This morning we checked out of our hotel at around nine o’clock, to board the bus for the village. We stopped midway at a local market and got a taste of an authentic Thai market place. Instantly we were confronted by the expansive range of the local goods, some of which were the fried maggots as well as the live eels and water beetles, this was something we would have never experienced back in Australia, let alone from aisle eight of Coles. This would really have did indulge us to an insight of what the locals see daily.
After the three hour bus ride to the village, we were greeted by the local villagers which made us feel even more passionate about building the house, and once we settled down and unpacked, we began the house build. While the first twenty minutes were chaotic and challenging, then next two and a half hours ran smoothly as we fell into a rhythm. Although the frame was set up for the walls, there was not much else – it was almost a blank canvas for us to get started on. We were motivated even more by the villagers watching through the windows of the neighbouring houses. We were fascinated by how frustrating it could be trying to get the bricks straight and aligned, even after many attempts. However the sweat and loss of energy did not make us lose sight of the end goal, which was making a house for the villagers. We were surprised by how different the village was compared to our expectations.Although the house build was a lot less complicated than what we prepared ourselves for it was still challenging. The girls were not amused by the steep walk up the hill to get to our temporary homes, while the boys’ lodge was at the bottom of the hill only a few metres away from where were dropped off. But it would be an understatement to say that the view from the top is something that cannot be beaten. The children of the village were a definite highlight, and despite the language barrier, we found communication quite easy and were still able to have loads of fun with them such as through something so simple as playing football as well as the card game Uno.
Having completed three hours of straight house building, we began to relax as we sat down for diner on tables overlooking the neighbouring mountains where the scenic view was breathtaking, especially when the sun began to set and the moon began to rise. We will continue the house build tomorrow and focus on finishing the outer walls.
Issy M and Dylan Y
