The Floods are Here

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the water blanketing the road in front of me. Less than a week ago I was able to ride my bike down this street without getting wet. Now, it would take a lot of effort just to peddle my bike through the current that swept across the road, and I am sure I would have many people running out of their homes shouting "mai daai, mai daai!" (You can't go through there). I am sitting in the cab of a truck heading out to deliver medicine to the elderly who are trapped in their homes because of the flooding. The back of the truck is filled with boxes of medicine that my office is donating to the people in the villages. There are about 10 of us going out today to three of our communities to give these items.

At first, it is not too difficult. The water is only about 4 inches deep in most places, and as long as you are wearing sandals and roll up your pants you are good to go. It isn't until we reach the home where their makeshift walkway sinks down 2 feet that I begin to see just how much the water has risen in just a short week. The owner of the home had to boat out to the road so we could hand her the package. We move on from this village and go to the next. Instead of taking the truck, we decide to go on foot. The road is clear and dry to it is easy to trek down the road. You would think that this community is in good order, at least for the next couple of weeks, until you look more closely at their homes. Many of the homes are set lower than the road. Water coats the floors and threatens to rise higher towards beds and tables. Belongings have all been stacked near doorways so they could easily be removed from the homes. As we walk further down the road, I notice that there are tents set up blocking any vehicle from passing around them (these are tents that are used for parties, not camping tents). As I get closer, I realize these tents are now two families homes. Their homes, which are right across the road, are covered in water. The tents hold all of their belongings. Beds have been set up, kitchens have been prepped, and even the refrigerators have their place in the middle of the road. In a couple of weeks (if not in even less time), the water will rise again, and these families will probably have to move for a second time.

It is at this point that we board a boat to reach our final communities that we are going to see today. We have to walk through about 2 feet of water to get to the boat at this point. We all have life jackets, but as I look into the faces of those in the boat with me is see apprehension drawn across each one. I ask if anyone knows how to swim. Heads shake and hands grip the seats as the boat rocks. I try to ease their worries by telling them that I can swim and I will save them if they fall out, but I might have made the situation worse by even mentioning that there was a possibility of falling out of the boat. Oops! It takes me a while to realize where we are once we reach the destined village. We have already gone to 6 houses before I realize that 4 months ago, I went to a meeting and introduced myself to the people of the community in an open yawn that was now 8 feet below the water level. Here, the first stories of homes were no longer visible below the surface of the water. I can barely make out where I believe the road used to be. In most places in this village, the water is between 8-10 feet deep (that is my guess at least). Most of the homes on stilts look like they are just sitting on the water; stilts no longer visible. Dogs sit at the water's edge on porches and cats climb across the roofs of homes. Chickens are left in cages on landings or they have been left further up the road where the waters haven't reached yet. Again, I cannot believe that the water has risen so quickly in just a few short days.

On our way to our final village, we pass under a bridge and have to duck low in the boat to avoid the power lines which are about 2 feet above the water. Here I see entire homes underwater forcing the families out. But, I also see children playing in the water, and men attempting to fix up their homes as they stand in the water. Where we deliver most of our supplies, it is only about 5 feet deep. We make our way through and deliver most of our supplies. After 4 hours in the flood zones we are finally done.

This picture was taken about a week ago.  The bushes you see right at the front of the picture are no longer visible and the blue and white stripped roof on the left side is now covered in water.

I mention all of this because I know people back home are reading about my adventures in Thailand. Everything, the good, bad, fun, and sad times. I want to explain about what goes on in my Tambon and how the people are affected by it. These floods occur every year. Every year families are displaced. They loose possessions, are forced from their homes, and then must go back and clean up the mess that was created by the floods. These families, many of them, live in homes where the walls are made from the tin that roofs are made of. Large pieces of cracked wood make up the floor. Many do not have air conditioning and are forced to use only fans to cool themselves in our hottest time of year. I am amazed at how good spirited all of the people are. Every person that I met yesterday greeted me with a smile. Every person thanked us for the medicine and wished us luck on the rest of our journey for the day. It was amazing to see such hope in a situation that, to me, seemed so dire. If I came across flooding like this in the states, I don't think I would see the smiles, hope, and good spirits as I see here in Thailand. We still have a few more months of the rainy season with more and more rain getting ready to pour down. I am told that September is the month that we have the worst flooding. With the way that things are going now, I am sure that there are going to be many more misplaced families before the end of the season.


 
In other news, I just came back from an English Camp in Noen Maprang (still Phitsanulok) this last weekend where we painted a large world map on the side of a school. We were working with 10-12 year olds and teaching them about geography. It was a ton of fun but SUPER tiring. After doing laundry yesterday, I was finally able to catch up on my sleep. I leave on Friday for another geography English Camp in Wang Sai Phun, Phichit. We won't be painting a map in this one, but it is a two day, overnight camp. I have already warned my office that I may be sleeping on Monday because I will be so exhausted from the camp. I am excited to get the experience though, because I will be creating a camp for my village in the near future.

A picture from the English camp.  I'm not in it but you can see the world map that was painted in the background

I finally have almost all of my supplies together for my Ovitrap project to trap and control the mosquito population. Today and tomorrow I will be building these traps and having my Balot test them out in his home. At the end of this month, I am headed out to Korat for a conference to help me create a project out of these Ovitraps. If all goes well and my community likes them, I may be spending September or October teaching people about them and helping them make them. The Ovitraps will allow people in my village control the mosquito population without using the chemical sprays that are normally used. Also, it will trap the mosquito larva that the people like to use as bait for fish. So really, my project is good for two things, mosquitos and fishing…win, win.