View from Wat Phuket
We all final year
students are excited for a three day educational trip to Northern Thailand and.
On 14th February 2014 in the very early morning, our long journey
begins and feels very happy to study new things, knowledge and experience. The
trip was organized by MCU, faculty of Buddhism for the four year students of
English program. Dr. Ajahn Somphong and Ajahn Mark Hoolahan are caretakers for
this long trip who take good care us very well and guide us what should we do
and what should not we do during this trip.
In the early morning of
14th February 2014, our bus arrived to MCU to pick up all students
and we all took seats properly and the bus headed to Nan province. It is quite
long trip and we had fun, joke and happy talk along way to Nan province. At
11:00, our bus stopped at gas station in Nakhon Sawan and we had lunch there.
After finished our lunch, our bus left for Nan province. On the way to Nan
province, we all students including staffs introduced ourselves and expressed
our feeling regarding this excited trip. It was very happy moment to listen of
everyone presentation in the bus. At
about 9 pm, we safety arrived Wat Phuket in Nan province. When we arrived there
we feel just normal and we cannot see the view surrounded because of darkness
but in the early morning we all wake up and sightseeing around temple and it
was a great place seeing breathtaking view surrounded by mountain and
everywhere corn and tobacco plantation, it was quite beautiful view.
Beautiful natural
surrounded and perfect temperature in Nan province created an impressive
location suitable for both visitors and agriculture but we just stayed few
hours by donation, looking around beautiful scenery and then we continued to
Chaing Rai province. On the way to Chaing Rai, we were really enjoying and
looking each side of high way various plantation, beautiful landscape, valley
and mountain. We did not even tire despite taking many hours in the bus and we
were enjoying spending our time discovering new amazing experience
We reached Chaing Rai
at night about 8:00 pm and heading to Lanna Onsen natural hot spring resort.
The resort is a fantastic and we do had opportunity to take bath in hot spring,
for me first time taking bath hot spring and it is going to be always memorable
in life. And the next day our first day visited to Wat rong khun or white
temple. This temple is a tourist attraction and many tourists came every day to
study amazing architecture and it is artistically different from other temples
in Thailand. White temple encouraged us to think and gaze. There is no
admission fee for visitors who flock here daily, local traders sell
souvenirs. I was so surprise seeing the
golden toilet near the white temple. It was first time in my life seeing such
toilet. The golden toilet is just like a palace and it is beautify with great
architecture and dyeing in golden in the whole building. Many tourists were
surprise seeing this golden toilet.
And after finish visiting
and observing the white temple, we continued to Wat Phra Kaew where the current
Bangkok emerald Buddha lived in this temple in the past. After visiting around
the temple, we continued our trip to a great place called Cherntawan
International meditation center to study of Buddhist economic. The center is
run by famous author Venerable Vajiramedho who is a very compassionate person
and very well-known writer not only in Thailand but also in the west. We were
great pleasure to respect and meet him. He explained about his center detail
and answered some questions and also we had a simple delicious lunch there.
After finish lunch, we were looking plantation, the way to grow mushroom and
other vegetable plantation around the center about two hours. And also the
venerable gave a gift to everyone and took photo with everyone. So we had a
great time and memorable day for all of us.
And after finish our
visiting all places during three days trip, we came back to Bangkok with
enjoyment, excitement, and pleasure. On the way back to Bangkok, we all
students presented and shared our experiences and knowledge with lots of fun
and lot of laughing in the bus for few minutes. We successfully arrived our
university at about 2:00 am in midnight.
Gourd fruiting at Buddhist Economic Farmer School
