Exploring Chiang Rai
I arrived in Chiang Rai from California after a very, very long 2 days of flying. I traveled there for a volunteering opportunity with the International Humanity Foundation (IHF). There I lived in a Children's Home with 11 children, aged 10-18, and other volunteers from around the world. The center was in a quiet part of the city, surrounded by lush, green hills that I loved walking around. All the neighbors were really nice. Smiling was necessary for any walk and sometimes they even stopped you to offer you food or a shot of rice whiskey; be careful, it's powerful stuff, politely declining is always okay.
At the center, I did local tasks, like cleaning, cooking, and activities with the children; as well as international tasks online. The international tasks mostly consisted of posting information about IHF, which was boring and often frustrating but I also did some writing for the newsletter and worked on local fundraising, which were more interesting. The best part was the children. They were shy at first, which I understood because they see a lot of volunteers come in and out but they warmed up to me, especially the younger ones who like to play games and watch movies on your computer. We would take them to the park or on outings occasionally and that was always fun. I loved going into Chiang Rai city. It seemed a little dirty and crowded at first but once I got used to it, it was easy to manage and quite lovely in parts, like near the river or the gorgeous park full of flowers. The Saturday night walking market was my absolute favorite thing. I know there are bigger markets in other Thai cities but I've heard this one is a little cheaper and the sellers are honest people who charge fair prices. The food was amazing of course, even for a vegetarian! Near the food stalls at the market, there was a big area for dancing. The locals dancing there love when the foreigners try. The steps don't seem hard when you're watching but once you start, it can be a little tricky. If you're lucky, the children might show you a few steps.
My time in Chiang Rai was really great. Even when my work was driving me crazy, I loved being in that area. I enjoyed the people and children I met and the experiences I had. I'm glad I spent the majority of my trip volunteering in Chiang Rai; it was a great introduction to Thailand.
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