Sup People, Agent Komodo here.
So after a rest day and Chiang Mai we took a Song-Tao into the Samoeng District . It is a land over and through mountains just west of Chaing Mai. I was sitting in shotgun (don’t fret, that is just what I call the front passenger seat). The ride for me was very peaceful and the tumultuous windy road was not as terrible from my standpoint. It was a good 2 hour ride through the mountains. When we got to our destination we were greeted by the smiling faces of 5 or so children between 12 and 15 years old. right off the bat I felt so welcome. Not only were the kids inviting but so was the environment. There was a two story dormitory on each side of the property. The whole estate was on a hill. In between the various buildings the vegetation was tall, green and thick. There are also ponds and pools for tadpoles and fish. I was directed up to halfway to the top of the property to the boys dormitory, which is right above the kitchen. After I set my stuff down we met back up in the main area near the entrance. We were given a grand tour were I learned they had pigs, mushroom houses, turtles, and were currently making additions to the property. At the end of the tour we were led to the top of some steps that led to an adjacent area connected to the property. Mr. Yamamoto, the director of the orphanage told us we would be working in this area mining clay from the hillside, sifting the rocks out, mixing water and rice husks with the clay, and finally making bricks with the other kids that live there. After we had Pad Thai for lunch we had some time before starting work. Making clay bricks is very hard. First thing we had to do it dig into the mountain side to level the ground and get the clay dirt. Even though the land and rocks were soft they were damp and heavier than the dust in the top layer . Next is the sifting which is the most straight forward, but tiring part. After making the sifted clay/dirt in a big pile we would drag it to an area that was lined with plastic were we would mix water and the rice husks. I am not quite sure on the ratio but mixing it pretty much was just walking and kneading the dirt with our feet. Finally the part where we would fill buckets with brick substrate and bring it to a mold area (a wooden ladder-like thing placed on concrete) was and poured the mud right in.
We would spend the next three days making bricks but also doing other things. For instance on the second day we went swimming at a nearby creek. It was small and not very well taken care of but it was nice and cool. Two of the boys who stayed at the orphanage had asked me if I wanted to go spear fishing and I could not refuse. We walked through a rice field to a spot downstream. we would wade the water and wear scuba goggles with a bamboo stick in hand. attached to the tip of the stick were three 4 inch long spikes made of steel. on the opposite end there was a long thick rubber band that you lop around your thumb before pulling back the stick and holing it at the base of the spikes. This thing went fast but not fast enough for me. The guys caught 4 total and I was unable to get anything. I mean I was able to get a handful of tadpoles but that wasn’t really worth anything. I also caught a one inch minnow and shrimp but again not worth the energy required to cook them. Another fun thing we did was play soccer. that was a blast. These Thai kids are supper good and I had never played soccer before so it was great to have some of the elite on my team. All and all that was a very wonderful place that I enjoyed very much. I plan to come back and visit again someday. Everyday I was so comfortable and joyful I wished another day was added to our stay. Thanks for reading and keep listening for more updates from other members of our group. PEACE!!!