A South-East Asian Endeavour

One of the big benefits to working within the public school system here in Jeollanam province is that you get a whole month of vacation in February... allowing travel bugs, like myself and my 4 companions, to take off bckpacking to such far-off destinations as: Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. :) But alas, all good things must come to an end- and so my month-long, exilerating, fasten-your-seatbelt whirlwind adventure vacation is over! *tear*

Here's a bit of a long recap of how my month went:

Week 1: ~Elephant Nature Park~ (http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/) where I worked as a volunteer.
An experience better than any I ever could have imagined!! Moving, inspiring, and heartbreaking- I learned a great deal of the plight of these stong and gentle animals. A powerful symbol of Thailand, the elephant has been crucial in the shaping of this country- used historically in warfare, logging, and ceremony. Numbering over 100,000 individuals at the turn of the century, logging detroyed 2/3 of Thailand's forests- and has left only 1000-2000 wild elephants wandering free. With logging banned in 1989, the rest of Thailand's working elephants were left without a job, and so those that have survived have become enlisted to work in tourist shows, trekking camps, and even illegal logging operations.

Naturally, many end up in very unfortunate situations. Many elephants work long hours, are given improper care, or have abusive handlers (mahouts). In a country where education remains unattainable for many, and a great number of Thais are without a means to make a living, the treatment of elephants remains low on the priority list. Thanks to one Thai woman (Lek) however, over 35 elephants have been rescued from lives of abuse and suffering and are now lucky to live out their lives at Elephant Nature Park. If that's not enough, the park is also home to a herd of water buffalo, cattle, cats, and a pack of over 45 dogs. The elephants' stories are the most tragic, but all have a very happy ending thanks to Lek:

Meadow: sold for breeding, had her feet tied and back and pelvis broken when a large male in heat (musth) mounted her. Because males in musth are so aggressive, her handlers couldn't get near her to help for 2 days.
Jokia: worked in logging, and gave birth to her infant who later died when he tumbled down a hill. Because she was so depressed, she refused to work, and her mahout shot her in the eyes with a sligshot, blinding her. Jokia and Meadow are good friends and never go anywhere without the other.
Jungle Boy: a sick and injured orphan whose mother died at a logging camp. He is now the rambunctious teenager at the park.
Tung Jan: A logging elephant who was drugged and had one of his tusks sawed off by poachers, leaving a gaping cavity that is still infected years later.
Lily: was given methanphetamines to make her work around the clock: tourist trekking by day and illegal logging by night.
Golden Leaf: a rescue I got to witness myself. An old female from a trekking camp- Golden Leaf and another old female came the week I was there. Both were very malnourished, and suffered from severe fungal skin infections. Without Lek's help, these old girls surely would have died.

As a volunteer I kept very busy through the week, working with a group of 20 other elephant lovers from around the world. There was never a shortage of things to do! Chores included the down right diiirty... Shovelling poop (aka Banana Cakes!); fixing fences (one of which Lily destroyed that same night); cut corn stalks (elephant dinner) from the field with machetes; cut brush to make a fire break between the park and the forest; took apart bamboo rafts to be used for building supplies; prepared food and fed the elephants (corn, pumpkin, cucumbers, and bananas); and even bathed them in the river!!
One afternoon we also got to go teach at a local school, where Lisa and I did an improptu lesson for a grade 2 class. On Friday night a smaller group of us got to go on a hike with one of the elephant familes to Elephant Haven, a large stretch of land where volunteers camp for the night, and the elephants roam free. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet! It's not connected to the park, so only a few of the elephant families get to go once a week- all of those whose members are able-bodied.

Other big plans are in the works for this park though, and the funds coming in thanks to day visitors and tourists is growing. Lek has already bought another larger expanse of land where many of the elephants will soon go to roam free and live more like they would in the wild; while those who need more regular veternary care will stay at the park. All in all the highlight of my trip and an amazing place I have every intension of going back to! :)

Week 2: ~Thailand~

Chiang Mai in the north: Poi Su Thep Temple, excellent shopping, endless vegetarian options. After 2 days, we took a night train to
Lop Buri, aka monkey city. A city of only 60,000 people, with old ruins in the city centre crawling with monkeys! The monkeys are considered goodluck, and are also the big (and just about only) tourist draw to the city. They can be seen running everywhere- across power lines, along store fronts, and crossing in the middle of busy traffic. Aborable, but also devilish- they got into Lisa's bag and made off with her notebook and M&Ms! They had a ball with it though- and the thief with the notebook took off to the highest point on the temple and proceeded to rip her book to shreds. By the time we made it around the building, all we could see was paper falling down like snow, with a family of contented monkeys below chowing down on pickpocketed goods.
Ayuthaya: The former capital of Thailand, a small city on an island where 3 rivers converge. Many old ruins to visit, best of all on bikes!
Bangkok: an affront to your senses- Khaosan road (backpacker district) is a sensory overload! Booming music, haggling tuk tuk taxi drivers, retail workers and food vendors galore, and streets crammed with people. We also saw the Reclining Buddha, the Royal Palace, the Jade Buddha, an enormous 7 story mall since I needed to stock up on SD cards for my camera, and a Caberet show with popular Thai 'ladyboys' (cross-dressers).

Week 3: ~Cambodia~

Bus to the border, taxi across the border, and a few tourist scams later we made the 3 hour bumpy drive to Siem Reap.
Siem Reap: Ankor Wat the obvious highlight, and many surrounding temples, including Ankor Thom (location of Tomb Raider), and Bayon. I rented a bike for the day, and split off from the group in the afternoon to do the longer less touristed route solo. I met a wonderful tuktuk driver that taught me lots of words in Khmer (Cambodian), saw the killing fields monument, the Landmine Museum, and had a "Seeing Hands" massage done by blind people. After 4 days we took a boat across Tonle Sap Lake to the capitol,
Phnom Penh: A city still picking itself out of the ashes of war and a tragic past, this was an intense place to visit. I learned a great deal about the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s and the ensuing genocide that took the lives of over 2 million Cambodias between 1975 and 1979. Anyone suspected of leading a rebellion was targeted under this brutal regime, including the educated- lawyers, doctors, teachers, religious figures- and their entire families. An entire generation gone. We visited the Tuel Sleung Prison, and the Killing Fields, where over 9000 people were killed and buried. An unbelievable history that has left a lasting mark on this country.

Week 4: ~Vietnam~

After a 10 hour bus ride to the coast we arrived in
Mui Ne: R&R at the beach! We stayed in bungalos and relaxed by the ocean or in the hammocks. Also rented motorbikes for 2 days to explore more of the area on our own. The coast was breathtaking with crashing waves on one side and deep red rolling sand dunes on the other. We visited a fishing village, the Red Canyon, and the Fairy Stream, where the contrast between red sand, white rock, and blue sky was striking.
Cu Chi: Visited the tunnel system used by guerrillas during the Vietnam war about 40 km outside Saigon. A very extensive tunnel complex with kitchens, weapon assembly rooms, and hidden traps waiting to spear soldiers on sharpened bamboo poles. There are even huge craters in the ground from where bombs were dropped.
Ho Chi Minh (Saigon): Another bustling city where you take your life in your hands every time you cross the street. Motorbikes everywhere!! We visited the Independance Palace, which was the centre of power in S. Vietnam; the war museum- complete with some really incredible displays on Agent Orange; and a Water Puppet Show- a traditional show with puppets... in the water.

A trip to savour :) I'm so happy I got to have so many new and meaningful experiences travelling through such a beautiful part of the world.

What's next? Well, it had to happen eventually... back to the old grind- reality awaits!!