Thailand: leaving thoughts

Toolman

Coming from Malaysia, Thailand (the Land of Buddha) worked its magic on me very quickly. The scenery here is unreal, from the crazy islands with coconut trees and limestone faces in the south, to the wide open spaces in the north, seemingly filled to capacity with paddy fields and rolling hills studded with palm trees and rainforests.

I am amazed at the sheer number of Wats (temples), given how intricately they are constructed. Each shouted out how much effort the Thais have put in as a gesture of remembering Buddha- who was once only human., but has 'awoken' to Nirvana. Here is a quote from the wikipedia on Buddha

A common misconception among Westerners views the Buddha as the Buddhist counterpart to “God”; Buddhism, however, is non-theistic (i.e., in general it does not teach the existence of a supreme creator god (see God in Buddhism) or depend on any supreme being for enlightenment; the Buddha is a guide and teacher who points the way to nirvana).

The Thai people are so friendly and nice, and are always willing to help out a confused farang if possible. Everything is inexpensive, and they know how to cater to western needs. Thailand is a truly special place, and I already know that I will to go back again one day.

Princess

Thailand is truly a divine place, and some where you could spend a lot of time, hence our two month adventure there. So what makes Thailand so wonderful? There are so many things. Firstly the scenery is amazing, and so varied depending on whereabouts in the country you are. The tropical islands were magical, as were the gorgeous rain forests with their amazing array of plant life and beautiful waterfalls. They almost had a New Zealandy feel to them with the same lush, green scenery.

The animals were probably the biggest highlight for me. You are able to get up close and personal with so many different species, including elephants, tigers, snakes and gibbons. This would just not be possible at home, so it was wonderful to have a chance to interact with these creatures. I don't think I'll ever forget playing with the Gibbon and riding elephants. These things will be etched in my memory forever.

Thai people have an intensely strong and powerful belief in Lord Buddha, and it was interesting to see how this was displayed in their daily life. They give a lot to Buddha, including lots of time and donations. The Wats they have built to honour him are the ultimate sign of devotion. Ornate and beautiful, they never fail to take your breath away.

There is a sense of calmness that surrounds Thais, even in the big cities like Bangkok. Though life in this country must have its stresses and downfalls, the people cope with it all remarkably well. They are always cheerful and friendly and seem so happy and contented with life which is refreshing to see.

I think Thailand is the country that I will remember so far as being my favourite. Both Tim and I discuss it on a regular basis and we are already hungous to go back! Lucky that we get to spend a little more time there before we fly to Delhi, India....