A Wonderful Weekend!

What a wonderful weekend! I almost don’t know where to begin! First of all, for whatever reason I really wasn’t THAT excited about the weekend! I think it was because I did not enjoy my last homestay, I had already done zip lining and elephants (so spoiled I know) and I was looking forward to doing NOTHING all weekend!

Prachit and her husband picked us up on Friday morning and we were on the road by 9:30am. It took about 1.5 hours to get to Kued Chang and we spent most of the time talking about politics, life in Thailand compared to our lives in the U.S. and Holland, etc.

We arrived at the homestay around 11:00am and put our things in our room. The homestay was in a village but at the end of the road. There was the main house which had a few bedrooms and a kitchen (I didn’t see anything else) and a porch out front. Then there was a small area between that and the “guesthouse” which had a table and then the guesthouse. You could have told me it was built 40 years ago and I would have believed you but we found out it was only 2 months old! I couldn’t believe it! It wasn’t awful, but I couldn’t believe it was so new! There was a porch area with a table and a COMPUTER! The homestay father LOVES karaoke (he would sing by himself at night haha) so they had a computer just chilling outside! I couldn’t believe that either!

There were two rooms in the little cottage area. My room had a double or queen size bed which I was excited about but I had to laugh when I sat down. It was HARDER than a rock! I felt like I was sleeping on plywood! Later, Krista had said how she thought it looked so comfy and I told her it was an illusion and when we came back to the rooms I heard her laugh and yell, “You were right!!!” But the bed did have a wonderful comforter and that is one thing I have missed since I have been away, a nice comforter! My room also had a balcony which was cute and there was an ensuite bathroom (so fancy). There was a western toilet which impressed me, a “shower” and a sink. Overall, it was actually much nicer than I expected!

After putting our things away we returned to the porch to have lunch with the mother and father of the homestay as well as Prachit and her husband. I am not really sure WHAT we had but it wasn’t that good and I was so happy I brought along a lot of snacks! I also made sure to take my pepto with the meal.

After lunch Prachit’s husband said he would teach us how to ride the motorbike so we could go for a drive (the village is so small they don’t care if you have a license). I was really excited and waited for Krista to learn first! Then, it was my turn! Granted I don’t have my motorcycle license (yet), but I thought I wouldn’t be TOO bad. However, I realized it was so much easier than riding a motorcycle! There was NO clutch! You could just switch gears by pressing down and that was it!

After Krista and I became pros we decided to go out for a spin! Since I consider myself pretty good at directions I told Krista she could go first and I would pay attention so I could get us back! We were off! We drove for awhile and then stopped to get gas (the gas stations are SO funny) and made our way to an elephant camp. We wanted to check it out but I guess they let the elephants roam free so we couldn’t go in. We ended up talking to an older man at the camp (who spoke great English) about how they care for the elephants, etc.

We decided we should get back to the homestay, so I took over for the drive back. I was doing great..until we reached a hill. Now I DO understand how a standard works, but I honestly wasn’t thinking (I was so caught up in the beautiful scenery) and before I knew it we were slowing down, going uphill, in 3rd gear! I QUICKLY tried to get it back to first, but I wasn’t quick enough and we were stuck! Ha! Well not stuck but actually rolling downhill. There were a group of locals laughing at me as Krista tried to steady the bike so I could get it in first gear and we could go again! Dad, I would have embarrassed you! BUT now I will remember to pay more attention!

After returning back to where we got the gas we could either go left or straight. We had come from the left so decided we better not take our chances going straight. We laughed later when we realized the village was one huge circle. If we had gone straight we would have been back in literally 2 minutes, but instead we went all the way around and it took about 20 minutes! I had to laugh because I thought I was good with directions but we both agreed we just loved the driving!

We made it back to the homestay so our “Mom and Dad” could take us up to the top of the mountain to visit a village. They only had a truck, so Krista, the mom and I hopped in the back! It felt very “Thai Village like” to be riding in the back of a pickup truck. I actually kind of liked it until we started up the mountain on a very, VERY bumpy road. Well, I don’t even think you could call it a road. All I was thinking about was how badly I would need a massage after we were done!

At one point we tried to go up a steep hill and got stuck, a few times! I had to laugh as our wheels were spinning and dust was flying EVERYWHERE! At this point the Dad, who was driving, backed up to flat ground and turned off the car. Krista and I thought maybe we should get out (less weight) but then all of a sudden they pulled out these big sacks! I should probably mention they spoke no English. He knew a few words but she knew nothing!

So we followed along and next thing I knew we were filling up the sacks with rocks! Lots and lots of rocks! He took one of the bags and put it in a hole in the road and we put the other bags (I think 4) in the very back of the truck and we were told (well shown..) that we needed to sit on top! And we were off..and…WE MADE IT! Woo hoo! We were all cheering and then he got out and high fived us..it was great haha!

We arrived at the village about an hour later at someone’s house maybe? And she made us this GREAT sticky rice dish with sugar. We also saw these big slabs of fat (we think from a cow) that she deep fried but I did not like that at all!

We had a snack at this house or whatever it was and then we started hiking -- I think to see the sunset. I was only wearing my flip-flops and it was completely uphill and I was dying! Haha oh so out of shape! This girl was following us and I think she was obsessed with Krista and I! She didn’t speak any English (so we thought) but kept hugging us and touching us..it was so funny!

When we got to the top of the mountain it was very beautiful but it was cloudy so there wasn’t much of a sunset. We walked to another person’s house to sit on the porch overlooking the valley and again it was just beautiful! I think it was a guesthouse, maybe for monks because we saw the orange robes outside!

While we were looking at the scenery the girl with us brought us flowers and they were beautiful! It is amazing when you meet people who really don’t have much, but whatever they are able to give, they do. How different would the world be if EVERYONE was like that? I wonder...

On the walk back down Krista asked me how old I thought this girl was and I was about to say 12 when the girl said 12! Krista and I both laughed and said we now needed to be careful because she obviously did know some English!

We then walked to the school which obviously was closed but they had a small playground out front. We asked our new friend if it was her school and she said no so we were a bit confused as to who goes to school there. I had asked Prachit and she said there was a school in the village at the bottom of the mountain (where we were staying) but since it took an hour one way, the kids lived at the school. There was a school and there were girls following us who grabbed our hands and brought us out back. It was very run down and we had no CLUE where they were bringing us but next thing we knew there was a pool! Well it looked more like a tiny little lake, it did not look like a pool but then all of the kids were jumping in! If I wasn’t worried about getting some disease I would have jumped in with them, but it was a blast watching them play!

We left and met a group of people who were staying in the village for the night. I guess there are also homestays at the village and you can hike and do everything else and then sleep there too!

Krista had brought some gifts from Holland (baby clothes, bubbles, books etc.) and Prachit had thought this village could use it more than the orphanage so Krista was able to pass out her gifts which everyone loved!

Since it was getting dark we hopped back in the truck to head down to our home! When we passed the famous “hill” we stopped and Krista and I figured we were going to put the rocks back. But instead we just left the sacks of rocks, I guess for the next person who comes along and needs them!

It was SO cold after the sun set and it was the first time (in a while) that I have been FREEZING! It took us a little over an hour to get back and I was excited to take a shower. But the excitement didn’t last long as I realized there was no hot water. Now I have been complaining a little bit about how my shower in the hostel is cold, but this was the COLDEST (I repeat) the COLDEST shower I have ever taken in my entire life. It didn’t help that I was cold and it was cold outside, but I thought I was going to die. It was the kind of cold that takes your breath away, literally. I had to make strange noises JUST to get under the water. Haha oh it was AWFUL! After the quickest shower I have ever taken I didn’t really feel clean but I put on the one pair of “light” pants I had and a “light” jacket, wishing I had brought my winter clothes!

We sat outside our rooms at the table and the father put on karaoke (the music videos were hilarious) and we ate dinner. I knew I was in trouble when I looked down at my plate and saw a FISH (an entire fish) looking back at me. Now I do NOT like fish, especially when they SMELL like fish! I kept trying to convince myself I was just eating chicken, which proved to be hard when a fish head was staring at me. Luckily she served rice with it AND a soup which was delicious. So, I picked at the fish and moved it around so it looked like I ate it and every few bites I would shove the fish into the side of my mouth so I couldn’t taste it and then shove in rice and soup broth and swallow!

We had fresh fruit as well which was SO good! They grow it right in the backyard and don’t use any pesticides (as we could see from when the ants were crawling on it before she washed it) so it was really really good! I felt bad, though, as they didn’t eat with us but wanted to make sure we were all set before they ate!

After dinner we met Noriko. She is 27 and from Japan but went to school in Las Vegas and lived there from when she was 18-24! She is also at the homestay for 2 years, participating in the Japanese version of the Peace Corps! It was SO interesting to talk to her. She went to school for hotel management and decided she wanted to volunteer. Japan and Thailand’s government each pay for this and she spends 2 years (she can’t go home the first year) volunteering. She speaks Japanese and English and before she came to Thailand she spent 5 hours a day for 2 months learning Thai! She works at the local government in the tourism department. It was SO good to have her there as she could translate from Thai to English. I also loved hearing about her life and travels and her time in Thailand.

The homestay mother makes soy milk every night and sells it in the “market” in the morning so we were asked to join! First step, blend soy beans, water and some green vegetable in a blender. Then, pour it in these mesh bags and squeeze the juice so it mixes in a huge bowl of water. Do this process until it is all gone and now you have a huge bowl of liquid. Then, boil the liquid over the fire and add sugar. At one point the mother came running out to stir and Noriko said we were burning it so we all laughed! We had a great time just sitting around the fire and having “girl’s time” and just talking about life etc. After it boils you can drink it and it tastes SO good!

We called it a night around 10:00pm as it was getting VERY cold! I put on everything I brought with me (sounds familiar..Pandaville??) and climbed into my VERY hard bed! I did NOT sleep well at all and while the hard bed was a factor is was mostly the WIND! I could NOT believe how loud and windy it was! I really thought we might be in the middle of a hurricane or tornado! Luckily it didn’t shake the room TOO much but it was the loudest wind I have EVER heard!

We woke up around 6:30am and went to the market to help sell the milk! I could NOT get over how cold it was and wished I had brought more clothes! We hopped in the back of the pickup truck and headed down to the main road. I was expecting a market, but we simply pulled over to the side of the road and set up shop in the back of the truck. I just loved it! We spooned the milk into bags and tied them with rubber bands. This was the busiest I had seen this village and there was a small “store” about 2 buildings down. Most people would stop and get their groceries and then come to the truck and pick up milk for 5 baht ($.16) a bag.

We made friends with a local boy who liked running up to us and “scaring” us and he loved our camera and took lots of pictures and he also counted (in English) the bags we had.

We asked Noriko if she thought making the milk every night (which took at least 3 hours) was worth it. She said most of the people in the village lived off 3,000 ($94) baht a month and the homestay mom made 200 baht ($6.25) a day selling milk, so in a month made about 5,000 baht ($156). We were amazed by how little they need to live, but then realized they don’t NEED a lot. They grow MOST of their food and Krista asked Noriko if they had a mortgage and then she laughed because she realized of course they don’t! They just get wood from the mountain and build their house! I laughed and called her a blond (she made a couple of comments like that and I made sure to give her a hard time)!

We got to the main street around 7:00am and by 8:30am we were packing up and heading back. The dad brought us these eggo things (SO good..just like waffles at home) and this sticky rice thing (they LOVE their rice) and then we headed back to the house!

I was SO tired (and cold) so Krista and I sat in the sun and had coffee and cookies and some fruit the mom had brought out. This was plenty for me for breakfast seeing as we had already eaten and then she brought out this soup! Ugh! I LOVE breakfast but I cannot do “heavy” foods that I would normally eat for dinner and on top of that I was actually full! Krista and I felt awful but we tried to explain it was just too much for us to eat!

Around 10:00am we got ready and headed off for our hike to the waterfall. It was about a 20 minute drive to get to the base of the hike and while the road was SO bumpy it was beautiful as it was along the side of the river.

We parked at the bottom of the mountain and Krista, myself and our “dad” started up the mountain. Now I have realized I am NOT a hiker! I do love nature and I love adventure things outside, but hiking just isn’t one of them! I wanted to tell him I would have been happy if we just kept driving around! Ha! I also didn’t have great shoes and I felt like every time we ran into someone they commented on how I wasn’t wearing hiking shoes! Haha! So I will blame my lack of liking hiking on the fact that my shoes weren’t very supportive (I never FELL but I did slip a few times). I did enjoy the hike as it was very natural and undisturbed. There weren’t any built in stairs and sometimes we just hoped we picked a good place to cross the river as there was nothing marked.

Along the hike there were random homestays and it was pretty cool to think you could just hike up and sleep along the river, although I would have to pack MUCH lighter if I wanted to do this! The hike was still beautiful and peaceful and quiet. Slingshots seemed to be very popular along the way and we would stop at the homestays and try to hit plastic bottles they had tied up along the other side of the river (I wasn’t very good!)

It took us about an hour to reach the waterfall and it was beautiful! We ran into some of the people we had met the day before, at the village on the mountain, which was funny. The water was FREEZING (although Krista and I both agreed our shower was colder) but we knew we HAD to go in and I think we got at least one picture of us in the waterfall!

Our homestay parents were soo cute and the mom packed us a lunch so we had a little picnic in front of the waterfall! Pretty good deal if you ask me! As we were leaving we ran into a European couple who had been higher in the mountain camping. After hiking back to the base of the mountain we ran into them again and they hopped in our truck! I have no idea if they were with a tour group or what but their guide said they were going to go white water rafting with us!

It was so funny as we did not have to sign our life away to go rafting. We didn’t have to do anything besides put on a broken life jacket and a helmet. I wasn’t too excited about white water rafting because I had read that since it wasn’t the rainy season it was really just a lake. And that’s what it turned out to be! Haha! It was cool to think I was on a river in Thailand but there were no rapids and the entire trip was spent paddling (wow I am now realizing how LAZY I am..haha). I guess I don’t mind paddling if we are going through rapids but it isn’t nearly as fun on a still river. The water was so low that the excitement of the trip was getting stuck on rocks (about 5 times I think). I have heard the rafting is AMAZING in the rainy season (to the point they sometimes don’t let you go because it is so dangerous) but I wouldn’t recommend it if it is during the dry season.

After my arm was about to fall off we were able to ditch the raft for a ride on a bamboo raft thing, but since there were four of us (the man said no more than 3) we kept sinking! It was kind of fun since the river was VERY still and we just got to sit there but the water was freezing and we were sinking so I was sort of excited to get out! The people we passed kept saying we were a bamboo submarine.

I bought an ice cream and a picture of our group on the bamboo raft when we were done. It’s funny because I never buy pictures of rides or amusement park things in the U.S. but here I like the idea that I am helping to contribute to their life since these villages now depend on tourism. I figure it is better than giving away my money to some millionaire who owns an amusement park.

We returned to the homestay and I took a shower (I was already freezing from the water so what’s a little more cold water!) and spent some time relaxing outside with a book! I think I also fell asleep for a bit and there is nothing better than a nap in the sun, especially because the sun wasn’t burning, just warm!

The homestay mom kept bringing us out fresh fruit all afternoon and it was SO good! We ate dinner outside and it wasn’t fish tonight (woohoo)! The homestay mom was a great cook and this is coming from someone who doesn’t really like international food!

We made the soy milk again and this time Krista and I were pros! Except, Krista somehow managed to break the blender! Well, maybe she didn’t break it but it stopped working! Luckily they were prepared and just pulled out another blender so we continued on!

We brought the big pot outside to the fire and both Krista and I had to ask for jackets because it was freezing! Krista, Noriko and I enjoyed our girl time again. It was so fun that the three of us (ages 23, 27 and 33) from (U.S., Netherlands and Japan) could all have such a fun time sharing stories and laughing a lot! It really was great! We also had rice cake (the same thing we had when we went to the village on the mountain) and it was delicious and we had to sample the soy milk (really good as well)! At one point the homestay Dad was over at the computer singing his karaoke, by himself! We all laughed at him (he wasn’t very good!)

Luckily it wasn’t as windy so I slept better! Noriko said we could wake up whenever we wanted as there was no rush to get going in the morning! I loved not being part of a tour group! Our “dad” came with us everywhere and took pictures and made sure we were ok and happy. There was no set time for anything, it was always “whenever you are ready”.

So both Krista and I took advantage of that and were woken up by Noriko at 10:00am to tell us breakfast was ready! It felt so nice to sleep in! Breakfast started out with the cookies (sort of like biscuits) and this banana sticky rice thing (it looked gross but it was very good)! Now again, that would have been plenty for me, but then she brought out this rice and green bean dish AND soup with tofu in it! Ugh, now I like to eat but this was SO MUCH FOOD! Krista and I tried to eat as much as we could but I don’t think we even managed to eat half of it!

Our first stop of the day was the elephant ride and the elephants were literally in our backyard, it was so funny! I was really happy I had already done the day elephant camp as this wasn’t nearly as good. We sat on a chair on the elephants back (I could only imagine how much that hurt him) and went for a little ride! We did get to ride past our homestay which was cool! The chair wasn’t as comfortable as I thought so I was really happy I had already ridden one bareback! We did bring along bananas and our elephant LOVED to eat so he went through them in no time!

After the elephant ride we went on a little hike down to a zip line. Well, it was actually a cage you sit in and go across the river. It was kind of cool but I felt more like we were cargo getting shipped across the river but it was different!

Our homestay Dad was waiting for us and brought us back so we could have lunch! WE JUST ATE! Uggh I felt awful as I was still BEYOND full! I tried to eat a few bites and then we were off to zip lining!

I had already been zip lining as well so I wasn’t too sure what to expect! We showed up and got suited up and then had to HIKE to our first spot (we were so tired!!!) We had two guides with us (who spoke a little English) AND a woman who spoke English! It was so nice that it was just Krista and I as it went by so quickly! I am glad I got to do this zip line as it was a bit different! They hooked us in around our waists so on the long ones we could flip upside down (it was a bit scary). I also thought the scenery was a bit better on this zip line AND they had some REALLY long ones! The best was going over the river, it really was so fun!

After the zip line we went back to the homestay to pack up and wait for Prachit to pick us up! I think Krista and I both took another nap outside (it was SO beautiful) and Prachit and her husband picked us up at 5:00pm.

The whole ride home we talked about how wonderful the homestay was and how they were so sweet and we had a blast! Prachit was happy as this is relatively new (we were the first girls to go) but we said we would really recommend it! While I had an AMAZING time it was a little bit frustrating as it was NOT (by any means) the same as what it said on the WLS website, although that is more a complaint with them than with Prachit and the program! There were numerous times this weekend when I had to stop and say, “Wow, I am living a pretty sweet life”. It was SO beautiful and relaxing and just everything you picture Thailand to be!

While I was actually really sad to leave, I was excited to take a not FREEZING shower (I was still ok with cold, this shower doesn’t take my breath away). It felt SO good to get all the dirt and grime off and wash my hair! By the time we got back and I had showered it was almost 9:00pm so being the spoiled princess I am I ordered takeout! This takeout thing has come in really handy!

I have also decided when I come home I should work for Pepto-Bismol. I think I might be a spokeswoman, maybe work for their commercials. Or maybe tour the country and explain how Pepto-Bismol saved my life. Luckily I didn’t have too many issues eating only Thai food this weekend, and I owe it all to Pepto-Bismol!

Also, I am going to update new videos so check out the ones out there before I have to delete them!

Hugs and kisses from a wonderful weekend!