Ban AYO Trip - Tears & Anger

With water in my eyes, I am starting to write this story of our trip to Ban AYO. We have been there many times over the last few years and had gotten heavily involved in helping to get water to this area for a children's shelter.

If you would like to read those past stories you can click on each one of them here:
10-21-07 Terry's Trip Into Jungle-10/21/07 Note: If you have trouble opening this story it is also at http://www.funnyplumber.com/ in "stories" page.
June 8, 2008 Water for Kids in Ban AYO
November 5, 2008 Water for Children Ban AYO
March 27, 2009 Shelter for the Children Ban AYO
November 10, 2009 Trip to see New Children's Shelter Ban AYO

A while after November 10th we received a telephone call from Chom-nom's wife saying he was arrested for possession of drugs, "Yaba". Here is a simple explanation of "Yaba".

I wanted to know more. Daeng and I talked about going back to Ban AYO to find out more and what the real story was. Everyone thaty we mentioned going back to find out what happened told us: "NO, don't go!"
The basic reason was if he was arrested for drugs the area would be watched. Then a farang, non-Thai, comes into the area asking questions. That was not a good idea.

That was two years ago so a couple of days ago we rented a car, Toyota Vios, for the month. On top of the "To Do" trip list was make the trip to Ban AYO and find out what we could.

We left Mae Sai after a breakfast of fried chicken, sticky rice, Pa Tong Ko, fruit and coffee and headed straight to Ban AYO. When we got onto the Ban AYO road, that was dirt two years ago, we found it had been paved. Everything else looked the same.

We drove by the children's shelter driveway as it was all grown up with vegetation. We turned around and walked down the hill to find the jungle had enveloped it.

Nothing could be seen from the road.

The water tanks were missing, also.

I walked in as far as I could but the vegetation had sharp edges and we were only wearing t-shirts and short pants. I went in as far as I could go to get some pictures.
You can see by the pictures the jungle had taken the place over. In many parts you could only see the roof line.

What a shame. The disease of addiction wins, again. This disease abscesses the mind, compulses the body and destroys the human spirit. Everyone around the disease losses. Chom-nom lost, his mother, his children, his wife, the kids the shelter was for and the community. I got tears in my eyes standing beside one of the building in this now jungle.

We still don't know what the real story is. Did Chom-nom just piss off the wrong person so he was set up and arrested? Was he really dealing? The John Delorean case comes to mind.

We hiked back up the hill, got into the car and dove to Chom-nom's Mother's house. It was empty and no one around knew where she was.

We got back in the car and drove up the rod a short ways and Daeng said to stop by some "Akha" ladies so she could ask them.

Daeng got out of the car and talked for a few minutes. Once they realized she was a friend and also "Akha", one of the ladies started telling her that Chom-nom's Mother was living in the jungle as she could find food there.

She said that if Daeng went down the road behind her, crossed the field and over the water into the jungle on the other side she could find her.

Daeng set out to find her while I stayed with the car. After about an hour, I called Daeng using our cellular phones. They worked here now, also. Paved road and telephone service, I think they came together.

Daeng told me she could not find her and was coming back. It took about an hour for her to return, tired but back.

We figured that ice cream would be good at this point as a man selling home made ice cream showed up on his motorbike. Everyone loves ice cream.

We still don't know the real story but we were told that he went to jail for a lot longer than two years.

From the positive side, there is now water! The kids are all being taken care of at another place at the bottom of the hill. Most of all, I have learned a lot about the business of children's shelters.

I think I should continue with the book I want to write with a title of "Broken Cross".

I am still angry toward the disease of addiction!

We said thank you and traveled to Mae Salong to spend the night.