Group 1 (9K) have spent the first 6 days of their Thailand adventure living on a Barge travelling on the Chao Phraya river. The girls were very excited on the flight over and couldn't resist the latest release movies available to them! As you can imagine the girls were already tired when they arrived in Bangkok and therefore the first day seemed extremely long for everyone...and it was clear that we were being kept very busy to avoid falling asleep on the deck of the Barge!
We met our Group Leaders - Stan, Pare and Daniella - and quickly settled in to life on the Barge. This consisted of sharing a wooden box as a wardrobe between 2, cooking all meals, cleaning, navigating, creating group games and of course, the widely talked about 3 minute showers! Yes the girls adapted very quickly to undressing washing, drying and dressing all in 3minutes! I was very impressed with their positive attitude, sense of humour and commitment to not only conquer the 3 minute shower challenge but all of the group and individual challenges presented to them.
Sleeping arrangements on the Barge were comfortable and very 'social' with everyone sleeping below deck together! After a very welcomed 'lights out' on the first night we were ready to face our first full day on the river. Essentially the Barge program encompasses the other 3 principles of our Thailand adventure (Environmental Studies, Community Service and Thai Culture) within its own unique environment. Our days began at first light and consisted of visiting the ancient city of Ayuttaya, the historical sights of Bridge on the River Kwai and Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi. The girls also participated in Alms Giving to Buddhist Monks, buying lunch in a local market (a great way to practise their Thai language skills), talking with Buddhist Nuns, shopping in the Ko Kret island market whilst learning about the Mon culture and their history.
Deb Cassar
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