Goodbye Kara

The next day, Kara and I got to the Krabi airport, and flew to Bangkok.  We were not feeling so well, as the cold was taking its toll.  But, I think we were also both just really sad to say "goodbye".  We had a nice Japanese dinner at the airport, and waved goodbye.  I then managed to catch a bus to Ekkomai and then another bus back to Sri Racha that very day. 

No words can truly capture my trip with Kara, or for that matter, my entire vacation!  I got to do so much and feel very lucky to have had all these experiences.  Of course, as always, the photos I post in the blog are just a few highlights.  But to see the rest of the album with Kara in Phuket, Ko Phi Phi and Krabi, check out my Picasa page: http://picasaweb.google.com/Lia.Brezavar/PhuketKoPhiPhiKrabiWithKara# so you can start dreaming about your next vacation!

I miss you Charlie!!!

Kayaking Krabi

After 4 wonderful days of being spoiled in Ko Phi Phi, we pushed ourselves on a 2 hour boat to Krabi.  We found Cozy Guesthouse, which turned out to be not so "cozy".  The place was nice and comfortable and all, and even had a pool, which we didn't end up using, but the people were unfriendly.  Kara and I had a good laugh about it everytime they gave us a mean glare.  It wasn't a problem; as Kara and I had too much fun poking at them back.

We went to the beach at Ao Nang for the day, not realizing that it was a 45 minute sawngtao ride away.  Krabi, itself (that is, Krabi Town in Krabi Province) is an industrial town, and there's not much for tourists to do.  It is more of a jumping off point.  Once in Ao Nang, we realized that we probably should've stayed in this area, but no regret.  Just a note - "Cozy" Guesthouse was the first place that Kara completely took over in the decision-making, so I had a field day with this one.  Ah, the joy of being sisters.

After the spoiling beaches of Ko Phi Phi, there was no way that Ao Nang Beach was even comparable.  We were only lying on our sarongs for about fifteen minutes, when the rain clouds came.  We pulled ourselves into the nearest bar - a Mexican Restaurant.  And even though I've tried Mexican food over and over again, and swore it off in Thailand over and over again, I still can't bear to completely give up.  We got some nachos.  They were a bust.  But, we also had a Corona, which was a heavenly taste to me, after solely drinking Chang - the Thai national beer, for months on end now.  It turned out the rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon, so we decided to make a late afternoon/ early evening of it, and ordered more and more beer - Chang after the first, as it's significantly cheaper.  We had a blast (and I can't believe I'm even using that word) to say the least.  We finally decided to move on, despite the rain.  We caught another sawngtao back to Krabi, showered, changed, and went out for some more at a local bar/ tattoo restaurant nearby "Cozy".

The next day - our last full day (sniffles) - Kara and I went on a snorkeling/ kayaking full-day trip with Sea Kayak Krabi.  The first part of the day was all snorkeling.  We headed off into open water in a longtail boat with the boat driver, A - our guide, and an older couple in their 50s from Australia, originally from South Africa.  They were pretty hardcore.  And they ended up doing the entire day tour with us, and proved themselves to be much more hardcore than Kara and I - and made Kara and I look like wimps.  It was quite amusing. 

It all began with this rock:

The longtail boat docked right where this picture is taken from.  A then told us that this was our first snorkeling stop, and that the reef surrounding the rock was beautiful.  The Australian/ South African couple jumped in first; we reluctantly followed.  First excuse: it was still early in the morning, and out in open water like this, well, it honestly was quite cold!  We had no fins or wet suits.  Just us, a snorkel mask and this rock out in open water.  We followed the elderly couple.  They looked like they knew what they were doing.  About 15 minutes into the snorkeling adventure, someone spotted a school of baracudas.  Kara and I freaked out.  Wait, let me explain this.  I know and Kara knows that barracudas are harmless, but they were so close and there were so many!  And they looked mean, and the water was so clear, and dark and creepy.  And there was no one else around.  The elderly couple had already moved on.  I came up above the water to a slight panic, and then my panic set Kara's panic off.  And then even though I knew there was nothing to panic about, I all of the sudden started laughing from panicking.  I got the giggles.  And having the giggles made me start to drown.  Meanwhile, Kara spotted a huge jellyfish, came up, and said "Lia, their following us.  The shool of barracudas and the jellyfish are following us.  I'm going back to the boa."  I quickly followed.  The panic, giggles and drowning had cost me all my energy.  We were back on the boat, and then we felt extremely silly and started making fun of each other.  Meanwhile the elderly couple continued to snorkel for maybe the next half hour.  When they came back, they couldn't stop raving about how "pristine" the reef was, and that it was one of the best they've seen in Thailand yet.  Oh well, we missed it, us scaredy cats.  It perhaps as one of those sister moments that you just had to witness to truly get it.  Kara and I shrunk in our seats.  I still couldn't stop laughing at myself, at us, at how ridiculous we were to be frightened!

Next stop: Kayaking through the lagoon.  Originally, we were going to go there by longtail boat, but I made a comment about kayaking - which I regretted later.  With Kara and I in one kayak, the elderly couple in another, and A in his own, we kayaked around some limestone cliffs, through a passageway, around the bend, and into this amazing hidden lagoon.  It took our breath away.  Speechless.  The crystal clear, refreshing lagoon water was ankle high. And we were alone. It was beautiful.

 

A pulling his kayak along in the lagoon.

 

 

We then kayaked back. I only regretted it because we were to do so much kayaking later that day, and our arms were already tired after this expedition.

We then headed back to the longtail boat, and relaxed for an hour in Than Bok Khorani National Park - set on a little island with a beautiful inlet, perfect for paradise relaxation and snorkeling.  To make up for the last snorkeing mishap, Kara and I spent most of the entire hour with our faces underwater, checking out the whole bay.  The visibility was awesome! 

After a stop back at shore for a feast, we headed out into open water in our kayaks with a new guide.  We headed into the mangroves.  Our new guide told us that the company just recently started taking tourists into these mangroves, and that it's still a new thing.  So, we were the only tourists to visit today, and in a few weeks!  The canals were narrow and muddy, and somewhere behind the mangroves were gibbons - though, we didn't see any.  Our guide took us through a cave:

We then kayaked back out and into the open water to head for the big caves and cliffs.  This is where all tourists go.  It was unbelievable:

However, the trip from the mangroves to here was not easy, at least not for Kara and I.  We had such difficulty kayaking that far through the rough waters, that we stopped and gave up mulitple times.  We weren't frustrated, just feeling quite pathetic as the older couple had no problem keeping up with the guide.  They had to stop and wait for us quite a few times.  When we finally reached the towering, looming karst cliffs, a massive rainstorm hit.  Because of this, we weren't able to grab to many photos.  However, it lightened up every now and then, that I could get a shot or two.  On our way back out, the storm really hit.  We were now kayaking through open water, tired beyond belief, soaking wet and of course, I got the giggles again.  I suppose Kara brings it out in me.  I started laughing so hard, that I just couldn't paddle anymore.  Our guide also fell into a laughing hysterically mood, and started a water splashing fight.  We all participated and it was a glorious time.  It took us forever to get back to shore.  And it was still raining. 

The van back to the hotel blasted the A/C... and Kara and I got a cold.  Mine was to turn into pneumonia... but that post is to come later.  Kara and I got back to "Cozy" drenched, happy and drained of all energy.  We spent our last night curled up in bed watching t.v.  It was such a wonderful day; and really hard to grasp in photographs and words.  I love you Kara!

Long Beach, Ko Phi Phi

HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! Long Beach, Ko Phi Phi - a short stretch of white, powdery sand, against the dramatic karst-limestone formations, separated by various shades of turquoise blue. No rain clouds could make this look any less beautiful:

We finally found the most perfect place to stay: Paradise Pearl Bungalows, with our own bungalow right on the beach. Literally. Of course, we paid quite more than the normal "backpacking" price, but it was well worth it - and a treat for sister vacation. There are only a few places to stay on Long Beach, and there is no town or village or streets... it is just the beach, bungalows and their respective restaurants. It is quiet. You can count how many people are on the beach at any given time. Only a few longtail boat taxis are docked up on the shore, attached by long ropes that run up to the top of the beach. The only separation between a path along the bungalow rows and the beach is the color green, from all the floral bushes and trees. The atmosphere is calm, relaxed - and you feel like you're on a honeymoon, even if you're not!

We spent a day on a longtail boat tour, with about 8 other people.  We visited monkey beach, full of more tourists than monkeys, but still gorgeous.  We visited Bamboo Island - an uninhabitated stretch of paradise.  We snorkeled in mulitple different locations with at least 10 meters visibility.  And we visited Koh Phi Phi Ley - where the movie "The Beach" was filmed - to watch the sunset.  It was a most perfect day.  A picturesque island with my most favorite sister in the whole wide world!

Monkey Beach

Bamboo Island

Sisters

Around Ko Phi Phi Ley

Tongsai, Koh Phi Phi

Friday, October 23 - Kara and I leave for Ko Phi Phi - one of the most famous destinations in Thailand. Koh Phi Phi is actually made up of two islands - Koh Phi Phi Don (where everyone stays) and Ko Phi Phi Ley (where the movie "The Beach" was filmed, and is a popular day trip excursion for relaxing, snorkeling, and diving). Ko Phi Phi Ley is a national park, and one cannot stay there overnight, though many tour operators do offer "overnight" trips to Ko Phi Phi Ley, I believe you sleep on the boats, docked on the beach.

Leaving the Phuket Pier:

On the 2 hour ferry to Ko Phi Phi:

Along the way, we encountered a storm. Kara and I missed the memo about all luggage going on the lower deck. After boarding the boat, we immediately went upstairs with our rucksacks. During the storm, which lasted briefly as we passed right through, we had to shield our bags under the seats, while others took cover downstairs.

Beautiful Ko Phi Phi. Well, one of the workers on the boat approached us asking us which beach we were staying at. We have no idea. She explained to us that we will most likely find the cheap accommodations with availability on Tongsai - and that is where most people go. We asked about the other option - Long Beach. She said it is quieter and more relaxed. We opted for Long Beach. We arrive at Long Beach via a longtail boat. We scour the beach (which is quite small; easy to walk from one end to the other, if you're not dying of heat) for a place to stay. We find Paradise Resort - but they only have a deluxe room available for a price we are not willing to pay.

So 1/2 hour later, we find ourselves getting into a longtail boat taxi (the way you get around from beach to beach) to Tongsai - the main pier. Once on the pier, we are attacked by guesthouse hawkers. They have a stall set up with photos of various places to stay, rooms, books full of prices, etc. We have difficulty deciding - its already been a long day. We are unsure of how this works, and weary of the process. Many people arriving at the pier walk straight past. So we begin to walk away, but the man follows us, and leads us into one of the guesthouses. We don't like the area. We move on; we try again and again, getting more and more frustrated. We finally settle on this sweet guesthouse called White 2. We are happy.

The thing about Tongsai is the beach is really not that beautiful. It is the backpacker's haven, though. The entire inlet is chock full of market stalls, western restaurants, guesthouses, bars and clubs. If this is your idea of fun on a paradise island, then this is the place for you. While we enjoyed shopping and relaxing on the beach. It wasn't long before we decided to head to Long Beach - in 2 days. However, we had fun on Tongsai. I did an afternoon of scuba diving - 2 fun dives around Ko Phi Phi Ley. I saw 2 leopard sharks and a giant sea turtle, among droves of artistically colored fish, and moray eels.

Ko Phi Phi Ley - photograph taken from the scuba diving boat.

Just want to mention that the water really was this blue, if not more!!

Despite still getting over being sick, Kara and I had a fabulous sister time hanging out, walking through the tiny cobblestone market streets, relaxing on the beach, eating delicious seafood, and watching a spectacular fire show. These guys, at Apache Bar, swirled and flipped batons and whips on fire. They even had Fire Jump Roping and Fire Limbo: Fire Jump Roping below:

But, after 2 days, we wanted to be surrounded by the breathless beauty of the island - so packed up our stuff, hopped into a longtail boat taxi, and headed for Long Beach, Ko Phi Phi, just around the corner from Tongsai.

Phuket

Wednesday, October 21 - Kara and I flew to Phuket with no idea of where we were going or staying. In the airport, there were loads of brochures and information counters. We booked a sweet deal at Kata Sea Breeze Resort on Kata Beach, Phuket. The rooms looked like they should've been in the thousands, but we only paid about 850 baht/ night!!! Check out the photo below taken from our balcony:

We only spent 2 nights and 1 day in Phuket, but it was perfect. The beach was pretty, but not exceptional. We did however have a delicious fruit plate:

and Kara tried the coconut drink (I'm not a fan).

On Kata Beach:

Sister Love:


Kara found this weird coral - looks like a chicken foot:

And we collected tons of sand dollars along our walk on the beach, and I made Kara pose with them:

We went shopping in the markets, got a pedicure, walked along the beach and swam in the many pools of our resort. Unfortunately, we both got pretty sick, and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. No further details needed. But we had fun nonetheless and were excited to get to Ko Phi Phi!!

Sri Racha and Pattaya with Kara

Kara and I left for Sri Racha late morning/ early afternoon. We got to the apartment, did loads and loads of laundry, ate lunch across the street (to show her a typical day in the life of Lia in Thailand), walked to Koh Loy Park, saw sea turtles, walked around the waterfront park, and ate a most delicious dinner at The Pop - one of my new favorite restaurants, right on the water. We then discussed Pattaya, just south of me by 1/2 hour. And in a moment's conversation, we decided to haul it back to the apartment, shower, changes clothes, got a tuk tuk and went to Pattaya for the night. Kara wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about. Around 3 am, we took a motorbike taxi back - both on one - to Sri Racha.

The following day, we went shopping, ate lunch on Koh Loy Park, walked around some more, and ate dinner at the all you can eat 99 baht/ person Thai BBQ. More delicious food. Got on a bus the next morning to Suvarnabhumi Airport to catch a flight to Phuket.

At the waterfront park, where they do public, free aerobics every night at 6 pm. And yes, I have participated quite a few times!!

Bangkok with Kara

Saturday, October 17th - Kara and I visited the Grand Palace (Wat Prakeo), Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha) and Vimmanek Mansion (the largest teak mansion in the world). After a day of sightseeing in the seering sun - with Kara unused the heat - we set out to find food from the streets of Bangkok, as street food is a must-try in Thailand, and everywhere! Well, not where we were at this time! Humph. I took Kara on a long walk-about through unknown streets, where we had to backtrack and walked in circles. We were starving, and finally gave up, and got into a taxi to get to the water taxi pier. The taxi driver didn't understand the pier that we wanted to get to, so we got out, and got another taxi. When we arrived at the pier, there was a noodle stall that was pretty crowded, so we thought it must be good. Turned out there was a 1/2 hour waitlist!! What!!! I've never heard of such a thing for street food.

That evening, we met up with Kookai and her boyfriend Nick. Kookai is my cousin's wife's niece. Originally from Mahasarakem in the northeast of Thailand - Isan area - she works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Nick, her boyfriend of a couple months, is an engineer for Thai Airways. They took us to Baiyoke Tower - the tallest hotel in Bangkok. The buffet was OK, the views were exceptional:

Nick, Kookai, Kara and I

Sunday, October 18 - Kara and I started the day off with a longtail boat tour of the Chao Phraya River, and its subsidiary canals that run throughout Bangkok (giving Bangkok its other name - the Venice of the East).

We stopped off at the weekend floating market. There is a platform set-up with tables in the middle of all these canoe-like boats. Each canoe is basically a kitchen and a pantry. You buy your food, and sit down on the platform and enjoy. We just walked around.

Waiting in the locks:

Dun, our longtail boat driver/ guide loves Obama... so he painted it on the back of his boat!!!

Kara and I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and relaxing. One of our methods of relaxing was sticking our feet into a huge fishtank full of little fish that eat the dead skin off our feet, ankles, and however much further they can reach!! Yikes! We only signed up for 15 minutes. But, we both spent the first 10 minutes giggling, laughing, squirming, shaking and whining (well, maybe just me). These little fish crawled up between our toes, nibbled at the water level line, trying to get up our legs, and flapped their tails all around our feet. We kept laughing at how one moment, Kara would be covered with "fish boots", and then they would move to me. It was hard for me to keep my feet in in the beginning. I kept pulling out, and then tiptoeing back in. Finally, for the last 5 minutes, we started to relax, and while it still tickled somewhat, it had a more "massage" sense to it. They nibble the dead skin off your feet, allowing new, fresh skin to grow, leaving your feet soft. Our feet were soft for maybe the next few hours, but Bangkok's dirty streets took their toll. Well, there's a first for everything I suppose... and I admit, I wouldn't be opposed to doing it again!

Kara arrives!!!

YEAAAAHHHHH!!!! Kara arrives around 7:00 pm. Of course, we only found each other at the airport thanks to the overhead intercom, on which you hear someone's name being called out about every five minutes. Suvarnabhumi Airport is massive, and the arrival meeting point is more like an arrival arena. It is very hard to find someone. When I first arrived in Thailand, and Kookai picked me up from the airport - she had to use the intercom, too.

Taxi back to Saladaeng Residence, the smaller, but still incredibly comfortable room. We went out for a dinner, which was not so impressive. We also then realized that the area across the main street was a very gay neighborhood. It took me about 15 minutes at the restaurant to realize this, even though we were the only women in the restaurant, and there was a huge gay pride flag flying on the ceiling. :o) Didn't realize...

I must say, Kara did really well with the jetlag, and outbeat me in energy. For me, I think it was the first time in a month that I could relax completely in a comfortable atmosphere with amenities like home, such as hot water!

Luxury

October 15 - left Baan Dada Children's Home on a minivan headed to Kanchanaburi, and from there on a bus to Bangkok. Along the way to Kanchanaburi from Sangklaburi, we were stopped at three different immigration checkpoints. The officers randomly checked identification cards, and my passport. Because Sangklaburi is so close to the border, where there is a constant stream of Burmese/ Mon/ Karen refugees coming through, Thai immigration officials set up such posts to control immigrant populations and human trafficking.

I arrived in Bangkok in the late afternoon with my mind set on Saladaeng Inn, in the Saladaeng/ Silom area - a place which I had researched in depth online. I wanted to stay in a different area than I had previously, but more importantly, I wanted us to be near public transportation - namely, the BTS (skytrain) and MRT (subway). After arriving by taxi at Saladaeng Inn, I discovered that they only had one room available and it was a deluxe. I checked it out, but for the price, I was not impressed. Plus, the woman was not that friendly. So, I asked if there were any other places in the area, and she said just down the street.

I ended up at another guesthouse/ hotel called Ban Saladaeng, which was just the most adorable place. But they were booked. I asked the friendly gentleman if he knew of any other places for around 1000 baht/ night. He quickly made a call and informed me that a porter from the place would pick me up and carry my rucksack. How very nice of both of them. It turned out to only be a 5 minute walk, if that.

Saladaeng Residence. This is not technically a hotel, but a short/ long term residence, mostly for foreigners. They do not have a 24 hour front desk area or a lobby. We entered through the parking lot. They brought me to a room for 1,400 baht, and informed me that I could switch to a smaller room for 1000 baht the next few nights. Kara wouldn't arrive until tomorrow - October 16th.

I entered the room. OK, it was a luxurious suite/ apartment. After backpacking through Laos and spending 10 days at a children's home on the most western part of rural Thailand, I was so schocked, I didn't even know what to do with all the space. It had a kitchen area, a full bathtub, a dining room table, couches/ living room area, and a separate bedroom. It was a fully furnished apartment - huge and luxurious. I went out and got myself some food from Au Bon Pain (yes, this is Bangkok) and sat on the floor to eat in front of the HBO and Cinemax channels!! I couldn't even sit on the couch yet - how odd!

Well, this may have been a boring post - but it was my transition period from jungle/ rural backpacking to a luxurious (relatively speaking) 2 weeks with my sister, Kara. And I just cannot wait for Kara to arrive!!!

Baan Dada Children's Home

I finally arrive at in Sangklaburi around 4:30 pm on Monday, October 5! Hassle-free bus, unbelievable! Maddy (a MediaKids teacher in Ang Thong), her boyfriend Kachi (from Nigeria), and Heidi and Ben (from Australia) pick me up in Sangklaburi with the Baan Dada truck. We have dinner and stock up on supplies (toilet paper, bug spray, coffee packets, snacks, water bottle, etc.). 15-20 minute drive to Huay Ma Lai village (in Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi province - western Thailand, next to the Myanmar/ Burma border). I finally arrive at Baan Dada Children's Home around 7:30 pm, and am welcomed by loads of loving hugs.

Baan Dada Children's Home and Community Services is a project of the Neo-Humanist Foundation, a non-profit organization that believes in love for all things in the universe. In such, all the meals served at Baan Dada are veagan. They are absolutely delicious. I never thought I could fall in love with so many different types of tofu dishes, including fried tofu!

Baan Dada is home to about 60 children, most of Karen background. Karen and Mon people are minority ethnic groups who are being persecuted in Burma, and fleeing to Thailand, where they are not given full Thai citizenship rights. They live in villages and refugee camps along the Burma/ Thai border, including Huay Ma Lai village, home to Baan Dada. Many, not all, of these children do have families, of some sort or another. Their families are in no condition to take care of the children, as they struggle to even feed themselves. Many come from refugee camps or surrounding and far away Mon/ Karen/ Burmese villages that live day to day.

To find out more (both about Baan Dada and how to sponsor a child), visit: http://baandada.org/.

One of the many things I loved about Baan Dada was the self-sustaining projects the home keeps up both for itself and the surrounding communities. For example, they have a goat lending project. In such, goats are lent to villages for breeding purposes, and then returned. The village gets to keep the goat, a source of food and material. Baan Dada also has a weaving project, in which a "mother" and some of the older kids weave (old loom style) bags, shirts and shawls - and sell them to volunteers, web site visitors and in the market. The children make bookmarks and cards, which are also sold. Visit the web site for more information.

Below are some (of many many) photos of Baan Dada and the smiling faces at Baan Dada. I could go on forever, but I'll leave the rest up to Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/Lia.Brezavar/BaanDadaChildrenSHome#

Cholele and Sirichai at the river. "Going to the river" was a popular event that occurred every couple of days, weather and truck availability permitting.

Me with Nache on my lap and Malai behind. I stayed about 10 days, though I wished I could've stayed longer, and plan on going back in the near future.


Baan Dada also sells items at the market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I went to help out on Thursday late afternoon, along with Heidi, Wahlawhutt, Johnny, Harrish and Dada 2. When we arrived in Sangklaburi, it was pouring rain. So we had to wait it out. Just as it cleared up, we set up the stall and mats, laid out the goods and beckoned villagers to come buy. We sell everything from clothes to cards to trinkets to notebooks to paintings to hair ties to bracelets to stuffed animals to children's toys and dolls to everything that we at home might call "junk". All clothing is 10 baht. I loved this experience - being on the other side of the market stall.

In the midst of a dodgeball-like game, Pitu and Onsinai smile for the much-sought after camera:

Below is a photo of Ehdodo. She is one of the pre-schoolers. Every day at 10:00 am, we volunteers run pre-school class for two hours with about 10 children. I believe Ehdodo will enter Prattom (lower school) next year.

Here is Nadoo with a fruit peel mask.

Below is a photo of Dada 2. There are two Dadas, because "Dada" actually means brother in Sanskrit. Dada 1 and Dada 2 both came to Baan Dada through the Neo-Humanist Foundation. They are placed in their assignments. Dada 1, who has been here for about 9 years, maybe more, (Baan Dada opened in 1994 as a boys' home only), is originally from the Philippines. Dada 2, who has been at Baan Dada for about a year, is originally from Malaysia. They both practice meditation and love for all things in the universe. They also don't speak Thai. In fact, many of the children, being from ethnic minority groups and from Burma, don't speak Thai either, which as you can imagine, makes it very difficult for them in school. In addition to volunteers teaching them English (such as I did), they also have a Thai teacher that comes to Baan Dada. However, the little ones speak English quite well - better, in fact, than my 12 year old students at Sri Racha School. They are surrounded by the Dadas and volunteers, so are therefore surrounded by English. Some of the older children are fluent in multiple languages: English, Thai, Karen 1 and Karen 2, Burmese -- such as Harrish - the unofficial Baan Dada translator. He's one of the older boys and has resided at Baan Dada for most of his life. Oh, and now... here's the picture of Dada 2:

Malae (pronounced Mah-la-A) is an extremely happy child. She is often seen hugging and kissing volunteers, singing and dancing to anything and everything, and always asking for "school". She loves school. And she loves the "Go, Banana" song, that I taught the pre-schoolers. I learned, from volunteers that are still at Baan Dada from when I was there, that my "banana" song has lived on, and they even heard the local farmer humming the tune one day.

Namfon/ Nosoree. Just like many of my students, some of the children have two names/ nicknames.

On one of our trips to the river, I came across this man bathing his dog, who is in total dog heaven. First off, this would have been something to capture regardless, but secondly, in Thailand!?! - where dogs are often treated like ratty pests.

On that same day, here is our tractor load full of children heading back to Baan Dada from the river. Ben, from Australia, who stayed at Baan Dada for a month with his girlfriend Heidi, is sitting in the middle. Other than this tractor, Baan Dada has only one mode of transportation - a truck that was donated by Dr. Friedrich Henning of Norway a few years back. The truck acts as a supply truck, a school bus, a market truck, to the river truck, etc.

During my stay, Dr. Friedrich Henning, a Norwegian optometrist, came to Baan Dada through Unite for Sight - a global NGO, whose name speaks for itself. He spent everyday in various ethnic minority villages giving free eye-check ups and glasses. For many of the villages, it is the first eye-check up they have had in years. I went along to help out with Deirdre, another volunteer from Ireland, and Dada 2. At first, Deidre and I were "game show hosts" pointing to the eye chart to check for long-distance vision, as in the photo below. But, then, after a crash course in optometry, we switched places with Dada 2 and Dr. Henning. I was checking for cataracts and fitting near-sighted and far-sighted lenses!! Dr. Henning had picked up loads of glasses in Bangkok before he came. We were only able to provide down to -3.0 and up to +3.0. We were unable to fit varied distances, so I also had to check for the dominant eye, as that is what we fitted the lenses for. An eye surgeon from Chiang Mai will be here in a few months to do cataract surgery one after another for those who are almost completely blind. Unfortunately, due to human, financial and material resources and time, we were only able to make eligible those that were almost completely blind in both eyes. If there was a full cataract in one eye, and the other didn't make the cut-off point, they just have to wait until the 'good' eye completely goes. Below is a photo of the Karen village we went to, with Dr. Henning in plad on left with villager and translator, and Dada 2 on the right in yellow with villager and translator.

Here I am pointing to the letters on the eye chart. All the letters are either "E" (facing left or right), "W" or "M", so that the villagers can just use their fingers, as they don't know the letters.

On my last day, we took the children on a walk to a store in Huay Ma Lai village. We allowed them each to buy one thing of their choice. The majority chose ramen noodle packets, and ate it dry on the way back.

Baan Dada really tries to focus on each child's interests and needs. Some children are more inclined towards music, some towards art, some towards language, some towards engineering, etc. Children can learn weaving, take music lessons (they have a full music room with keyboard, drums and guitars), take singing and dancing lessons, etc. Below is a photo of the dance class. The children beat the bamboo sticks to a specific rhythm, while the four corner children hopped in and out to a dancing beat. There was a singer and a musician who used a drumstick and a wooden board to further the beat.

Baan Dada has 4 "mothers" who do everything from looking after the children to cooking, cleaning and laundry. On the left and the right are two of the "mothers". In the middle is Siema, a medic who recently came to Baan Dada from Burma.

My farewell. Here are the volunteers that were at Baan Dada at the time of my leaving, from left to right: Ben (from Australia), Yogev (from Israel), me, Heidi (from Australia), Deirdre (from Ireland), Anna and Kim (both from Belgium). From left to right, the children are Daetu, Mongkon, Sutida and Prickadee. The Baan Dada truck is in the background.