In early June 2024, the English Language Education Study Program carried out the departure of international internship students to Loei, Thailand. One of the series of agendas is to recognize iconic places in Loei which is a mountainous area in northern Thailand.
At that time the host team or committee from Loei offered advisors from UMSIDA, UM Gresik, UM Palopo, and UM Sorong to explore Phu Bo Bit Forest Park, Staircase up the Mountain, Loei City, and see the beauty of Loei from the top of the mountain. Dr. Fika (DPL UMSIDA) at that time had the opportunity to become DPL for international internship students and was very enthusiastic to accept the invitation. He also described the exciting experience at Phu Bo Bit as follows.
The journey began. The six of us (4 DPLs and 2 committee members from Thailand (Dr. Wanida and Miss Mul) left at 6 am by car. We traveled approximately 30 minutes from the inn to the foot of the mountain. After parking, we were treated to a mountainous atmosphere surrounded by lush trees. To enjoy the beauty of Loei from the top, we had to climb 700 meters of stairs and it took about 30 minutes. We brought a bottle of water to quench our thirst in the middle of the climb as there were no food or drink vendors at the top. Along the way up the stairs, we met some climbers who had reached the top first and headed to the parking area below to go home. And what amazed us was that the visitors to Phu Bo Bit were not only children and adults but also the elderly. We were informed that they are regular visitors to the mountain who make it a habit to exercise by climbing the mountain every morning.
Our spirits rose. We didn’t want to be outdone by the visitors so we accelerated our pace to complete our ascent even though we were out of breath and stopped several times. And finally, the summit of Loei appeared before us and everyone was very relieved to have completed this climbing mission. We all smiled widely and congratulated each other. We enjoyed the beautiful view of Loei on the mountain and captured the moment in photos and videos. The clean and tidy condition of the park area is a special attraction for visitors. The officials and visitors really take good care of the place so it’s no wonder that even though they have to climb thousands of stairs, visitors are still addicted to returning there. What we felt when we were there was a sense of calm and awe of God’s creation together with the cool air on the mountain.
From this journey, Dr. Fika learned a very valuable lesson, namely the importance of respecting each other and not stopping to try. To reach the top of the mountain was actually very difficult and I almost gave up, she said.
However, due to the patience and understanding of the amazing host team, I was finally able to conquer the fear and fatigue to reach the top point. This can also be reflected in everyday life that it is not easy to try new things. But hard work and positive thinking will bring strength to provide benefits to others, added Dr. Fika.
That’s a piece of the story of Phu Bo Bit, an iconic place in Loei Northern Thailand, hopefully it can be useful and don’t forget to keep the spirit of work.
