http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Thailand , North-West Thailand , Um Phang en-us Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:58:36 +0000 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:58:36 +0000 After all the ruins and temples we decided that a big dose of the great outdoors was just what the doctor ordered. Keen to avoid the crowds of tourists heading to Chiang Mai we decided to step off the welltrodden backpacker route and head out to the village of Umphang in the west of Thailand very close to the Burmese border. The only obstacle was a long minibus journey followed byltspangt http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-712112.html Just more memories Top of Class the party to beat all parties. Dancing food drink and most importantly friends http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-543026.html This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life I was so glad when Marco was able to join me and see why had stayed away from home for so long. The people here touched me and changed my life for the better I will always be grateful http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-543018.html At the end of every session we have a Top of the Class Party. The top 3 students can attend for free. They get a certificate. It is a nice reason to get dressed up and have a little fun. Here's a look at the festivities. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-505659.html Lat weekend a student invited me to his wedding. He had spent the last month fixing his house for his new bride. I was excited about seeing the ceremony but not about the 4 hour ride to Umpien Camp. He had got permission from the Camp Commander Thai for many of his friends to come. Many people were very excited because this would be their first time out of the camp in years. That is somethi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-480508.html The other day while walking around I saw this procession of people going through camp. Everyone was dressed in fancy clothes and carrying gifts and music was playing for the camp it was very interesting. At the time I didn't know what I was seeing but later I learned it was the Shinpyu. It is a buddhist ceremony. The celebrates sending of their young boy 89 to a monastery where he will be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-480496.html I there I have been here a week and just wanted to share what my daily life is like. I wake up at 7am to the crowing of roosters and the slamming open of gates from them opening the tore I live behind. I have about 12 mile walk to school. They provide all meals Burmese breakfast is usually noodles in a sauce and some sort of bread type thing mushed in and slightly spicy. Not my favorite I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-477141.html On day 3 we were greated by 3 elephants. Two adults and one baby. The adults would be carrying us on a winding and steep jungle path of 10km. The baby closely followed its mother.Our seats weren't that comfortable so we really started hurting after a while especially when going down at higher speeds But the ride was a really cool experience sitting high up with a nice view. Along the way our http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-454584.html Day 2 started out spectacular. After a half hour walk from the camp site it was suddenly there Thilawsu falls Thailand's biggest waterfall and it seemed to come straight out of a Jurassic Park movie Covering multiple levels the water thunders down a total of 200m through several pools. Impressive.We climbed around for about an hour and a half and saw a lot of people jumping off the lowest le http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-454583.html On our first day of our adventure we got up early after a rough night's of hardly any sleep on what it seemed a wooden mattress. After a good breakfast we headed down to the river and boarded our raft. The river was rather quiet so we were able to take some pictures along the way. The best part of the river trip was the beginning where we passed some beautiful cliffs with waterfalls like hu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-454374.html During my week observing Australian cultural orientation classes at Umpiem camp I met such fantastic participants eager to learn about life in Australia. It was also exciting for me because I can track some of the families down when I return home to see how there resettlement is going. The class was once again mixed Burmese and Karen with 2 interpreters used. I mostly observed the adult class b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-368640.html It was a great week to be in the camp. As Thailand is a Buddhist country and Mae Sot has a large Muslim population it just did not feel like December or the Christmas season. However the majority of the Karen population at Umpiem camp are devout Christians very religious and this is an extremely important occasion for them. On the first night of our stay Bee and I could hear music and singing http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-368628.html I was fortunate enough to spend a week staying at a guesthouse in Umpiem camp with one of the trainers Bee to observe her cultural orientation classes for refugees bound for Australia. It gave me an opportunity to experience firsthand how many of the families live in the camps and in what conditions. I would have to confess that I do not know how long I would be able to cope as it is extremely http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-368247.html 14 dicembre 2551Ciao a tutti mentre la Farnesina sconsigliava viaggi in Thailandia una nuova autorita' la ben nota farMessina smentisce ogni sospetto di pericolo in questo paese e incentiva anzi la partenza a tutti i dubbiosiQuindi non preoccupatevi qua non si e' visto ne saputo niente non si sa nemmeno se hanno un governo ora e se faranno elezioni L' importante e' che i turisti continuino a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-354141.html Youth classes are generally 35 days duration 5 hours. The curriculum is similar to adult classes however there is a greater focus on schooling and education cultural adaptation health such as brushing your teeth employment dreams sex education culture shock and transit procedures. More games fun activities and breaks are required for the youth to retain their interest and concentration http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-351064.html Trainers and locals tell me this is the most beautiful of the 9 camps because of its stunning sights and location. As my stomach churned around the twisted bends and turns of the one and a half hour journey from our office you could definitely see why. The landscape and scenery was breathtaking and many of the families homes are situated on a hill overlooking a panoramic mountain view. It i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-351063.html Friday December 21th 2007Today I'm leaving Um Phang for Mae Sot. I'm feeling sorry to leave this place but I'm looking forward for the 100 km ride on the mountain road. I often stop to look at the landscape and take pictures. Probably they are the same as on the journey to Um Phang.I'm now used to ride the motorbike and I'm enjoying it. Nevertheless at each bent of the road I still contract m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-234040.html For the next 6 hours Mike and I will be on a bus with air conditioning that doesn't work. We are traveling to Mae Sot. As we slink down the aisle to our seats we notice that the bus was full of Westerners AKA white people. That's no good we are trying to get away from those damn Westerners. The front section of the bus has a group of twenty something mormons on a missionary trip of some sort http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-123557.html After leaving Bangkok we went north towards Chiang Mai. But instead of making the trip straight up like most tourists do we wanted to go for some adventure and nature first. Boy did that turn out to be the best decision ever Half way to Chiang May we got off at Mae Sot a little town at the border with Birma Myanmar. Birma and Thailand haven't always been best friends in the past and Birmese http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Um-Phang/blog-105964.html