We have a small suitcase each and 3 very large bags of wonderful Teddies, that have been donated by generous Kiwis to give to the lovely children at Baan Tharn Namchai in Khao Lak.
Two days ago was the anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami that changed the lives of so many and was the start of the amazing work and journey of Hands Across The Water.This year I have chosen not to do the ride myself but to take the kids to live at BTN for nearly 3 weeks. We are taking soccer balls, face paints, educational toys, English language resources, and over 300 Teddies! The cyclists will be riding into BTN on 23 January, which will be a source of great elation for all involved, excitement and anticipation for all the children, coupled with great relief for the cyclists who would have pedalled 800kms as I did last year.
Tom is MOST excited about meeting his penpal, Gean, that he has been corresponding with for the whole of the year. They are both very excited about finally meeting after exchanging letters, photos and Xmas cards.Hannah and Meg are LEAST excited about not being allowed to take their iphones, nowadays considered by most 14 year old girls in our world as a total necessity. The pleading has become increasingly creative and relentless. "Oh but mum... it has all my music, how will I take photos otherwise, and I have to keep in touch with all my friends. I NEED it."
"First world problem," as Tom succinctly put it. He is happy to leave his at home.
We are so grateful to everyone who has donated Teddies for the kids, all the $25 donations to support the incredible work of HATW and to all our friends, family and school mates who help us make a difference and continue to be so encouraging about our impending trip.
It is not too late to donate and send us a message for one of the Teddies.
So this will be our blog for those interested in following our amazing school holiday adventure. Hopefully we will be able to do regular updates, take lots of photos and share our impressions of daily life at BTN.
