A part of the family

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Wednesday 2nd January

Penny left today, the last of a group of fantastic volunteers to share Christmas and New Year with. It was really strange when she had gone. Mrs. Noi went with her to Bangkok for the day out, Arnon had already left earlier in the morning to go to the Dusky Langur Project near Hua Hin ready for volunteers there and Ao was at the camp with some people doing the ½ day elephant care program. So I was by myself at the studios. There was no internet connection so I couldn’t do any of my work and I was supposed to be moving into another room but there were clothes in there, I didn’t know who they belonged to & I didn’t want to start rummaging… so I had a bit of a moochy day.
Thursday 3rd January

As I was sat having breakfast this morning Mon (from the other camp) rode up on his motorbike, with Kiet (one of the other mahouts) and said something to me about an elephant then rode off. When I looked over they were off the bike and were signaling to me to follow them. So I did, all the time thinking “what am I doing, I’m following 2 men onto some wasteground & I don’t know why, I don’t know where I’m going….” They kept saying ‘elephant sleep, not lie down, no not get up’ and I was trying to work out what they were talking about: was there a baby elephant? They certainly wanted to show me. When we got there, there was an elephant lying down, a full grown elephant, who I found out was Wassana, with her mahout Sax sat nearby with Mr Bua (another mahout, Mon’s dad) and his wife. I thought the elephant was dead, but then I saw that it was breathing. I sat with them for a while, the elephant was obviously sick and they were keeping a check on it, but there wasn’t anything that I could do so i left. Later in the morning a JCB came down the lane and I thought the elephant must have died as that’s how they usually move the body. Then I heard lots of shouting and roaring from the elephant, they were actually using the JCB to help the elephant to stand up. The other mahouts helping were then riding off on motorbikes or jut running over to the camp to get water to throw on the elephant & give it to drink. I helped in the only way I could think by offering our water & hosepipe so that they didn’t have to go so far to get water. I haven’t been able to find out how the elephant is since. I’ve been over to the camp but there was no-one I knew to ask. I did ask one of the mahouts that I know vaguely if Wassana was ok & he said ok, but I’m not sure if he really understood what I meant. I haven’t seen Sax though since that morning & he is usually around quite a lot.

Friday 4th January

Spent most today cleaning and moving into my new room downstairs. Had a bit of a scary moment when there was a cockroach on the dresser. My thought process went something like this; if it can get onto the dresser > that’s higher than the bed > eeeeeeeeeek!!!! I had to disturb Ao to get it for me, which he did eventually by whacking it with a broom handle. It was massive. I will NEVER get used to bugs! I was even contemplating putting up a mosquito net but I couldn’t see anywhere to hang it. I’m hoping it was just because this room hasn’t been used much. Anymore & I’ll be relocating back upstairs in record time!

Saturday 5th January

I went to the camp today by myself to stay for a couple of nights. I’ve wanted to do it for ages. It’s such a beautiful place and so peaceful…and you’re surrounded by elephants! As we didn’t have any volunteers for a few days I had the time and the perfect excuse to go there - our fledgling garden wouldn’t be getting watered.

Mrs. Noi gave me instructions to get there: I needed to take a songthaew to Tesco Lotus (easy, done lots of times) for ฿10, cross over the road & take a white songthaew, telling them that I needed to go to Khao Chee Chan & they would drop me off at the end of the road. Mrs. Noi said this should cost me ฿20. When Penny & I did a shorter trip last week to Ban Am Pur beach though it cost us ฿30 each! I then had to walk a little way up the road where I would find a motorbike taxi (great!) which, she said, should cost me ฿70. I was quite scared; it’s been a long while since I did this jumping in a bus & hoping I’ll get to where I want to be malarkey! Everything went ok (apart from them not understanding me saying Khao Chee Chan and it taking 5 attempts until they went ‘Oooh Khao Jee Jan’) and I even managed to get the motorbike taxi for ฿50 AND it had a little side car thingy so I didn’t have to balance on the back of a motorbike with my bag! The last bit was the part that had been bothering me the most, I had a vision of me wandering up the road, the elephant camp 10 KM ahead and not a motorbike taxi in sight.

I spent a really nice few days at camp. I kept out of the way at first, just staying around the volunteer house, but once they realized I was there I started getting visits and Tia & Boi came over and had a drink with me.

Sunday 6th January

Tia came back over this morning and invited me over for breakfast at his parents’ house, and to see Bim who is his niece. She’s had a very cute haircut by her grandmother (I’m thinking of asking her to do mine) and was very happy to see me. She kept telling me that she’s missed me very, very much and wouldn’t let go of my hand for the rest of the day. After breakfast I was invited to watch TV with them so spent the rest of the morning watching Mulan in Thai sprawled out on cushions on the floor! In the afternoon I did actually do a bit of gardening then tried to have a sleep in the hammock that the volunteers had made, but it was very interrupted by Bim & Dola climbing all over me. That’s why she’s missed me so much; she’s been without a flexible climbing frame for 3 days!! Later in the afternoon Tia came over for me again & I went & watched more TV, this time Thai soap operas that I didn’t understand but am becoming strangely addicted to! I was invited back for dinner with the family so went and showered and bought some chicken, chilli sauce & Som Tam (papaya salad) as my contribution. After a bit more TV watching I had an early night. It’s been such a lovely couple of days, everyone was so welcoming, particularly Tia’s family who took me in & made sure I was fed & entertained.

Monday 7th January

Left the camp this morning as Ao was going to meet some volunteers in Bangkok to take them to the Karen Hill-tribe project & I needed to be back at the office. I was woken after a very enjoyable lie in (rare here) by the sound of Bims voice calling my name, inviting me to breakfast again. After breakfast (rice, fish, chicken, chilli sauce) I’d prepared myself for a repeat of the journey here but Tia had borrowed a motorbike from someone and was going to take me back. Hmmmm….I think I preferred the side-car. He was very careful though & i could tell that he was driving slowly for me & he kept checking that I was ok (I don’t think he liked being overtaken by all the other cars & motorbikes!) as I think he realized that I was a bit scared. The look I gave him when he first told me to get on the bike probably gave me away....and when we stopped for petrol I didn't know that you had to get off the bike! I ended up really enjoying it! I've never understood people who reve about motorbikes but now I think I kind of get it! We went along a lot of back roads, rather than just all the way on the highway and when we stopped at a junction Tia asked me if I was scared. When I said no he set off really fast....it was brilliant!!! We dropped my bag off (which he'd carried in front of him all the way!) then called at the other camp. I was being all casual by this time & not even holding on....much!

It's been an amazing few days. It's been good to have a bit of adventure again & I couldn't believe how welcoming Tia's family had been, and I felt that everyone else was watching out for me. I really felt as though I had been accepted as part of their community, part of the family. Only problem is....now I'm going to have to catch the Thai soap opera's every night!

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Photos

the hammock made by the volunteers
where i tried to sleep but was Bimmed!

Birdie & bay Em having a drink
when we ran out of water at the camp we had to get some delivered. Suddenly the hose broke free & was spraying everywhere, Yaa took the initiative & watered the garden & gave the elephants a drink!

Birdie & Em having a drink
I couldn't decide which picture was cutest so put the both on!