More Camping - Part 1, Hiking, Machetes and a Burning Forest

I don't know how I got my dates so badly mixed up! Between Christmas and New Year was more camping! This time with my guys. It wasn't the whole school, just class 5/6 (the oldest). I had already done a camping trip as you know, I was really looking forward to this, especially with my little guys.

My bag was packed, and I was all prepared. Everyone piled up in front of the school, ready and waiting for the bus to arrive to collect us. Only some of the teachers were joining us, and not even all at the same time. For the journey there, it was the class of kids, me, 1 teacher and one other personal who worked at the school.

There was already another class of kids on the bus and along the way we picked up a third. Once we got there the set-up was similar to the last camp, with a large square where the kids all gathered and listened to various rules and instructions. But there was a lot more fun going on... fun I would be dragged into.

The square

So first, there was introductions from all the various teachers. I was told what to say in Thai, and then to repeat it in English. So I said, in both languages, "my name is Nick, and I teach English in Wat-Banlad school." It went well I think. Then the camper staff, who at first looked very militaristic and serious did some long talks.

This was actually one of the teachers from one of the other schools. A total Badass.

Then we went on a trek through the Jungle. Not all the teachers took part. Most of them unpacked in their rooms and giant tents. I just dumped my bag in mine. I was sharing a double room with Mr. S, the director at my school. It wasn't as luxurious as the last place, but I had a soft bed and hot water. So I was very happy.

During the trek one girl got far too hot, probably sun-stroke of some kind, so some of the teachers stayed back and helped carry her through to the road. I was with this group, with the main leader of the camp. We started talking, initially he looked scary but he spoke good English and was actually a really nice, funny guy.

At the road another group of teachers picked up the girl in a pick-up truck and we walked the long way back. It was right out in the open, in the middle of the afternoon with no shade. It took it's toll on me but I made it without collapsing and looking like a fool.

Making it back I had about five big cups of water and the kids spent the next hour unpacking and getting settled. I did the same; unpacked and took a much needed shower. Afterwards Mr. S took me to meet the other directors who all shared a single large tent. We also got lunch. I'm not sure what the kids food was like, because our eating area was the other side of the camp, in a lovely stilted hut just on the edge of the jungle. It was beautiful. The lunch was always great here. They had a massive choice and even some great desserts!

The hut behind me is where we ate breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There was another gathering at the square and the camp workers put on entertainment. I got dragged up to do a hippo dance. Was actually really funny. I had no idea what I was doing, but when do I? There will be pictures in the next post of this hippo dance... funny stuff. Then the kids were put into groups and received a piece of raw chicken and large piece of some kind of Thai vegetable. Yummy. Then they all headed out to one of the fields.

Half of them climbed up the side of the jungle hill and with machetes (yes... the kids of 9-11 years old were just handed machetes on mass) and started hacking bamboo trees (is it trees? I think so) down. This was to make camp fires. They also would cut a stick down the middle and they created an amazing little holder for cooking the meat.

Into the hills to chop down some trees

Health and safety can take a back seat while this ten year old chops some stuff up!

There was a lot of smoke everywhere, my eyes went so red and started watering so I walked away from the area until most of the fires became less smoky. I moved around and got pictures of and with the various groups.

One thing I loved about this was the groups were all mixed, so there would be only two or three kids from the same school in one group, and the groups had about twenty members. So the kids mingled a lot with each other.

This was not the kids dinner, we moved on to have dinner in the hut. After dinner, there was music and other entertainment and for the most part the kids just played around until the sun set. After it set, there was a ghost walk. Half way through the silent and completely pitch black walk (we are in the middle of nowhere, no lights, it's totally dark apart from the moon and the stars) the camp leaders started setting of explosion fireworks. They just blew up. There was no screeching. They just exploded very, very loudly with different bright colours.

I had an early night, as did the director. I was getting up nice and early, at 4am to take part in the morning exercises with the kids and the morning run. What a stupid person I am.

Christmas!

It's that time already! Christmas! I'm shooting through this now, I won't have time to put up every little detail, so I'm just going to concentrate on the major events. Like Christmas. The weekend after the camping weekend from the previous post.

Christmas eve was a Friday, and after school one of the girls who worked at there took me to her and her families and cooked up a roast dinner. It was actually really good. I ate so much that when I got home I just fell straight to sleep.

Christmas day and Ben arrived early in the morning to take me out. We spent the morning in various temples, at various feasts with lots of food and booz. The food was great, as was the booz. On the way back, we stopped off to buy some stuff to decorate Ben's house with for new year. We put lights all over the place for a couple of hours, and then he took me to one of the other teachers houses. I met a few of her family members, had some more food and more booz.

I went home and had a shower and got changed, had a quick rest and attempted to sober up a little. After a couple of hours several cars arrived in the school. There were all the teachers, their families, their extended families and important families in the village. I jumped into one of the cars and we drove to another school.

The school was huge and had a big stage with lots of music. There was a massive feast brought to the table. A big fish dish. There was also two bottles of whiskey on the table. They made me a drink of whiskey and coke, but no one else was drinking the whiskey. They kept topping my drink up, and the fish and various accompaniments left me very full indeed.

Then they brought on round two.

Round two?

Wow.

Here goes...

I managed... just.

Round three.

Oh god.

Then round four.

Eventually we finally finished with round seven.

I don't get how I managed to loose so much weight, when I have posts about how I've eaten so much out there!

The night, as they all seem to do in Thailand, ended suddenly with everyone getting up and ready to leave. It was only about 8 o'clock. But then Ben said "You not go home now, we go out." And the teachers said he was taking me to some night club. We grab the whiskey from the table and hide it in bags, then make off with it. Hmmm.

We went into Saraburi city and to a place called A-Jacks. You bring your own bottles of spirits, hens the grabbing of the whiskey. Strange. Once inside it was obvious it was pretty dead. The place though was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It had a main stage, but was set up like a posh bar all around the dance floor.

Oh and look. Strippers. Oh hello. About five came over to us and started practising their English on me. Awkward. As it started to get busier, the tables and seats filled up and bands started doing sound checks.

Throughout the night there was live 'rock' type music, and between the bands was dance music... a very strange experience. Then at about midnight, the music changed again, to something... Thai. And all the strippers started leaving the floor and the tables. Suddenly dancing poles just started appearing on the stage and around the whole club. This is a seriously surreal night. But a good one. Definitely the least 'Christmasy' Christmas I've ever had.

I would later learn the reason for this is, they do Christmas and New year on the same day (because A: they don't celebrate Christmas, and B: the saying is "Merry Christmas and Happy New year!" and they think that means it's on the same day).