The dirt embedded under my nails is thick. Despite having been “clean.” I guess, after a week at Elephant Nature Park as a volunteer with elephants, “clean” is relative. When the Elephant Nature Park van arrives to the Rachamankha Hotel, an elegant boutique hotel inside the old city of Chiang Mai, and I catch aContinue reading “From hut to haute: checking in to the Rachamankha Hotel”
Category Archives: Thailand
Photo Essay: Life at Elephant Nature Park
For about one week, I was a volunteer at Elephant Nature Park. During that time, I did everything from shoveling poo to being blessed by a shaman to becoming part of the heard and spending time with elephants up-close, to singing “Que Sera, Sera” as they fell asleep. There were tears of joy and tearsContinue reading “Photo Essay: Life at Elephant Nature Park”
Tears of joy … and other last moments at Elephant Nature Park
To say there are a lot of tears on the last day as volunteers at Elephant Nature Park is an understatement. At least as it relates to me. If there’s one thing I have noticed during my week as a volunteer at Elephant Nature Park is that I cry. A lot. More than most people.Continue reading “Tears of joy … and other last moments at Elephant Nature Park”
Heartbreak and healing at Elephant Nature Park
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> Mae Sai Roong lays on the ground. She looks so little compared to the throngs of people around here — the Elephant Nature Park volunteers, the vets, the mahouts, Lek — all scrambling to make sure she doesn’t give up on life just yet. EveryContinue reading “Heartbreak and healing at Elephant Nature Park”
Que Sera Sera
“Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be. The future is ours, you’ll see, que sera sera,” Lek sings softly to the baby elephant, Faa Mai, as she sits on the dirt between the animal’s front legs. I watch, silently, in awe. Lek singing to her is a beautiful moment between friends. To me, someoneContinue reading “Que Sera Sera”
Volunteers and a vet: an afternoon of healing elephants
I stand, along with three other volunteers, watching one of the Elephant Nature Park’s veterinarian’s squirt antiseptic into the mangled foot of Sri Prae. It is purple, covered in medicine to keep it from getting infected. And, it’s disfigured, partially blown off after accidentally stepping on a land mine years back when she was inContinue reading “Volunteers and a vet: an afternoon of healing elephants”
Up-close with elephants: a photo essay of life with a herd
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> Thick, leathery gray legs covered with a layer of thick, wet, chocolate-colored dirt, surround me. At first, I am apprehensive. On all sides of me are six-ton elephants. Capable of plowing me over. I look over to Lek, the founder of Elephant Nature Park, withContinue reading “Up-close with elephants: a photo essay of life with a herd”
A trip to a Thai elementary school: a photo essay
Most of the time at Elephant Nature Park is spent at the park, caring for elephants and helping maintain the facilities. However, our calendar of volunteer activities clearly shows that on Thursday, we are heading out of the park to do some volunteer work at the village elementary school with the kids. I love myContinue reading “A trip to a Thai elementary school: a photo essay”
Knee-deep in mud: the planting grass adventure
Thank goodness I am wearing boots, because otherwise, when I am knee-deep in the thick, gloppy mud in the humid and overcast afternoon, my foot would come shooting out and cause me to face plant it into the neat little rows of grass we are planting. Our afternoon volunteer activity is another labor-intensive experience. ThisContinue reading “Knee-deep in mud: the planting grass adventure”
An inside look at Elephant Nature Park
Chai hands us each a huge bundle of bananas as we suit up in our rain gear. “For our walk,” he explains. I pull on my gum boots (with socks this time) and pull my poncho over my head, tucking my camera under it securely so it won’t get rained on. The clouds have beenContinue reading “An inside look at Elephant Nature Park”
D Travels 'Round 