Bricks, cement and lots of sweat!

Susanne:
Wow, what a day!

Left the hotel at around 7:30 am after a scrumptious breakfast at our Hotel Goldiana and drove about an hour and a bit to get to our build site. Interesting drive which is slow with lots of traffic but lots of things to see along the way. Pandoras (temples), markets, lots of homes, some on stilts and built off the ground, animals wandering around around properties and on roads (goats, cows, chickens, roosters etc) and lots of entertainment.

The build site had a covered area (good thing!) next to the ``brick making factory``. some of the homes (attached to one another in townhouse style) were already built and then a new row was started which we were working on. The families we were supporting were on site to greet us and the building began early and we didn`t stop much all day except for regular breaks. As the build had to be cut down to one week due to lack of availability next week, we are focused and have a lofty goal: two homes on one week.

The weather was hot and humid again and it is hard to explain just how warm it was building. Everyone`s shirts, shorts etc turned a different color within a couple of hours, sweat dripped down eye lids, chins, shins,..hard to explain but we were SOAKED all day long ...it was incredibly hot. After lunch which was held at an area with hammocks and cover, it got a bit cloudy which kept everyone in ok shape, but the heat and humidity were absolutely crazy! we must have all had about 4-5 litres of water just to stay hydrated. we got a ton of work done though. There were basically three stations: mixing cement, putting cement or bricks into wheelbarrows and bring them over to the homes being built and actually laying the brick. I did brick work most of the day and delivered some brick. reminded me of the build in Madagascar which also consisted of a one-brick row and cement in between as well as a string representing the line as a level. Loved it!

Few pics are attached. we were also really lucky to have kids on the work site which really brightened up the day: cute kids who love being in pictures and always show the thumbs up or V sign for every pic. Thew families were amazing, said some very nice, welcoming things and comments when we first got there and are very appreciative of the help. GREAT DAY!

Nice dinner at Titanic restaurant on the Mekong river, open air and super comfy chairs. Tried water buffalo today and am determined to try some of the not-so-common-at-home local things before leaving: fried crickets, fried ants, snake skewer, little mini frogs just to name a few...