A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh

In the Jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight.

I'm just sayin, that Lion must be really used to bugs flying up its nose because I sure couldn't sleep through that! Tried and failed on that one, ended up sleeping with my hand over my nose. Probably was a site to see.

Anyway,

I found myself back up at the place I was on day 2 of Thailand. Remember this one? I swear I hardly remember it because I was still in such a daze of traveling. So it was great to be back.

It proved to me how much i've learned and grown in my short time here. I learned that I can survive without all the amenities of home. Of course I miss a lot of them, but there are also a lot that I just don't need. I really feel like a whole different person. Maybe not different, just better. Perspective is flooding into me. I know what matters when my life is taken completely back to basics. As long as I have good people around me, ones that truly love me and care about me, life is good.

There were a few additions at the garden since the last time I was there. First off was the bridge. This came in handy as we were hauling all the stuff over to the garden, and it SURE would have come in handy when we were transporting all those trees last time.

Next is their water pump/filter system. We got to collect a lot of rocks to create the filter, it was cool to be a part of the process. The power that water access has will never cease to amaze me. Once you have access to water, possibilities are endless. I am so spoiled at home, I swear I'll never take water for granted again!

My favorite addition was the bamboo house. Talk about survivor mixed with any jungle fantasy in one! I thought you'd like this one mom, it reminded me of the MILLION seasons of Survivor that we've watched.

They have done a lot of work since i've been there! Manop and Anna are the perfect examples of people who work so hard just to benefit others. They never stop working and creating ways to help their tribal people. If I can become even half as generous as they are, I will come home a much better person. They find a way to help, and do it. No matter the cost or the effort needed. I want to me more like them. In fact, I WILL be more like them.

Another person I want to be like, the gardener. I've never seen someone work harder. Other then my parents who are EASILY the hardest working people I know. But he works from sun up to sun down. His little son and pregnant wife are right there with him also. All these people see the value in work, and not just any work, HARD work. And while they work, they laugh and smile. The happiest, hardest working people, now who wouldn't want to be like that?!

I try to work hard for them. But I think I just sweat mostly. Luckily Laura was there with me this time so I actually had someone to talk to. That was another definite upgrade from last time.

We ended up cleaning the cottages to prepare for the volunteers from Denmark. My other tasks included:

Sweeping dirt
Sweeping a river
Mowing the jungle. With scissors.

Yep. Not even joking. Here are my thoughts about that one. Either they don't think I am capable of working hard so they give me crazy jobs or they just like their jungle clean? I'm hoping it's the latter.

Near the Village, the peaceful Village


Then we took a short 3k walk to the nearby Karen Village. Wow, talk about back to basics.

This 10 family village prides themselves on living in the land opposed to changing the land to fit them. That is why their houses are built among and around the trees rather then knocking them down. It was amazing to see. I've never felt so immersed in the jungle while seeing a house. And not even a house, at least in our terms of a house. These were basic, only necessity living places. But this is really what teaches me that a home isn't a home because of how big it is or how many bugs live there...it really is the people you're with. Cheesy? Of course that's cheesy. But sometimes it takes a trip to the other side of the world to truly understand it.

Oh and bugs, always bugs

And Wilber and Babe

Thailand is just a beautiful place. Have a said that before? Oh sorry for being redundant. It's just so true and so hard to not say over and over.

I'm glad I got to go back and compare myself from day 2 of Thailand to day who knows what. I didn't even get near as many bug bites, and if that's really the only change in me so far, I'll take it!