elephant one

feeding

 It is now 2/7...the following Monday...I have had my beloved eggplant tempura and 2 large Chang....and it is after elephants... Monika and I have ventured out and I am sitting at Nest 2 finishing my beer and pasting....so here goes..

The boy in heavan





honnybunch is good...
but this is heaven



Cheryl & ele with earrings

HB & ele bell

This is Wednesday and if I knew where the time has gone, I would share. I have tried to keep track of all that we have done and seen and experienced. It is not easy getting time while you are awake enough to enjoy writing... so let's go bac We were all up and anxious to go at 8am..I came home early and was getting organized, Monika has a foot massage and Cheryl shopped...but we were all up...



We saw the video in the van and did one pringle and peanut stop on the way. When we got here..with our volunteer shirts and water bottles..we had the usual great lunch.. I will spare repeating the lunch every day..but it is a multi-dish with some chicken or fish... Of course they have Chang here.... more instructions...etc.. and elephant feeding and dinner and then a welcome ceremony. I had reason to believe that Cheryl would be one of the four to volunteer. The women of the village had prepared flowers and ceremonial offerings. There were six school children who played traditional music on traditional instruments.



The shaman sang in multi-tones and changed long chants and the sprinkled the four and the rest of us with water in a cup with greens for sprinkling. My hip felt like it belonged to someone else..and the “old ladies” who were probably much older than I, sat quietly and then after a few chuckles between then pointed to the chairs on the side..I of course said no and continued to fidget... In reality, I am not sure at 20 I could have done much better..but sitting in the second row, you are noticed. After a long chant and more sprinkles..it was out turn to go up and get a string on our wrist. After dinner we had a introduction ceremonial in which we all introduced yourself to the group... most are young and Aussies. But also Dutch, England, Wales, etc. The language is English. We were all tired and there is a hot shower.. not a big sprinkle but warm and steady...

Joe and Cheryl are staying in the room that Ann/Sheila/Bonny said in the first time. I was away a few times during the night since we were in bet before 9:30....up down awake asleep and then asleep....just in time for the roar. Our bed is very close to a group of ele's.



The night was still...quiet... all of a sudden...roar..growl... trumpet.. three of them started...we thought it might be a lion... it was scary beyond scary..but it was such a trust the universe type of thing..what are you going to do... these big animals can plow right through.... we later found that this is unusual and when I saw the mahouts getting up with torches... I figured something is unusual. As we found out..it was a friend from the logging camp that was calling and this ele was calling back...and when she called.. everyone in the family ...the \big and little ones trumped... I will tell you that at 3 am in your jammies...it is scary.



Some how,I got a little more sleep and was up again when I should have been. So now what will the day bring



After breakfast of granola, egg, coffee, etc. we line up for assignment. Monika and I and Honeybunch/Ro were assigned the grass cutting. So we get long pants, shirts water and hats and get into the back of a truck...some sat down...but that looked like a way to brake your butt. A few miles down the road we stopped to pick up some locals who would help with the process. We road in the back of the truck for about ½ hr and then disem\barked.



Now we had gloves and machete along with the hats, long pants and long sleeves... The first hurdle was a narrow plant to cross the creek.... then when you walked to the grass, you found the ground was not always where it should be...missing. I looked at the native folks who were grabbing hands full of the grass and cutting..and then say myself one or two strands of grass...and chop chop chop and only cutting one or two. I took a few moments but I got the hang of it and cutting my share. When you cut, you stack it neatly in the same direction. As a group, we cut 150 bundles. And after we cut, Ro and I got into the truck and tossed the bundles into the truck... when we got home, we were all with small reed cuts, dirty and tried....but another beautiful day in paradise. Again a great lunch and afternoon tasks. Out task was just to take a walk around where the ele's were..... The hot shower was wonderful.... and then a Thai massage was in order.



Laying on the ground on a thin mat with a woman about the attack you who can only speak Thai is about to attack you body. As you know, I have been pushed in many direction but this woman found places on my body that I did not know existed. After dinner, we went to learn about Thai culture and language. The young Thai's that were leading the evening were hysterical. And we learned the banana dance...pick your banana, .peal your banana, mash your banana, dance your banana...... well there were many ways to use your body to do that..and I will let your imagination go with that.....

it is a slow internet and I have spent many hours here...so I will just add photos and captions

ele's walking freely in the compound

lek feeding one of her family



kwan chang ( an elephant tender)

  a

monika cutting grass



going off in tghe truck to the haven