Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich

2010 Itinerary – Come with Nothing, Go Home Rich

First and foremost, Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich is the most intense and advanced program that Rustic Pathways offers. It is also one of our most popular and fastest growing programs globally. This is an intense experience that involves a lot of hard work. Generally, students who are not prepared for the rustic conditions on this program have some difficulty adjusting.

Despite being different from what you are used to, living standards in remote Thai villages are quite clean, and staff will make sure you are well informed in each village you visit. While the rustic conditions may require some adjustment, the vast majority of our students really enjoy the opportunity to live like local people in three different locations.

However, you can and should expect your comfort levels to be tested throughout the trip. We are not trying to scare you away, but the success of this program depends on having participants who are ready for this kind of experience. If you are expecting a comfortable, relaxing, five-star holiday, you will be in for quite a surprise when you arrive. Thus, we would like to state the facts clearly so all participants know what to expect:

* Mornings come early in rural Thailand, and you must wake up with your host family. They will be up preparing breakfast and getting ready for the day as soon as the first roosters crow and the sun begins to rise.

* Personal space is very limited in many of the Hill Tribe villages that we visit.

* You will find yourself in places that do not have Western-style toilets or showers for extended periods of time.

* You will always be well fed, but picky eaters will not always have a lot of options to choose from. Students who do not eat the local cuisine (which is generally pretty simple and tasty) can expect Ramen noodles, eggs, peanut butter sandwiches, rice, rice soup, and fruit.  

If you are not comfortable with any of the above facts, than you should probably check out another program. On the other hand, if you are up for an adventure and seeking a dramatically different service experience that will fully immerse you in fascinating cultures and places, Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich is the program for you!

About the Day-to-Day Itinerary:

The itinerary is different for nearly every Come With Nothing program because each group visits a different combination of villages. Typically we only visit each village between one and three times per summer, depending on the ongoing service initiatives in each location. This makes it impossible to provide an accurate day-to-day itinerary. Instead we try to help you understand how the program runs generally to ensure that you (and your parents) understand the nature of this experience. Each trip is entirely unique, and there is no way the subtle details can be scripted ahead of time.

This program visits some of the most rural and untouched places in Thailand. Your first couple of nights will be spent in guesthouses as you work your way towards the first village. Typically, you will stay in each village for four to five nights, and often you will work on and finish a substantial service initiative during this time.

When you arrive in a new place, you will take some time to explore the village and talk with community elders and leaders about the projects that might best suit their needs. Their input and cooperation is a critical part of this program – it ensures that your time and energy go toward a worthwhile project that is proposed and supported by the community.

In a perfect world, every Come With Nothing group would be able to sit down with the village leaders soon after arrival in each location to share ideas, agree on a project, and get to work. In the real world, this is not the case for every group in every village. Sometimes, you may be the second Come With Nothing group to visit a particular village. In this case, your group will continue to work on, and hopefully finish, the project the first group started. In other cases, the local people may have agreed on a service project for their village before you even arrive!

Regardless of your input in deciding the project, your staff will work to keep the group focused on the service and the positive energy created through it. If you join Come With Nothing with this understanding, you’ll find that it’s all you’re looking for and much more!

As stated above, mornings will start extremely early. On your first morning in a village, you will almost certainly find yourself cursing the first rooster that starts crowing at 3:42 a.m. (and the bad news is that once they start, they usually don’t stop). The morning fire is usually crackling before 6 a.m., and nearly everyone in the village is awake and moving shortly thereafter. Bring along some earplugs and do the best you can to get to bed early. As the trip progresses, you may actually find that you like getting up with the sun!

A Note to Female Students About Dress Code:
Women in Hill Tribe villages dress extremely conservatively, and we demand that our students are always respectful and mindful of the local culture.

Throughout this program, you will be expected to show respect to the local people by wearing wear rather conservative clothing. Conservative dress will also prevent you from embarrassing yourself and losing face in the locals’ eyes. Since most days spent in the village will involve labor-intensive service work, you will also need to wear comfortable clothing that will protect you from scrapes and scratches.

Capri-style shorts generally work the best. If they’re not your style, you need to do your best to find shorts that cover your knees. When you’re teaching in a school, you’ll need to wear a long skirt or wrap a sarong around your waist. In addition, low-cut tank tops are strongly discouraged everywhere (and NEVER permitted in a school), and whenever possible you should cover your shoulders. These points are especially important to remember any time you enter a school, where you should always look as good as you possibly can. Although you may feel fine dressed in your normal clothes, you can quickly become a spectacle and do more harm than good if you are inappropriately dressed in these traditional places. Please respect this aspect of the culture and everybody will win!

In between each of the three villages, your group will take a day or two to relax, get refreshed, and enjoy the cool northern towns you will pass through. These places include Mae Hong Son, Pai, Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai. Hot showers and comfort foods (including salads, pizza, pasta, and burgers) are always available in these places, and after spending four or five nights in a Hill Tribe village eating rice, you will look forward to these treats.

Most groups will stop in at least three towns over the three-week journey. When you stop in these towns, you will stay in a simple guesthouse or at one of Rustic Pathways’ Base Houses. Your staff will make sure you have a chance to do your laundry and use the Internet to send e-mails home and manage what is sure to be a growing collection of amazing photographs. You will also stop by a few of the must-see sites and, of course, have plenty of time to get some well-deserved rest in preparation for the next village.

If you aren’t afraid of hard work for a great cause and are ready for a challenge, Come With Nothing, Go Home Rich is the adventure for you!

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
 

It shouldn’t take you long to pack for this trip since all that you need to bring should fit into your carry-on backpack that you bring on the plane. Basically what you need to pack for your trip is what you’ll need for your first night (plus or minus a few other things). During our orientation in Ayuthaya, we will give students the money they will need in the markets ($50) and also their new Thai-style bags. During our travels we will be stopping at all kinds of markets along the way where you will be able to find the things that you will need for your trip (and for cheap too!). The idea behind “Come With Nothing” is to live simply like the people we are visiting and also to learn about the value of the things we have and / or will buy. The more you let go, the more adventurous your trip will be. There are some things which are important to bring (these items are listed with a ***).

Things you should pack (PIAPB = Pack In A Plastic Bag):

* ***Lightweight Sleeping Bag Liner (a lightweight bed sheet, folded in half the long way and sewn together will work perfectly!) These will come in handy and every student has been happy when they brought one.
* Bathing suit – please bring your own suit. You may find board shorts in the market, but it will be easiest to just bring your own.
* **Sneakers or Croqs – one pair of sturdy sneakers that you won’t mind getting dirty, preferably with lots of traction (will be walking around steep, muddy areas and using these during service proects). Croqs have become the CWNGHR shoe of choice. Although many students think that they are ugly, they are perfect for the villages (you can buy them cheep out here in Thailand too).
* Insect Repellant - bring one that is heavy in DEET and one that is natural Citronella - 2 cans or bottles minimum. Remember that the mosquito is your enemy wherever you travel in the world. This can also be purchased in Thailand – PIAPB
* Hand Sanitizer (2 or 3 small bottles per week you are traveling in Thailand) - always use this before you eat as many germs are passed from your hands to your mouth and keeping your paws clean helps keep you healthy wherever you are traveling! Carry some with you and pack the rest in a plastic bag in your suitcase. Can also be purchased in Thailand - PIAPB
* Flashlight/Headlamp - bring one good one, and a lot of spare batteries. Flashlights can also be purchased in Thailand.
* ***Medications (must alert staff about these) - bring with you any medications that you will need while you are away. You will need to tell staff what medications you have brought during your orientation period. This is done privately, but it is essential that you disclose to your staff all medications you are carrying.
* Contact lenses and accompanying paraphernalia - if you use contacts, bring all of your chemicals with you- PIAPB
* Camera – Film or Digital. Don’t forget your chargers, spare memory sticks, extra batteries, etc.
* Bathroom Kit – Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, nail cutters, etc. (***girls, please bring all necessary hygiene products, i.e. tampons. Although tampons can be purchased here, they may not be the ones you are comfortable using, so you may want to bring your own).
* 1 Long sleeve shirt (lightweight / breathable material is recommended)

Things you think you should pack but shouldn’t because we’ll be buying it in the markets:

* T-shirts - just bring 2 (or 3) maximum (lightweight / breathable materials are best). There will be plenty of great t-shirts that you’ll buy in the markets here.
* Rain Gear – We’ll buy ponchos or umbrellas to use.
* Shorts – Bring 1 pair maximum (light and breathable best).
* Pants – Bring 1 pair maximum (light and breathable best, the ones that fold into shorts or have zip off legs work great too).
* Flip Flops or Croqs– We’ll buy them in the market, HUGE variety.
* Pajama Bottoms or chill pants – Thailand has some of the most comfortable pants for lounging, we’ll buy these as well.
* Sunglasses – Once again, a HUGE variety. All shapes, sizes and colors imaginable.
* Hats – Can also be purchased in the market.

What NOT to bring:
- Big sleeping bags / sleeping pads (its hot and we will also be provided w/ simple mats to sleep on)
- Big suitcases
- Big hiking boots
- mosquito nets (we will buy these in Thailand)
- Too much stuff! When in doubt, take it out!

Should I bring these?

* Ipod – Sure. You’ll have a long flight over and they can also be used to store your pictures when your memory card is full. Make sure you practice transferring pictures over from your camera to your ipod before you come (we wouldn't want you to lose any pictures).
* Journal – Okay. Just make sure you write in it! But remember, there are great journals here that you can also buy for cheap in the markets.
* Books – Yeah! But remember that we’re trying to travel lightly and the Lonely Planet Thailand combined with a novel is a lot of space and heavy.
* Swiss Army Knife – No. We wouldn’t want you held up with airport security and on the evening news, and you won’t use it.
* Speakers – No. Nature will provide our soundtrack in the villages.

Some important questions to ask yourself while packing or shopping:

* Do I really need it? (I can envision two piles of stuff on the ground in your room…hopefully the smaller pile is the one you’ll be bringing).
* Is it something I could find in the market there? (when in doubt, email Jay Slangen at jay@rusticpathways.com, but the answer is most likely yes).
* Do I really, really need it?? (ask yourself again and then get rid of some more stuff. Maybe email Jay if you’re really struggling with this question).
* Gifts for kids in the villages – You can bring some if you’d like (crayons, pencils, notebooks), but not too much. You can also buy these things for cheap in the markets here.

Donation Books for Longneck Karen Village:
During our trip we visit a Longneck Karen village. This village is a refugee camp outside of Mae Hong Son in Northeastern Thailand. While there, we talk to one of our friends, Malee, who is the librarien at the school. The library does not have many good books and it would help if we brought some. If students could bring about 10 small/skinny books, this would help them greatly. Books don't have to be big (as we only have 1 bag, I don't want to take up much room with your books). They should be 4th - 5th grade reading level. Story books are good and you can bring 10 of the same book as well. Nothing too big, please just small and skinny books is fine. If you don't have room for this in your bag, don't worry about it, its okay (one book is okay too).

1. Where and who will kids be staying on this program?
Rustic Pathways has been to these villages and met with the elders already. They know that you are coming and are expecting you to come as well. We have friends in the villages and you will not feel awkward here. Usually, we stay in about 3 or 4 different houses, boys and girls are separate (boys in one house w/ the family and male leader, girls in another house w/ a female leader). Usually it is the village elder's house and some of his friends and family or nearby neighbors. We all gather for dinner and eat at the same house. In the houses (either made out of bamboo or teakwood), we sleep on simple mats under mosquito nets. In between villages we will be staying at small guesthouses and Rustic Pathways Base Houses along the way. All bedding and new mosquito nets will be provided for.

2. What is the ratio of staff / guides to students?
This trip has a capacity of 15 students. There will be 2 western staff (1 male, 1 female) as well as 1 or 2 local staff. We will also have our 3 van drivers (2 passenger vans and one small van for bags / equipment) with us at all times who also help out with dinners and other activities.

3. What kind of food will the kids be eating? What if my child has certain diet retrictions?
While in villages students will be eating local food prepared by our van drivers, villagers and students. We cook Thai food that the students are comfortable eating and also throw in a local experimental dish for the students to try out. We also cook vegetarian dishes as well. We have catered to Vegans before too and other dietary restrictions. In between villages we eat at local restaurants.

4. Will there be clean water to drink?
Yes. During this trip students will be drinking out of bottled water at all times. Before we enter a village, we visit the markets to buy our supplies. Depending on the amount of students on the trip and how many days we will be staying, we buy several large packs of bottled water. Kids write their names in permanent markers on the bottles to make sure they are drinking out of their own water bottles.

5. Will kids be able to do laundry?
Yes. Student can either try to wash their clothes the local way in the village, or we will also have laundry stops during our days between villages.

6. Will kids have a place to store their bags if they do another program? How will they pick these up?
Yes. We usually pick up their extra bags when they arrive in BKK and deliver them to the students when they connect to their next program.

7. How much spending money do you recommend?
We usually recommend about $150 / week. This money can be used to buy souvenirs in local markets. They will also need money for internet, laundry, phone calls home, massages and snacks for road trips.

8. Where is the closest hospital? Will I need any special vaccinations?
From each village the farthest hospital is only 45 minutes away. If we ever needed to evacuate someone, we can do so right away as our van drivers our with us for the entire trip. There are major western hospitals in Chiang Mai and also in BKK. If you have any questions about what vaccinations to get, please consult your local doctor. You can also check out the Center for Disease Control website (www.cdc.org) as well which gives detailed info on what vaccinations to get.

9. Will kids have access to internet / phones?
Yes. In between villages we will stop at internet. Although students are allowed to have cell phones, they are not encouraged to use them. Staff will all have cell phones which students can use to call home at reasonable rates.

10. How will the weather be?
Although it is rainy season in Thailand during the whole summer, the weather is still very nice. If it rains, it will usually rain hard in the late afternoon for 30-45 minutes and then stop and be sunny again. The weather in Thailand is also very hot and can be humid at times too.

11. Are there a lot of bugs?
Although it never seems as if there are a large amount of bugs, students must always be protecting themselves from them. It is important that students have bug spray (which we can buy in Thailand).

12. What kind of service will the kids be doing on this trip?
During the CWNGHR program, students will act like NGO’s (Non Government Organizations). After students settle into their homes, we have a meeting with the head of the village and several village elders. Here, we ask them questions about their village and where they feel they could use some help. The next day we tour the village and assess the needs keeping in mind Short Term Projects and Long Term Projects. They visit the school, local clinic, several houses, village water sources and any other areas we feel may need help. Short term projects can be teaching at the school, running a camp for the students, working alongside villagers in the ricefields, etc. Long term more sustainable projects can be building a library, toilets at the school, repairing the village’s water holding tanks, etc. All the projects are up to the students and leaders help guide them through the decision process. Students are also in charge of a $1,000 budget which they will need to distribute amongst the three villages and the projects we do. This money is used for donation materials (school supplies, medicines, farm equipment, etc) as well as supplies for our projects. We work as a team to and have discussions on how to use this money in the best way. This program needs students to be involved in the process and decision making.

13. What is village life like?
Life in the villages is very simple, relaxing and slow paced. Many of these people are farmers and they spend long days in the rice fields or farms. Many elders stay at home with the young kids and lounge around all day. Students will be able to help out with family chores, cooking, cleaning, and a lot of game playing with the local children.

14. What are the bathrooms like in the villages?
Bathrooms in the villages are very small and simple. All of them have squat toilets that need to be flushed by hand (pouring a small bit of water into the toilet). Also there are no hot showers in the villages. Showers are cold water "bucket showers". There is a big tub of water where students take a bucket and pour the water over them. Don't worry, everyone gets used to these types of showers and after a while they are fun (but they also make you appreciate a hot water shower in our guesthouse in between villages a lot more)!

15. How will the kids communicate without speaking Thai?
You'll be amazed at how far sign language and body gestures go. Also, don't worry, you will have bilingual staff to help you communicate to the locals. Along the way, you will also be taking a few lessons in Thai that will help you get by and make friends with the locals.

16. What will the kids be doing between villages?
In between villages we will be taking long road trips through winding roads in the mountains and countryside. These van trips are a lot of fun. Students are not allowed to bring their Ipods into the village, but they are allowed to use them in the vans so it’s a lot of fun making playlists and sharing music. We also stop in several towns and may sleep in a guest house or Rustic Pathways Base House. While here we may get massages, go to local markets, check emails, do laundry and get a tour of the town and local temples.

17. How long are the drives?
Drive lengths can vary, but may be up to 6-8 hours on our longest days. Don’t worry, we are always stopping for snacks, food and other surprises along the way!

18. Why is this trip only for older students?
Because of the intensity of this trip, we are looking for smart, mature, focused and active students who show good leadership skills and are committed to the community service projects that we will do in the villages. This trip has several meetings with NGO heads, government officials and village elders and we would like the students to be active in asking questions and listening. Also, during this trip we will be talking about some major issues such as refugees, migrant workers, malaria, sustainable development and more. The students will also be in charge of a $1,000 budget where they will be responsible for distributing this money how they see fit for different service projects. We would not want a younger student to feel lost, left out of discussions or feel that the program is too tough. Please understand that this is an advanced service project which is best suited for older students.

19. Will we be able to charge our cameras?
Yes. Although the villages that we visit are in very remote areas, there is either electricity supplied to the village or solar cells. Students can charge their cameras in the village if necessary. It is recommended however, that students charge their electronics in between villages when we stay at guesthouses and Rustic Pathways Base houses.