Monday 14 Jan

Traveling day! All packed up, Jan and I left Mae Sot after breakfast for Kanchanaburi! ( Can actually remember how to pronounce and spell some of these names.)
The start to a beautiful drive, the sun was trying to peek out of the very foggy day (or snowy as they call it here! Up the mountain and down the mountain to Tak and then south towards Bangkok, turning East a couple hours out of Bangkok. It took us about 7 hours to drive, stoping a couple times to change drivers and have lunch (a cup of instant breakfast, which tasted like a chicken, corn and rice soup, and a Magnum ice cream as that is all we trusted at the petrol station. Petro is $1.00 a litre which would be so expensive to a Thai person.
The scenery was beautiful and the roads were mostly excellent. Rice paddies, mustard plants so fields of yellow and long straight stretches of road all with planted median strip! Huge factories the further south we got.
Thankfully the trip was non eventful...we are getting old hat at driving in Thailand now. You always have to be ready for the unexpected like to arrows pointing in the same direction on a two lane highway or cars or motorbikes coming at you!!! The loads of sugar cane we saw aould not fit under some of our overpasses! We could travel at 120k most of the way and I lost count of how many police stops there were...I think they just like to look busy. Most of them just waved us on but one asked where we had come from and I said Mae Sot and his eyes opened a bit and I said we were going to Kanchanaburi and his eyes got bigger. He asked my name and where I was from, I said Aust and he shook his head and waved us on. I think he was amazed a two women drivers driving all that way (as we're only 1 1/2 hrs out from our destination.
So tonight we are staying in a little cottage on the River Kwai.Wow!
We are really exhausted after the drive (as then it took us one hour to find the tourist information as even the policeman we asked didn't know!) took us three goes to find a place to stay so we are here because we were so tired but it is a bit rundown so well move on tomorrow.
Night all!

Sat night/Sunday

For dinner Sat night, Jan and I went to the spectacular restaurant...I have never seen anything like it before. It was built as a tropical rain forest with streams, waterfalls and beautiful plants. The tables and chairs are all made out of lovely timber and were discreetly placed around so as not to overwhelm the environment! The food was delicious but expensive by Thai standards but still extremely cheap by ours! After dinner we walked around taking photos, our favorite pastime. (Freaked out when my iPad wouldn't let me download anymore photos on it...will have to delete some albums when I get home.)
Sunday we walked around Mae Sot. We wanted to get some photos printed to give to all the people we had met and that worked out well. We had to give the man the card to insert in his computer(no photo kiosks here!) and he nearly died when he saw all the photos! I think we have taken over 1000 each! Lots of editing to do!
We then went to see the reclining Buddha and then went to another one where Daniel and I climbed about 450 really steep steps to see several Buddahs. The view was fantastic! (Flowers below we're way way down the hill, taken at 96 zoom!)
We then went to the Sunday night markets (lots and lots of food...fried locusts or grubs anyone!) and had a corn on the cob to tide us over until dinner.
A relaxed but busy day!

Karen New Year Sat Jan 12

OMG!!!! What an exciting adventure this morning!!! Left about 6 to go to the Karen New Year in Burma. Have a look at our mode of transport across the river which is the border! (These things go anywhere). Can't spell their name but everyone calls them tet tet tet as that is the sound they make. We nearly didn't make it as the path up the opposite side of the river was steep and slippery so the guys got out and helped push, then it chugged along again. Got to the celebration and were told that seats had been reserved for us in the dignitaries tent. We were rather awed but then again we were the only Westerners there. They had several speeches from dignitaries and then the soldiers marched...there was a women's battalion too. They had groups of dancers from many of the Karen villages...colourfully dressed and they all danced in their groups for about 20 min or so... That was the end of the ceremony and then it started! We were asked to have our photo taken with General Saw Mo Shae of the Democratic Karen Buddist Army, with the soldiers, with several of the dancers from the different groups, teenagers, you name it and they came as they all wanted a photo with the Westerners and especially with Jan as she is so blonde and fair! Andrews mum said she had more photos taken of her today then she did on her wedding day!!
They had a fair so we walked around all the stalls calling out Happy New Year to the people and just having a look when a big black truck came and said we were summonsed to meet with the general at his home! When we got there they had a meal all laid out for us and many other people! There was rice, hard boiled eggs, beans, greens and a beef dish..all okay so far then was a dish of chicken intestines (pass) and a fish dish that had a whole fish swimming in it! Sliced apple and something similar to a lychee for dessert. We then went into the living room and Andrew talked (translated by Big) to the general about keeping his school at Blatoh safe if there was any fighting and was told the general would do what he could. They also talked about the Karen refugees and wondered if there would ever be peace in Burma.
Came back across the border the same way we went....tet tet tet but easier across the river as it was downhill on the slippery part! There hadn't been any Thai soldiers when we went across but they were there when we came back and Andrew said they weren't happy as they don't like foreigners going into Burma in case something happens and the Thais get blamed!
Only on the way home did we find out that Big's Dad had been very good friends with the General but we were honoured anyway to have been included!
Made up today for the photos we didn't take yesterday! Hope you enjoy them!

Friday Jan 11

Jan and I went to Star Flower Special school for the day. One of the teachers was away but there were four teacher aides for 11 students but as they are special school children their needs are so great! One blind, several with very severe cerebral palsy that has distorted their hands and feet, a HIV positive with global delays, two autistic and several intellectually and speech impaired children. We worked with them on activities (each child finds their name as they come in the room to see what activity they will start with) and the boy I started to work with had severe cerebral palsy and used his ring and baby finger to pick up pieces of puzzles and put them together! So amazing! The teacher had organized activities that matched the ability and needs of the child. Carpet time includes a good morning song and a name song to the tune of "this old man". Where the children say their own name and also have to recognize their name card. We then did some maths, they all count in English so that was good!
At morning tea they wash their hands, have calcium and vitamin E tablets with a drink and biscuit! Jan went through the alphabet with them, again in English and we taught them the A,B,C song. They all ate a huge nutritious lunch and then Jan and I read some stories (that they could sing) Old Mac Donald with Australian animals and The Wheels on the Bus...the kids loved it...they are so into music and singing and dancing. Dancing was quite strenuous on me as to help the kids participate i lifted several of them up who could not stand and held them up while they danced..they can really move to the music but no muscle strength by themselves. Next was outdoor play...all very well organized. Loved getting back in the teaching mode!
We then went to the political prisoners museum where we learned about the mess in Burma and the many political prisoners still being held there...about 450. It really is a sad state of affairs. Many of the political prisoners who have been released from jail are in Mae Sot but unable to get passports due to their time in jail and if they venture back into Burma, risk being arrested again.
Tonight was quite different. Rounded up everyone we knew and ventured to Tesco, a British discount store..the first shopping centre in Mae Sot. As it only opened yesterday there were thousands and it was so noisy but interesting to see. Prices seemed cheaper than ours for some things, more expensive for others. I think we fed the 10 of us for $22 including ice creams and a couple coffees!!
Believe it or not we didn't take any photos today...as we've taken about 1000 each, we thought we'd have a break!!

Thursday Jan 10

This morning on the way to breakfast we saw some men putting up a loud speaker..have a look at the wiring...pretty scary!! Much of their advertising is done by loud speaker. At 7:30am, Sunday morning the truck with the loud speaker was driving all around the village to inform everyone that their would be a community meeting later in the day. Can't tell you what else they advertise as it is all in Thai!
Today we visited the Maela Refugee Camp about an hour outside of Mae Sot. 60,000 refugees from Burma. Interesting that it is never called Myanmar here, only Burma. Even though they live in a camp and most have no hope of getting out, they are happy as they have shelter, food and they know that they are safe and don't have to worry about being killed in their village in Burma.
There are 100 students in the special school here, but the were having a professional development day today, working with older deaf students and teachers of the deaf...complete with data projectors and computers so we didn't see any of the children. We did visit one family who was having a home visit from the teacher..they visit all the children's homes twice a week who are too old to go to school but are special needs.
You tend to think that a refugee camp would not have all the latest but we saw several satellite dishes and as the children had three days off for some reason, we saw many of them watching TV in a very large room. Several of the boys were trying to catch fish in the water with bottles and nets. They were having a great time!
We also visited a Nursery school where there were about 200 children on two floors. It was sleep time when we got there and they were all laying down, many of them had already fallen asleep. In the camp they are given rice, oil, fish paste and charcoal. Many we saw were working; sewing using sewing machines, running food shops, splitting bamboo for floors, sharpening saws, cutting hair and building rooms and buildings.
We met one girl who spoke excellent English who was waiting to come to Melbourne. She has her papers but they were waiting on her husband and he had just gotten his. His family lives in Melbourne and they hope to be there in a few months. They have been in the camp for five years.
We had a bit of a fright when we went to leave as there was a guard standing near the place in the barbed wire where we had come in and as Big is Burmese, he wanted to make sure the guard was gone so he wouldn't have to answer any questions. The guard had gone so we walked out of the camp to the car and the guard came out to talk to Big but only to say that he should have parked down the street. We were all relieved!

Wednesday 9 Jan

This morning we had to visit the IT shop Gigahertz as Jan's iPad decided to freeze. We couldn't do anything with it...we couldn't even get it to turn off! So for all of you out there, in case anything happens to your iPad, press the off button at the same time as the home button for a few seconds and it will reboot your iPad! Hooray, one happy Jan!
Today Margaret, Jan and I went to learn out to cook some Burmese food! First we decided what 4 dishes we would like to cook from the cookbook and then we were off to the markets to buy all the ingredients. We learned that there were two parts to the market: Burmese and Thai. We stopped at a Burmese tea house to try some tea and sweet biscuits while our cook, Bo Bo talked a little about the Karen and Burma history.
We then gathered all the ingredients that we needed and headed back to the store. We passes a lady making beetle nut wraps. They are made with ground marble, lime (as in cement lime and not the fruit) some spices and pineapple jam with the beetle nut wrapped in a banana leaf. All the ingredients help the beetle nut to break down when chewing it. It soon turns your teeth red and can cause cancer and if you swallow it can numb your stomach. It is addictive and causes you not to feel hungry. Most people spit it out after it has all broken down causing red stains everywhere on the ground. Personally sounds terrible!
Back to the shop where our first dish to make was Rice Cake Wheels, a traditional breakfast food, eaten by the people of the central plains of Burma using ground dry rice. It is a thin pancake ( more like a crepe) that when you have cooked one side of it you add peanuts, fresh grated coconut and sesame seeds (black and white) flip it over and cook the other side! Too sweet for breakfast for me but would be a great morning tea!
Our next dish was a Mandalay Noodle Salad that was delicious! It had egg noodles, sliced cabbage, onion, garlic, leek, bean sprouts and coriander. In a flour and water batter you coat gourd, which is like a cucumber (but you can substitute green apple) and tofu and deep fry. Cut these up and add to the salad. Sprinkle roasted chick pea flour over salad. Add hot oil to paprika and saffron and drizzle over salad, using your hands to mix all the ingredients quite well together.
Next was a Karen Pumpkin Curry! It had lemon grass, onion, garlic with paprika and turmeric finished off with honey basil and black pepper...very easy to make!
We also did a pennywort salad that had tomato, red onion, ground peanuts, lime juice and sugar, sesame seeds and pennywort. Very refreshing!
We finished with a banana and honey drink, where you pour boiling water over bananas in their skins, then scoop the banana into a blender with lime juice, orange honey, salt and water. Also refreshing and is supposed to be very good for your health!
We ate so much we didn't need dinner!
While we were there we started to talk to two young men. One (from Boston) had just spent four months in Israel and was going to spend four months in Thailand and Burma. The other was from Calif and had just finished medical school. Both were amazed at what we had already done and were looking to volunteer wherever they could. We also met a girl from Melbourne who was a midwife in the refugee camp and loving it. She was staying for one year and felt she had already learned so much from the midwives in the camp who had no formal training. We have run into quite a few people our age and younger all volunteering wherever they can.

Tuesday 8 Jan

This morning we went with Big to pick up the children for the Special School. The houses didn't seem as run down as the homes from yesterday. On the way we dropped off some meat at the orphanage, which they do once a week. Three were sick today so we had 10 in the truck.
We then visited the clinic where the Burmese attend. Maternity, eye clinic (where Big's wife works), mental health, prosthetics, chronic disease, pediatrics, birth registry, child health nurse, outpatient and HIV, so they cover everyone. They had 3000 births last year and dealt with 500 abortions that women had performed on themselves. They provided about 30 prosthetics in December that were for people who had lost limbs from the land mines and were due for replacements. We saw several babies that had been born yesterday with the whole family on the bed with the mother. They also had a play area for children who were waiting for operations or to see the Dr.
After lunch we went to the dump where 300 families live. They go through the rubbish to gather plastic...they get 2 baht per kg (30 baht =$1 Aus). There is what looks like a beautiful lake in front of the dump but when it rains all the runoff from the dump goes into the water. We also stopped at the school near there and sang head, shoulders, knees and toes in English with the children...Andrew and I had a competition to see which class could sing the loudest. Two of the classes had no teacher, no idea what was happening...as we left the headmaster was having lunch with the ladies at the tuck shop!
Some prices we have paid: plate of fried rice 30 baht, 200ml fruit juice 20 baht, room at the guesthouse we are staying 750 baht per double per night, breakfast was 295 baht for a fruit platter, two bowls of oatmeal with bananas, one cheese omelette and two fried eggs and toast (for four of us).
The photo of the jars of Lollies was at the "tuck shop" at the front of one of the schools...I was horrified but I guess it is the same everywhere!