You're in the jungle baby, you're gonna dieee

(Dan insisted the title be Guns and Roses related)

10th - 17th May

So, after a little (or a lot) of motivation from the rents, we're back. I love writing the blog when I'm writing it, just feels a bit like homework beforehand!

Looking out from the communal hut. Just miles of mountainous jungle. Stunning.

This is the blog I've been really excited to put together. Our week in the northern Thai jungle. And when we say jungle we mean the 'shower with a hose, eat a fried frog, dodge the hornets' kind.

Dried frog: Exhibit A.

Much to Dan's 'cant we just have a six month holiday' plea, I wanted to do some volunteering. Typing into google 'Thailand volunteering', a not-for-profit website came up. We didn't want to go with the big charities because they can end up doing more harm than good (whilst charging the volunteers a hefty sum).

A farm came up with a well presented and up-to-date facebook page. Promising.

After a few messages we agreed to meet on the 10th May in a small town called Mae Wang, about an hour from Chiang Mai.

Arriving in Mae Wang we didn't really know what to expect but a smiley Thai man and tall European looking guy greeted us. Wat, the husband and owner of the farm, and Victor, a Portuguese volunteer who had been at the farm for over a week already.

Helga, Victor, Wychai and us on a hike

We piled into the back of a pick up truck and began the hour long ride into the jungle! On our arrival we met Helga (a German/Mexican volunteer) and the rest of Wat's family (brother Lek, wife Poh and two young sons).

In the pick up truck!

The history of Wat and Poh’s family is one of persecution and courage. Wat and Poh are Karen people. Originally from Burma, they were persecuted and escaped by crossing the border into Thailand about 200 years ago. Once in Thailand, the Thai people took a disliking to the Karen people and pushed them further up into the mountains where there are harder farming conditions. Today there are around 1,000 Karen people spread across 4 villages in the mountainous Thai jungle. The late Thai King acknowledged the Karen people and officially gave them the land they are on today. The King also set up trading routes and agreements allowing the Karen people to gain a steady income by selling their farm produce to the Thai and Asian markets.

The farm is still very basic, with electricity only being set up in the last 2 years, but they are extremely happy. The beautifully close family unit that we were lucky to be a part of, and the immense sense of pride Wat has for his farm and family is heart-warming.

The main family living space and communal area for volunteers

Wat’s sons Wychai and Sonwychai are your typical 10 and 5 year old boys, gallivanting around the farm, wrestling and making us jump by shoving HUGE beetles in our faces! But there is also a difference. They are extremely hard-working. Wat and Poh do not even have to ask for help. Firewood is collected, fields are ploughed and the dinner table is laid. Watching the love, respect and obedience the boys had for their parents was truly mesmerising. Wat had told us that Japanese sponsors enable Wychai and Sonwychai to go to school, dressed in correct uniform and with suitable books and stationary. Quite encouraging how the world interconnects in such amazing ways.

Playing 'crocodile' at the base of a waterfall with Wychai and Helga

Here are some highlights from the week:

* The first night we awoke at 3am to the pet buffalos enjoying what sounded like a tree-trunk right outside our hut. Sounded like they were eating the hut. Mild anxiety.

* The breakfasts were my FAVE part of the day. Scrambled eggs, piles of pancakes with homemade jungle honey and french toast with fresh fruit. I mean, YUM.

* We did a few hours of physical labour every day. With a break around lunch to avoid the hottest part of the day (35-40 degrees C). This included ploughing fields to create rice terraces, planting rice seeds, picking green beans (which get sold in supermarkets in places like Singapore), weeding and clearing areas of land ready for crops

De-rooting weeds ready for planting rice

Trekking up down steep hills planting rice

Picking green beans for the Asian supermarkets (they have to be pristine. Long, straight and completely unmarked)

* Unearthed some wild ginger whilst ploughing, ate it straight from the ground- SO spicy!

*Went on hikes to waterfalls through the jungle- amazing views. We also learnt a lot about the jungle, such as:

- Plants that are natural dyes (strong red colours)

- A plant that recoils and shrinks when its leaves are touched

- Bamboo can be used and cut into ANYTHING (walking sticks, roof structures, toy guns)

Bamboo walking sticks!

Bamboo stilts (MUCH harder than it looks)

- Big holes in the ground are no-go zones. Spider homes!

- A particular type of bug, when touched, rolls into a little ball, similar to a marble!

* Music is a universal language. It has the power to bring every person together. Each night after dinner the guitar would be played or someone’s favourite band would be showcased. The evenings were a very special time.

Learning guitar with Lek (an INSANE self-taught guitarist, singer and Oasis enthusiast)

Does this make my head look small?

* On the toilet one morning (don’t worry, that’s as graphic as it gets) I heard a loud splat from the corner of the wooden bathroom… looking over, a hand-sized, jet-black, ample bodied spider had fallen from underneath a ledge. Slightly paralysed I tried to remember they’re more scared of us blah blah blah… but when it’s three times the size of the UK midgets you do start to wonder!

* We ate a mango straight from the tree. It was whacked down with a big stick and peeled directly in front of us… now that’s fresh!

* Discovered a love of glass noodles. Not usually a noodle gal, these changed the game.

A typical evening meal. Curry, rice and veg

* Very limited police presence in these more rural parts, so much so that Wat proceeded to drink a can of Leo beer whilst driving!

* Sharing our travel photos with the family. Having never left the jungle, they were most interested in photos of army tanks and planes at war museums and the high rise buildings of Dubai.

* Had no wifi or connection to the outside world for a whole week. And I loved it! Made for a great facetime with the families when we reintegrated with civilisation.

* The Karen people have what’s called a ‘sabai sabai’ attitude. Meaning ‘take things slowly, do what you can’. It created a very calming and no-pressure attitude to the week. However we did want to prove our worth so worked very hard and felt muscles in places we never knew existed!

The work was tough, especially in the 40 degree heat!

* The family had an extremely caring approach. One day Dan was not feeling well, nauseous and weak. That evening Lek went off into the jungle, returning with 3 jungle herbs of which he did not know the English names. Boiling them into a tea he reassured us saying ‘I don’t kill anyone, don’t worry!’ The tea was a miracle worker, giving Dan a great sleep and a refreshed body the next day!

During our time in the jungle we unintentionally taught Wat some new words such as:

- 'squishy'

- 'asthma' (he proceeded to recommend a jungle herb!)

- 'filing your nails' (he previously only associated filing with wood filing).

Funny moments:

- On one of the treks Lek had said ‘if you never try, you never die’… he quickly rephrased this to ‘if you never try, you never know’!

- On a trek, Dan starting singing ‘you're in the jungle baby, you're gonna die!’ with full gusto and conviction making Lek crack a laugh!

We sure learned to live simply! Here's our bedroom and shared bathroom:

We visited several waterfalls on our hikes...

A huge metallic beetle! These guys were so dopey they'd fly into you and often get stuck in my hair!

Eating lunch out of a banana leaf

Some trekkers who stayed at the farm for one night

Leaving our mark! These bamboo pieces are all over the huts. A decorative way to record all the volunteers that pass through the farm!

What a week. What a family. What an experience!

Love,

B&D x