Day 3: I Really Need to Care for My Health

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~ Anatole France

Day 3 began with a combined USP activity: a visit to the Doi Suthep temple. It was, without overstating, a beautiful place. Believers who visit the temple walk three rounds around the main pagoda while reciting a prayer. While making the rounds myself, I noticed that tiny bells with wishes and hopes written on them were strung together on the railings surrounding the pagoda. To me, the bells represented the enormity of the faith believers have in the power of their god. That revelation was both a powerful and awesome feeling.

In the afternoon, our group visited the Chiang Mai version of the grand canyon. Essentially, it is a quarry filled with rainwater. The cliff sides of the quarry, however, bore a remarkable resemblance to the rocks at the grand canyon. The sheer size of the quarry dwarfed me, and although it was scary to imagine that I could simply fall over and never be heard from again, its size was a needed reminder of how small Man really is in relation to the awesomeness that is Mother Nature.

It was after the outing to the grand canyon that the food poisoning took its toll. As I always considered myself (relatively) healthy, this came as a timely reminder to never take my health for granted. At the same time, though, I was touched by how my group-mates and seniors took great care of me. Even in a foreign land, friends can always be counted on and this added touch of warmth made my sickness almost (almost!) worth the trouble.