New Years 2010. The end of a decade.. but I haven't enough wit to tackle a subject as written about as that. Instead I'll simply inform you that I've survived over a week in Shanghai's mayhem of construction and traffic. Construction is primarily for Expo2010 beginning in May. Before arriving in Shanghai I'd never heard of Expo besides that thing in Montreal a million years ago, but now it's all I've seen. The traffic, well that's mostly to do with me being a pedestrian and dearly missing my 'right-of-way' which is not in place for here.
Time with the family has been great - especially the Christmas day dinner completed with chocolate pudding, ice cream, cakes, fruit and a chocolate fountain to dip all of the above in. We've seen Old Chinese areas, the polished French Concession, snuck our way 67 floors off the ground for a view of the Pudong skyscraped vista, and learned plenty of the history about this East-meets-West port. Tomorrow we will ring in the New Year, new decade in fact, at an outdoor street party with a live band, and I hope the motherland of fireworks won't disappoint!
Also tomorrow my father returns from his quick trip to Thailand (35 degrees C compared to the near freezing temps here) and we'll enjoy each other's company - taking in more of Shanghai's spectacles before we all part on the 4th. Pops returns to the chill of Canada, while Larissa and I set off to ride the rails to Nan-jing (South Capital), Bei-jing (North Capital) and the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, before completing the triangle to return here.
I definitely feel as if I'm on the homestretch - possibly because being with family feels like home. One month and I'll be back on Canadian soil - cheering my Canadian lungs out at the Olympics. And the triumphant return to Ontario will fall another month after that. Can't wait to catch up with everyone in the New Year. Have a happy twentyten 'til then!
PS: If anyone has a prime job for a motivated young mind (backed by a Physics/tech degree) coming open early March, please comment below *wink*
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Shanghai'd
I wish I had more exciting tales to share, but the only one would be a story of misery and woe on my 'deluxe' boat tour that was anything but. Think boiled cabbage and rice for 3 days stuck in the chilly galley of a run down ship. To make up for it the travel agent did put me up in a swanky hotel for my final night in Vietnam. Frankly leaving Vietnam wasn't that difficult for me, besides the whole leaving part which took me nearly 12 hours of travel time to reach Shanghai. Joyfully I reunited with my family at Katherine and Raoul's apartment in the heart of Shanghai a few evenings ago. It has been great to spend time together catching up as it had been 2 weeks since I'd seen Larissa, 3 months since last speaking face to face with my father and over 4 since Katherine and Raoul were around. We've been busy exploring, and shopping for cold-weather clothing which I came without. Bumping between 10 degrees and freezing we've gone to the Old Town to eat a street-food buffet for a couple yuan, and wandered the historic river-front financial district of The Bund. Signs of Christmas are much more plentiful here than most places, as Shanghai attempts to be as Western as it can be. The Ferrari dealership's window is lit up with decorations and on the main street stands a massive Christmas tree built entirely of Heineken bottles. However our Christmas is going to be a quiet, family-oriented one with a nice buffet dinner at a fancy hotel. Celebrating in China is a completely different experience of course and will be memorable in its own right. Hopefully yours is as Merry as can be, wherever you're celebrating. Merry Christmas!
PS: A tiny Christmas present to you all is this tiny photo album. Stuck beind the Great Firewall of China it is a pain to blog, upload or do most anything on the internet but I perservere, for your sake.
PS: A tiny Christmas present to you all is this tiny photo album. Stuck beind the Great Firewall of China it is a pain to blog, upload or do most anything on the internet but I perservere, for your sake.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Vietnamese Interaction
An attractive young Vietnamese female approached me as I weaved between motorbikes on the sidewalk. After an introduction she showed me the small Canadian flag pin on her lapel and then told me she was giving toothpicks in exchange for donations to the blind. Seems like a good cause, but being in money-hungry Vietnam I had my suspicions and told her that I wasn't going to be handing out money on the street like the people who had written in her notebook. At my refusal she immediately stalked off without so much as a goodbye, climbed onto the back of a motorbike driven by a man waiting nearby, and in doing so basically confirmed my suspicions of a scam. (I'd see her later that day and said 'Scam' loudly to the guy she was working, and again today she was successfully parting people from their money in a new part of town). What an introduction to the country.
Later in the day I found myself lost in the myriad of tiny, weaving alleys with a growing hunger in my belly. I sat at a curbside stall on a petite plastic chair and attempted to eat as a local. There was no language in common so I pointed and tried to ward off consuming meat. The meal consisted of cold noodle bunches and deep fried tofu, dipped in spicy oil with some sort of minty leaf as a side. She did put some other deep fried patty on my plate which I nibbled with apprehension hoping it was made of corn but upon seeing my facial reaction to what tasted like sausage she removed it and tossed a couple more tofu chunks my way. Including my lime-yellow tea the meal cost me just over a dollar.
Still trying to extract myself from the maze of alleys a young man beckoned me in from the street. Curiousity had me duck inside to find myself in a very small room with four or five other guys. The stuff they were smoking out of the long, bamboo water bong didn't smell funny, nor did the clear drink they offered me but they were awfully giggly and without any means of verbal communication I soon excused myself.
Further down the street while seated at the edge of a lake an older Vietnamese gentleman approached. "Salut! Comment ca va?" he began and I did my best and was quite pleased with myself to have carried out a full conversation en francais. He explained that he'd studied French in school, which was understandable considering Vietnam was a colony of France until relatively recently. I declined his offer to join him for a beer in part because I was struggling to keep up with his speech, but I told him I couldn't 'parce que je doit alle au musee'. (Please excuse my likely horrible grammar and spelling, at least he understood)
Seated by another lake in the center of town prior to sunset a young Vietnamese girl of 15 asked if she could share my bench. She sat and began to read (Twilight in Vietnamese) and then asked me for the time. Picking up on her desire to speak with me as she kept putting her book down and gazing at me I struck up conversation. It was slow going with fairly basic English but Gabby (her chosen English name) was quite lovely and we chatted for a solid hour (as I said, covering little slowly, but still). Even after I excused myself and said goodbye I heard her running up behind me and she followed me all the way to the other side of the lake talking some more. I'd had no suspicion until a Vietnamese man glanced at her and then cryptically told me to be careful. I still don't know what he meant but it made me uneasy and when I did say goodbye again I glanced back a few times to be sure she wasn't following me further. I don't believe there was any reason to be nervous.
These were some of the more noteworthy interactions with locals on my first day in Vietnam. Hanoi is quite the metropolis and I'm enjoying it as it moves right along without going out of its way for tourists which is welcomed after Laos' tourist-intense trek. In many ways it reminds me of some Indian cities, where simply going out for a walk is an adventure in itself. Tomorrow I leave for a few day organized trip to the karsts of Halong Bay; sleeping on a junk, exploring a national park, kayaking the bay (since my other kayaking trip fell through). Hoping for an enjoyable end to my short trip to Vietnam before rejoining my family in Shanghai for Christmas on the 21st.
Later in the day I found myself lost in the myriad of tiny, weaving alleys with a growing hunger in my belly. I sat at a curbside stall on a petite plastic chair and attempted to eat as a local. There was no language in common so I pointed and tried to ward off consuming meat. The meal consisted of cold noodle bunches and deep fried tofu, dipped in spicy oil with some sort of minty leaf as a side. She did put some other deep fried patty on my plate which I nibbled with apprehension hoping it was made of corn but upon seeing my facial reaction to what tasted like sausage she removed it and tossed a couple more tofu chunks my way. Including my lime-yellow tea the meal cost me just over a dollar.
Still trying to extract myself from the maze of alleys a young man beckoned me in from the street. Curiousity had me duck inside to find myself in a very small room with four or five other guys. The stuff they were smoking out of the long, bamboo water bong didn't smell funny, nor did the clear drink they offered me but they were awfully giggly and without any means of verbal communication I soon excused myself.
Further down the street while seated at the edge of a lake an older Vietnamese gentleman approached. "Salut! Comment ca va?" he began and I did my best and was quite pleased with myself to have carried out a full conversation en francais. He explained that he'd studied French in school, which was understandable considering Vietnam was a colony of France until relatively recently. I declined his offer to join him for a beer in part because I was struggling to keep up with his speech, but I told him I couldn't 'parce que je doit alle au musee'. (Please excuse my likely horrible grammar and spelling, at least he understood)
Seated by another lake in the center of town prior to sunset a young Vietnamese girl of 15 asked if she could share my bench. She sat and began to read (Twilight in Vietnamese) and then asked me for the time. Picking up on her desire to speak with me as she kept putting her book down and gazing at me I struck up conversation. It was slow going with fairly basic English but Gabby (her chosen English name) was quite lovely and we chatted for a solid hour (as I said, covering little slowly, but still). Even after I excused myself and said goodbye I heard her running up behind me and she followed me all the way to the other side of the lake talking some more. I'd had no suspicion until a Vietnamese man glanced at her and then cryptically told me to be careful. I still don't know what he meant but it made me uneasy and when I did say goodbye again I glanced back a few times to be sure she wasn't following me further. I don't believe there was any reason to be nervous.
These were some of the more noteworthy interactions with locals on my first day in Vietnam. Hanoi is quite the metropolis and I'm enjoying it as it moves right along without going out of its way for tourists which is welcomed after Laos' tourist-intense trek. In many ways it reminds me of some Indian cities, where simply going out for a walk is an adventure in itself. Tomorrow I leave for a few day organized trip to the karsts of Halong Bay; sleeping on a junk, exploring a national park, kayaking the bay (since my other kayaking trip fell through). Hoping for an enjoyable end to my short trip to Vietnam before rejoining my family in Shanghai for Christmas on the 21st.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
SEA Games
Grinning stupidly from ear to ear, I literally skipped off towards the gate, filled with a new-found energy. Glancing at my ticket to find my seat I saw only a 'C' and realized that I had one quadrant of the stadium to choose from since the sections only went up to 'D'. Emerging from the entrance tunnel I turned and was met with an overflow of white T-shirts and waving moon flags, and accepted that I wouldn't be sitting at all. This was actually fine by me since it was too exciting to sit still so I elbowed my way into the hordes of people leaned up against the front rail, just happy to be here. 'Here' being the Laos vs. Malaysia semi-final football (soccer) match of the South East Asia (SEA) Games, in Vientiane, Laos. The match that had been the talk of the town, country rather, for the past few days. Everyone wanted to be there, so much so that when I arrived at the ticket office that morning, over an hour before it was set to open, there was already a crowd. All of whom would be disappointed when it was announced that the game was already completely sold out.
After spending the entire day bouncing from volleyball, to badminton, to track and field, to synchronized diving, I was resigned to catching the bus back to a pub to watch the match on television. That was when I passed a ticket booth that was being mobbed and was offered the most coveted ticket in town - at face value even (100,000kip, or $13Cdn). Hence my Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory glee grasping my golden ticket and running inside.
Exhaustion was washed away by the energy of the crowd - the air was electrical! Before the match even began there was chanting, yelling, drumming, clapping and this only grew when the game began. Whether Laos was on the attack, or Malaysia was nearing the goal the crowd screamed their emotions. Even after Malaysia opened the score it took less than a minute for the energy of the open-air stadium to return.
Bursting out of the gate in the second half Laos poured it on, chance after chance, and I can't even describe the jubilation when they finally put one in the back of the net! I leapt as high as anyone, hugs and clapping and screaming even louder than seemed possible. Though I couldn't pick them out of the crowd, there must have been the equivalent of an entire marching band behind me - pounding drums, flaring horns and crashing cymbals (okay I couldn't help but see, AND hear, the cymbals which were right beside me).
In the end Malaysia came back with a couple of soft goals to win the match and end Laos' magical hosting-country run. But was it ever fun while it lasted! Parading out into the night with the most cheerful ~24,000 losers I've ever encountered I reflected on how unbelievably memorable this was, my first ever football match.
After spending the entire day bouncing from volleyball, to badminton, to track and field, to synchronized diving, I was resigned to catching the bus back to a pub to watch the match on television. That was when I passed a ticket booth that was being mobbed and was offered the most coveted ticket in town - at face value even (100,000kip, or $13Cdn). Hence my Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory glee grasping my golden ticket and running inside.
Exhaustion was washed away by the energy of the crowd - the air was electrical! Before the match even began there was chanting, yelling, drumming, clapping and this only grew when the game began. Whether Laos was on the attack, or Malaysia was nearing the goal the crowd screamed their emotions. Even after Malaysia opened the score it took less than a minute for the energy of the open-air stadium to return.
Bursting out of the gate in the second half Laos poured it on, chance after chance, and I can't even describe the jubilation when they finally put one in the back of the net! I leapt as high as anyone, hugs and clapping and screaming even louder than seemed possible. Though I couldn't pick them out of the crowd, there must have been the equivalent of an entire marching band behind me - pounding drums, flaring horns and crashing cymbals (okay I couldn't help but see, AND hear, the cymbals which were right beside me).
In the end Malaysia came back with a couple of soft goals to win the match and end Laos' magical hosting-country run. But was it ever fun while it lasted! Parading out into the night with the most cheerful ~24,000 losers I've ever encountered I reflected on how unbelievably memorable this was, my first ever football match.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Odds n Sods
After exploring many awesome caves yesterday (one I had to swim the whole way through.. like 200m deep, as in deep from the entrance, not the water) today I am going tubing down the river. I hear there are rope swings galore. And tomorrow will be kayaking to the capital of Laos before my flight to Vietnam on the 15th evening.
Additionally the SEA Games (south east asia) are going on this week in Vientiane so I'm hoping to take in some sport, as a warm up for the Olympics in February.
A heads up that the Government of China has blocked blogspot and so when I arrive on the 21st I may or may not be able to contact you via the blog. (Unless my brother in law has figured a way around it by then). Gmail should still be working, and I'm not sure about facebook but I'll try to make contact in whichever way I can.
Additionally the SEA Games (south east asia) are going on this week in Vientiane so I'm hoping to take in some sport, as a warm up for the Olympics in February.
A heads up that the Government of China has blocked blogspot and so when I arrive on the 21st I may or may not be able to contact you via the blog. (Unless my brother in law has figured a way around it by then). Gmail should still be working, and I'm not sure about facebook but I'll try to make contact in whichever way I can.
Can I be A Witness?
Almost imperceptibly the motorcycle ahead of me was drifting into the center of the lane as a mini-bus loaded with a dozen tourists and all their gear whizzed past me. Hugging the shoulder I watched as the motorbike continued further still into the middle of the road and it dawned on me, before it dawned on the driver of the minibus, that the bike wasn't drifting but was making a lazy arching left-hand turn. Minibus moved further into the passing lane with every intention of passing, while maintaining speed. I can't recall hearing a horn, though there very well may have been, regardless it would have come too late. The minibus attempted to brake, a tough task with all that weight causing great momentum. In fact I'd witnessed this the day earlier, as the driver of my minibus had slammed on the brakes to avoid crushing a family of chickens and the bus had responded by dipping forward but hardly stopping on a dime (and passing over the chicks anyway).
From my vantage point less than 50m trailing the scene the motorbike became obscured by the van and I realized that I wasn't going to see it come out the other side in one piece. Slam! Oh $*!~
Rolling up to the front of the van on my bike I saw the motorbike on its side tucked under the front bumper, directly centered with the bus. The two riders had been tossed only a meter or two forward and were both laying in the dust of the far shoulder. From this it was apparent that the bus had slowed a fair amount, and had tried to avoid the crash by moving further to the left, but this only resulted in meeting the bike square on anyway.
I arrived moments after the driver of the minibus had jumped out, followed closely by the foreign occupants, as a few bystanders came up the rear. There was confusion and not much done to help the injured so I knelt to see if they were okay. No Laos person could speak any English but I indicated 'phone' with my hand and repeated 'hospital'. Eventually someone was on the phone as I poured water on a rag to at least cleanse the wounds. This allowed me to assess the injuries. The driver, an older man had some blood and scrapes on his right forehead, near his temple. This appeared to be the worst of it but it was hard to tell - and he didn't try to move. The rear passenger of the bike was younger and leaner, and at first had tried to get up and walk but I'd indicated that he should sit and he did in front of me. With his help we wiped him down, him and I finding more and more cuts on his legs and feet but luckily nothing that looked too severe.
To me it seemed that a great deal of time had passed with little action with regards to actually getting these two checked out when finally a flatbed pickup truck arrived. The driver must have asked what happened because there was a flurry of words and the injured bike driver tried to defend himself from his seated position on the ground. I yelled to forget about what happened and help these people first and the argument subsided. Under one arm we led the driver with the obvious head injury to the front seat; he was conscious and aware, but slightly out of it. The other man was placed in the bed of the truck on top of bags of cement and he looked to be in better condition but still messy.
Lifting the minorly busted bike up into the back of the truck as well I locked eyes with the second man for just a moment before the truck drove off to the hospital. I believe it was a grateful look but it was hard to tell through the slight glaze.
From my vantage point less than 50m trailing the scene the motorbike became obscured by the van and I realized that I wasn't going to see it come out the other side in one piece. Slam! Oh $*!~
Rolling up to the front of the van on my bike I saw the motorbike on its side tucked under the front bumper, directly centered with the bus. The two riders had been tossed only a meter or two forward and were both laying in the dust of the far shoulder. From this it was apparent that the bus had slowed a fair amount, and had tried to avoid the crash by moving further to the left, but this only resulted in meeting the bike square on anyway.
I arrived moments after the driver of the minibus had jumped out, followed closely by the foreign occupants, as a few bystanders came up the rear. There was confusion and not much done to help the injured so I knelt to see if they were okay. No Laos person could speak any English but I indicated 'phone' with my hand and repeated 'hospital'. Eventually someone was on the phone as I poured water on a rag to at least cleanse the wounds. This allowed me to assess the injuries. The driver, an older man had some blood and scrapes on his right forehead, near his temple. This appeared to be the worst of it but it was hard to tell - and he didn't try to move. The rear passenger of the bike was younger and leaner, and at first had tried to get up and walk but I'd indicated that he should sit and he did in front of me. With his help we wiped him down, him and I finding more and more cuts on his legs and feet but luckily nothing that looked too severe.
To me it seemed that a great deal of time had passed with little action with regards to actually getting these two checked out when finally a flatbed pickup truck arrived. The driver must have asked what happened because there was a flurry of words and the injured bike driver tried to defend himself from his seated position on the ground. I yelled to forget about what happened and help these people first and the argument subsided. Under one arm we led the driver with the obvious head injury to the front seat; he was conscious and aware, but slightly out of it. The other man was placed in the bed of the truck on top of bags of cement and he looked to be in better condition but still messy.
Lifting the minorly busted bike up into the back of the truck as well I locked eyes with the second man for just a moment before the truck drove off to the hospital. I believe it was a grateful look but it was hard to tell through the slight glaze.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Elephant Encounters - Final Addition
On the very first day, I was introduced to 'Lek' (meaning small) the female founder of the elephant nature park happened just before lunch. We entered the baby shelter and found that there was a hushed silence. Peering over the fence I saw a tiny Thai lady and a relatively tiny (to the other elephants, not to Lek) baby elephant. She was at its side as it stood still and listening closely you could hear a Thai lullaby. Yes, Lek was puttig the baby down for a nap by singing to it. Had to be the cutest thing as he looked more and more drowsy while she stroked its side, and eventually coaxed him to a lying position. Here she sang softly into his ear (I thought she was gonna kiss him) and then he was asleep. Adorable.
Wandering Laos
On a hint from a traveler heading into the massive cave I'd left moments earlier I started down the trail away from town and into the trees. Trees soon became thick forest but the trail continued to be well-defined so I figured it must lead somewhere. Non-verbal instructions from a Lao lady who'd calmed the barking dog by her hut pointed me deeper into the woods. Considering how long I would dare wander deeper and away from my desired direction I came upon a temple, and eventually the small 'hill-tribe' village to go along with it. Waving "saabaidee" (hello) to a baby girl I was quickly approached by two 12 year old village boys. Declining their offer of a smoke they indicated they'd like to take me some place so I followed. "Some place" turned out to be no place in particular, but proudly they paraded the 'falang' (foreigner) through the village, and as we continued our posse grew in numbers. In fact, what began as two soon bloomed to six and once passing by the elementary school that had just let out I think the number must have been closer to 50 (or the entire population of the school).
They attempted to show me the temple again but I declined and off we went (just 6 of them now) down a dirt road, through the raised pathway of a planted field, past some huts, up and then down a hill with palms, crawled through a crouched-12-year-old-boy-sized slot in a bush and arrived at what I took to be their hideaway. It was simply a stack of boulders but one of them they pointed out had what appeared to be a fossilized branch or vine on the side. Time was passed snapping photos, sharing my banana chips and hanging out before daylight forced me to say 'saabaidee' (conveniently also 'goodbye') and trek back (this time along the dusty road and not through the woods) to return via long-boat across the river to Luang Prabang, Laos.
All of this based on a few words from that traveler - an American I would meet again. After climbing to a 20m platform, a few Beer Laos Dark, and some beach volleyball in the bar we decided to search out a waterfall today. Misinformation led to an extra 22km (to total almost 60km) but the falls and swim were great and company was nice!
For those of you wondering - yes Christmas is being celebrated. Actually my first Christmas carol was overheard walking in Chiang Mai, Thailand on November 30th. Some of the establishments here have trees lit up and I even spotted a waiter with a Santa hat on. I'm looking forward to Christmas with the family in Shanghai though!
They attempted to show me the temple again but I declined and off we went (just 6 of them now) down a dirt road, through the raised pathway of a planted field, past some huts, up and then down a hill with palms, crawled through a crouched-12-year-old-boy-sized slot in a bush and arrived at what I took to be their hideaway. It was simply a stack of boulders but one of them they pointed out had what appeared to be a fossilized branch or vine on the side. Time was passed snapping photos, sharing my banana chips and hanging out before daylight forced me to say 'saabaidee' (conveniently also 'goodbye') and trek back (this time along the dusty road and not through the woods) to return via long-boat across the river to Luang Prabang, Laos.
All of this based on a few words from that traveler - an American I would meet again. After climbing to a 20m platform, a few Beer Laos Dark, and some beach volleyball in the bar we decided to search out a waterfall today. Misinformation led to an extra 22km (to total almost 60km) but the falls and swim were great and company was nice!
For those of you wondering - yes Christmas is being celebrated. Actually my first Christmas carol was overheard walking in Chiang Mai, Thailand on November 30th. Some of the establishments here have trees lit up and I even spotted a waiter with a Santa hat on. I'm looking forward to Christmas with the family in Shanghai though!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Letter to My Sister - Post Travel
Dear Larissa,
I write to tell you how much I enjoyed our six or so weeks travelling together. It was great to have someone alongside to experience things with.
Someone to laugh at the ridiculous vehicles (and their cargo and occupants) on Indian roads.
Someone to split the cost so I could afford to stay in decent hotel rooms (well ones with hot water at least).
Someone to experience the magnificience of the Taj with.
Someone to show me just how bad the treatment of women in India really is (although this is a negative, it is still worthwhile).
Someone to sweat through the first few weeks of Thailand with.
Someone with whom to exchange mystified glances with at Thai meal times.
Someone to allow me to make some irrational decisions (but act as my conscience for other more dangerous ones).
Someone to remind me the exchange rate when I would get too competitive in my bargaining.
Someone to point out the obvious things that are under my nose but that I couldn't see.
Someone to make me not feel so bad about getting sick of Buddhist temples since you did too!
Someone to back me up when I tell people that the Elephant Nature Park was an experience of a lifetime.
Someone to fill me in on the gossip from the girls' side of things while volunteering.
Someone to remind me of home and lessen any homesickness or longing for family.
I say 'someone' but of course I don't mean that at all. I mean my wonderful, caring little sister who lived up to her word in being up for adventure and exploration. My sister who made this leg of travel completely excellent.
We should do it again sometime! Say December 21st, Shanghai?
Travel safe until then,
Stefan
I write to tell you how much I enjoyed our six or so weeks travelling together. It was great to have someone alongside to experience things with.
Someone to laugh at the ridiculous vehicles (and their cargo and occupants) on Indian roads.
Someone to split the cost so I could afford to stay in decent hotel rooms (well ones with hot water at least).
Someone to experience the magnificience of the Taj with.
Someone to show me just how bad the treatment of women in India really is (although this is a negative, it is still worthwhile).
Someone to sweat through the first few weeks of Thailand with.
Someone with whom to exchange mystified glances with at Thai meal times.
Someone to allow me to make some irrational decisions (but act as my conscience for other more dangerous ones).
Someone to remind me the exchange rate when I would get too competitive in my bargaining.
Someone to point out the obvious things that are under my nose but that I couldn't see.
Someone to make me not feel so bad about getting sick of Buddhist temples since you did too!
Someone to back me up when I tell people that the Elephant Nature Park was an experience of a lifetime.
Someone to fill me in on the gossip from the girls' side of things while volunteering.
Someone to remind me of home and lessen any homesickness or longing for family.
I say 'someone' but of course I don't mean that at all. I mean my wonderful, caring little sister who lived up to her word in being up for adventure and exploration. My sister who made this leg of travel completely excellent.
We should do it again sometime! Say December 21st, Shanghai?
Travel safe until then,
Stefan
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Elephant Encounter Addendum
The evening after our trek up to Elephant Haven I was rather wiped, causing me to crash rather early. This was fortunate in a way because when I was awoken at 4am by the full onslaught of the 80 dogs howling (a couple of them literally on my doorstep) I was refreshed enough to go for a midnight walk. Under an amazing starry sky I walked past the elephant pens (accompanied by a few mutts acting as my guard dogs) and was amazed to see them lying down to sleep, and actually heard a few of them snoring! A surreal experience as I looked up and saw a shooting star streak by.
Another experience worth mentioning, even if it isn't ele-related, was going to volunteer at the village school for a morning. Groaning that I hadn't gotten assigned to the foot massage class, or the cooking class, I was five steps towards English class when the cutest boy of 6 grabbed me by both hands. Unsure as to his intentions he soon made them clear as he began running in a circle around me and as I caught on he got caught up in the air and I swung him around. I think I was laughing more than he was! When I put him down he led me by the hand off to his classroom where I had to extract myself so I could return to my assigned spot. Here I took part in countless Thai-style arm wrestles (locking wrists instead of fists) and trying to play hangman with their 60-odd letters!
Out in the playground I was literally covered in kids - on my back, each arm and running around at my feet. We played basketball (okay I played basketball and the kids ran around trying to steal the ball) and even tried to play that soccer-volleyball mix. Those kids are amazing, as was the school trip!
Another experience worth mentioning, even if it isn't ele-related, was going to volunteer at the village school for a morning. Groaning that I hadn't gotten assigned to the foot massage class, or the cooking class, I was five steps towards English class when the cutest boy of 6 grabbed me by both hands. Unsure as to his intentions he soon made them clear as he began running in a circle around me and as I caught on he got caught up in the air and I swung him around. I think I was laughing more than he was! When I put him down he led me by the hand off to his classroom where I had to extract myself so I could return to my assigned spot. Here I took part in countless Thai-style arm wrestles (locking wrists instead of fists) and trying to play hangman with their 60-odd letters!
Out in the playground I was literally covered in kids - on my back, each arm and running around at my feet. We played basketball (okay I played basketball and the kids ran around trying to steal the ball) and even tried to play that soccer-volleyball mix. Those kids are amazing, as was the school trip!
Elephant Encounters
Volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand for the past week was a wholly wonderful experience that created magical memories that surely will last me a long time. Not only did it shed light on the torturous treatment that 'working' elephants are subjected to, but on the flip side we were able to not only see, but be a part of the sanctuary that these lucky 35 elephants live in now. Over the week there countless encounters with these beautiful and intelligent creatures - here are just a few.
On the first day while wandering to my hut before dinner I snuck in to visit the elephant pen along the way. This housed two baby elephants (5 and 7 months) and their families. The elephant's mahouts (trainers) had just left for the night and the pachyderms' dinner had been laid out for them which meant all was calm and quiet. Despite this I still was quite cautious about approaching even the fence of the pen since we'd been heavily warned not to, but I couldn't resist watching these adorable and playful creatures. Over the next hour I edged my way up, making sure that the mothers were comfortable with my presence, until I was finally within trunk-length reach and made my first unaccompanied contact. The babies were the only ones interested in me and that was only briefly - well at least on the first day.
Over the course of the week I continued this pattern. At elephant lunch-time I would chat with the one 'farang' (westerner) mahout (elephant trainer) who was in charge of the 4-month old, and before my dinner I would sneak off to observe the babies and their families. By the end of the week I was doing slightly more than observe, as especially Chang Yim, the youngest one, would come over to me for some interaction. First he'd sniff me with that cute little trunk of his to know it was me, then I'd offer him some grass which he would take out of politeness since it was the same as what he'd already been eating for dinner. Then we might play inky-dinky with his trunk and my fist, or I'd just scratch his back while he tried to climb the fence. In fact he must have really wanted to come out to play with me as his favourite activity was trying to dismantle the fence by tugging, and kicking at the ropes holding the planks together. Once while doing this I suggested audibly that he try using his teeth and I kid you not the very next thing that he did was place the rope in his mouth and tug. Smart lil guy huh!?
Faa Mai was a little more aloof, being older and more mature I suppose. However this didn't stop him from playing footsies with me over and over again one evening. My hiking boot was no match for his hardened foot with toe nails, and of course his massive weight.
Away from these little ones we had the opportunity to bathe some of the older and more docile elephants - under supervision. Great fun was had frolicking in the river. On the bank of the river, I participated in one of the few 'tricks' that the elephants performed at the park (by an elephant who had been trained totally using positive reinforcement and not 'the hook'). Hope, the cheeky teenage boy, would smooch ya in exchange for a piece of bread. I stepped in front and got a wet vacuum to the side of my face which made me smile. This was all well and good until Hope was instructed to kiss the next girl but instead took his piece of bread and swung back to kiss me instead of her! This happened once more, making everyone chuckle (and me blush)! I figure he's a fan of my beard.
Finally the most incredible experience was the overnight trek that we went on. Following the elephants first over a river (they walked through, we rode a bamboo raft) we walked for nearly 2 hours up into the hillside of a forested valley. Arriving at our destination we found a 3 sided hut floor that would be our sleeping accommodations. We let the elephants roam and had a surprisingly delicious meal high up in the hills away from civilization, and afterwards I slipped off to explore on my own. Not far from 'camp' I looked out to the opposite side of the valley and could see an elephant grazing while the other scratched itself mightily on a tall tree. After a fireside sleep I returned to this spot the next morning to peer up into the sky as it brightened with the rising sun. We collected up the elephants who had grazed all night, tied blessed ribbons around to protect the trees of the forest and journeyed back to the park feeling refreshed despite sleeping on hard bamboo.
These are mere glimpses into an unforgettable week at the Elephant Nature Park. Surrounding these was hard work cutting tall grass for the elephants (yes they gave me a machete), unloading and washing fruit for the elephants feed, digging pig pits and of course shovelling poop. It was completely worth it, and the delicious vegetarian food that I gorged myself on was made that much better by the unbelievably friendly, interesting and diverse group of fellow volunteers that truly made the week even that much more fantastic.
On the first day while wandering to my hut before dinner I snuck in to visit the elephant pen along the way. This housed two baby elephants (5 and 7 months) and their families. The elephant's mahouts (trainers) had just left for the night and the pachyderms' dinner had been laid out for them which meant all was calm and quiet. Despite this I still was quite cautious about approaching even the fence of the pen since we'd been heavily warned not to, but I couldn't resist watching these adorable and playful creatures. Over the next hour I edged my way up, making sure that the mothers were comfortable with my presence, until I was finally within trunk-length reach and made my first unaccompanied contact. The babies were the only ones interested in me and that was only briefly - well at least on the first day.
Over the course of the week I continued this pattern. At elephant lunch-time I would chat with the one 'farang' (westerner) mahout (elephant trainer) who was in charge of the 4-month old, and before my dinner I would sneak off to observe the babies and their families. By the end of the week I was doing slightly more than observe, as especially Chang Yim, the youngest one, would come over to me for some interaction. First he'd sniff me with that cute little trunk of his to know it was me, then I'd offer him some grass which he would take out of politeness since it was the same as what he'd already been eating for dinner. Then we might play inky-dinky with his trunk and my fist, or I'd just scratch his back while he tried to climb the fence. In fact he must have really wanted to come out to play with me as his favourite activity was trying to dismantle the fence by tugging, and kicking at the ropes holding the planks together. Once while doing this I suggested audibly that he try using his teeth and I kid you not the very next thing that he did was place the rope in his mouth and tug. Smart lil guy huh!?
Faa Mai was a little more aloof, being older and more mature I suppose. However this didn't stop him from playing footsies with me over and over again one evening. My hiking boot was no match for his hardened foot with toe nails, and of course his massive weight.
Away from these little ones we had the opportunity to bathe some of the older and more docile elephants - under supervision. Great fun was had frolicking in the river. On the bank of the river, I participated in one of the few 'tricks' that the elephants performed at the park (by an elephant who had been trained totally using positive reinforcement and not 'the hook'). Hope, the cheeky teenage boy, would smooch ya in exchange for a piece of bread. I stepped in front and got a wet vacuum to the side of my face which made me smile. This was all well and good until Hope was instructed to kiss the next girl but instead took his piece of bread and swung back to kiss me instead of her! This happened once more, making everyone chuckle (and me blush)! I figure he's a fan of my beard.
Finally the most incredible experience was the overnight trek that we went on. Following the elephants first over a river (they walked through, we rode a bamboo raft) we walked for nearly 2 hours up into the hillside of a forested valley. Arriving at our destination we found a 3 sided hut floor that would be our sleeping accommodations. We let the elephants roam and had a surprisingly delicious meal high up in the hills away from civilization, and afterwards I slipped off to explore on my own. Not far from 'camp' I looked out to the opposite side of the valley and could see an elephant grazing while the other scratched itself mightily on a tall tree. After a fireside sleep I returned to this spot the next morning to peer up into the sky as it brightened with the rising sun. We collected up the elephants who had grazed all night, tied blessed ribbons around to protect the trees of the forest and journeyed back to the park feeling refreshed despite sleeping on hard bamboo.
These are mere glimpses into an unforgettable week at the Elephant Nature Park. Surrounding these was hard work cutting tall grass for the elephants (yes they gave me a machete), unloading and washing fruit for the elephants feed, digging pig pits and of course shovelling poop. It was completely worth it, and the delicious vegetarian food that I gorged myself on was made that much better by the unbelievably friendly, interesting and diverse group of fellow volunteers that truly made the week even that much more fantastic.
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