Thailand

I started in Thailand where I had signed up to do some volunteer work with a non-profit group called CANHELP Thailand, an organization which annually finances and provides labour for a number of building and educational projects in northeastern Thailand. The group, based out of Japan, was comprised of mainly Japanese volunteers, but there were about 24 English teachers as well. We were to be divided up into four groups, and spend the next three weeks working in different schools in Mukdahan province.

The first two days I spent in Bangkok. A word of advice for anyone who has not landed in Bangkok: Try to avoid the taxi touts at the departure gates. You can pay up to $20.00 for a ride down to Kho San Road, the main traveller's centre. Instead take the exit by the restaurant at the far right end of the terminal and walk down to the bus stop. You can catch a bus for about four baht (15 cents US).

In Thailand, everything is set up for the tourist or traveller, from the transportation, to the tours and daytrips, to the shopping and more. You can escape this if you want, enjoy it, or experience a bit of both. Most people find Bangkok chaotic and crazy, and try to escape it as soon as possible, but there is definately lots to see and do in the city.

I'd met up with two girls from New Zealand, Leanne and Kylie, on the bus ride in from the airport. The three of us spent the next few day hanging out together. Down on Kho San Road. we found a guest house just of the beaten track. No real suggestions here. The selection is huge. The following day we spent visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, home to the huge Reclining Buddha. These are two of the major sites in the city, and though I'd seen them on a previous visit, they were worth a return trip.

Wats (Buddhist temples) in Thailand are amongst the most colorful anywhere in Asia. They are decorated with mosaics of cut glass and ceramics. Mirrors, gold and silver glisten in the sun to help make them truly brilliant. We had planned on getting a traditional massage at Wat Pho, but the wait was close to an hour. The massages are worth it, as I found later on, but we were informed it was best to go early in the morning to avoid the wait.

That afternoon we made arrangements to visit a floating market outside of the city. We grabbed dinner on the street and spent the evening walking around the tourist district. There is plenty to do down on Kho San Road from shopping, to partying, to e-mailing friends, to just vegging out and watching pirated videos of the recent box office releases. We did a bit of everything and finally crashed around 11.30 PM

Up at 6.00 AM the next morning, we grabbed some food for the bus, and headed out of town at 7.00 AM. It was a good two hour bus ride out to the floating market. we were given a brief tour of the area by boat, and then had about an hour to shop around. The highlight of the shopping was the opportunity to pose with giant python draped around my shoulders. On the way back we stopped at a craft village. Carpenters and wood sculptures worked on designing and making intricate pieces from teak. Had I not been beginning my trip I would have bought a lot, but wisdom prevailed.

The following day I was to hook up with the CANHELP Thailand team and heading up north, while Kylie and Leanne were off south to Phuket and the beaches. They planned to continue on through Malasyia, Indonesia, and try to be home by Christmas. I spent most of the day reading, writing postcards, and repacking. Back to the airport mid-afternoon, I collected the several large bags of donated clothes and supplies I had left and met up with the organizers. By 6.00 PM everyone had arrived. We loaded up the buses and headed up to Mukdahan. The following morning we arrived, a bit dazed, to a formal welcome. After an organizational meeting we began our work.

The experience was great. I worked with a group of about 46 others at Bang Sai Noi, an elementary school about 20 minutes north of Mukdahan. We converted three classrooms into two dormitories and a kitchen and lived on site. During the day, when it wasn't raining, we helped the local labourers build new classrooms and a fish farm for the school. Everyday dozens of us horded the work site passing buckets of sand, water, and cement to the masons at the end of the line. Most of the day consisted of hauling one thing or another. Several of us had the opportunity to learn new skills. I became a somewhat proficient bricklayer.

The English-speaking contigent also spent some of the time helping teachers in the region develop their language skills and English programs for their students. We divided ourselves into three groups and each took a week with the teachers who had come from around Mukdahan province. We spent time evaluating their needs, their language abilities, and their resources. Then we put a program together to assist them in teaching the students in their schools.

Recent changes in the Thai curriculum have mandated that students begin receiving some English instruction at the age of six. As a result many teachers who could barely speak the language were struggling to put English classes together. After three weeks we had given them at least a few ideas and some extra confidence to go back to their students with. They were also a very friendly group and we spent many evenings out at local restaurants and night clubs.

During the project, we also attended several local festivals, played games with the children and made a few weekend field trips to national parks in the area. And though we did all the cooking ourselves, shopping for food everyday in the markets, our hosts were also very gracious, cooking many Thai specialities. The whole experience was very memorable. It was a unique way to travel, provide some assistance, and learn more about the people and culture of Thailand. I had the opportunity not only to learn some Thai, but to also work on my Japanese.

One evening, after a particularly long day, the principal of the school insisted that we all try a Thai massage. About thirty of us took him up on the offer. After a two hours of vigorous massage my body had been stretched and contorted into so many different shapes I felt like a bowl of jello. The next day though, I felt great, and a good two inches taller to boot.

At the end of the project there were some difficult goodbyes, especially amongst the Japanese who had really bonded with the Thai people. There were many promises to return. We had a huge party the final evening. The women from the nearby village spent most of the day cooking. The students spent the afternoon decorating one of the school rooms. By 5.00 PM everyone had gathered, the particpants, the workers,the students and their and families. We ate, danced and sang until late in the evening. The following morning we packed up early and headed back to Bangkok.

I spent an extra three weeks in Thailand. The first week, I hooked up with a few teaching friends from Japan. After a few days of craziness in Bangkok, some Thai boxing, and night clubs, we decided to head down to the beaches. Originally we had planned to go to Ko Samui, but torrential rain forced a change. Instead we spent a relaxing week down on the beaches in Ko Samet. Only four hours from Bangkok Ko Samet is a quiet place where they say the weather is always great, and the bars are too.

Unless you enjoy wet, soggy weather, the rainy seasons are something to avoid. I was fortunate during most of my travelling, except in Thailand, and managed to avoid the rains. As they differ from region to region, it is well worth planning your trip, especially over an extended period, around these wet seasons.

In Ko Samet, we spent most of our time swimming, sea kayaking, and visiting our favorite watering holes. One afternoon, while cruising the beach we ran across an abandoned bar. It looked like a storm had ravaged it and it had never reopened. The group considered the possiblities. Living the life of Ryan sounded great, but it would probably have taken a few bills to get it going. That, and the fact that none of us was Thai, finally brought us back to reality. Not that the thought of marrying an incredibly attractive Thai woman hadn't crossed my mind.

Following Ko Samet I headed up north to do some trekking. I ran into a rowdy international group up in Chiang Mai. planning their trek. There are many trekking companies in area. I had heard about 'Eagle House' from several people before I arrived. I was quite impressed --- a very professional operation. I was also fortunate to find these wild bunch of travellers to trek with. The purpose for our trek? --- The search for Elvis.

The group was comprised of a Swede, an Irishman, an Aussie, three Brits, another three Germans, and a quiet French couple. We were a pretty relaxed group, hiking and joking around during the day, playing cards and telling raunchy stories at night. I had managed to mimic Micheal, the Irishman's, accent quite effectively, to his annoyance and the other's amusement. Sleep deprevation probably contributed to much of the craziness. As we were usually up by 6.00 AM and down no earlier than 12.00 AM.

Most of the four day trek it rained, but we made the best of it. Doh, our faithful guide and cook, dragged us up mountains, and through rice fields for about six hours each day. In spite of the rain the landscape was incredible. Deep rich green covered the hillsides, and a heavy mustiness filled the air as we tramped though the forests.

We passed through several hill tribe settlements each day. Sometimes we would stop for lunch other times just for a short break. In the evenings we would camp out in, or close to villages, under bamboo huts. One afternoon we engaged in a dangerous game of hillside tag with some children on the steep slopes of one village. They knew how to play the game. Unfortunately we didn't. We stopped before we broke our necks.

We were on what was called an "off the beaten track" trek. It took us down around Doi Inthanon National Park through some 'not often visited' regions. The settlements we saw were often a strange combination of simplicity and modernity. Most villages survived on agriculture, had no running water, and consisted of five of six stilted bamboo homes, with livestock a poultry penned underneath the house. Supposedly children received very little formal education. However several of the villages had power generators, one or two trucks and even the occasional satelite dish.

After forging streams, riding elephants, and generally having a wild but soggy time, we finished up the trip with a ride down some rapids on woven bamboo rafts. When our boat stared to break up we nearly lost a few bodies, but everyone managed to hang on. On our jeep ride back to Chiang Mai we stopped at a restaurant for lunch and were shocked to learn about the death of Princess Diana. The Brits, especially were stunned beyond belief.

I spent some extra time with this wild bunch. After our back woods experience we were all in the mood for some carousing. We spent our nights barhopping, dancing, and lamenting our misfortune at not having found "the king", and our days sleeping. One night, on the directions of a club owner, we visited a bar and crashed what appeared to be a concert. The locals didn't seem to mind until Jimmy, the Swede, attempted to dance with several of the women. We all made a quick exit after receiving a request by table of perturbed men.

My heart was severely rocked when I had to say goodbye to the charming Simone, one of the German women, but after three days, with everyone heading off in different directions, I set off for Laos.