4
Location: Samutsongkram province
This morning after breakfast, all of the Lifeworks students, as well as the Thai students on the retreat, walked down to the nearby river where we went on two boats that took us around the area, with several stops along the way. The first place we went to was a little island, where we planted young mangrove plants and saw monkeys and crabs running around on the mud in between the trees. The second area we went to but rather a huge mud flat in the middle of the river, where we learned how to search for small clams, which is the main fishery in the area. This turned more into mud fights and making mud angels. We had a traditional Thai lunch from an open platform restaurant in the middle of the lake, a very cool view, and a unique setting. Afterward, we headed back to clean up and pack up because it was our last day at the camp, but before we left, we got to hang out with the fellow Thai teens in the activities room. We played a variety of games, primarily consisting of team-building activities and hilarious antics. Following the games, we engaged in conversations with the teenagers about what problems their culture and society face, supplementing it with our own experiences from the US. Afterward, we headed on a bus back to Bangkok then went to drop off our clothes that were muddy to be cleaned and ate a combination Thai/European restaurant. Some choose to play it safe with American style foods other choose to be brave and try the local dishes. Lastly, we went back to the hotel had the squeeze questions and headed to sleep.