding thing of all, she said all those kind, beautiful words to me, wishing me all the best things that one could wish for to another Buddhist. To me, the feeling is quite similar to speaking to an interesting side NPC, or even a plot-important/plot-moving NPC in a game. Like those NPCs who you literally have no idea who they are, and yet they are very friendly and kind to you, gives you some good items/equipments out of nowhere, asking you to help them with some quest, out of nowhere? It felt exactly like that, except I got the good items without having to finish any quest for them. It's like just a cutscene.
Even more hilarious is that right after we parted ways, she just turned into any of the other local visitors, posing in front of the Uposatha Hall, taking pictures with her travel companion. Literally an NPC who has finished their cutscene with me the player, and then just kinda goes back to their default background script... The only proof that she's not actually an NPC is that after that encounter, I decided to approach her to take a selfie with them, to have a memento of the encounter, and she didn't just say a fallback response script, "need something?" (that's a reference to Skyrim if that joke didn't land as well as I hoped)
Afterwards, I went back to the eating hall to do a short meditation, since it was still a bit too early for me to go to the airport, but unfortunately not enough time to go back to Wat Nong Pah Pong to check out the museum again. Maybe I'll come back there at some point, hopefully... And if that did happen, I really should come and visit during the morning alms round timing.
Afterwards, I drove back to the hotel, checkout, do a quick drive around to burn some time, and then go to the airport to catch the flight back to Bangkok.
I shall pause here for now, since the post is getting reaaalllyy long already, and I haven't even gotten to the good part yet. Honestly, it feels very draggy even as the writer myself. So maybe on the subsequent part I'll cut a lot of the mundane parts and just go straight to the highlight, and maybe with side stories along the way. Hopefully I'll have the resolve to finish the whole thing...
For now, all the best in your life's endeavours!
Comments
Post a Comment