Elephants Part 1

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The Elephant Sanctuary was the one BIG thing that we wanted to do on this trip.....but we under-estimated just how over-whelming, emotional, enjoyable experience.....we didn't want to leave....and cant wait to go back!

From the moment we arrived...the place felt like magic. There is such a sense of safety & happiness in the Elephants who have been rescued there.

And so you feek so happy for them....even for the ones who's scars from the abuse they got are still visable...like 'Medo'...a 48 year old female who's back is broken from the enormous tree logs she was forced to carry.

The happiness we felt the first few hours seeing the elephants play with each other in their natural habitat (or as close as they can possibly get)....was soon overshadowed as we learned more & more the difficulties that both the elephants & the sanctuary face.........(find out in part 2 of the elephants)....

The people who work at the sanctuary are so special....and go out of their way to make sure everyone is having a nice time. After dinner one night we were taken out into the darkness down to the river and each given a lantern to mark the celebration of the Yi Peng Festival where the lantern is used to hold all the bad spirits....so when you let go the sky takes your bad spirits away (see video above).

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Photos

Lek
Lek

First feed
We had just arrived & it was elephants lunch time

After letting our lanterns go
It was such cool thing to see all the lanterns drifting across the sky over the forest

Our first foot massage
The amount of grunts groans & giggles comming out of us....the massage ladies (Heaad & Pon couldnt stop laughing!!)

Grass Cutting
Thorn bushes everywhere & we wore shorts!! Ha!

Scrubbing again...
...funny thing is the 1st thing they do after leaving the water is throw loads of dirt on their back (as sunscreen)

Comments

[Eileen]

LOve the elephants
I just love catching up on your jouney through the blog. It must have been just amazing been so close to the elephants. Also love the idea of the latterns taking away the bad spirts! Cant wait for next up-date! E

[Mags]

Janey!
Janey that is amazing,,, the elephants look sooooo timid, Mags

[Sweetman Clan]

Awesome!
Breathtaking stuff (hard work though am sure). We're all in awe!

[Michael Coyle]

Excellent blog
Love the video, very magical. Looks like the 2 of you are having a ball. A million miles from citywest! I feel like going up to the citywest pond and breaking the ice to free the ducks! Maybe on the way home!

[Conor N' Nora]

Wow
Just catching up on your blog guys, and it looks like the best trip ever, So many cool pics. The elephant Sanctuary looks the business and I'm sure some experience sharing a few days of your life with these Big softies:)