Saturday – Tuesday were varied and wonderful days. All of Saturday was spent traveling to the Hilltribe area to one of the poor villages and then providing food, school supplies, and treats to about 40 young children. Chiang Mai South Rotarians took large amounts of noodle soup ingredients, ice for making shaved ice with milk dessert, book bags with books, paper, and toothbrushes to this remote site. The one room education center is also where the village teacher sleeps. Residents of this village are Burmase refugees that are not given documentation and cannot therefore qualify for public schools per SE, health care given to Thai citizens, and other services citizen residents might have. Every Saturday this Rotary group goes to one of the remote villages giving similar help. Impressive to me was the fact that Rotary fathers had brought their own children to see and help these less fortunate children.
Upon leaving the village, we went to mountain vacation cabin of one of the Rotarians. The owners and other hosts of the dinner slept in tents so we could have space in cabin.
Sunday after returning to Chiang Mai, we went to the downtown night market, visited several watts or Buddhists temples and chosen between a Thai massage or spending time in the regional museum. My museum visit gave me a detailed and beautifull visual look at the Northern Thailand Lanna culture.
Harriett Hilton for Friendship Exchange
