Thailand - Part 1

Chiang Mai and the Elephant Nature Reserve

The old citadel walls of Chiang Mai, glowing amid the festivities of Loy Krathong

We arrived (by plane) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at a very auspicious time – the annual Loy Krathong festival was in full swing, and the city seemed to be one giant party. Just a few feet from our hotel was an unusually intense (even for Southeast Asia) night market with every kind of tasty Thai food and assorted goods. 

Our hotel's street was the main thoroughfare for a colorful parade of floats, dancers and musicians.

 Launching a khom loy lantern

Chiang Mai's old town center is surrounded by a water moat and there are remnants of an ancient brick fortress, and the party seemed to literally flow out of the old quarter into the rest of the city. The moat was slowly filling with giant floating votive candles – each hand-made and highly decorative – shaped liked giant flowers. Overhead, the skies were illuminated with hot air balloon lanterns (called khom loy). There were so many they looked like stars. And as if that weren't enough, fireworks popped all around us. Let me tell you: Thais love fireworks. 

Thais like sweet things even more than fireworks!

The festivities went well into the wee hours of the night, but we couldn't stay up to enjoy it as we had an appointment to keep. The following morning, we 'reported for duty' at the city office of the Elephant Nature Park, where we were going to be volunteering for the next seven days. It was the beginning of an amazing – and sometimes emotional – experience. As you read this entry, I think you'll see why.

Elephant Nature Park is located in the picturesque highlands about and hour from Chiang Mai

Meet Malai Tong, one of ENP's many beautiful elephants!

For centuries, the Asian elephant has been such an essential part of Thai culture that it is undoubtedly the country's most prominent animal icon. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that the elephant was the force that built Thailand, serving as beasts of burden for logging and heavy labor, and also as formidable war mounts. They are prominent symbols of national pride, royalty and are also strongly associated with regional religions. They are also a popular tourism draw, with many people coming to Thailand in the hopes of seeing and (even better) riding on elephants as part of jungle treks, etc. 

 

Despite their seeming importance, the Asian elephant is in serious jeopardy across Southeast Asia – including Thailand. Wild elephants are disappearing at an alarming rate due to poaching and habitat loss. They could easily be extinct in the wild within 20 years. Of the roughly 5,000 Asian elephants left in Thailand, about two-thirds are domesticated 'working elephants' and their prospects aren't much better. They are completely dependent on people to survive, and expensive to care for and feed. Their continued survival depends on them being useful and profitable. In 1989, the country outlawed logging. While great for the native forests, it created an unexpected problem in that suddenly many thousands of working elephants were 'out of a job'. This leaves tourism as the main industry for them to play a role.

Little Chang Yim is lucky to be at ENP, where he can be with his mother and adopted family

Those with suitable temperaments become riding elephants, while others are smuggled to places like Burma to continue their life sentence of logging and hard labor. Others, especially those who are too old to work or were wounded in some way, are simply abandoned by their owners. Still others – particularly the babies – are trucked to cities where they are forced to walk the streets at night and beg for money. 

There is a strong bond between a mahout and their elephant. The mahout is never far away, and looks after them very carefully.  At ENP, mahouts are taught new training paradigms to ensure elephants are treated humanely.

Many domesticated elephants – including those used for riding – endure a life of cruelty that starts young. Traditional training techniques aim to break their spirit and assert human dominance. Babies are taken from their mothers and literally beaten into submission, often using a large metal hook. To keep riding elephants from misbehaving, the handler (called a mahout) uses metal spiked collars hidden behind the ears, unseen by the unsuspecting tourist, that can be gouged into the animal's head. Elephants have been known to rebel violently against their mahouts, going on rampages and sometimes killing people. Needless to say, dead tourists are not good for tourism.

Young Hope uses a tree as a scratching post

Elephant Nature Park was established by a woman named Sangduen Chailert, aka Lek, to provide a home and safe haven for elephants that have been abused, wounded, or abandoned. Her vision is that the park is a place where these elephants can just be elephants again. For the old ones, it's sort of like an elephant retirement home. For the young ones, it's a fresh start in a place that rejects conventional approaches. There is no riding here. No work (for the elephants, anyway!).

Young elephants at ENP require some training so they can interact safely with humans. Here, Yang Chim learns target training using positive reinforcement and love, rather than dominance techniques. He was an extremely fast learner and often got impatient when the game didn't progress quickly enough!

It's humbling to be in the presence of these giants.

There are about 25-30 elephants in the park at any given time, and over the course of the week we got to hear their stories. Some were wounded by logging accidents, land mines, or botched breeding attempts. One had lost her eyesight, blinded by the hook. 

Babies are carefully watched-over and protected by the herd

Despite all of this, the elephants display a remarkable resilience and spirit. Each has its own personality and charm, and it's fascinating to watch how they interact with each other and visitors to the park. Like wild elephants, they form herds composed of older females (the 'matriarchs') and often have very close bonds of friendship. It's amazing to watch these massive animals treat each other with such delicacy and tenderness. Baby elephants are carefully watched over, and there's great consternation among the Mommas and Aunties if anything upsets the babies!

The volunteers in our group came from all over – America, Europe, Australia – and it was great to get to know them.

Being a volunteer at ENP was fun and rewarding, but it's not a lazy holiday! The work was sometimes pretty hard, especially in the extreme Thailand heat (which we still weren't accustomed to). Many nights, we were so exhausted from the work that we ate dinner and immediately went back to our hut and crashed. 

Elephants make some really big messes!

Bath time by the river

Stacey in the back of the truck, on her way to drop off some bags of feed

Among other things, we weeded around trees in the jungle, shoveled elephant poo, painted fences, and moved piles of sand. Cutting grass was apparently the hardest activity, but by a miracle our 'team' was spared.

 

 

Washing and chopping pumpkins

Our favorite job was washing food for the elephants. They have sensitive stomachs, so it all has to be washed to remove pesticides. The reward for the work, of course, is that you get to feed the elephants. Speaking of food, we volunteers received amazingly good food at the end of each day as well. 

There are mountains of Bananas, pumpkins, watermelon, and cucumbers that have to be prepped each day.

The reward for all the work was spending time with the elephants.

Don't step on me, please!

Stacey tries not to lose her hand to that strong trunk!

 This experience was way better than riding them.

How can an animal as majestic, intelligent and (supposedly) revered be so poorly treated by humans? It's almost beyond understanding. It's also hard to know for sure just how widespread the problem is. Thailand is supposed to be cracking-down and I hope this is true. But according to ENP, it's still a common problem.

Jungle Boy crosses the river

Like most tourists, we were totally unaware and could very easily have been riding an elephant that had been mistreated without having a clue. In the end, we were glad the we chose to volunteer at ENP, even if the stories were sometimes hard to hear. It gave us a chance to support the elephants in a way that we could feel good about. There's not denying that for elephants to survive in Thailand, tourism is going to be critical. We felt this experience was more enjoyable -- and personally fulfilling -- than doing an elephant trek. Hopefully more tourists to Thailand will give it a try, and give the elephants a much-needed break.

Jungle Boy scratching his butt. This adolescent male is very feisty.

One of the highlights of the week is a hike to "Elephant Haven", a remote area in the rainforest where some of the elephants are taken to have a night in the wild.

Saving elephant habitat one tree at a time. This orange ribbon has been ordained by Buddhist monks and gives the tree a measure of protection from illegal logging.

The future is uncertain for Thailand's elephants, but we can make a difference.

Chiang Mai had the most amazing collection of used bookstores we've ever seen!

Following our week at ENP, we returned to Chiang Mai for a few days for a bit of rest and to further explore the city. While there, we enjoyed a Thai cooking course at Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School. The course included a tour of their large herb garden, as well as the local market to learn about the different ingredients, as well as a handy little cookbook to take back with us.

A visit to a local bazaar was lots of fun. Throughout our SE Asia trip, fresh markets were always a source of fascination. There were so many exotic, strange foods that we didn't know existed.

Gayray teaches us how to make Tom Yum soup!

We learned to cook such iconic dishes as Pad Thai and Penang curry

Luang Prabang, Laos

Our first sunset (one of many) in Laos, overlooking the mighty Mekong River.

Our next destination following Cambodia was Laos (Pronounced “La-Oh” – like “Wow”) or more accurately, the LPDR – Laos People's Democratic Republic. Since my Cambodia entry was somewhat depressing, I won't go into detail about how Laos was bombed back to the stone age during various wars. But it was, and sadly most Americans don't have a clue about the legacy of suffering left behind by our actions there. Most of us (myself included up until we started planning this trip) probably can't definitively pick out Laos on a map, and that's too bad because it is such a special, wonderful little country.

At this stage in the trip, we opted for planes over buses, trains and boats.

Originally, we planned to visit several places in Laos. However, we had serious doubts about our ability to travel overland for such huge distances. Put simply, it was at this stage in the trip that our nerves and patience were getting a bit frayed – especially regarding long bus trips. The enormous distance between Siem Reap and Laos would have meant spending literally days in buses on roads that were reputed to be bumpy, winding, and not in the best of shape. Air travel is obviously more expensive, however, and we're on a budget. Fortunately, we discovered the Discovery Airpass...a discount multi-flight program offered via Bangkok, Laos and other partner airlines. It cost a little more, but we felt it was worth it.

You're not in Kansas any more when your Diet Coke can looks like this!

Opting to travel by air required us to limit our travel in Laos to pretty much one place, and there was never really any question where to go: Luang Prabang.

Once again, the Mekong River is central to the history and culture of a city and its people.

Bridge to a neighboring village, located just across the Nam Khan river which straddles the Luang Prabang peninsula.

Located in highlands of the country, this is probably Laos' most famous destination – an ancient town located on the banks of the Mekong River, steeped in tradition and heritage, and set against a backdrop of rugged, forest-clad mountains. Golden temples (called wats) seem to be on every corner (there are 33 of them in this small town!) intermixed with old colonial buildings and streets lined with cafes, shops and restaurants. The land around Luang Prabang is rugged and rural, adding to the effect.

No horn honking?  Are you sure we're still in SE Asia?

The first thing you notice when arriving in Luang Prabang is that it's quieter and easier than many other places in Southeast Asia. Some people say that LPDR stands for “Laos Please Don't Rush,” referring to the laid-back feeling in the country. In Luang Prabang at least, it's accurate. Roads are two-lane and you can easily cross them. There isn't the constant blaring of horns and teeming hordes of motorbikes. Tuk Tuk drivers ask you just once if you need a ride. You can get everywhere on foot (or even better by bicycle, which is what we did and it was fantastic). 

Luang Prabang sunsets seem to slow-burn, with colors evocative of the yellow and amber robes worn by the town's Buddhist monks.

After dark, Luang Prabang comes alive with colorful food and shopping stalls

Every night, the town's adrenaline level increases just slightly with colorful night markets serving a huge array of Laos cuisines. A kilometer-long stretch of road fills with stalls selling locally-made handicrafts such as jewelry and clothing.

Wat Chom Si sits atop Mount Phu Si, right in the center of town. From here, you can see across the entire region.
Sunsets are standing room only. The photo at right is a close-up of the temple's gilded stupa.

Before visiting a temple, you might like to buy an offering made of marigold flowers.

 

Barefoot is the only way to enter a temple!  Right: Rooftop Nagas form spires on many of the structures.

 Many temples have protective Nagas lining the balustrades, acting as guardians to the shrine.

Luang Prabang is yet another World Heritage Site and for that reason is a major destination for tourists like us. To be fair, foreigners do seem to outnumber the locals and everything is geared towards tourism. Tour companies are everywhere, selling river cruises and trips to nearby attractions such as waterfalls, elephant parks and ethnic villages. Eco-tourism is really taking off in Laos and it's easy to see why with such beautiful landscapes. We took a day-hike tour that included a visit to minority hilltribe villages, through dense highland jungle and finished with a swim at the gorgeous Kuang Si Falls (truly jaw-droppingly gorgeous – but very cold water!).

An emerald green pit viper we saw during a jungle hike near Luang Prabang.
Not the best photo, but I didn't want to get too close!

 

Kuang Si Falls is an amazing (if cold) place to swim after a hot trek through the jungle.
The falls are spring-fed and limestone in the water creates the milky blue effect.

Monks making their daily morning rounds during the alms-giving ceremony.

One of the most popular 'things to do/see' in Luang Prabang is the morning alm-giving ceremony involving the local Buddhist Monks. Each morning around 6 a.m., monks from the various wats around town line up to receive offerings in the form of food (rice, mostly). Monks may only eat food received in this manner, and giving alms to monks is how a person can 'make merit' in the Buddhist faith.

A local woman gives alms (in this case, sticky rice) to monks.

To the people of Luang Prabang, the alms-giving ceremony is a very special – and personally significant – tradition. Unfortunately, it's threatened a bit by all of the tourist attention. Huge flocks of foreigners arrive each day via minibuses, crowding around the scene to take photos. Many people don't keep a respectable distance, and fail to observe proper form when in the presence of the monks. (for my interpreter friends, here's a link to a PDF article you may find of interest). And believe me, there are a lot of rules about interactions and behavior around monks! In an effort to help, many organizations have created guides for tourists that detail the do's and dont's when visiting Laos.

 Wat Ho Prabang, one of the city's grandest temples, is located in former Royal Compound and Gardens.
Nearby is the National Museum (formerly a Royal Palace).

We only visited one location in Laos, but what a gem it was. We spent seven days in Luang Prabang and enjoyed it thoroughly. At this stage in our travels, it was perfect timing for LP's character. Like Cambodia, the visit left us intrigued enough to want to go back and see more -- not just there but the rest of the country. But as much as we enjoyed it, the long-awaited final chapters of our trip awaited us in Thailand. Next stop: Chiang Mai and a visit to see some elephants!

Final sunset on a cruise of the Mekong