Day Two in Thailand โ Enjoying Routines and Daily Life
My second day in Thailand started earlier than usual. Around 4:00 AM, I was already up from bed to get ready for Subuh prayers at the mosque. The atmosphere around the lodging was still very quiet as most people had not yet started their activities. The morning air also felt quite cool and calm.
After finishing preparations, I walked with several friends to the mosque. Upon arriving there, we took wudu and then performed the Subuh prayer in congregation. After the prayer was over, we did not return directly to the lodging because there was a halaqah activity with the supervising teacher.
We sat together in one group and followed the halaqah in a fairly calm atmosphere. During the activity, we received various advice and lessons related to daily life, discipline, and the importance of maintaining worship during the trip. For me, this activity became a way to keep up religious practices even while being far from Indonesia.
After the halaqah ended, we were directed to perform the Syuruq prayer followed by the Dhuha prayer. Once all activities at the mosque were finished, we were allowed to return to the lodging.
Arriving back at the lodging, I chose to shower immediately because I wanted to refresh my body after being awake since early morning. After finishing showering and changing clothes, I invited one of my friends to look for breakfast. We then walked along the area around the lodging while looking for a suitable place to eat.
After walking for a while, we finally found a place to eat that looked quite crowded. We then decided to buy breakfast there. I tried the available food while enjoying the morning atmosphere in Thailand. In my opinion, having breakfast outside the lodging provided its own experience because I could see firsthand how the local community starts their activities in the morning.
After finishing the meal and feeling full, I returned to the lodging with my friend. However, we didn't stay long in the room because the dirty clothes we had were quite numerous. We then decided to look for a laundry place or an automatic washing machine in the surrounding area.
We started walking quite far while looking for a place that provided automatic washing machines. At first, we were a bit confused because we didn't find the place we were looking for immediately. We looked at store signs several times and searched for information through our phones. After walking quite a distance, we finally found a place that had automatic washing machines.
We immediately put the dirty clothes into the washing machine and set the wash cycle. After the machine started working, we didn't just stand around waiting, but chose to walk around the area. We looked at various shops and streets around the neighborhood while spending time waiting for the clothes to finish washing.
After some time, our laundry was finally finished. We took the washed clothes and then headed back to the lodging. That day we also had a schedule to make calls to our respective parents. Since it had been quite a while since I talked directly with my family, I was quite looking forward to it.
Arriving at the lodging, I immediately borrowed a phone to contact my parents. When the call connected, I spoke with them right away. We asked about each other's well-being and discussed various activities I had done while in Thailand.
I shared my experiences since first arriving in Bangkok, traveling by MRT and boat, to the experience of walking around the lodging. I also described various things I had seen while in Thailand. The conversation lasted quite a long time because there were many things I wanted to tell my family.
Hearing my parents' voices after several days away from home made me feel happy yet a bit homesick. Although this trip is enjoyable, talking to my family made me remember the atmosphere of home and daily life in Indonesia.
After finishing the call with my parents, I saw that it was getting close to Zuhur time. I then immediately got ready and went with my friends to the mosque not far from the lodging. At the mosque, we took wudu and performed the Zuhur prayer in congregation.
After the prayer was over, we were again allowed to explore the surrounding area. Since we hadn't had lunch yet, my friend and I decided to find food first. We walked along the streets while looking at various available eating places.
After finding a suitable place, we decided to have lunch together. We enjoyed the food while chatting about various things. After finishing our meal, we continued walking around without a specific destination. We just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of Thailand and see the lives of the local people.
The longer we walked, the more things caught my attention. I saw various small shops, food vendors, passing vehicles, and local people's activities. Although just walking around the lodging, the activity made me more familiar with the daily life atmosphere in Thailand.
Without realizing it, it was getting late and approaching Ashar time. Not wanting to be late, we immediately returned to the lodging to pick up necessary supplies and then went to the mosque. Arriving there, we immediately prepared and performed the Ashar prayer in congregation.
After the Ashar prayer was finished, we were allowed to explore the surrounding area again. My friends and I walked around once more. However, because we were quite tired and starting to feel bored, we didn't walk too far. We just went around for a bit while looking for some snacks and enjoying the afternoon atmosphere.
Unknowingly, the day started to get dark and Magrib time was drawing near. We then decided to return to the mosque. Arriving at the mosque, we prepared to perform the Magrib prayer in congregation.
After the Magrib prayer was over, our activities continued with halaqah. We again sat with the supervisor and followed the activity until close to Isya time. The atmosphere that night was quite calm. After a day of various activities, halaqah became a time to regain composure and receive advice before continuing the next activities.
After the halaqah ended, we performed the Isya prayer in congregation. Then the supervising teacher gave us permission to look for dinner around the lodging.
I went out with several friends to look for food. We chose a fairly simple meal because our bodies were already tired after a day of walking. After finding suitable food, we ate together while discussing the activities we had done that day.
After finishing dinner, we returned to the lodging. Arriving in the room, I immediately cleaned myself up and organized some items to be used for the next activity. Being quite tired, I chose to rest immediately.
The second day in Thailand might not have had major sightseeing activities or visits to famous places. However, for me, that day actually provided a different experience. I could feel what it's like to live daily life while in another country, starting from looking for breakfast, washing clothes using an automatic machine, calling my parents, looking for food, to walking around the place of stay.
From that day, I learned that travel doesn't always have to be filled with visiting tourist attractions. Simple things like interacting with friends, finding food on one's own, doing laundry, maintaining worship, and talking with family can also be parts of a valuable experience.
After all activities were finished, I closed the second day in Thailand by sleeping and resting. I prepared myself to face the coming days which will certainly provide new experiences during this journey.