The Farm

Dec 22, 2012
An ass-wrenching 45 minute ride in the back of a pickup truck and we arrive at the Children's Shelter Foundation site known as "The Farm" (AKA Lakeland). This is a beautifully kept property on a 20+ acre organic farm and school where disadvantaged children from area hill tribes and nearby Burma come to live.
We are led by one of the older boys on a 1 hr hike around the property where he explains to us many of the crops growing in and around the farm and their variety of food and medicinal uses. We hike up the mountain into a beautiful teak forest.

That evening, we visit a nearby natural hot spring where many of the locals come to bathe on the hot mineral waters. Not exactly what we were picturing...

Dinner is waiting for us when we returned and in the distance we could hear the children practicing their songs for the Christmas recital coming up in a couple days. Afterwards, everyone gathers round a blazing bonfire to sing and dance. The kids are super sweet and seem very happy. What a great thing they have going here. On they way back to the bungalo, I stop and share a couple beers with some of the volunteers who are working here and get to hear some great stories about their experiences. Inspiring for sure. Tomorrow we will go back to Chiang Mai and do some shopping in preparation for the big holiday party at Joy's House.