My Journal - Sept 24-26, 1993

September 24, 1993

I have been in Thailand for two months. Oh my God! I just went through the second four rolls of film I got developed in Lopburi. I wish I could have afforded the 4x6 size. They are so great to look at, memories. Now I can send them home.

Today was our first class as just Forestry. It was great. Brigid and I have Ajaan Paisan all to ourselves. Today Troy, a National Parks Volunteer gave a talk on Ecology, Biomes, and Eco-Systems, then we went on a two-hour hike through the forest. We will do another hike on Monday, even longer. I am taking my camera with me then. The forest is really beautiful here, and the Visitor Center is pretty cool too. Margo, the PCV that lives here, has been here four months. She does a lot of translations now, but soon she will be doing presentations at the local schools. I wonder if there is a chance I can extend a year as a Parks Volunteer.

September 25, 1993

 Today we had our first day off, after one day of class. I did some laundry, luckily before the water went off. In the National Park we are staying at we have electricity from 6pm to 10pm every night (sort of) fortunately we have flashlights, candles and batteries. Yesterday, we had no water to the hong nam and today we still don’t. This afternoon, everyone's water stopped. About 2:30 pm it started raining, really good, David decided to take advantage of it and then Jeff and Julie joined him. I took a picture of the tree of them scrubbing in the fallout from the roof. We also put a bucket out there and collected what we could. The Ajaans were impressed by our survival – make the best of it attitude.

It is nice here, wearing a long sleeve shirt. It is nice and chilly; I have no idea what the temperature is but it is colder than it was in the South.

I just got very philosophical in a letter home and figured I should add it here while I was feeling it. I am realizing that the things I have always been interested in and wanted to volunteer for, etc. are me – it wasn’t just a little girl that loved puppies and wanted to grow up and run a kennel. It’s me! I love animals, I love nature. It only took two months to figure it out, I don’t have to add these things to the life I have accepted, I can make it the life I want and accept dealing with life.

September 26, 1993

Today we went to see the waterfall in Nom Nao Park. It was about 15-29 km away and 1-1/2 km hike off the road, the water fell about 50-60 feet and it was loud. Jeff and Preecha went up to the falls and got under it. Dave took pictures with all of our cameras. It was really a neat place to see. The “hole nam”  was very, very cold.  I like that as far as living arrangements. If I lived here, I would figure out how to take a warm shower. Plus, we have a monitor lizard living in our window. Too cool! (There is three of them).