Today was an amazing day. I’m sure I will be telling this story for many years to come. We said goodbye to the people of Melanoi this morning and headed in to town to pick up supplies and to eat lunch. We started by riding in the back of the truck, but rain forced us to move inside. Three of the guys rode on the back of one of the trucks with a tarp over them. While we were at the restaurant Pastor and Ra Pi motioned to a table of Thai people, “He is a famous Thai man from the movies.” After our meal Stephanie and I hesitated, but at the last minute asked for a picture with the man.
We are still not sure who he is, but apparently he is famous in Thailand. As we thanked him for the picture more people came up and took pictures or asked for autographs. Another man came up to me and said, “You need to get your friends and take a picture with me.” His friend standing nearby explained, “The man you just took a picture with is the good guy from the movies and this man is the bad guy, but they are both good men in real life.” As we took a picture the second actor told us he was from Tampa, Florida and passed out business cards to each of us, “to give to our friends.”
We drove a short distance up the main road then turned off onto a smaller road. After a short distance we pulled off onto a dirt road. It was not long before the dirt road turned into a mud road. Our driver, Hebrew, paused at the base of a steep incline then gunned the truck up the muddy hill. We got about half of the way up the hill then got stuck in a 2 foot deep rut. Hebrew backed the truck down the hill then started again. The truck got stuck in the deep muddy ruts again, but Hebrew was able to get us up to the top. The guys in the truck behind us got stuck on the first try, but were able to make it with a few people helping to push. For a short distance the truck was moving up the hill as it was almost completely sideways, but we made it to the top.
At this point I thought we were through the worst of the driving, but it was only beginning. We fish tailed, the tires spun, and we bounced around through deep puddles and patches of mud. The truck slammed into the ground, bounced onto three wheels, and slid all over the road. The scariest part; in some places we were driving on a cliff that dropped off hundreds of feet into the valleys below. As we drove I was thinking, “This is not safe. Why did we come here. We are too far out. Dear Lord, please keep us safe. We could slide of the side of this mountain any second.”
We pulled down into a little village were a few dozen stilted huts stand. A group of kids curiously stared into the truck then shyly ran away. Pigs, cows, dogs, ducks, roosters, and chicken ran through the muddy road. Instantly the rough riding melted away and I felt honored and privileged to be in such a remote and unique place.
Five of us are staying in a hut together. The house is made from wood and the floor is bamboo. As I walk the bamboo bends and creeks. The view from our window is amazing; we look out into the mountains. After settling in (it took a little while because a lot of our stuff got soaked on the way here) we took a walk up a very muddy hill. I have a feeling that mud is going to be a big part of our lives in the next week. For the next few days we will be clearing land where a church will be built. We are going to have our work cut out for us.
Back at the village a group of kids stood with Tim. As soon as our group headed towards them they ran. A few minutes later Stephanie went to the group then I joined them. Even as I slowly approached and stood at a distance they moved away from me. This culture seems to be so timid. I used the only Karin phrase I know, “Ta Blu.” It means hello and thank you. The kids were full of smiles, but very slow to warm up. Eventually they started copying everything we did including hi-fives then head-shoulders-knees-and-toes. We were told it was time for dinner so we headed back to our hut, but it wasn’t quite time.
Two women sat shucking corn. I sat down and started to help. I think the women were trying to tell me that I would be eating the corn or I should eat the corn or pigs eat the corn; I’m not sure which. There were three piles but I have no idea how they were separated. All of the piles looked the same. The women laughed as I tried to put the corn in apparently the wrong pile.
Even though I am about an hour drive away from the main road out in the middle of nowhere, I am able to type on my computer. The Thai government provided solar panels for each of the huts in the village so we have electricity. Some of the huts even have satellite TV. We do not have indoor plumbing, but there is plumbing. It will be a week of bucket baths and a “squatter”, but at least it is not a “long drop”.
