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Published: March 22nd 2006
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From March 18th
We arrived this afternoon at the clinic by a tuk tuk, there called that because that is what they sound like "tuk ...tuk.....tuk.tuktuktutututu" What it is, is a motorcycle with a small four seater canopy pick up like bed on the back. Anyways the clinic was huge! As we walked in we met a man from PBS news from the states doing a report on the burma crisis and the clinic. He was shocked but what he has been reporting on and is ready to publicize it to the Unites States. He says its about time we heard about this.
The women who founded the clinic and currently runs it, Cynthia, is seen as the mother Theresa of Burma. She has donated her life to her fellow burmese and has trained fellow burma refugees to administer care and they run the show.
After walking through pediatrics, gyno/ob, we stopped to talk in the prosthetics workshop. This room is basically a wood shop with table saws, drills, grinders, and a plastics area where plastic is melted and put in a mold to custom fit the victims leg or arm. The men making the limbs both only have one leg. We sat and watched this and all of us finally felt the realness of the situation. A man mssing a leg making artificial legs for others and the demand never slows down. Outside Melissa photographed a disturbing dry erase board that listed peoples names, the body part they need made, and the method of injury. The method never changed, it was allways LANDMINE.
As we moved on we continued to talk to MonMonTin, who overseas most of the clinic and also deals with most of the PR. He works six days a week and has seen many friends come through the clinic and currently has a good friend in hospice care at the clinic. MonMonTin was very melancholy and seems greatly affected by the clinic.
We try to voice to each other how we feel about seeing these people losing their lives and others sacrificing theirs for others and the only answer is that these are heroic people who struggle all the time but continue on because it is so neccesary.
March .. Wed
We finished up Mae Sot with some good Indian food, a tour of the local muslim mosque, and Maria's wonderfull massages. 1 hour massage = $2.50.
Brad and us split up because he needs to get a visa for cambodia in Chiang Mai and then hopefully we'll met up with him in Pai.
Right now we are in Mae Hong Son. We got here by a "sawngthaw" a pickup truck with benches and a canopy cover. This ride ruined our butts. It lasted over 7 hours on bumpy dusty roads. At one time we counted 17 people in the back. Basically, we were livestock. At one time a newborn baby got on with her mother and rode for two hours, abslutely incredible that this little baby could stand this crazy ride.
Today we are in Northern Thailand in a town called Mae Hong Son which has alot more tourists and isn't that nice immediately but this morning we rented motorcycles and headed north towards the border to a town called Mae Aw. As soon as we gained some elevation the jungled greened up and the temperature dropped below a 100 F. Sooo Nice. We cruised all day through green valleys filled with brightly teal colored cabbage farms surrounded by thick bamboo and pine jungle mountains. The mountain roads are so steep that 1st gear is all we could drive in, in many parts. We plan on heading up there tommorow and staying in a small hut where the owner grows tea and grows and brews his own coffee. Were going to stay up there for 2-3 days and avoid the tourist scene for awhile.
Ok last short story. Along the main road we stopped at a small cave where a budhist monk lives. He sleeps on the floor and has been living in this cave for many years. He has tiled the floor of the cave and decorated with many golden shrines of buddha. Dried dripping candle wax also adds to the sacridness of this place. We've seen lots of monks in town and at the Watts but this is the first time a monk has spoke to us. He was so proud of his cave and wanted us to see the entire thing. He had no problem with us videtaping and even demonstrated his meditation. We sat with him for awhile playing charades. He offered us asian potato chips and water. We gladly accepted and then he offered us a bracelet. A white piece of string. As he tied it onto our hands he chanted a prayer and tied three knots in it. He was a sweet man but I left thinking that every tourist in town would have a white bracelet. But I haven't seen one yet.
The time has been flying for us but we do miss everyone back home. I am also glad so many of you subscribed and are following our journey. We also love reading your comments so keep em coming.
Jim and Melissa signing off
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