Daily Log 2. 19. 05

Today was the rendezvous at the Maruay Garden Hotel in Bangkok. Everyone was excited to go which is why we were all packed and ready to go 2 hours before we were to meet up with the other volunteers.

Once the time came to depart, we met the volunteers and packed our entire luggage onto a van and headed off to the bus station. After a 20 minute van ride, we arrived at a bus terminal. At the bus terminal, we bought some snacks to hold us over for the 3-hour bus ride and headed onto the bus that would take us north.

The bus was packed full of people and hotter than the sun. I sat next to one of the group members for the expedition and we talked most of the ride. When we weren’t talking, we were watching a Thai film, which appeared to be a comedy sketch about a group of men, talking, singing, and dancing in weird ways. The video was hilarious and I wish I was able to read the Thai subtitles that bounced across the screen.

After the 3-hour bus ride, we arrived in a small bus station where we met up with staff members from the project. After we did a quick introductory of names, we loaded all the luggage onto an open truck and headed off to the Pimai Inn. Our last ride was only about 45 minutes and the sun was setting so the view on the ride up was amazing.

Shortly before the sun was to set, we arrived at the Inn and got ourselves checked into our rooms. It was such an exhausting day for all of us and we were all completely famished when dinner arrived. During dinner Charles, the Principal Investigator, gave everyone a run-down of the things they should expect during the next 2 weeks. The project itself seems very interesting and from what he said everything is ‘hands on’ work.

It was not as early as it seemed when I headed to my room around 8 to go to sleep. All the traveling was finally over and the project was underway. I can only imagine the doors that will open for us, and the incredible things we will learn about archeology and early civilizations.

Till Tomorrow,
Jamie