What a fantastic trip that was! One month, 5 countries, 13 flights and 12 time zones ahead of home. The Plan was to document the amazing work of our volunteers in Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. Breathtaking, inspiring and heartbreaking sometimes but mostly, very rewarding.

I think I met an average of 10 people a day every day who offered me tea. I can now count to ten in Thai, Khmer, Sinhala and Tamil, also I can very politely ask “Can I take a picture of you?” in Thai and Khmer.

Meeting new people, visiting a new placement and taking new pictures everyday, driving every weekday and flying to a different country every weekend, that was my routine for a month.

The most remarkable thing is definitely the work of our volunteers - we behind the scenes don’t normally see their work as we’re too busy organizing their placements behind our desks, but I must say they do an amazing job and I have the best example here with me; Rotanak is an orphan boy who lives in the Lighthouse orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Please notice how good his English is. The reason is very simple: Volunteers.

Click this link to see the video:
http://www.teaching-abroad.co.uk/expes/rotanak-cambodia.html

The photos show the volunteers in Action, I really wonder how many did I photograph? Teaching English to Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, taking care of physically and mentally disordered kids in Thailand, taking active part in operations on our medical placements in India, supporting local physiotherapists in Nepal or Teaching English to kids at the Tsunami camp in Sri Lanka. So many places and so many examples of how the volunteers can make a real difference.

I took nearly 5 thousand pictures, I needed a week to classify them all, a selection is already in the UK and shortly you’ll be able to see them at the global Projects Abroad online Gallery, Posters, Brochures, Leaflets and of course our website.

I want to thank all the colleagues and now new friends I met over all the destinations I visited, I really hope to see you all again!

I also managed to take general pictures of the actual destinations, here’s an online gallery, have a look and feel free to criticise them.

Link to photogallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60409115@N00/

Thanks very much, Kap kun kap, hapkun, Istuti, Nanri, Danyevat !!!

Claudio