ITDP And Starbucks Coffee

One of the things we learnt about the work of ITDP was that they were able to get Starbucks Thailand to buy the Hilltribes coffee since 2004. It is marketed as Muan Jai Coffee - logo below. It may be available in Australia but not sure about in NZ. Whilst we were in Thailand it was out of stock so we weren't able to get any. Starbucks Thailand had also committed to funding a clinic through ITDP, which was a partnership of 4 years. The clinic has now been handed over to the Thai government who will continue to fund it, but it will be run under the jurisdiction of ITDP who had originally set it up. (The Thai government has an understanding that if an organisation can start & fund a clinic or school for at least 3 years, then the government will continue with the funding thereafter, but the running of the place is kept the same as when it was started!)

A different technique of roasting coffee has produced a honey-roasted bean - named because of the colour rather than the addition of honey. There is upcoming commercial interest in this roast - another big "plus" for our Hilltribes coffee growers!

As you read this, Isaac and Brendon are winging their way from south Thailand to Bangkok where Brendon will fly home and Isaac, 3 more days with friends in Bangkok. What an adventure we had down south, meeting lots of c's friends and former students - we were warmly greeted and hosted by these people. We were lent a Cholae (100cc scooter with sidecar) to travel in and everywhere we went, people laughed or stared in disbelief! We had a hard job keeping it under control at times with three good sized blokes! Most of our time was spent talking to people over endless cups of sweet tea, visiting historic sites or encountering the numerous produce markets - sensory overload!!! This is a deeply religious area with many mosques, temples and a wide ethnic diversity. A troubled region with military checkpoints everywhere but we were generally waved through by smiling officers - must have been quite a sight!
We were given accommodation in the rear of a friends produce shop, mats on a concrete floor didn't produce much sleep...in addition to the motorbikes, people, trucks, goats, cows, roosters, the early call to worship at the nearby mosque....part of the adventure.
This morning we were treated to a 2hr boat ride through a mangrove forest . We navigated through shallow, dark water under a 15m canopy and spotted plenty of wildlife growing in this unique ecosystem. It reminded us of bear grills heading through the everglades...minus the alligators! A great time, and one that we will not forget in a hurry!


Photo below from Isaac and Brendon in South Thailand.

"Hard life eh??!  Cholae is the name for the side car they are on!"