Greetings one last time from the Land of Smiles!

We have wrapped up our last days in Thailand in royal fashion by visiting Bangkok’s most famous and sacred temple, the Grand Palace, or Wat Phra Kaew. This grand structure encompasses famously ornate architecture from eras spanning multiple kings, and houses Thailand’s most revered Buddha statue, the Emerald Buddha.

Bangkok was once considered “the Venice of the East,” so to get around the city we took advantage of its many canals which boast numerous long-tail boat taxis. Locals use these as a cheap means to beat Bangkok’s notoriously bad traffic.

We also visited the famed Temple of the Reclining Buddha, or Wat Pho, and one of the largest outdoor markets that exists anywhere, Chaktuchak. Here students shopped around for souvenirs and and whatever else they could find in this endless labyrinth of stalls, shops, and carts. We concluded the trip with a nice long heart-to-heart at our hotel, which looks over Wat Pho and much of the city, where students shared their most memorable moments from our time here.

We’ve all had an amazing journey through Thailand, its culture and its history, and we will definitely miss the Land of Smiles. But most of all, we will miss each other and the experiences we’ve shared, and we’ll cherish those from here on out. See you soon, America!

– Ansley & Ryan