I'm back! And gone again...

I've been from Bangkok to Takua Pa to Phuket and back to Yaowawit and then back to Phuket. I'm now staying at the Pineapple Guesthouse in Karon Beach for a few days. My sister and brother-in-law are at the Hilton for her work conference on Dengue Fever. Cool stuff for her!

The Hilton here is one of the nicest hotels in Karon beach (if not THE nicest). It's weird for me to go from seeing the children in one room dirty homes (minus the emotional trauma) to seeing this huge resort with beautiful property and phenomenal rooms and multiple pools. I have to remind myself that I'd feel the same way in the US - going from people in poverty to lovely, expensive rich hotels there. Even I have a lot of money comparatively with my 905 sq ft condo and 2 bedrooms and 2 baths and I'm the only one living there! (As opposed to 15 people to fill it!) Besides the Hilton and resorts like it allow for foreigners to come and feel comfortable in a strange place and it brings funds to a struggling economy. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. Tourism, trade, economics, poverty... it would be REALLY cool to study! Anyways, I'm off to sit by the pool with Michael (brother-in-law) and read a book so it must not bother me too much to go enjoy it! :-)

Sherri and Michael went on what sounds like an absolutely lovely tour yesterday to Khao Sok to ride elephants through the jungle, see Khao Lok, see monkeys, see a nice temple... they went with a fairly new company and their guide was great - he took them to other places besides what they signed up for and was flexible with what they did.

I went back to Yaowawit yesterday to get my things and switch my stuff out for what I'd need in Nepal. My room is currently under construction. They are fixing the roof leaks and repainting and re-tiling the kitchen. It will be nice. I stayed in one of the hotel rooms for the night - please come visit if you are thinking of taking a trip. The hotel is lovely and Yaowawit is a very special place. The school is exemplary and I think you would really enjoy experiencing it.

Anyways, I've been busing quite a bit. When Sherri and Michael flew to Phuket I hopped on the 2nd Class bus from Bangkok to Takua Pa (11 hours). It's actually not bad at all. Fiona picked me up and we drove to Karon Beach to see Sherri and Michael for lunch. I ended up going back with Fiona to Nom Phen (sp?) and Uncle Jew picked me up and took me back to Yaowawit. I rode with Pee Wit (the headmaster) and three boys to Phang Nga in the morning to catch the bus back to Phuket. I had a great conversation with the headmaster about the school and breaking the cycle of poverty.

I enjoyed getting to know Fiona better - I spent most of last week with her as well as Monday. She's a phenomenal woman and has done so much not only for Yaowawit but also for her friends, the Nom Phen community (where she now lives in Thailand) and also for people in Cambodia. She's also involved in helping the local animals. She feeds the dogs mange pills and works with a local vet. On the way back to her house we picked up a puppy that she'd been seeing for the last few days. No mama dog and it was all by itself and starving. She's a beautiful puppy and now has the BEST home! Fiona's also had foster kids in Australia and has helped numerous other kids. She's an amazing person and a damn hoot to boot!

Anyways, I'm sad that I'm leaving Yaowawit for a month but am looking forward to hiking in Nepal. During the trek I will not have contact via internet or phone (unless one of the remote villages/tea houses has electricity or phone service) then I'll post or call someone. Otherwise, After October 24/25 I'll be out of touch for 3 weeks.

Much love to you. Sa wah dee ka. Namaste.
Joyann