Archives for April 2012

Occupancy: one.

After recuperating in Ranong for three nights, I said goodbye to Val and headed for the beach.*

I took a two hour boat ride to Koh Payam (for a measly 150baht) where a little bungalow on the beach was waiting for me.

While I love relaxing on a quiet beach, I wasn’t super enthused about my choice of accommodation. The owner wasn’t especially friendly, the food was bad, and there weren’t too many other solo travelers around. I started to feel like I was in the background of too many family photos. I could have stayed a third night but decided that I couldn’t eat anymore coleslaw sandwiches and left after two.

That being said… it was still incredibly beautiful. Plus, I did use this time to power through Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything and I consider that an accomplishment.

Foolishly, I waited until the morning I left to take photos. The tide was actually quite high during the day and of course the colors were much more vivid.

Once back on the mainland I spent another night in Ranong before meeting up with Mike further south in Phuket.

xo, jill

*Have I mentioned that Val is from Seattle and grew up with one of my former roommates? Small world, eh?

Respect the dengue.

Unfortunately, my time at TCDF coincided with an outbreak of dengue fever in the area. Dengue fever is spread through the bite of a female mosquito. The symptoms of dengue include fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Not particularly fun. Unlike malaria, there is no preventative pill to take.  The only way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites altogether. The most effect method is to wear DEET.

However, if you’re allergic to DEET, as I am, you’ll just have to put your faith in something a little less chemical. After a few days my legs were covered in bites. I had to admit that my natural bug repellant was no match for the local mosquitoes. I found the lowest concentration of DEET repellant available (12%) and decided to endure the red burning rash it always gives me.

A few volunteers came down with dengue and had to go to the local hospital. Judging from their stories, it was not a pleasant experience.

So you can imagine how terrified I felt when during my second week I realized my face was burning hot with a fever. I went to bed early and did my best to sleep it off. The next morning I felt weak, achy, and lacked an appetite. Manual labor in that condition is basically impossible. I tried to take it easy for a few days but the reality was I just couldn’t fufill my volunteer obligations. Another volunteer, Val, was also sick (her much worse off than I) so we decided to leave a few days early and recuperate in Ranong. We were ready for air conditioning and hot showers.

Of course, getting to Ranong wasn’t so simple. For the first time in the history of Paksong the bus came through early. It actually took us several minutes to realize that we had missed it. We were left on the side of the road attempting to hitch our way to Ranong. One friendly driver took us to the junction and a short while later we got a ride into town. My hair looked awesome.

So, did I have dengue? I’ll never know. Only a blood test can confirm it and there was no way I was going to the village hospital. But when I compared my symptoms to the volunteers who did have the blood test, it seems pretty likely. Although, I must say, my case was fairly mild. Thank goodness.

xo, jill

PS I just want to make sure it’s clear that TCDF actively does all it can to prevent mosquitos from breeding and spreading dengue. The disease was brought in by a volunteer who had been vacationing in a different part of Thailand. It happens.

Respect the dengue.

Unfortunately, my time at TCDF coincided with an outbreak of dengue fever in the area. Dengue fever is spread through the bite of a female mosquito. The symptoms of dengue include fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Not particularly fun. Unlike malaria, there is no preventative pill to take.  The only way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites altogether. The most effect method is to wear DEET.

However, if you’re allergic to DEET, as I am, you’ll just have to put your faith in something a little less chemical. After a few days my legs were covered in bites. I had to admit that my natural bug repellant was no match for the local mosquitoes. I found the lowest concentration of DEET repellant available (12%) and decided to endure the red burning rash it always gives me.

A few volunteers came down with dengue and had to go to the local hospital. Judging from their stories, it was not a pleasant experience.

So you can imagine how terrified I felt when during my second week I realized my face was burning hot with a fever. I went to bed early and did my best to sleep it off. The next morning I felt weak, achy, and lacked an appetite. Manual labor in that condition is basically impossible. I tried to take it easy for a few days but the reality was I just couldn’t fufill my volunteer obligations. Another volunteer, Val, was also sick (her much worse off than I) so we decided to leave a few days early and recuperate in Ranong. We were ready for air conditioning and hot showers.

Of course, getting to Ranong wasn’t so simple. For the first time in the history of Paksong the bus came through early. It actually took us several minutes to realize that we had missed it. We were left on the side of the road attempting to hitch our way to Ranong. One friendly driver took us to the junction and a short while later we got a ride into town. My hair looked awesome.

So, did I have dengue? I’ll never know. Only a blood test can confirm it and there was no way I was going to the village hospital. But when I compared my symptoms to the volunteers who did have the blood test, it seems pretty likely. Although, I must say, my case was fairly mild. Thank goodness.

xo, jill

PS I just want to make sure it’s clear that TCDF actively does all it can to prevent mosquitos from breeding and spreading dengue. The disease was brought in by a volunteer who had been vacationing in a different part of Thailand. It happens.

…and a tour of the countryside.

On my second day off while volunteering, Val and I hiked to a nearby waterfall. When I say “hiked” I mean, “walked down the road” and when I say “nearby” I mean, “two hours away.” From a wrong turn in the beginning to missing the actual turn off later on… it was quite the journey.

I think it also contributed to a sunburn and a bit of fatigue. When you’re working out in the hot sun 5 days a week, that’s probably not how you should spend your days off. Oh well. It was worth it.

Once at the waterfall we waded in the cool refreshing water just chatting and relaxing.

It was a nice way to spend the day even though getting there and back felt a bit grueling at times.

xo, jill 

Thai cooking class.

After my first week of hard work at TCDF’s Eco-Logic, the other volunteers and I were ready to relax and enjoy our two days off. There are several activities to enjoy at and around Eco-Logic, but we decided to take a Thai cooking class.

First, we were given a cooking handbook with a list of potential dishes. We were then able to select the four dishes we’d all like to make. The handbook also included a place for notes, other recipes, and a Thai-English food dictionary.

We decided to make Massaman Curry with Tofu and Potatoes, Sweet and Sour Vegetables, Cinnamon Soup with Egg and Tofu, and Papaya Salad. I was not enthusiastic about the soup choice… but it’s not as strange as it sounds.

The first part of the class is spent chopping the many vegetables. With five cooks, it went fairly quickly.

After all the veggies were chopped we went downstairs to the kitchen for the actual cooking.

Our dishes were served as the shared meal for dinner.

It was fun to play chef for the night!

xo, jill