Latest adventures from Penrhos College in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: Expeditions
PROJECT: Leadership Expedition
WRITTEN BY: Penrhos College

Hello beloved relatives and missed friends,

We have had such an amazing time since we have last emailed from our not so smooth bus trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. After a day in Luange Prabang we adventured through the mountains and valleys on the traditional trucks (of course) with our bags piled on top, laughter the whole way! We arrived at our project with an amazing first impression of our new home for the rest of the week. The school children made a very warm welcome showering us with flowers and clapping as we walked into our home stays. The Boum Phaseng village was on the edge of a steep valley leading to a pristine river where we washed in the afternoons after our hard day of working as amateur brickies.

The houses were very cosy and were up to scratch with our village expectations, we had cute mattresses all laid out neatly along the floor with children at our feet 24/7 mimicking us constantly. The next few days were pretty intense as we rose with the locals and were sent off to our day at work where we learnt how to lay bricks, pave the floor and mix cement occasionally including carrying water from the river to the worksite. We are all very proud of our biceps and bruises. Not only did we work at the project site in the high school but we also got time to take a weaving course with the whole village, play a soccer match with the local school girls, sit by a campfire and play games, engage with the children, learn how to cook traditional Lao meals and finally a farewell bonfire at the high school where the locals taught us their groovy moves.

While engaging in the project we had a chance to glance into the classrooms and even try and teach the students some of our English skills... we were shocked to see seven students all sharing a bench and 1 textbook. Over 600 students all squeezed into 5 classrooms with an average of 90 students in a room at one time. As we took interest in them the students also took interest in us with small crowds gathering to watch us work on their new classroom, some even giving a helping hand. By the end of our project days we had become professional tradies. We ended up completing more of the project than was expected we accomplished finishing the whole floor and most of the walls.

The children were possibly the happiest children we have ever seen. Despite having very little they still found countless things to play and have fun with or things to laugh and smile about. The whole village was very grateful for our donations, clothing and efforts put in at the school. It was nice having the opportunity to remove ourselves from the comfortable lives we live and to immerse ourselves into the different culture and ways of life. It was sad to say goodbye to a community that we had grown so close to.

We arrived 'home' in Luang Prabang tired and dusty, definitely ready for a well deserved shower and massage but completely satisfied with our efforts in the previous week.

In our days exploring this beautiful and diverse city we had time to experience climbing to the top of a Buddha park perched on a rather large hill where we engaged in conversation with young novice monks for a few hours before we climbed to the peak, witnessing the amazing sunset over the valleys surrounding Luang Prabang as well as another couple hundred tourists which was amusing at times. Later that night we adventured through the narrow streets overflowing with vibrant colours and patterns of the night markets in which we spent our money wisely...

Our first full day was definitely one of the best we have had as we transported ourselves from our guesthouse to the amazing Tad Sae waterfalls where we got to ride elephants and then spontaneously decided to swim with them. Bareback and soaked we were able to encounter these massive sized animals up close and personal. We then kept adventuring on through the water park to discover many small waterpools and waterfalls upstream where we swam and splashed. It is yet to be decided whether the water is dyed blue by the elephants or is naturally crystal blue.... coming home we tried the street food which was absolutely delicious with divine crepes on offer a well as baguettes, a range of shakes and some meat on sticks.

Today we awoke with the sun as we witnessed the monks collecting alms nearby only to return to bed where others had decided to remain. We then divided into two groups one heading to a traditional Laos weaving lesson where the group chose the pattern and colour of the silk that they then crafted into unique pieces of fabric. The other heading out to the Kuang Si waterfalls to see the sun and moon bears plus the amazing blue lagoon.

Its been fun, tiring and a hugely rewarding experience so far, however our English skills are going down the drain with each passing second! In our next week we will be travelling on the slow boat up the Mekong and trekking to our next home stay village.

Lots of love and enjoy the warm Aussie weather!
The Gumnut Warriors
xoxoxo

Milla's Message from last week

"Dear Family I am having the most amazing time in Laos, I swam with elephants for the same price as a table runner. The waterfalls here are incredible. I miss the majority of you and cant wait to see you all. Lots of love your favourite daughter who is almost broke (no, not you Elle)

PS. Dearest mother pls book me an eyebrow appointment as I currently resemble Bert from Sesame Street...

Penrhos College visit 4000 Islands and ride elephants in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: Expeditions
PROJECT: Leadership Expedition
WRITTEN BY: Penrhos College

4000 Islands was definitely spectacular! We spent the first day relaxing, reading books and enjoying the view, the second day we adventured through Don Khone and Don Det on our hired bikes which was a bit of a laugh.... Let's just say we couldn't feel our butts after! We then enjoyed some smoothies on the river front watching the sun go down, the sunset is unreal. We then travelled back to Pakse for a few hours and travelled on a "VIP" overnight bus AKA THE HOBBIT PIMP CAVE. The bus looked like the set of a hobbit Austin powers movie with everyone crouching like half their size to get onto the bus AND THE TOILET IS A WHOLE OTHER STORY, you had to sit like in a crouch/ball stance to fit in the cubicle. The beds also seemed like they were built for one small child with no legs BUT WE HAD TO FIT TWO TEENAGERS ON ONE. After that long night we arrived in the hustling bustling city of Vientiane where we got Tuk Tuks to the biggest Laos national icon the Pha That Luang temple. It was massive and golden; you couldn't miss it. We adventured through the museum there and bought some cheap gifts from the nearby markets. That night was awesome! Because it was Shannon's 16th birthday we decided to go for a nice meal and we surprised her with a cake and some macaroons which was pretty mint :)

We are all having a blast but are missing you all quite a bit so we would like to share some stuff we have experienced and accomplished.

Abbey - after missing my mouth a considerable amount of times I can finally use chopsticks! YIPPPPEEE :) I have some awesome sunset shots that I can't wait to show you from 4000 Islands, the children at the trek were so adorable and I hope Max and Soph had great birthdays xxx love you

SHANNON - thank you so much for my watch I love it. Had a really great birthday. We arrived in Vientiane around 9 after a horrible 12 hour bus ride. After a late breakfast we checked in to our accommodation ($3.50pp) around 12:30 we headed to the biggest temple in Lao and then had some time for a little shopping. We then returned to the hotel via tuk tuk to get ready for dinner. At 5 a group of us went to the cutest coffee shop and had a late afternoon tea. We then went to a really nice place for dinner and after dinner out came a cake for me! And also some macaroons and card from everyone. Overall a great day but missing you lots. Sorry I didn't Skype you ran out of time in the day. Can't wait to see you having so much fun. It's amazing here! XX p.s. Got you all some presents

Natalie - I am having the time of my life! Dad, you would have loved the trek with the amazing wildlife and the interesting but delectable food. I think I would have been dryer if I swam in the river then standing in my sweaty clothes after the trek. I couldn't keep the silly grin off my face when we were riding the elephants. They were beautiful mum, I rode one with chiqui, and it was called Kom, she was 50 and kept making an 'ip, ip' noise which means they're happy. There are so many photo opportunities here; you would love it. Max, I think you would've loved the bike ride over the massive bumps at 4000's. Hope the last week of school is good... You can tell your friends that I saw roasted animals on sticks at the markets, including frogs, bats, rats, turtles and *sniff* guinea pigs! Olive should stay in Australia... So many manky dogs here! Even though I am enjoying myself I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live in Australia. Can't wait to see you but also don't want the trip to finish. Healthy and safe, love you all, xoxox nat :)

Isabella - This trip is absolutely amazing! Honestly it has been hard but definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The drastic change in food and scenery has been eye opening especially seeing how the locals live compared to our lives. I have eaten so much rice and as a group we have travelled over 70 hours!! The walks and treks are so cool with lots of jungle and amazing views and I rode an elephant!!!!!!!!!!!, I feel like you would of liked the treks and bike riding alot Dad. The markets are amazing to look around with so many little nooks and crannies. Mum, you would totally love the fabrics and all the spices/street cooking, the food is incredible. Everything is so cheap, I love it. And Foof, you should see how easily entertained the kids are here just by a game like hopscotch, no mine craft here! There are also so many dogs but no corgis sadly :( I have so much more to say and so many priceless photos to show you but I shall present all and talk nonstop when I get home, miss and love you loads xxx
P.S Can I please get a set of all the john green books for Christmas.


Laura - it is incredible here I am having such a great time! The amount if rice I have eaten in the last two weeks is more than I have eaten in my entire life. I have decided that noodle soup and spring rolls is my fave though. The trek was by far my highlight so far, the kids in the villages we stayed in and the schools we visited were adorable and the elephant ride was also really cool! The amount of manky animals here is ridiculous, thank god I got my rabies needle and I advise Kiz never comes here. I miss you all so much (even Matt and sam, kinda) and I can't wait to show you all the photos and tell you about everything when I get home love you xxxxxxx

Zoe - Laos is so different to Australia, and the things we have been experiencing are absolutely mind blowing! So far the trek has been my favourite part, which is a shock to everyone. They can't believe princess Zoe was out in the rice fields doing some harvesting and that I survived 3 days without a shower. Mum- your travel skills must have rubbed off on me because you would be very impressed with the cheap deals we are getting. Our accommodation last night was $3.50 per person! Dad- you would be loving the temples and seeing the monks and the amazing culture here. We also came across an English man who was a guitar player/singer and he was busking on the streets. He was awesome, he really reminded me of you! And OMG OLIVIVA!!!!!!!! We found this Japanese coffee and tea place and it was so nice, you would have loved it! Even though this trip wouldn't exactly be your "cup of tea" (see what I did there). Good luck with your call back, I'm so excited for you! Let me know if you hear any news! Love you all and miss you lots, see you soon! xxxxx

Keeley - Where to start? Well it's very different to Australia of course but you would know that already, I came over here not really knowing what to except or how I would react and I suppose I have acted how any 16 year old Penrhos College girl would have... I'm absolutely amazed and astonished this whole experience is incredible, and I thank you Mum and Dad so much. It's been really hard at times and I'm missing you guys a lot travelling alone is a lot harder then with you guys and the thought of seeing you in the airport soon is getting me through. MUM- any news on Ella? It's the biggest thing on my mind I'm really excited to hear all about it soon and in exchange share a few tails of my own! DAD- never again shall I travel without you it's much harder...
Love you all (even Myles) so much, see you soon
XXXXXXXXXX

Ellie - it is incredibly hard or even impossible to sum up the last few days!! I am having the most amazing, life changing experience on this adventure with 14 of the most wonderful girls. I did ride an elephant the other day and I must admit that it was very different to riding raddish and pirate! The people here as so friendly and welcoming, a Laos persons smile warms the soul and you can't help but return a grin. You are all constantly on my mind and I send my love every night. I can smell the Christmas tree right now and I hope that you leave a few ornaments for me to put up!! Mum, I miss you very much, your Katanning up dates and your cuddles! Dad, I miss you very much and your constant advice and support... and miss liss, I miss you so so much and have gotten you some presents already xx! Stay safe all of you, I will see you soon and send on some of my love to the animals. Love always xxx Elzie xxx love you xx

Hannah - I honestly don't know where to start!! I am having the most incredible time, this is definitely a life changing experience. So far we have trekked through the jungle, stayed in a village with a local family, ridden elephants, explored the 4000 islands and Pakse. This place is incredible and so is the culture. The people are so welcoming and helpful even though there is a language barrier that is tricky to overcome! Laos is so different to I thought it would be and even though I am loving it here I am missing home and you guys a lot. The trip is flying by and I can't wait to see you guys at the airport (don't forget the Christmas hats!)!!! I also can't wait to get home and eat something other than rice, I can say that I am really looking forward to the dreaded Christmas ham! Missing you all a lot and I can't wait to get home and tell you all about the trip and to give you a big hug! Say hi to Nan for me and give Tarnie a pat! I hope Bec is enjoying her last week of Junior school. Stay safe. Miss you so so much, love you lots and see you soon! Hannah xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma - Sa-ba-dee (hello) I'm absolutely having the time of my life! Laos is so different to Australia. We have rode elephants, been on long boats, trekked in the beautiful jungle and been to the southern end of Laos to the 4000 Islands which was nice and relaxing. When we were in the 4000 island we rode bikes around the island and also crossed over to Don Det for the day. The day finished off with a breath taking sunset. The traffic here is crazy and one of the main source of getting around is on tuk tuks. My favourite part of trip so far has been on the elephants. It was my life long dream to ride on an elephant and I for-filled it with an amazing group of friends. I miss you all so much and can not wait to come home but at the same time I want to stay. I love you all so much to the moon, stars and back. Give a big pat to Zac for me. See you soon love Emma:) xxxxx

Chiquita- Hi mum, dad, zac and buddy! Hope all is good at home, I am having a really awesome time here. It has been such a great experience so far and it is amazing to see how different the culture and lifestyle is within Laos compared to home. The people are so friendly and life is so simple. Over the past days we have had so many amazing experiences that I won't forget. Our group get along so well and we are having so much fun together, from elephant riding to over night trains everything has been awesome. I have really enjoyed the home stay and it is great to try to communicate with the locals within the village. Say hi to everyone and anyone for me especially nan and pop. Zac: have a great yr.7 graduation you will finally be free from mr poof. Miss you all and can't wait to tell you everything when I get back xx love Chiqui xx

Milla - see above :)
Love the Penrhos College Gumnut Warriors xxxx

Penrhos College home from the trek - Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: Expeditions
PROJECT: Leadership Expedition
WRITTEN BY: Penrhos College

The past three days have been huge and a massive experience. In the end our plans changed again which allowed us to have 2 days kayaking and 1 trekking.

The first day we trekked 8-10km. It was completely different to what everyone expected. We started by going up hill which hot, steep and sweaty. The thick jungle plants made life even more difficult as some people started to struggle. When we finally got to the top of the hill, everyone felt proud and like they achieved something. It then started to sprinkle and cool down. But it didn't stay that way for long. After walking on flat ground for a bit the rain started bucketing down just for the downhill section. As you could imagine, everyone was soaked and muddy after having many falls and slips. By the the time we stopped for lunch many of the low spirits had turned to positive thoughts even though we had to share our lunch with the leeches. The food was amazing and was just the pick up we needed. It was beautifuly laid out as we sat and ate off banana leaves. After lunch we had a few more up and downs as we trekked the final leg to the homestay. At the homestay we were all relieved and amazed at what we achieved that day. We had a great dinner and settled down to sleep in groups at the different local houses for a good nights sleep.

The second day, we made the decision to kayak. After a late start we left the village and went to prepare. The weather was a huge improvement compared to the day before. The sun shined down on us as we dried our clothes and enjoyed the view of the river. The kayaking involved a mix of fun, fast rapids and slower, relaxing paddling. The guides showed us a great time as they taught us heaps about Laos and the culture. After a few hours we stopped for lunch and went for a swim. We had fun running up stream and drifting back down with the current as the guides prepared us more delicious, local food. We carried on paddling after lunch and stopped by a local village on the way. Many of the people were welcoming as we looked around and explored. We continued kayaking as the sun started to set but we got to our next homestay before it got completely dark. This village was very different to the last as they had no electricity, different food and a new way of living. We enjoyed it just as much as the last village as we dried clothes around the fire and had a candle lit dinner. We all slept in one big room for a well deserved sleep.

Today we continued to kayak down the river but weather decided to take another turn as it was cold and wet. We woke up early morning to look around the village at the locals and their morning routines. After breakfast we had a quick start as we tried to get warm again. As we began so kyak it started to rain again but it was still much easier than trying to slide down slopes of mud. We kayaked down more rapids for about 3 hours before again stopping for lunch which was prepared by the previous village. We ate and ran around to keep ourselves warm before kayaking the last leg to where our bus was ready and waiting.

Finally we are all back at Luang Namtha enjoying the luxury of hot showers and dry clothes. Soon we will head to dinner and plan for tomorrow where we will head to Houy Xai for our 2 day boat trip down the Meekong River.

Love you all and will talk to you soon.
Lots of Love
The Turtles
xxx