No Top Sheet Needed

July 24, 5am, woke up in Mae Sot in the office bedroom of BGET, no A/C, fan was blowing, no top sheet (definitely no blanket), if I thought about it, I could feel a slight coolness in the air. Mae Sot is cooler than Bangkok.

Two days ago in Bangkok - besides getting bus tickets to Mae Sot, and exchanging some dollars for baht, we spent the day walking around in the heat - everyone seemed to be wilted. Could not tell if we were suffering from jet lag or heat exposure. Took a water taxi, saw great temple area, learned how to say "thank you" in Thai from a coconut street vendor, walked through Chinatown, had cooked lunch and dinner at street vendors, of which there are thousands (got the guy at the hotel to write in Thai that were were vegetarians). Ended the day taking the subway home and collapsing at 9pm. Bangkok is a busy place!!!!

Yesterday, 9 hour bus ride to Mae Sot. Good ride, upstair in a double decker, had A/C, did not have loud music (or any music), had slow bus driver. There were two other old farts on the bus besides me. One from Holland who is retired and living in a small town in Thailand - it is cheaper, and warmer, than Holland. He is never going back. The other, a man from Ireland, who has been living in Bangkok for ten years teaching business. He has some things in common with us - he is a vegetarian, has climbed some 14ners, and been many places in the world. He is helping to support a school in Mae Sot, Love and Care, that houses and educates 80 Burmese refugees ages 13 to 22. There food budget is for 60 students. Since there are currently 80 students, the daily food budget for each student has been reduced to $0.30 US - not enough. He had a health check done on the students and most are suffering from malnutrition. He is trying to raise money for food and is teaching them how to get the most nutrition for the moey spent.

Stony, the BGET volunteer from North Carolina who has been in Mae Sot over a year, met us in Mae Sot at the bus station. Went out for dinner, food street stall, got pad thai, 20 baht each (about $0.60 US each). Slept well till 5am today. Today, Stony gives a tour of Mae Sot.