Magazine 2017

This year our learners embarked on a World Challenge expedition to Thailand. The aim of the tour is to take learners out of their comfort zones, allowing them to manage a tour on their own in a foreign country, from organising transport and accommodation to managing their budget. This is done under the supervision of two teachers and a team leader from the World Challenge organisation with minimal interference in their decision making. The team landed in Bangkok, greeted by the warmth and humidity of the Thai air. After a good night’s rest at New Joe’s Guesthouse, our team set off to explore Bangkok, visiting Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddha, and doing a bit of shopping along Khaosan Road. For the community service phase, we headed off to a city called Surin via a six- hour train journey through the beautiful countryside. As a part of the community service, our learners had to renovate a kindergarten by painting the walls of the school, mowing the lawn, building a sandpit and repainting the garden toys; definitely one of the most enriching parts of the expedition. Our trekking phase saw us make our way to Thailand’s third largest park and World Heritage Site, Khao Yai National Park - home to elephants, bears, barking deer, otters, gibbons and macaques to name a few. Although we did not see the elephants, we were well aware of their presence when we accidentally ended up on an elephant trail, hearing the elephant move away into the forest ahead of us. We were lucky enough to see gibbons swinging from the trees, a memorable scene. The hike itself presented our first physical challenge with some of the learners slipping and sliding through the forest, soaking wet from the unrelenting monsoon rains. Others had a more “intimate” experience with nature - being bitten by the forest’s thriving leech population. After two nights of heavy rain, flooded tents and difficulty starting fires, we decided that it was time to move on to our next phase. Travelling to the island of Koh Chang, the thought of some much needed rest, relaxation and snorkelling in clear, tropical waters certainly brightened up the spirits. Finding our way home ensured the tour truly lived up to its name with the team visiting three different countries in one trip, Singapore, Thailand and Ethiopia (due to flight delays). This resulted in us spending the day in a hotel in Singapore. We at least got to see a part of that country too! Feedback from our learners all echoed the same sentiments–“It is safe to say that no person came back from Thailand unchanged, whether due to the community service experience, the beautiful landscape and Thai culture, the rather interesting cuisine or the leeches in the jungle!" It was truly an amazing experience and each of us has made a few memories that we’ll carry with us forever.” We highly recommend this tour to any individual who would like to push their own boundaries, experience different cultures and make new friends. 153 www.parklands.co.za