I haven’t blogged much about any adventures I’ve had so I’ve made it a goal to start uploading more of my photos here. For those of you that don’t know I spent 3 months teaching math and ‘computers’ to kids aged ~8-12 years old in a town two hours north of Bangkok, Thailand. This town is called Lopburi and is home to one of the biggest army bases in the country. It also has a very important place in Thai history.
This town dates back over 1000 years and was a very important centers in the Angkor regime. You can see the remnants of this in the old temples that look very similar to ones you would find in Cambodia. Today, however, we are going to talk about King Narai the Great who came to rule around the mid-17th century. He has a mixed history and at the time many people didn’t like him. It is rumored that his food was poisoned and this led to his death. However, in current times he is well celebrated and liked. Go figure.
There is a place in Lopburi called Pratu Chai which is famous for being the gate where the Thai people fought back foreign invaders. Had this area fallen Thailand probably would have came under the rule of the French much like other countries in the region.
I showed up to the school during the month long celebration of the King Narai festival and shortly after starting at the school I found out I would be taking the kids on a field trip. Now something you need to know about Thailand is it is much more laid back than the States. There were no parent permission forms to be signed. Two Thai teachers and myself walked the kids to the main street and we herded them onto, essentially, a public bus. We then proceeded to the King Narai festival where we promptly dropped the kids off and told them to return in a few hours. They promptly ran off… with no supervision! Remember, the oldest kids here are 12 years old. When in Thailand, always remember, TIT! (This is Thailand!)
I managed to get some photos while stressing out about losing a kid or two (luckily, we returned them all back to the school in one piece)! I hope you enjoy this gallery.
hey, it was worth reading your blog. can you please, writes some more about the King Narai the great’s festival? it would be very informative to me. thanks