We're in Mae Sot!

  Mae Sot, Thailand
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sawadee! (hello)

Today began with an early breakfast in the hotel and then we were off to pack our bags and load the vehicles for a day of traveling. Pi Jean has switched back to driving his 15-passenger van, so we will ride in-style today to the town of Mae Sot. However, not all of us will be going to Mae Sot. As previously planned, Terry and Jack will travel today with a Karen man named Write Dee in his four-wheel-drive truck named Alaska. For the next six days they will travel to several remote villages in an area near Mae Sariang, and will then re-connect with the team in Chiang Mai on January 13.

With our trucks and vans loaded, we said our farewells as our team split to perform separate missions. We snapped photos and a team shot (now known as our 'family photos'), shared hugs and a prayer before going our separate ways. We will be out of touch with each other for six days, but will continue to pray for each other. The blogger (Jocelyn) and the computer will be going with the team to Mae Sot, so we will catch-up on Jack & Terry's adventures later. 

Poon Na Gun Hotel

The four-hour drive to Mae Sot was beautiful and peaceful, and we arrived in the afternoon to our new hotel (the Poon Na Gun). It was built just last year, and is very  nice and clean. The beds are Siam style (with very firm matresses). After our showers and a short nap, the Partners staff took us to dinner at a good restaurant nearby. It was an open-air cafe that served a variety of foods: Thai, Burmese, and American style. We even enjoyed some yummy Itallian food (lasagne, spaghetti, calzone, etc.) We visited for awhile, and met a few more of the Partners staff and their families, then it was back to our hotel for a much needed good night's sleep.