Chiang Mai - Elephant Camp

While Riley and I were trapsing around Taipei, Allie was being charmed by elephants in Chiang Mai.

A group of girls from school flew to northern Thailand for a week of volunteering at an elephant reserve... rice paddies en route.

The eco-tourism camp welcomes individuals & groups wanting to learn more about elephants and how to help the endangered species. 

Room to roam, the reserve provides a safe range and medical care for formerly abused elephants. They now have 33 females, 4 males, and 2 babies.

Each elephant has own mahout to care for it... and keep it out of trouble. Hope, a male, wears a bell to help make his mischieveous presence known.

The reserve also houses some 60+ dogs, 40+ cats, herds of cattle, water buffalo and 10 pigs. The dogs help corral elephants and they bark when elephants stray. The animals are guests that needn't worry about ever becoming dinner... the camp is vegetarian.

The camp provides housing for volunteers.

Basic with no air-con, mosquito nets were a must as malaria and dengue fever still persist. One night, Allie awoke to rustling noise that wouldn't stop. She shined a flashlight...a 12-inch (?) long RAT had found her Mama noodles (crunchy, ramen-like). It scurried out through the 2-inch gap at bottom of room's door. 

Ready to work

Shoveling elephant stuff into fast moving river. She swam with the elephants near this same spot, but assured me the current was strong enough to carry away all the waste. Ha, fingers crossed.

One day they unloaded 3,028+ pumpkins (they counted) for the elephants' kitchen. "The week was exhausting!"

Pumpkins and melons are all washed to rid of pesticides before giving to elephants.

Elephants' pantry. They eat 18 hours a day, mostly grazing, but also fruit and treats from the kitchen. Allie made heaps of banana balls with spoiling banana, corn and oats... elephants love them.

The elephants were like kids, and eat sweet watermelon and banana first. Only after that's all gone will they eat the pumpkin and cucumbers. They toss veggies to ground if fruit is still around.

Lots of baths

Eddie Machetti is a puppy who was viciously sliced across the back with a knife. He was half dead when he came to the camp, but is now fine and (usually) full of sweet, puppy life.

Planting pumpkins and melons, with bamboo tools

Khun Lek began the reserve a decade ago. She has been widely recongnized for her work, "2001 Hero of the Planet" by Ford Foundation, "2005 Hero of Asia" by Time Magazine, and features on National Geo, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and BBC.

Found several interesting bugs during the week.

Le grande escargot

One afternoon they participated in a blessing of the trees. Monks blessed cloths that the girls tied around nearby trees. If cloaked trees are cut down, it is believed bad luck will follow the life of the tree chopper.

Another day they taught English songs to local school kids..."Head, shoulders, knees and toes"

They loved braiding her long blonde hair.

Allie loved sweetheart Khun B, her photographer & friend all week

On her last night when I talked to her, she said they had 4 hours of free time that day. I asked what she did. "Erin & I just hung out with the elephants, thought about things. I'm gonna miss them." 

I'm grateful for yet another grand adventure for this girl.

Taipei

48 hours after morphine, anesthesia, 8 stitches near the eye and 48 to the leg... ready to take on Taipei

I helped 36 kids, aged 8-11, storm the plane... upon takeoff, 72 hands went into the air with excited "wheeeees" as if rollercoasting for the very first time, though most are gold mileage members

101 Tower... now, second tallest in world

World's fastest elevator... hardly felt we were moving

Textured Taipei... it is the capital of Taiwan, or Republic of China, not to be confused with the People's Republic of China (commonly known as China). After WWII, separtist Chinese Nationalists located in Taiwan during the communist rise of mainland China. Taiwan was occupied by Japan prior to WWII, and that influence is still felt today with many Japanese shops & restaurants, I am overjoyed to report. 

First day of competition... to the pool. Taipei was a wonderful host, opening its national aquatics center and stadium for our young competitors

Lane 1, Ry's heat of 25 Backstroke

Silver... her first of several medals, but this one most proud. She made it to Taipei and earned it herself.

Fun races too... 12 person tyre relay

Gold with the team

Afternoon T-ball... she hit all 4 games (used a runner), fielded 2 games, and sat the last 2.

Her team took T-ball Gold, 3-0-1

Zippity Do Da... an area girls school put on a sweet show for opening ceremonies

5 schools from Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong... each team with 36 students representing over 20 different countries. Such interesting vibes with loud, bronzed Western moms fueling kids with sandwiches and cookies while quiet, skin-covered Thai moms stuff their own children with seaweed wrapped rice, peeled eggs, tea. Indians who eat with their hands, East Asians who prefer hands not touch food, Thai moms later making noise with their drums & tambourines... I love it all!

Push Pass

No soccer, or football as the rest of the world calls it, for Riley... she tried to contribute by toting water bottles

And cheering... amazingly, we kept her wounds infection free

Football Silver, 1-0-3

Team Regents

 

Cutting loose at final night's dance & dinner gala I helped plan for the kids... over past training months, Riley has gotten to know students from another Thai school in attendance, here dancing with a buddy from Italy

She let her hair down and had a blast this eve

On our final day we planned for the team to go ice skating, but Ry & I explored Taipei on our own to preserve her leg. I was looking for OJ as we left hotel, stopped into Starbucks where line was long and decided instead to move on. Minutes later we stumbled across amazing, fresh squeezed on the street. Riley as we walked away, "I'm glad we bought from him instead of Starbucks. He only had a few coins in his box." Back home I try hard to support small business, but when travelling as much as we do, we can easily get sucked into comforts of brand recognition. Glad for this reminder, for this is what it's all about!

Taipei is intrigued with blondies

Kind of cool, strap on wheelies

Riley Mei blossomed during her week in Taipei, and I am so grateful.

Another Hospital Trip

(Rob reporting) Friday evening we attended a small party Tamara helped plan at a friend's house, their moving-away party as they are relocating soon to Singapore. A few kids were supposed to be there, so we brought the girls along.

The catering staff had set up a small buffet in the hosts' dining room and tables in the backyard for guests to sit together, so it was something of an indoor/outdoor event. The kids were roaming around here and there.

About one hour after we arrived Tamara and I were sitting at a table outside, eating and drinking and chatting. Then we heard a loud crashing noise which sounded like someone dropped a plate on the floor, but the sound just kept going, as though an entire tray of dishes had fallen. I looked up but could not see well, and for a few seconds was still unconcerned and then someone said "Riley". I ran for the door.

I was only about twenty steps from the house and on the way there the origin of the noise suddenly became clear. Large pieces of jagged plate glass glinted where the sliding door used to be, Riley was on the floor already surrounded by people and pieces of broken glass. Someone brought towels and I wrapped up her left leg quickly, but not too quickly to see the extent of the damage. There were two bad lacerations, both just below the left knee.

A lot of shouting and chaos, and then our driver had us in our car on our way. Twenty minutes to the hospital, Riley in a lot of pain and us with no idea how bad it really was. She had many small cuts on her face and blood in her right eye. She was incredibly brave, and on the way there alternated between concern for her wounds and pain, and concern for her upcoming trip to Taipei with the school sports club where she was to compete in soccer, track, swimming, and t-ball.

At the hospital around 9pm they gave Riley morphine and told us to wait. Finally we could confirm the extent of the damage - the two cuts on her leg and several small cuts on her face including two near her right eye would require stitches to close. The plastic surgeon would fix her up but we had to wait until 1am so her stomach would clear and they could have her under general anesthesia for the operation.

As we waited for the time to pass Riley was awake and lucid, but not feeling pain anymore. She was up and down, brave and then scared and back to brave again... but mostly just worried about Taipei and her team. At 1am they brought her in for surgery and let Tamara stay with her as she fell asleep, the operation took one hour and appeared to be executed very nicely with lots of very small stitches everywhere. I guess around 40-50 in her leg and another 10 or so near the eye. We went upstairs around 4am to rest and recover and finally left for home about noon on Saturday.

On Saturday night school held a banquet for the traveling sports club and Riley insisted to go. She stood on the stage together with her team and posed for photos with her certificate, a bandage above her eye, another around her leg, and a big smile on her face. We were very proud.

She also decided to travel to Taipei with the team and cheer them on, and if she feels up for it she may participate in swimming with a waterproof bandage. Of course we are nervous for the trip, but so far Riley is recovering nicely and was adament that her hard work over the past few months must be completed.

It may be some time before I forget about the awful sights and sounds from that night and stop thinking about how much worse it may have been. We are thankful that the cuts were "only superficial" (words of the surgeon) and no more serious injury happened. It could have been otherwise.

I am hopeful that Riley and Tamara will have a great trip in Taipei this week, and after that it's only a few days before they head home to Michigan for some well deserved rest and recovery. She's looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Once she is back please be mindful that she may not be happy to re-live this experience through repeated retelling of the story or showing of the wounds. She will be very happy to be home and among family and friends, and only needs a dose of positive energy from everyone to encourage her recovery.

See you soon....

Gecko

While American Idoling last night I was reminded of last week's episode when we had a fun surprise. We were eating pizza around our coffee table in living room when a 4 inch gecko suddenly dropped from the 25ft. ceiling with a splat onto the table, and just centimeters from Ry's plate. Absutively stunned into silence, we waited to see if the poor thing could still move. 30 seconds later it skittered away into the night and we all broke into laughter. The little charms of Thailand...

A Memorable Monday

Dead ahead, Koh Rin... about 1:45 boat ride each way from mainland

Rob holidayed Monday & Tuesday this week for a Thai observance... Happy Visakha Bucha Day. Girls still had school both days, so on Monday morn we waved goodbye to the bus, called our driver, and scooted to the pier for day of sun & snorkeling in the sea. This is the first time in our 2 years here that the stars have aligned with this kind of gift of a day. Rob had worked the previous 28 days straight since we returned from China, so he was sort of due. Me too. 

I saw my first sea turtle (2 foot diameter) and found along the ocean floor an inspiring color combo that I now plan to use in our front entrance back home in the woods. After return to life there, I hope to recall the day we spontaneously jumped in the car, grabbed a boat, and swam with a sea turtle.  

People

One recent day I brought dry cleaning to our laundry woman whose smile I love(d). Not there. Maybe if I knew more Thai language she'd have warned me of pending change in ownership. I was bummed because I loved seeing her smile, and I was always humbled by how she juggled a newborn while taking my clothes every week. I missed getting her picture.

This region of Thailand can be very transient. Expats here for a few years' assignment, then gone. Thai laborers are more elusive, coming to make money in our rich area, but quickly running to northern countryside for reasons usually involving "sick mother" or "sick baby" back home. A few months later they return to expat land of opportunity... take new job... repeat.

So I must get better at snapping people & moments while I have them. These are a few of the Thais I currently love seeing each day or week. They barely speak English, and I little Thai, but with our sweet way of communicating via expressions and charades, we make it work and are "friends" of sorts. I am grateful for the smiles they bring to my days.

The Guard

Just a wisp of a thing, but his smile is huge (usually, like many Thais he seems camera shy). 7 long days a week he opens the rolling gate each time we pass from our neighborhood. He's also on call for snakes, 200 baht (about $6) for every snake caught, same amount for green tree snakes as cobras... no bonus for dealing with deadly. The girls share our baked goods with him, the other guards & gardeners, and they always quietly return the clean plate to our laundry terrace about 15 minutes later.

The Pool Tech

M-W-F he skims deadfall & bugs that frequent our little pool. Despite the heat & wet nature of his work, his uniform is always the same... heavily soaked jeans, long chambray shirt and straw hat. Love the hat.

Khun Pen... a Cook, Water Deliverer, and Entrepreneur

She & her mom run a small nearby restaurant. I get takeout from her purple restaurant at least once or twice a week. She delivers drinking water, and is also into newspapers, motorbike petro and laundering services. Very hardworking, it's been great to see her restaurant grow over past year & half, adding on twice in that time and significantly improving her outdoor kitchen. I don't see her leaving anytime soon.

Som Tam Maker

Som Tam is a spicy, shredded papaya salad from northeast Thailand. Love it... with just one or two chili peppers. Many Thais order it with 10+, and laugh at pansy foreigners like me. It's usually served with sticky rice and grilled chicken, another brilliant combo Thais have mastered. This man has a cart from which he makes & sells at the same location, but I have yet to figure his schedule. I grab his food when I see him (once or twice a month?), and it's the only time I ever sit down to lunch, solo. 

Som Tam, sticky rice and pineapple

Geckos galore in & out of house, with bigger lizards on occasion... they're not people, but I love seeing them all. This was a new one I found by the pool and it kept visiting for a couple weeks, but haven't seen it lately. Wonder if it met the neighborhood cobra, which was never found. Last sighting was a good 6 weeks ago, so I think (pray) it has moved on.

On Ry's birthday last month we headed to the Hard Rock for lunch and then toured around town in an open air baht bus to enjoy Songkran, or Thai New Year/water festival. For these few days of Songkran, any human who is outdoors is fair game as Thailand gets into a big ol' waterfight. The refreshing water is nice, but they also smear baby powder like "stuff"... I find that annoying, but the girls enjoy it all.

9 years old

Gotta scoot for Ry's 8 hour competition bonanza in the 100 degree heat... swimming, T-ball & soccer. Getting ready for the games in Taipei in 4 weeks. Ry hasn't changed. She'd still rather do underwater somersaults for hours or chase butterflies during a game than compete in it. I'm happy some things don't change.