Technical issues seem to prevent photo's being uploaded which is a shame cos there are some interesting ones. However just to update whoever is out there on our travels to date (while being mindful of those who's own travel plans, due to the snow, have been diverted, delayed or cancelled altogether) Working backwards though, today, Monday morning we woke up in Mae Sot, a town bordering Thailand and Burma separated by the River Moi - at our good friend's Esther Saw Lone. Esther has continued to be an inspiring role model and good friend to many many people from a range of backgrounds across the world and is always in demand from everyone who she comes into contact with. Therefore having not seen her in Thailand for almost 15 years we were delighted that she was in Thailand to greet us and spend time catching up on a decade and a half.
So meeting Esther again after a bus trip from Chiang Mai lasting 6 hours was a wonderful conclusion to the first stage of the third part of our trip to Thailand. Last night we were taken to a crazy kind of DIY BBQ which was conducted at our table, mainly by Jehan as the forthcoming pictures will show. Anyway it resulted in lots of meat and fish being consumed while the heat of the evening ensured a good time was had by all. The following morning we awoke early to make the journey by car to Maela refugee camp - home for almost 2 decades to almost 50,000 refugees.
During the journey there the road took us though some beautiful, traditional Thai landscapes allowing the kids to see traditional Thai houses, fields accompanied throughout by a soaring backdrop of haze topped hills over which Burma lay like a sleeping giant on the other side.
On arrival, Mairah, our equally long lost refugee friend with who we worked with in the 90's to complete the order for Oxfam, was there to greet us. As ' Gollowa' Karen word for foreigner, there was some question as to our entering the camp. The kids of course were both excited by the intrigue (as i was)but also slightly nervous about what their crazy parents were letting them in for !. However keeping as a low a profile as possible which being questioned by the guard, we found ourselves being allowed to enter the camp.
Main impressions of the camp were the absence of almost any man made structures or physical characteristics. Wood, bambboo and leaves continue to be the main source of materials for building any type of house, shop or community building. Closely confined conditions to enable so many refugees to live their was also apparent. As were the numbers of young men and women wandering, engaged in an activity or chatting with each other - all passing time, one commodity the camp does not lack. However it appeared clean and tidy yet seeing so many people, children in particular, still living in the camps deprived of both freedom and the opportunity to seek work was discouraging. Mairah herself was full of energy and we were all delighted to be re-united. A tour of a small part of the camp took place at which we sang songs to the nursery (Streets of London by me and Wind the bobbin up by Samina and Janaki) and visited the high school. Education and health are of course priorities in the camp and my photo's will eventually show the unloading of concrete waterbutts in the searing heat for the latrines.
During the hour long journey back to Maesot I reflected on the fact that although the road connecting the refugee camp and the town is merely one hours drive, the distance between the lifestyles of those living in transition and uncertainty and those who lives are open and full of potential is vast and for many decades has remained so.
From the less than sublime to the overtly ridiculous; a further post to follow on Saturday's visit to an Elephant Camp (not for displaced elephants from Burma) but in Thailand where a darts match took place in front of hundreds of people between Samina...and an elephant !!.Yes you read that right. AN ELEPHANT. You couldn't make it up but I do have the pictures to prove it. Suffice to say Samina won.
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