We said goodbye to yet another village full of people in Ban Din then headed out for one last trip on the muddy road. The truck only got stuck in the deep muddy ruts a few times and we only came near the steep cliff once or twice. I sent up a prayer of thanks and let out a huge sigh of relief when we hit pavement.
The road to our next stop wound around and through green mountains. I rode in the back of the truck, so I did not get car sick, but some of my fellow World Racers were not so lucky. The roads had lots of sharp turns. On one of the bends Hebrew slammed on the brakes, because a man was riding an elephant down the road. Gumdrop shaped lush mountains were accented with a rainbow among rain clouds. Once again Hebrew slammed on the brakes. This time two elephants with riders swung around to look at the truck. The riders on the elephants did not look happy; I have never seen an elephant move so fast. I envisioned the elephants charging the truck, but we continued on before that was possible.
The mountains became less rounded and rockier as we approached a river. The river serves as the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). The Karin people group is spread throughout Thailand, Burma, and China; they have been around since before there were borders. Ray explained that many Karin have fled Burma since the 1980’s. The Burmese army has killed many Karin as well as taking or burning their property. In order to escape the persecution many Karin have moved to Thailand. Thailand has set up refugee camps, but the Burmese refugees do not have many rights in Thailand.
We arrived at the village and were separated into four houses. Mosquito nets are essential here. Stephanie, Tana, and I are staying practically on the front porch of a house. Our room is visible from the road, so within minutes of arriving we had a dozen kids, teenagers, and adults watching us unpack and set-up.
We got the classic questions, “What is your name, How old are you, Where are you from? Etc.” We also got some new ones, “Have you finished your dinner?” and, “Have you finished your bath?” The bathroom is out around the back of the house. There is about a foot of open space all around the top so it does not feel very private; especially for a bucket bath. The lack of privacy is not fun, but I can handle it for a few days. I cannot imagine living in a village where the walls are so thin and life one’s life is so visible.
