Blogs from Ao Phang-Nga Marine NP, South-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 7

An early morning bus ride then from Phuket and Im off back up the coast to Phang Nga. Really nice 2 hour drive through the limestone cliffs and jungle which are more and more frequent down here.As I stepped of the bus I was gripped by a Mr Kean who wanted me to sign for his boat tour which Was one of the reasons I was there So I signed up for the following day trip around Phang Nga Bay and to James Bond Island. For now I setttled inton my hotel which had beautiful view of the surrounding said cliffs and the overfriendly staff where quality.Phang Nga is a bit of a one horse town,its a stop off for the islands and surrounding national parks.SO with a day to kill I headed for Tapan Cave ... read more

We woke up Christmas in our bungalows on the west coast of Thailand. How different could it be than up at Whistler? Very! Warm, sunny and foreign. At least we were almost all together; we hopped in a van and headed to the Phuket airport to rendezvous with my Dad, who had been traveling for 2 days from Vancouver. We surprised him, and he was so happy to finally be here. It was particularly tough for him being alone for the two weeks prior while my Mom and the rest of the family were over here enjoying Thailand. Nevertheless, he was happier than ever, and he especially enjoyed seeing Jason whom he hasn't seen in about 15 months. We all caught a long tail boat ferry to Koh Yao Noi island, a very quiet but beautiful ... read more

Lines of Privilege There was no water at the orphanage today. The lines between the main road and the village of Phru Teow were cut accidentally by a team of excavators clearing land for apartments. The staff had to haul water for bathing by motocyc this morning for the children, but many opted simply to jump in to the klong running behind the village. I opted out of that after being warned of a variety of nasties living in those waters. The day was spent repairing the dance costumes that are badly in need of replacement in some cases (I have a plan for this and am in negotiations with the shop in Takuapa for a new sewing machine for the orphanage. The one they have now is a relic to be nice about it. Foot ... read more

The children’s party was this afternoon and evening at Baan Sak beach, a local “park” and beach about 25 mins from the orphanage. It is an annual event sponsored by the Foundation for children in the care of a number of different organizations and orphanages near here. It was a fantastic day and I have so many great pictures to share with you. The highlights of the day (besides the food) included a puppet show for the kids and a Muay Thai demonstration by the volunteer instructor around here. The kids all had a great time with balloon, shell collecting (especially Marrin!) and just goofing off. We are off to Phuket (probably there when I get this posted) for a few days to pick up supplies and I am taking the kids for a day or ... read more

In between Miles feeling okay and being sick, I managed to spend the day collecting details about some of the kid’s stories. Forewarning, this blog is not for the faint of heart. The names of the children are not included, only ages and gender to protect their identities. For now, the stories can be considered case studies. Girl, 11 yrs: This child and her sister lost their father in the Tsunami. The family’s financial support stopped after his death and their mother, with no skills, was unable to afford their care. They are now both under the care of the DPF (Duang Prateep Foundation). Boy, 6 yrs. This child’s mother was killed in the Tsunami. His father was injured and spent nearly one year in the hospital recovering from neurological damage and head injuries. He has ... read more