The Elephant Nature Park

[Something new: 2 video clips at the bottom- check 'em out!]
Hello everyone! I just finished the week volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park. Let me start off by saying the Park is much more than that; it's really a sanctuary. In fact I think the only elephant sanctuary in Thailand, a country with a strange dichotomy of attutudes towards pachyderms: they claim to revere elephants, and in fact they are cultural icons and used as symbols everywhere, yet the Thais have a centuries-old history of the most extreme brutality towards them imaginable, especially the young.

But I'll get to that later. I had a fantastic time at the Park; I shoveled manure (briefly) and planted corn and worked my duff off, and probably lost 10 pounds in the heat, and loved every minute of it!
I could list a detailed summary of what I did every day, but that would be tedious for both you and me, so let me just list a few memorable images from the week, with photos of most of them.

The whole complex at the Park is build of mostly renewable and/or recycled wood and bamboo, and for those who ever saw my toothpick "house", it looks quite a lot like that! It's got cool little walkways zig-zagging around that took me almost the whole week to figure out. And the forty or so dogs have plenty of places to hang out, sleep, and play. As I mentioned before, the Park is also a shelter for dogs, cats, water buffalo and other cattle who were all rescued. Sangduen "Lek" Chailert (the founder) loves them all, and her Park is a shining example of what can be done with a little love, some hard work, and a bit of forward-thinking.

While it's not the Four Seasons Hotel, it was pretty comfortable. I had my own hut with futon and mosquito netting, not that I noticed any of those. No air conditioning, but the nights were cool and each room had a fan available if you wanted one. You'd fall asleep listening to crickets, gekkos, distant exotic, haunting birdcalls, and the occaisional elephant hoot. Once in a while the dogs would get in the mood to howl, and serenade us with a chorus that sounded almost like wolves!

Anyway, some memorable events: trekking through some tropical forest to a camp known as "Elephant Heavan", a patch of woods Lek uses to give the elephants some time in a more forested area than the main camp. A small group of us volunteers got to spend the night out there, have dinner cooked for us, and we talked and sang around a little campfire until sleep overtook us. The next day we hiked back, but not without tying buddhist monk-blessed sashes around trees, in the hopes that illegal loggers would be too superstitious to cut them down. Lek uses every method she can to save and preserve what's left of the habitat. Even in spite of that, there were some patches of woods that some locals had burnt to try to clear; it's a never-ending battle-- or at least a long one. Hopefully it will end some day.

Another memorable moment: "Hope" giving me a muddy kiss! The young elephant has been trained (by rewards) to give a big sucking smooch to people's cheeks-- it's the cutest thing ever! I never quite got a picture of him (yes, a boy) actually doing it, but this photo is right after one. Note: Hope is quite literally that: he's the first baby elephant Lek got that has not been "broken" by the primitive Thai "phajaan" elephant torture techniques, which are almost too horrible to describe here, but are assumed to be the only way to control elephants. Lek hopes to show the world that they can be trained and controlled with kindness instead of brutality. As you can see, it seems to be working!
Speaking of elephants, I think my favorite would have to be Medo, a sweet old lady pictured here with a broken back (or pelvis, I suspect) who was damaged by a greedy owner who tried to breed her with her foot already broken. But she holds no malice, and the old girl determinedly limps around the place, making sure she's included in the goings-on, especially the feeding and bathing! She's always gentle, and was a pleasure to sneak extra bananas to! Here she is in her usual spot, next to her big boyfriend "Uncle Max" who also happens to have an old broken foot. They seem to take comfort in each other, along with another old female missing a foot from a land mine. I was asked not to feel sorry for them, instead to be glad that they will spend their remaining years in loving care. I quickly agreed with that philosophy.

Then there was building the benches. It took two days, and I worked through lunches, as this was the best time to get stuff done without people coming to borrow tools and such. I built one long one and a little triangular one, and it was interesting re-learning carpentry with bamboo and the hardest teak I've ever used. (I owe them a new box of drillbits!) Anyway, they came out pretty nice, though I wish I had had time to build another one around a big tree growing through the deck. I was surprised and touched when, on the last day, some other volunteers showed me a sign they had painted saying "Dave's Bench". It was great... thanks again, Anna!
There were lots of other great volunteers-- too many to mention, but the two couples I seemed to hang out with the most were Paul & Barb, and Greg & Therese, all from Australia, pictured above at the Heaven Hut in the foreground. I wish I had known them when I was Down Under! Thanks, guys, for making it extra special. And thanks also to Matt & Hanna, Chris & Cathy, Jack, Lief, Lee & Anna, and all the rest. And Polly, you were a terrific group leader!

Let's see... there were also the delicious meals cooked up by Phom and her crew, sometimes joined by Lek herself who whipped up the best vegetable fritters I've ever had... and the Chang (which means elephant in Thai) beers given to me by Derrick (The one in the middle), Lek's partner, after a long day's work, which we drank along with Chaz, the head maintenance guy. Those two are the most talented handymen I've seen since Pappa; they can fix anything from water pumps to electric heaters. Unfortunately, they're both going on extended leaves this summer; I hope the place survives without them. Any volunteers? They could sure use you, Dad or Jim!

There were also trivia games and contests, memorable dinners--especially one where we had to use teams to represent animals (can you guess which animal they are above?), more elephant baths and feedings, and finally, best of all, a talk and video by Lek herself, about the current state of elephant care in Thailand and her plans to change it.
Later I got her autograph in her book and a great photo of her and Derrick at the final night's party.
The last day before I left I couldn't resist a final bath in the river with the elephants. I was glad I did, because Lek was there and I was able to get a photo of both of us-- quite an honor to be with someone who's won the "Hero of Asia" and "Hero of the Planet" awards!
Then all too soon it was time to go, but not before I said goodbye to all my new friends, human and otherwise!

**Check out the new video clips below.**

For anyone who's interested in reading more about the park, and maybe to order some gifts or even visit or volunteer yourself, here's the link:

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/index.htm

WHAT I LEARNED ON MY VACATION: If you travel, especially to Asia or India, please keep the following in mind:

**Do NOT give money to feed elephants on city streets. You may feel sorry for them, but what they don't tell you is that they are owned by rich people, not the beggars you see, who make a profit on the suffering of the elephants as they wander the hot, hard, dangerous streets-- don't fall for this scam! The elephants are usually weak, hungry and scared, and usually torn from their mothers when far too young; they don't belong in the city, period. If nobody gives them money they'll stop the cruel practice.

**Before you go on an elephant trek or to a camp where they perform or give rides, you owe it to them to educate yourself on what goes on behind the scenes. All kinds of abuse takes place that you don't see (and some you do), including beatings, lack of food & water, separation of families, exhaustion, the list goes on. Elephants are trained to paint, for example, with up to four men poking them with sharp sticks or other weapons. Please don't support this kind of abuse. If you really want to see elephants, go to the Elephant Nature Park and see happy, playful elephants just being themselves.

**Pretty much any time you see elephants in some kind of show or display designed to get your pity-- and hence your money-- remember, they've all been through the phajaan torture, and think: do you want to support and perpetuate this? Be an educated traveler, not a clueless tourist, and don't pay for animal "entertainment" anywhere-- that includes "dancing" bears and ANY animals posed for photo ops.

[These photos were NOT repeat NOT taken at the Park; they were gotten online and taken somewhere in Thailand or Burma at a real phajaan, the "breaking" ritual that all domesticated Asian elephants go through-- except for Lek's.]

**If you have any questions at all, please email me at: hodave40@hotmail.com , leave a comment or check out the Park's website listed above.

Bathing "Jungle Boy" in the river:

A great day (near) Chiang Mai

Well, I made it to Chiang Mai, a small city in northern Thailand, and the first thing I did was book a day trip to the Elephant Nature Park. I was scheduled to begin my volunteer week in 4 days, but I couldn't wait! So after bluffing my way into an already-full tour for the next day, I did a bit of exploring the town, which is like a much smaller Bangkok, complete with night markets, tuk-tuks, temples and all the rest. The core is surrounded by a square of canals, but of course now it's sprawled out many times that size now.
In the hotel lobby a duet plays beautiful music on traditional Thai instruments. But I was here to see elephants. So the next morning the shuttle picked me up and took some other tourists & I to a fruit market to pick up a truckload of produce for the elephants, then to the Park, situated far out into the countryside in a beautiful wooded valley, where we were given a brief safety talk (don't get too close to the elephants, basically). Then came the fun part: we got to feed them, standing on a raised platform, lest they got too greedy. It was uneccessary; they were so gentle that when some inattentive parents let their little girl get much closer to them then she should have, the elephants never did a thing. They were sweet and patient, carefully taking each clump of bananas or section of watermelon in their trunk tips and curling them back into their mouths. It's a great setup-- it teaches them to like people (in spite of their past injuries), and gives tourists a great chance to interact with them. I should note that all of these elephants have been rescued from abusive situations, some with horrible injuries-- all except a few babies who were born at the Park and will never know cruelty!
By then it was time for us to eat too, and what a lunch they gave us! About 10 different kinds of rice or noodle mixtures, spring rolls, all kinds of veggies and salads and fruits. It reminded me of that island resort in Fiji. Then it was elephant bath time, my favorite! About 10 out of the 31 elephants there were brought to the nearby river where we were all invited to get in with them and throw buckets of water on them. They loved it! If you stopped, they would hose themselves with their trunks, indicating that they wanted you to keep going! Once in a while one would lay down in the water, allowing us to scrub their backs. I probably could have climbed on them if I was allowed to. I also caught a great shot of a mahout (trainer) on his elephant. They are all learning new, humane techniques of handling elephants; none of them use bullhooks, chains or ropes-- just quiet words.
Afterwards we had the honor of meeting Lek, the founder of the Park and a champion of elephant welfare in a country that still lags behind the world in any kind of animal rights. It was great to meet her, and ask questions about her experiences. Afterwards this hardworking little lady walked down with her dogs to a wallowing hole (pictured below) to spend some time with a young water-buffalo calf who showed obvious delight in her visit, greeting her with happy squeals. She even rescues those along with over 40 dogs and a couple dozen cats which are also loved and cared for at the Park; it is truly an animal sanctuary. Several of the dogs are fiercely loyal to her and stay close, which is good; she's received more than one death threat because of her "radical" ideas.
After watching a video about the Park and elephant exploitation in Thailand, we got to bathe some other elephants in the river again, then all too soon it was time to go. But not before spotting Lek, who asked me, "Are you wet?" Having just come from the river, I said yes, but after a minute of conversation it was apparent she thought I was a vet, and I had misunderstood her accent! I cleared up the misunderstanding and had a brief chat with her. If I'm lucky I'll get to talk with her again next week, and I want to get her to sign her book I bought today. It's a simple picture book filled with photos of happy, playful elephants, and I love it. The whole ride home a little girl (one of the ones who got too close to the elephants) slept on me. She was precious.
The next two days back in Chiang Mai were just taking care of chores (getting a haircut, etc.), swimming in the hotel pool and waiting to get back to the Park. Tonight, the last night, I wandered the HUGE sunday night street market until I was in a daze. Everything you can imagine is for sale, including fried insects. The only animals I saw "for sale" were tiny birds that a lady had in baskets, murmuring something about "good luck to let them go". Right. There were also some rather skinny (and skittish) dogs wandering around, but not a cat to be seen.
There's no internet at the Elephant Park, so you'll have to wait for a week to hear about that. But don't worry, there'll be lots to tell about it, and LOTS of pictures. See you then!
P.S. One interesting difference here: the Thais have a very endearing way of greeting you, with palms pressed together in the "prayer" position and a little bow. I would have thought it was a lost tradition, but it's very much alive here, and kinda sweet.

Bangkok

Hello everyone from Asia! I am now officially in the thick of it. I took an overnighter from Brisbane straight to Bangkok, and my hotel was right smack in the middle of Chinatown, so right after dropping my bags off and getting a map (on about 2 hours of sleep) I walked out the door into a world teeming with noise, cars, tuk-tuks (those little motorcabs), street vendors, shops selling all kinds of strange foods, scooters, people everywhere, and seemingly no sense to it at all. But somehow it all keeps going, so I guess it works.
Anyway I did the usual, took a riverboat upstream to the Grand Palace, found out I couldn't get in because I was wearing shorts (it was, after all, almost a hundred degrees), then was assured by a palace guard that the tuk-tuk driver waiting nearby would show me all the main sights, was an honest guy, four-square and upright, and was probably a boy scout at one time. Well, the guy was ok, but between temple stops he kept stopping by these posh clothing or jewelry stores, and begging me to "take a look, just five minute", so they would give him a gasoline voucher. I complied just to be nice, but didn't tip the guy when done.
Then at a huge street market area I saw some westerner drinking a "Tiger" beer at a cafe table and asked him how it was; one thing led to another and we were joined by several other people until it was two tables of people drinking from Canada, U.S. (me), Denmark, South Africa, Norway, Australia and probably Iceland for all I know. The original guy is pictured here lighting up from a ridiculously huge lighter he was snookered into buying from a street vendor. It was great fun but they were all chain-smoking, and even though we were outside I just couldn't take it any more and went back to the hotel.
The next day I had some catching up to do on both sleep and emailing, so I didn't go out until the evening to see the Night Market, which is just like the other markets (only darker). It was also near the Patpong, the sleazy district, so I had to check it out, and it was about like I pictured, crammed with bars, old white guys with young Thai girls, and someone asking me what I wanted or where I was from every 20 steps. That can get as annoying as cigarette smoke, so I left after a while. The whole thing was kind of sad; desperate Thais trying to "rent" their pretty young women, when they should be trying to protect and educate them. It's not a great situation.
Anyway, the next day I left for Chiang Mai, which I'll tell about soon. See ya then!
,

Brisbane-- the last stop in Australia

Brisbane was the last-- and in some ways the best-- stop in Australia. It's a good-sized city on the middle of the east coast, with the waterfront facing the Brisbane river rather than the nearby Moreton Bay. There are some beautiful parts of riverfront on both sides, inluding parks, cafes, boardwalks, and a nice pedestrian bridge right in the middle of everything. It was a real pleasure to walk along it, and in fact that's where I kept finding myself, on one side or the other. They have a terrific botanical garden right downtown which features a large swath of rainforest you could almost get lost in if it weren't for the paved pathways in it. There's even a decent little beach right on the riverside, used by the townspeople a lot, as the weather here is subtopical, and even pretty hot on the autumn days I was there. I've included a pic of some of the scenery here for the guys who might appreciate it.

There's also another pretty park that took me some time to get to; it was all uphill and I even had to go through a huge train station to get to it, but it was worth it-- it had nice ponds, tropical gardens with plants even Chuckie might not know of, a playground, lots of benches and viewing platforms, even a fairly-good sized lake (pictured), not bad for the middle of the city.

On the taxi ride into town the first night, we passed lots of young people lining up to get into nightclubs, but as usual I was too tired to check any of them out. My hotel wasn't close to them, but was right outside the central district yet still in a quiet suburban neighborhood. It had a peaceful garden breakfast patio where you could hardly hear a car, but I could walk to the riverfront in minutes. It was a lucky choice I blindly selected months earlier on the internet.

In fact, the choice to go to Brisbane at all was pretty random; I knew I wouldn't want to have to go back to Sydney to fly out of the country when I was done, and Brisbane happened to pop up as one place to try. I knew absolutely nothing about it then, and not much more when I arrived, having purchased only a tiny little guidebook on Australia. I found I didn't need more: upon arriving in each new city, the hotels always had racks of maps and brochures featuring all the latest attractions, tours and other things to see & do. And since I always spend at least one of the days simply walking around the core of each town, I didn't need more.

The last day I was there I was approached by some young people recruiting others to work for WSPA, an animal welfare group. I obviously couldn't help them, but I asked if I could take their picture as I don't have many photos of the Australians themselves. I also took a photo of what appears to be a giant spider on a bridge, which is not trick photography; I just wanted a closeup of some of the local insect life.

I also spent some hours exploring the Brisbane museum, a great stop to learn a little more about Australia and its plants, animals, gemstones and history. They have a great exhibit about the comparative sizes of animals, featuring an interesting assortment of dozens of mounted animals poised as if they're all walking together in a line, from polar bears to crabs. And unusually for here, it was free admission.
All in all, I liked Brisbane. If I come back to Australia, this is one place I want to revisit.

Next: on to Asia, starting with Thailand!