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by TheEversonFamily, order by Date newest first.

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Today we set off to visit the long-neck, Karen tribe, who live in a small refugee village in the North of Thailand. The village is high in the mountains. There is a big market there where you can buy lots of different postcards, jewelry, cloth etc. The ladies who sell these objects have long necks with bronze rings around them. This makes their necks really long because it presses down on their collar bones. Today this attracts tourists (like us!) but originally there are many reasons why they started wearing these rings around their necks. One is that it made it [View Full Entry]

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332 Words | 7 Comment(s) | 21 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 15th 2007 | 4128 Views | [diary=129217]

They think this looks attractive!
Lady from the Karen tribe wearing tree bark
This lady plays the guitar

This famous monk died when he was 79 years and 8 months old - but that was over twenty years ago!! In all that time his body has not decomposed - even in all this heat and humidity! Buddhists believe it is because it is because this monk was so pure and important that germs will not attack his body. The monk apparently knew he wouldn't decay and asked for his body to be displayed to the public. ( I wonder if he knew they would put him in a glass box like an arcade game!) He doesn't wear those dark [View Full Entry]

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502 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 28 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 16th 2007 | 340 Views | [diary=129022]

This monk wanted to be put on display
Which one's the cheeky monkey?
This is the friendliest (and most healthy looking!) monk we have seen

Helena acted as a bridesmaid, and Jake and Samuel as lantern bearers at the wedding of Hanh's sister! We all felt like guests of honour! Despite the fact hardly anyone spoke English, we could not have been made to feel more welcome - or more like part of the family! There are many differences between a Vietnamese and English Wedding! In Vietnam a Wedding is considered a matter of family honour and lasts for two days! Despite the high levels of poverty, no expense is spared on the elaborate feasting! First there is a meal and party for the bride’s family [View Full Entry]

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1607 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 28 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 15th 2007 | 2129 Views | [diary=124597]

Helena and Thanh lead the procession
The top table (for the women)
 Adding of the Earrings - the equivalent of our exchanging rings?

Mae Hong Song is in the North of Thailand - not far from Burma. We had to come on a little plane through the mountains to get here. Because it is in the North it is further from the equator and less hot. (This is good because we all got too hot in Bangkok - looking at an enormous Reclining Budda. It was all gold and as big as a football pitch!) I liked Mae Hong Song better because there are mountains, teak forests, tribes and lots of adventures to be had. A bit like Tarzan wih clothes. One day we [View Full Entry]

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481 Words | 6 Comment(s) | 18 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 15th 2007 | 290 Views | [diary=128867]

Dad and Jake's Elephant has an itchy bottom
My toes and my elephant's toes!
These are the long tail boats

We're in northern Thailand now. The day trip to Pai from Mae Hong Son started with beautiful country views (75% of the region is forest.) Pai took 2 and a half hours to reach and was very disappointing (too many Westerners with young girl guides!!) However a little detour on route saved the day - the LOD CAVES (Spirit caves) - Caverns (called Column, Doll and Coffin) with a river running through them…. Over 1000’s of years old, they were the best caverns I have ever witnessed! 30-40 metre stalagmite or stalactite columns, plus caverns bigger then the Eden Project bub [View Full Entry]

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377 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 10 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 11th 2007 | 253 Views | [diary=127774]

Scene leaving the coffin cave
James - Genie of the Oil Lamp!
Crocodile fomation

Hello, this is my first long blog entry. I have a good excuse however, it is too beautiful and nice here in Vietnam to spare any time to write a blog entry and as soon as you’ve finished the day you’re too exhausted to write a blog! If you asked me how I like Vietnam today, I would say that Hoi An was my favourite place in the world to travel to for a holiday trip, but this is probably because we met some really nice people and went behind the scenes of tourism! If it wasn’t for Karen Leonard, [View Full Entry]

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2347 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 21 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 13th 2007 | 315 Views | [diary=127768]

Phuc (from the houseboat) studies at the LifeStart school
This is all Long and his Grandmother have to eat - they do not know when they can afford to fill it up again.
Hip - the Would be Vegetable Farmer!

We have been in Vietnam for nearly two weeks and although we have not had time to do any schoolwork, we have learned some important things that school could never teach: * DON’T BE UNGRATEFUL - People here have very little but are happy with what they have got. * HOW TO EAT CRAB, PRAWN, SHRIMP ETC. * DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR LIVING CONDITIONS - we live in palaces compared to all of the children here. Many share their small bedrooms with big rats! * DON’T GO TO HANOI- It’s busy, dirty and dreadful! * DON’T ALWAYS THINK OF YOURSELF - [View Full Entry]

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405 Words | 5 Comment(s) | 5 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 2nd 2007 | 387 Views | [diary=124908]

At the wedding, I had to learn to crack "lucky" seeds with my teeth!
We shouldn't complain about not getting our favourite food to eat. We met two abandoned children and all they had to eat in the whole house was this half bucket of rice. Apparently the bucket is often empty so they felt lucky it was half full.
Look how excited Long was to be given this inflatable ball!

Despite some sad stories, it's far from doom and gloom here in Vietnam.......... [View Full Entry]

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13 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 3rd 2007 | 370 Views | [diary=124889]

Samuel takes his lantern bearing so seriously - you can't actually see him in any of the photos of the wedding procession!
Chewing Beetle nut (opium paste wrapped in leaves) will do this to your teeth!
Kung Fu Fooey?

After spending many days researching Vietnam, Hoi An and the work of Lifestart Foundation from the UK - the reality is an AMAZING EYE OPENER! We have come to really get to know some of the Vietnamese - especially some of the poor. They have so little; a hard bed and a bit of rice (if they’re lucky!). The poverty line for a FAMILY here is £8 per MONTH TOTAL! There are few jobs here, tourism is the main attraction (and Hoi An certainly is THE place to visit in Vietnam - it’s beautiful!) We have been warmly welcomed into people’s [View Full Entry]

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318 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 1st 2007 | 320 Views | [diary=124574]

A bed like this is a real luxury (no duvet!)
She works an 16 hour day (everyday) to hopefully feed her grandchildren

Please buy scarves from Hanh. They are knitted by herself and she has to lie down on her back to knit because she has no use of below her waist. To make just one scarf it takes her a whole 2 days and 2 nights and the money from the scarves is all she earns to live on. We are selling the scarves for £3.00 but it would help a lot more to pay just a little more (£5 if you can!) She said her wish was to have 15,000 Vietnamese Dong a day to live on . That’s just under [View Full Entry]

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306 Words | 18 Comment(s) | 18 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 1st 2007 | 372 Views | [diary=123113]

Hanh studies my drawings
Here we're discussing the colours
Hanh is keen for me to try one on!



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