Deep into the holiday season here in Thailand, after a few weeks of work at our home and for our local community (see the previous article), a group of children went to Rayong for a great adventure.
They traveled all night, to avoid the suffocating heat of the day along the road, sleeping as they could on their school bus. The children arrived at the destination the next morning at sunrise. And there, they saw all the work waiting for them.
In fact, the jungle had taken over around the house that would host them during the camp, so the children, together with the volunteers, had to take care of the vegetation and “domesticate” the place, that became their home for the next ten days. Everybody did a great job to make the place better than they found it. And then, the fun could begin!
The children were extremely excited to play Songkran, the Water Festival that celebrates the beginning of the Thai New Year. And so they went to town to engage in hilarious water battles, with homemade water guns and buckets full of water to throw at each other. They were thrilled!
And when the water finished, painting each other’s face with natural white powder became the next funny thing to do. The kids seemed to wear white masks on their faces and were immensely happy.
The summer camp offered also a lot of games thanks to the volunteers. Each day, with the children organized in teams, challenges and competitions gave the rhythm of their holiday.
One day, the volunteers even prepared a treasure hunt for the children, which enjoyed very much to look for the hints all over the place and finally get their reward.
The children had also the opportunity to go to cultural places such as the botanical garden, where they discovered beautiful wetlands punctuated with colorful lotus flowers and birds.
They also visited the museum of the most important Thai poet, where they learned about life in ancient Thailand, and they even went to the aquarium, where they learned about sea animals and their preservation.
And then, everyone to the sea!
The children also committed to clean the beach from all the garbage contaminating it. They collected many bags full of plastic.
After their great work, a prize didn’t take long to come their way: a wild and funny ride on an inflatable sofa, pulled by a motorboat and almost flying among the waves. It was an adrenaline rush!
The children cultivated their good habits also on vacation, starting and ending the days with a collective meditation. Just, here it was special!
In fact, they loved to meditate on a quiet and beautiful beach, where they could listen to the sound of the breaking waves, with a gentle breeze, while getting in touch with their inner self.
In this magical place, the children could feel a strong connection with the earth, sitting under the limitless sky, in front of the majesty of the sea.
Now all the children are back in Sangkhlaburi, and it’s time to get ready to go back to school, for a new year of learning, growing, and getting better and better together, while having a lot of fun in the process.
More exciting adventures await the children of Baan Unrak.
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