Bangkok Week 177 November 17, 2011 A long Saturday trip to donate supplies to flood victims in Nakhon Pathom (west of Bangkok). View fullsize We met at 5am to haul out donation supplies from an office building -- the black and white cans are actually temporary toilets. View fullsize We had a big 10-wheel truck, into which everything went! Packages for 700 famililes, plus toilets for another ~100. View fullsize When loaded up like this, it doesn't look like much. View fullsize The sleepy BCG contingent. Ali, the organizer, is on the right. View fullsize It wasn't exactly luxury riding in the rear of the truck, but we all fit. View fullsize Dawn was breaking when we finally left downtown Bangkok. View fullsize Good Morning, Bangkok. Now, how do we get out of here? View fullsize It was extremely bumpy back there -- and as a result, difficult to take non-blurry photos. View fullsize Can you tell it's breezy? (Actually, it was also very cool out.) View fullsize No point wasting time on a good hairdo. View fullsize Is it really possible to catch some zzz's in the back of a truck? Apparently! View fullsize Nong Ken (from the other group who was there) demonstrated alternate uses for the temporary toilet seat. View fullsize We must be getting close -- time to get up and check out the view. View fullsize A pit stop before entering the flooded villages. We had to clear our donations with the soldiers and local village heads first. View fullsize While on stationary land, why not catch a few more zzz's? View fullsize They're contagious! View fullsize Heading into the flood zone... this was only the beginning. View fullsize This home and shop appeared to be open as usual. View fullsize Here's the little village town hall. Normally, I guess that's a driveway. View fullsize Given the water level (see the pickup) this man's boat seems a *tad* overkill. View fullsize This family just carried on their breakfast as if nothing was different. View fullsize Young banana trees -- almost drowned! View fullsize This family was thrilled because their cement wall actually worked! Grandma's dry inside, and the kids are just playing in the boat. View fullsize A neighborhood dog comes out to see what all the fuss is about. View fullsize At our first stop, a few logistical stumbles before we figure out the best way to unload the truck. View fullsize It's a school, attached to a temple, where about 15 families have come to stay. View fullsize The flooding already comes halfway up the ground floor! View fullsize I guess no one's staying in the downstairs of these dorms. Doesn't the water look just lovely? View fullsize Some alternative vehicles parked at the schoolside. View fullsize Ali and team demonstrate how to use this Swiss-designed water filter -- meant to make ANY water drinkable. We demonstrated using the lovely green water you just saw. View fullsize At the next stop, 3 villages had organized around the local train station -- the only dry point for miles. View fullsize We unloaded over 500 donation kits for the 500+ families in the 3 villages. View fullsize The trains were still operating as normal -- and people were taking them to go buy groceries in other (dry) towns. View fullsize On the other side of the station, it looked more like a ship yard than a car park. View fullsize I believe people normally drive to this station. View fullsize A view down the "soi". View fullsize Normally this is a car park, not a boat dock. View fullsize This handsome black dog is wondering what all the fuss is about. At least it's easier to stay cool when there's water, right? View fullsize A local convenience store and inundated payphone booths. View fullsize Hmm. Rowing past a pickup truck. View fullsize This granny was returning from doing some vegetable shopping... just like the good old days, I guess. View fullsize This woman was very determined to get where she was going. Not that store, though. View fullsize Two dogs hung out on a makeshift floating dock. View fullsize A family was still living in this house. You can gauge the water level by looking at the door in the fence. View fullsize They came out to meet us by walking on a series of elevated planks. View fullsize This guy gave up on staying dry a while ago. View fullsize Hmm. Faster -- but probably more dangerous -- than paddling a boat. View fullsize No kids playing in this playground today... even though they'd have a waterslide. View fullsize Our last stop is a dip in the water at the village's head office, to drop off the rest of the supplies. View fullsize On the ride back, everyone's pooped! View fullsize The main road connecting these western provinces to Bangkok was badly flooded... people were still scrambling. Here, they float on a giant foam block. View fullsize Only large trucks were able to pass still. View fullsize Kind of reminds you of a cottage scene, right? View fullsize Here people take refuge under the raised supports of the flyover. But... where to go next? View fullsize Notice that pickup truck? View fullsize It's like a long, peaceful canal. Most vehicles couldn't make it this far. View fullsize This factory's taking a last-ditch effort to stay dry. (Check out the floating dock.) View fullsize Back in Bangkok -- we found where all the sandbags come from! View fullsize And in other news: it's Tom from Design Squad!
