bamboo rafting

Bamboo RaftingBamboo Rafting -from the Moving to Thailand blog
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=goldie77

After the elephant trek we had a buffet lunch in a nice shaded area.I wasn't too sure about the hygiene of the food preparation but I was so hungry I didn't care. The rice and chicken dishes were delicious. We bought chilled coke from a  fridge for about 40p. Everyone on the trip was so friendly - it was a wonderful experience and a trip I would definitely repeat, for the fellowship of like minded people if nothing else. Riding on an elephant was fun too-something I'd never done before. It was pretty awesome being so high up. My hat blew off into the river and the guide retrieved it for me from behind the elephant which was really nice of him. Generally I found Thai people warm and friendly when they weren't after your money. They seem to think all foreigners are rich and I was there on a shoe string budget! Probably compared to them I was rich though.
Next we got onto bamboo rafts- around 6 of us per raft and started an hour long, very relaxing and slow trip downstream. Relaxing that is until we were suddenly surrounded by hilltribe people trying to sell us their hand made wares. Yes, they actually came into the water, up to their waists to show us their trays full of completely useless, although very pretty, souvenirs. Not being there strictly speaking as a tourist I had my practical hat on. Nevertheless I couldn't resist buying a Thai style hat from a little girl who couldn't have been any more than 7 years old and was nearly getting swept away by the current. I thought if she made a sale she'd go back to the safety of the bank but she didn't -she stood nearly up to her neck waiting for the next raft.
Once again the difference in our cultures was glaringly obvious - child protection activists would be up in arms in the UK if anyone allowed their child to do such a thing. I could see the sense in British safety laws though. Too many children in Thailand die due to poverty related issues.

http://www.movingtothailand-goldie77.blogspot.com/
is the link to go to catch the start of my blogging journey -for reasons unbeknown to my non technical mind, my blog got divided into 2 parts.

http://www.xomba.com/referral/778238d1  is a link to a site where many of my articles are bookmarked. Any money I earn from writing articles is to go towards reaching my goal of rescuing children in Thailand.