MEF provide a field trip to all volunteers to visit a small jungle village that they work with to try and resolve the human-elephant conflict and then to a national park to hopefully see wild elephants.
I had one of the guides from MEF with me who was lovely. I tempted fate again and ate breakfast at a street stall but it was fresh and delicious (and ridiculously cheap). Then we visited the village where the locals took us around to show us where wild elephants had knocked down their houses. Very frightening for them, as their properties back onto the jungle and the village is pretty much in the elephant's path. MEF have provided warning bells for when elephants are approaching the village. The men sit in treehouses all night while their crops are growing and ring the bell to warn other villagers that an elephant is approaching and also to warn the elephant that humans are near. It has obviously been very effective because the villagers asked for a further 5 bells the next time MEF visit. They just looked so pleased to be able to do something to protect their crops and therefore their livelihood, without having to resort to cruelty or even killing the elephants.
The children were particularly sweet and we visited a pre-school and the older children followed us around and showed us their homes. There is a lot of work to do with the human-elephant conflict but there are many small initiatives such as this that provide some sense of relief and hopefully saves both human and elephant lives.
Then we hopped into a jeep and went into the national park. At first, we didn't have much luck with wild elephants and settled for some water buffalo and eagles (which were pretty cool). We started driving again and I spotted (yes not our actual 'spotter') a 12 year old female right next to our vehicle in the water. She was beautiful. She was slowly making her way to the trees to eat so we moved on. We saw another vehicle about 100m away and noticed they within about 2 metres of a mother and calf. Unfortunately, we were unable to drive to them because it would have meant driving out and back in to get to them. So my driver kept going and the most amazing thing happened. We drove to a flatter area and we saw a small herd of about 8 elephants. However, when we stopped the vehicle and took another look, the field contained approximately 50 wild elephants! It was like an elephant haven. And what a wonderful sight it is to see them wild and in their natural habitat. My ideas about domestic elephants changed in that instant as I watched them interacting with each other, feeding and just enjoying their freedom. As much as I loved interacting with the elephants at MEF and being up close and treating the sick and elderly elephants who would probably have a much worse life if not for MEF, nothing compares to seeing them in the wild. I was breathless.
We drove around a bit more and saw baby elephants, although the mothers did a wonderful job of making sure they were between their baby and us. My guide was very safety aware as he had been chased by a wild male before, so when a male came towards us with his trunk up and ears up (you always want to see them moving and on this occasion, they weren't!), we knew it was time to go. We drove to this rock and climbed up for a wonderful view of the jungle and it was just like paradise. We made the right decision to leave the male alone because the next jeep that came through the trees was chased and almost run down by the male. Quite frightening and the noise was something else. We all left them alone after that to return to their place of peace and tranquility and hopefully safety.
My driver then took me to Sigiriya where I would stay the night and start my final couple of days in Sri Lanka.
Today was such a beautiful day and one that will not be easily erased from my mind.
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Vet run
Unfortunately, the weekend I was suffering (or building my immunity as I now call it), the vet was out all weekend treating elephants. So I missed those but some newly qualified vets were going out to give one of the elephants, who had an absyss (sorry I know my spelling is all wrong) removed on it's right leg, a long lasting antibiotic.
I made contact with a senior lecturer at the university who invited me out to the treatment centre which is run by university vet students. I really loved it. They treat both wild and domestic animals so I got to see cats and dogs, as well as wild deer, porcupines, eagles, spotted cat (which is endangered) and plenty of monkeys, with one baby orphaned monkey who lives there. The vet students were very sweet and wanted to know where I was from and what I did.
We started our 3.5 hour drive so I stocked up on water and chocolate for everybody. The drive was frightening and lovely at the same time. The driver has some sort of death wish but the students sung nearly the entire journey. I couldn't understand a word but it was really beautiful.
We made it to the property and the vets injected ridiculous amounts of drugs into the elephant (probably enough to kill us). The mahout then rubbed traditional medicine to stop infection and that was it.
The family of one of the vets lived nearby so they were kind enough to make dinner for us. So I was spoiled yet again with a home cooked traditional meal. What was really special and made my night (or in fact my day, no week, no month!) was that some of the girls were looking at me so I knew they were talking about me. And I asked what they were saying one of them pointed to one of the other girls and said 'she thinks you are very beautiful'. Well, after feeling like death on the weekend, I was so pleased. Maybe I had lost a bit of weight...afterall, the waiter told me 'now you are thin, before you were fat'....Sri Lankans are not very subtle). But I told them thank you very much but you must be blind. Especially when the girls have such gorgeous hair, skin, eyes...everything!
Then we made the ride home with the death wish driver. Everyone thought it was hilarious when I asked if the driver had ever had an accident. I didn't think fearing for my life was particularly funny but I made it home safe.
I made contact with a senior lecturer at the university who invited me out to the treatment centre which is run by university vet students. I really loved it. They treat both wild and domestic animals so I got to see cats and dogs, as well as wild deer, porcupines, eagles, spotted cat (which is endangered) and plenty of monkeys, with one baby orphaned monkey who lives there. The vet students were very sweet and wanted to know where I was from and what I did.
We started our 3.5 hour drive so I stocked up on water and chocolate for everybody. The drive was frightening and lovely at the same time. The driver has some sort of death wish but the students sung nearly the entire journey. I couldn't understand a word but it was really beautiful.
We made it to the property and the vets injected ridiculous amounts of drugs into the elephant (probably enough to kill us). The mahout then rubbed traditional medicine to stop infection and that was it.
The family of one of the vets lived nearby so they were kind enough to make dinner for us. So I was spoiled yet again with a home cooked traditional meal. What was really special and made my night (or in fact my day, no week, no month!) was that some of the girls were looking at me so I knew they were talking about me. And I asked what they were saying one of them pointed to one of the other girls and said 'she thinks you are very beautiful'. Well, after feeling like death on the weekend, I was so pleased. Maybe I had lost a bit of weight...afterall, the waiter told me 'now you are thin, before you were fat'....Sri Lankans are not very subtle). But I told them thank you very much but you must be blind. Especially when the girls have such gorgeous hair, skin, eyes...everything!
Then we made the ride home with the death wish driver. Everyone thought it was hilarious when I asked if the driver had ever had an accident. I didn't think fearing for my life was particularly funny but I made it home safe.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Quick Update
I have not been able to write on my blog for the last two weeks and it's probably been the most hectic two weeks so far! I will try and write a full update of everything I have done in the next couple of days but i am currently in Mysore in southern India. We are just about to go and see the Mysore Palace that is lit up only on Sundays. Then we're off to Chennai and 'Maps' (that't the short name for a really long Indian name!).
Will also upload some more pics soon (I'll also do it on facebook for you facebookers!).
Will also upload some more pics soon (I'll also do it on facebook for you facebookers!).
Friday, February 1, 2008
Jackie vs the Mosquito
Believe it or not, I am becoming an expert at killing mosquitoes. They are little biting bastards and I hate them. Somehow one manages to get into the sleeping net every night, so I slowly creep up to it…then bam…it’s gone. I can even catch them with one hand (I’m often typing my blog out on the computer in the office then copying it and uploading at the internet café later, and there are plenty of mozzies in the office. So I can type, and catch one without a blink….I think I’m winning).
I felt a little crazy the other night. I was in the bathroom and I could hear about 5 of them. So there I was running around trying to catch them. I got them all in the end but I’m sure the people in the house wondered what the hell I was doing, some kind of clapping shower!
And I don’t think my rampage is going to disturb nature as the little bastards are everywhere!
Three weeks and two days
That is how long it took for me to succumb to traveller’s diarrhoea. I thought I was going to die. I felt a bit funny so went to lie down, and then it hit me. And that night, I had the worst fever I’ve ever had…in fact, I don’t think I’ve experienced a fever before so maybe it was just the shock of it. I was shivering and it is definitely not cold here. Then I woke up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat. It was awful. I was reading the lonely planet on symptoms of diseases, and every disease seems to have fever, headache, stomach cramps and occasional diarrhoea. So I was convinced I had dengue fever!
So I went to the doctor the next day. He prescribed strong antibiotics (he said they’ll even kill cholera so let’s hope that’s not what I have). Sounds like it’s just a bacterial problem and I’m not suffering from any disease. He also gave me paracetamol and something called Depron that Thurstan could not find on the internet! Maybe it’s Sri Lankan Ganje like what the mahouts have! My consultation and medication only cost me 2 pounds! The drugs were only 50p!
I’m feeling better now (I can finally fart without fear) but it took me 4 days to recover. Hopefully that is it now for the rest of the trip. I tempted fate with the water so hopefully my guts are now as tough as steel.
So I went to the doctor the next day. He prescribed strong antibiotics (he said they’ll even kill cholera so let’s hope that’s not what I have). Sounds like it’s just a bacterial problem and I’m not suffering from any disease. He also gave me paracetamol and something called Depron that Thurstan could not find on the internet! Maybe it’s Sri Lankan Ganje like what the mahouts have! My consultation and medication only cost me 2 pounds! The drugs were only 50p!
I’m feeling better now (I can finally fart without fear) but it took me 4 days to recover. Hopefully that is it now for the rest of the trip. I tempted fate with the water so hopefully my guts are now as tough as steel.
Conflict
I learned from Hasthi that the peace agreement between the LTTE and the government comes to an end on the 16th January 2008. I had no idea. That’s why there had been a couple of bombs recently as these were warning bombs from the LTTE.
Well the LTTE managed to pull off such an atrocity, I still can’t believe it. Down in the south east (not near me), they detonated a bomb when a school bus went past. Apparently, the children that ran from the bus were shot by Tamil tigers. 23 people, I think mostly children, died. I just don’t understand how anyone can bring themselves to commit such acts of cruelty. It makes me so sad and a little but ill that people are capable of that. I think this was in retaliation to a bomb that went off ‘accidentally’ in a school in the Jaffna region (LTTE region) killing children. It’s just like any war, there are atrocities on both sides and a peaceful outcome is unlikely, as long as religion plays a role. It’s really sad because there are plenty of places in the world where people of different religions live peacefully together (Malaysia and other parts of south east Asia, even India appears to be relatively ok). Why can’t this one be resolved? It’s gone on long enough.
The country expected something bad to happen but I don’t think anyone expected this. So everyone is on high alert. I have decided to cancel my trip to Yala National Park, which is apparently the best national park in the country. I was going to stay in a tree hut at an eco lodge that was truly in touch with nature. This was going to be my treat for my last weekend but Yala is in an LTTE area. I’m also going to stay away from public transport. While LTTE don’t target tourists, they don’t actually check the trains or buses first before detonating bombs! The area I’m in is safe and the military and police have stepped up security so hopefully there will be some sort of resolution soon. I believe they have already captured some people and discovered LTTE weapons. So here is hoping for an end soon because the people here have just had enough.
Well the LTTE managed to pull off such an atrocity, I still can’t believe it. Down in the south east (not near me), they detonated a bomb when a school bus went past. Apparently, the children that ran from the bus were shot by Tamil tigers. 23 people, I think mostly children, died. I just don’t understand how anyone can bring themselves to commit such acts of cruelty. It makes me so sad and a little but ill that people are capable of that. I think this was in retaliation to a bomb that went off ‘accidentally’ in a school in the Jaffna region (LTTE region) killing children. It’s just like any war, there are atrocities on both sides and a peaceful outcome is unlikely, as long as religion plays a role. It’s really sad because there are plenty of places in the world where people of different religions live peacefully together (Malaysia and other parts of south east Asia, even India appears to be relatively ok). Why can’t this one be resolved? It’s gone on long enough.
The country expected something bad to happen but I don’t think anyone expected this. So everyone is on high alert. I have decided to cancel my trip to Yala National Park, which is apparently the best national park in the country. I was going to stay in a tree hut at an eco lodge that was truly in touch with nature. This was going to be my treat for my last weekend but Yala is in an LTTE area. I’m also going to stay away from public transport. While LTTE don’t target tourists, they don’t actually check the trains or buses first before detonating bombs! The area I’m in is safe and the military and police have stepped up security so hopefully there will be some sort of resolution soon. I believe they have already captured some people and discovered LTTE weapons. So here is hoping for an end soon because the people here have just had enough.
Pilgrimage to Sri Pada
The plan was made for all of us to visit Sri Pada and Horton Plains National Park. I was so excited to get out and about and to be able to share it with people.
We drove back to Kandy which is where they are from. They have a house there that they were renting but as the people removed a door, drew on the walls and had a pile of rubbish out the front, they decided to take the house back and keep it as a holiday house.
Now, I thought the food I’d had so far was good. But nothing beats home cooked Sri Lankan food. I have been eating the most delicious meals over the last 5 days. I feel a bit silly as I rave about how good it is and yet this is common for Hasthi and her family. I’ve asked for all of the recipes so I’ll try and recreate the masterpieces although I’m not optimistic. And I have a new appreciation of eating with my hands. I’m so used to it now, that the waiters at the volunteer restaurant no longer bring me cutlery but rather a bowl of water for me to wash my hands instead.
Anyway, Hasthi’s grandma is so adorable. She’s so small and very sweet. She kept forcing me to eat which I did so obligingly. And then there’s Banda who is an old family friend who helps around the house and is a tremendous cook. I felt so welcome in their home.
We went into Kandy the following day to the Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic). The tooth is said to have been snatched from the flames of the Buddha’s funeral in 543 BC and was apparently smuggled into Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. It’s a beautiful temple and there were many locals there who consider such a pilgrimage a must. Security is extremely tight because in 1998, the LTTE detonated a bomb destroying much of the temple. They didn’t get into the temple thank goodness because the destruction would have been a lot worse but the damage was still done nonetheless. I think this is the only country where being a foreigner is an advantage. I was able to take my camera in and the guards were extremely friendly. I had to pay to get in (locals don’t have to which I think is good because they should be able to see their beautiful monuments for free), but it was worth it.
We then managed to go and watch Kandyan dancing. The men play double sided drums while other men and women dance in traditional dress. It was really great and we had such a great afternoon. Sunil then drove us up to a lookout which gave us a great view of Kandy Lake and the town at night.
Then we drove to Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) the next day. The countryside was beautiful as we went through the hill country where all of the tea plantations are. Sunil knows the head of police in the area and they were staying in a tea plantation which is where we went for lunch. Lunch was home made and was of course delicious. We went for a short walk through the tea plantation where we saw the women tea pluckers, plucking the tea leaves and placing them in the bags they hang from their head. The local kids saw me with my camera and kept yelling out photo, photo. So I took pictures of them and they then started running down. They were so adorable. They kept wanting me to take their picture and then when we left, they all shook my hand and said thank you! I felt awful because I should be thanking them for letting me take their picture and giving me a beautiful memory. We had some chocolate in the car so we gave them that and they were very excited.
Then we got a police escort to Sri Pada. It was so funny. Five of us sat in the back in the jeep so everyone was staring at us and waving as we went past. It must have looked so weird with 5 people in the back, one being a foreigner and 2 being kids (Hasthi’s cousins). We made it to the base of Sri Pada and started preparing for the climb. The best time to do it is at night as it’s lit up and the grand finale is the sunrise. It’s also much cooler at night. Sunil’s police friend organised for us to have a nap in a hotel that is half way up. And we were so glad he did. However, it was not the most comfortable sleep. Somehow 8 of us managed to squeeze onto a king size bed. It was so funny. But we managed to get some sleep that kept us going through the early morning ascent.
Sri Pada is a pilgrimage for many as it means Sacred Footprint which was left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise. For others, it’s called Adam’s Peak because it is the place where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven. For others, it is Samanalakande which means Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die. Either way, it’s a pretty tough climb with lots of steps. We were fortunate to have a rest at the half way hotel where Sunil’s police friend organised a room. The only problem was that when Sunil arranged it, it was only going to be 4 of us. However, Sunil’s brother and family joined us, so 8 people had to squeeze onto two king single beds! It was hilarious. We managed to get some sleep between tossing and turning and Sunil’s snoring, and we then took it slow and reached the top at 5am. It was pretty cold, and because there is a temple there, we had to take off our shoes!
The sunrise was one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. The sun rays came over the horizon first and covered the entire sky. The temple was playing Buddhist music as the sun rose and it was really special. But the best part is that when the sun rises, the mountain’s shadow forms a perfect triangle on the other side. As the sun rises higher, the triangle disappears back towards the peak. It was eerie but beautiful.
Then the worst part came as we had to descend the steps, something my knees disliked very much. We finally made it down and drove to Sunil’s police friend’s house in Hatton, which was our accommodation for the night. It’s good to know people in Sri Lanka.
We almost didn’t go to Horton Plains because Sunil’s mum called and said she had heard of some shootings in Horton Plains. Sunil called his police friend to confirm and he said he hadn’t heard anything. We watched the news and it wasn’t on there. We later discovered that she didn’t want us to go because it was a jungle area, and she thinks everywhere is dangerous. So we confirmed there was no danger and we drove into the plains. Why we persevered I don’t know. It was misty and raining and really heavy…not the best hiking weather. And we were planning on going to World’s End, a hike that takes you to a huge drop off that gives you amazing views over the tea plantations. Visibility was unlikely and getting drenched was very likely.
But we arrived at the start of the walk and the clouds parted a little. We got to little world’s end and the clouds parted even more. Then we got to World’s End and we must have had good karma or something because we were blessed with a beautiful view over the plantations. It was spectacular. The rest of the hike took us to some waterfalls and streams and then we were fortunate to see some Sambar deer on the hills. We were told when we got back to the information centre that there were deer up one of the other roads so we went for drive and were lucky to see herds of them grazing in the mist. Sunil and I went crazy with the camera so hopefully out of the hundreds of pictures, we have one good one.
This weekend was really special. I got a wonderful insight into a Sri Lankan family, got to taste amazing food and got to see some of the beautiful natural wonders Sri Lanka has to offer. I even got to hear Sri Lankan songs on the way and learned some of the words. This weekend was truly magical and I am forever grateful. Even if I don’t go anywhere else, this weekend will keep me going until I reach India.
We drove back to Kandy which is where they are from. They have a house there that they were renting but as the people removed a door, drew on the walls and had a pile of rubbish out the front, they decided to take the house back and keep it as a holiday house.
Now, I thought the food I’d had so far was good. But nothing beats home cooked Sri Lankan food. I have been eating the most delicious meals over the last 5 days. I feel a bit silly as I rave about how good it is and yet this is common for Hasthi and her family. I’ve asked for all of the recipes so I’ll try and recreate the masterpieces although I’m not optimistic. And I have a new appreciation of eating with my hands. I’m so used to it now, that the waiters at the volunteer restaurant no longer bring me cutlery but rather a bowl of water for me to wash my hands instead.
Anyway, Hasthi’s grandma is so adorable. She’s so small and very sweet. She kept forcing me to eat which I did so obligingly. And then there’s Banda who is an old family friend who helps around the house and is a tremendous cook. I felt so welcome in their home.
We went into Kandy the following day to the Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic). The tooth is said to have been snatched from the flames of the Buddha’s funeral in 543 BC and was apparently smuggled into Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. It’s a beautiful temple and there were many locals there who consider such a pilgrimage a must. Security is extremely tight because in 1998, the LTTE detonated a bomb destroying much of the temple. They didn’t get into the temple thank goodness because the destruction would have been a lot worse but the damage was still done nonetheless. I think this is the only country where being a foreigner is an advantage. I was able to take my camera in and the guards were extremely friendly. I had to pay to get in (locals don’t have to which I think is good because they should be able to see their beautiful monuments for free), but it was worth it.
We then managed to go and watch Kandyan dancing. The men play double sided drums while other men and women dance in traditional dress. It was really great and we had such a great afternoon. Sunil then drove us up to a lookout which gave us a great view of Kandy Lake and the town at night.
Then we drove to Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) the next day. The countryside was beautiful as we went through the hill country where all of the tea plantations are. Sunil knows the head of police in the area and they were staying in a tea plantation which is where we went for lunch. Lunch was home made and was of course delicious. We went for a short walk through the tea plantation where we saw the women tea pluckers, plucking the tea leaves and placing them in the bags they hang from their head. The local kids saw me with my camera and kept yelling out photo, photo. So I took pictures of them and they then started running down. They were so adorable. They kept wanting me to take their picture and then when we left, they all shook my hand and said thank you! I felt awful because I should be thanking them for letting me take their picture and giving me a beautiful memory. We had some chocolate in the car so we gave them that and they were very excited.
Then we got a police escort to Sri Pada. It was so funny. Five of us sat in the back in the jeep so everyone was staring at us and waving as we went past. It must have looked so weird with 5 people in the back, one being a foreigner and 2 being kids (Hasthi’s cousins). We made it to the base of Sri Pada and started preparing for the climb. The best time to do it is at night as it’s lit up and the grand finale is the sunrise. It’s also much cooler at night. Sunil’s police friend organised for us to have a nap in a hotel that is half way up. And we were so glad he did. However, it was not the most comfortable sleep. Somehow 8 of us managed to squeeze onto a king size bed. It was so funny. But we managed to get some sleep that kept us going through the early morning ascent.
Sri Pada is a pilgrimage for many as it means Sacred Footprint which was left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise. For others, it’s called Adam’s Peak because it is the place where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven. For others, it is Samanalakande which means Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die. Either way, it’s a pretty tough climb with lots of steps. We were fortunate to have a rest at the half way hotel where Sunil’s police friend organised a room. The only problem was that when Sunil arranged it, it was only going to be 4 of us. However, Sunil’s brother and family joined us, so 8 people had to squeeze onto two king single beds! It was hilarious. We managed to get some sleep between tossing and turning and Sunil’s snoring, and we then took it slow and reached the top at 5am. It was pretty cold, and because there is a temple there, we had to take off our shoes!
The sunrise was one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. The sun rays came over the horizon first and covered the entire sky. The temple was playing Buddhist music as the sun rose and it was really special. But the best part is that when the sun rises, the mountain’s shadow forms a perfect triangle on the other side. As the sun rises higher, the triangle disappears back towards the peak. It was eerie but beautiful.
Then the worst part came as we had to descend the steps, something my knees disliked very much. We finally made it down and drove to Sunil’s police friend’s house in Hatton, which was our accommodation for the night. It’s good to know people in Sri Lanka.
We almost didn’t go to Horton Plains because Sunil’s mum called and said she had heard of some shootings in Horton Plains. Sunil called his police friend to confirm and he said he hadn’t heard anything. We watched the news and it wasn’t on there. We later discovered that she didn’t want us to go because it was a jungle area, and she thinks everywhere is dangerous. So we confirmed there was no danger and we drove into the plains. Why we persevered I don’t know. It was misty and raining and really heavy…not the best hiking weather. And we were planning on going to World’s End, a hike that takes you to a huge drop off that gives you amazing views over the tea plantations. Visibility was unlikely and getting drenched was very likely.
But we arrived at the start of the walk and the clouds parted a little. We got to little world’s end and the clouds parted even more. Then we got to World’s End and we must have had good karma or something because we were blessed with a beautiful view over the plantations. It was spectacular. The rest of the hike took us to some waterfalls and streams and then we were fortunate to see some Sambar deer on the hills. We were told when we got back to the information centre that there were deer up one of the other roads so we went for drive and were lucky to see herds of them grazing in the mist. Sunil and I went crazy with the camera so hopefully out of the hundreds of pictures, we have one good one.
This weekend was really special. I got a wonderful insight into a Sri Lankan family, got to taste amazing food and got to see some of the beautiful natural wonders Sri Lanka has to offer. I even got to hear Sri Lankan songs on the way and learned some of the words. This weekend was truly magical and I am forever grateful. Even if I don’t go anywhere else, this weekend will keep me going until I reach India.
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