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.
A new friend!
I finally have a friend! I didn’t realise how lonely I was until Hasthi came and volunteered for a week. Jas the office manager (who is hilarious and has crazy hair), came up and introduced her. It was very sudden as she was looking for something for 5 days only to do as part of the Duke of Edinburgh in New Zealand.
Hasthi was born in Sri Lanka, but her family moved to NZ in 1999 as her dad wanted them to have a different education to the one in Sri Lanka. Children are at school from 7am or 8am to 1pm and then they have tuition in every subject in the afternoon until about 5pm or 6pm. So to my nieces and nephews…stop complaining! He wanted his girls to have a childhood as well as a good education (although education seems very good here, probably due to the amount of hours they put in). Anyway, it was just so nice to talk to someone.
I knew I was lonely but just didn’t realise how low my spirit was. I was seeing and experiencing amazing things, but as I couldn’t share . Meal times were particularly difficult as I sat at the huge table singing ‘all by myself’ every night.
I felt like myself again as we chatted…well I chatted…not sure if she said anything. I think I chewed her ear off for the entire week. Anyway, her dad and sister were often here taking photographs and filming as she was going to put together a presentation. We all hit it off as we found out we enjoyed the same things….the outdoors, photography and wildlife. I was even more pleased when they said they wanted to climb Adam’s Peak and go to Horton Plains National Park because that is what I wanted to do the following weekend but wasn’t sure how because I would have to hire a driver and guide. And so we started planning what we were going to do.
The great thing was she could speak Sinhalese so she could interpret what the mahouts were saying. My suspicions were correct, they do swear at the elephants, but in a sweet way…like you big dopey elephant, why don’t you do what I say? Every day we have this argument….it sounds very much like a married couple.
Hasthi’s only 18 years but she’s so knowledgeable and we had great discussions on just about everything. She’s very sensible, has her head screwed on and wants to get into medicine. I told her she knows so much more than what I did at that age!
Hasthi’s family were great and welcomed me as one of their own. Hasthi’s dad, Sunil, kept saying how great it is to meet people who share the same interests. And it’s so true. Sunil had a kick-ass lens (yes I had lens envy) so we talked about photography and various trips they have done and wildlife they have seen. I’m not sure if they realise how much it meant to me to have someone to talk to, especially someone who shared the same interests. I felt alive again and my spirits were soaring. I am forever grateful.
Hasthi was born in Sri Lanka, but her family moved to NZ in 1999 as her dad wanted them to have a different education to the one in Sri Lanka. Children are at school from 7am or 8am to 1pm and then they have tuition in every subject in the afternoon until about 5pm or 6pm. So to my nieces and nephews…stop complaining! He wanted his girls to have a childhood as well as a good education (although education seems very good here, probably due to the amount of hours they put in). Anyway, it was just so nice to talk to someone.
I knew I was lonely but just didn’t realise how low my spirit was. I was seeing and experiencing amazing things, but as I couldn’t share . Meal times were particularly difficult as I sat at the huge table singing ‘all by myself’ every night.
I felt like myself again as we chatted…well I chatted…not sure if she said anything. I think I chewed her ear off for the entire week. Anyway, her dad and sister were often here taking photographs and filming as she was going to put together a presentation. We all hit it off as we found out we enjoyed the same things….the outdoors, photography and wildlife. I was even more pleased when they said they wanted to climb Adam’s Peak and go to Horton Plains National Park because that is what I wanted to do the following weekend but wasn’t sure how because I would have to hire a driver and guide. And so we started planning what we were going to do.
The great thing was she could speak Sinhalese so she could interpret what the mahouts were saying. My suspicions were correct, they do swear at the elephants, but in a sweet way…like you big dopey elephant, why don’t you do what I say? Every day we have this argument….it sounds very much like a married couple.
Hasthi’s only 18 years but she’s so knowledgeable and we had great discussions on just about everything. She’s very sensible, has her head screwed on and wants to get into medicine. I told her she knows so much more than what I did at that age!
Hasthi’s family were great and welcomed me as one of their own. Hasthi’s dad, Sunil, kept saying how great it is to meet people who share the same interests. And it’s so true. Sunil had a kick-ass lens (yes I had lens envy) so we talked about photography and various trips they have done and wildlife they have seen. I’m not sure if they realise how much it meant to me to have someone to talk to, especially someone who shared the same interests. I felt alive again and my spirits were soaring. I am forever grateful.
Life at MEF
Now that I have been here a while I can elaborate on what I do. I still clear Lakshmi’s sleeping area every morning (yes, that means more hand dung shovelling). And I still give her an exfoliating scrub in the stream. My glowing white legs must be attracting the fish because I also get a foot and ankle clean while I scrub Lakshmi, as the fish bite and suck away at my feet. In the limited conversations that we have, I have managed to find out that my mahout has 3 children, 15 year old boy, 6 year old girl and 1 year old girl. He was very pleased to talk about them which was very sweet.
As I’m the only one here, I prepare all of the medication for the elephants. The vet assistant’s seem content to let me do this myself every morning. I have been involved in preparing traditional medicine as well. The mahouts use bark, oil, sap and various other natural remedies to sooth ailments. We have massaged the oil from 5 trees on one of the older elephants who has bad arthritis. We then pressed heated bark against her legs which must have been a bit too hot for her as she tried to hit me with her tail. The other day, the head mahout was grinding some leaves and alcohol. They said it was for the elephant but when I learned that the leaves contained ganje (yes, that is Sinhalese for marijuana), I think that it was really for the mahouts.
The mahouts are such lovely people. Maybe it is the ‘traditional medicine’ or the bettle nut that they chew all day (I can easily picture Thurstan sitting with them in their hut, all chewing with mouths all red. I laughed when one tourist asked why their mouths were bleeding) but they are all so relaxed and always have a smile. They speak little English but that doesn’t stop us trying to communicate. I helped them crack a coconut, peal jack fruit and then tasted the delicious curry they made from it. Jack fruit is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted and it makes me wonder why it’s not more prevalent in QLD as it would be able to grow in the tropics. It can be eaten as a fruit or cooked in a curry and everyone owns a jack fruit tree so no one goes hungry! It’s also the biggest fruit in the world.
It’s really interesting watching the interaction the mahouts have with the elephants. Some even bow to the elephant each morning. My mahout says a little prayer or whatever Buddhists do (excuse my religious ignorance) and then proceeds to talk to the elephant like she can understand him. I’m sure he often swears at her, especially when she has made a mess of her sleeping area because he has to clean it up! Sometimes they act like a married couple.
I have learned a lot about the elephants and now my favourite past time is watching them bath in the river. As much as I like being up close and personal, I prefer to watch them unrestrained and splashing water all over themselves. In particular, I love watching Poojah, the youngest, who almost rolls over on her back as she splashes around amusing herself. While watching the elephants, I also spot many birds, and there is a beautiful kingfisher that I see fishing every afternoon.
I have been working on consolidating the information on the elephants and creating a comprehensive medical treatment program for each one. It’s really interesting and I hope it helps the organisation.
I was fortunate to tag along with the vet from the local university who was required at a pera hera (elephant procession) in a village called Avissawella. The pera hera is celebrated in this particular village to welcome the harvest of the crops. The elephants take part in the procession with many of them belonging to the local temples. An official is required to be there by law in case the elephants decide to charge at anyone. The vet students put together the tranquiliser gun and they told me that just a drop of the heavy duty tranquiliser could kill a human. It was sealed in a box as it can seep through the skin. The antidote was with it so I quizzed them on how this is administered just in case! Luckily they didn’t need to use it and the procession went ahead with only a minor incident with an elephant knocking over a man with his trunk. Just a few cuts and bruises but it could have been a lot worse.
The entire village came out to watch and the procession also had Kandyan dancers and drummers and other performers. It was such a wonderful spectacle to see an entire village join together to celebrate. Everyone was smiling and as our jeep went past, and the kids realised a white person was in the car, they would all yell out ‘foreigner’ ‘foreigner’! I think I was the only foreigner there so I stood out, even though it was night time and very dark. It’s strange, I just don’t seem to blend in for some reason!
I hope to join the vet on some vet runs that he has coming up. He is such a character. He’s very animated so I’m sure he’s a favourite with his students. He tells very funny stories and has the most contagious laugh possible. He delivers a number of lectures at the university so I’ll see if I can attend these before I go.
The office staff are so friendly. Most of the guides that take the tourists around can speak English, German and Japanese. They also have a smile every morning which is a great way to start the day.
I started teaching the local kids English and it’s so much fun. I made the mistake of taking some stickers and awarding them prizes because now they want stickers all the time. They called me naughty madam when I didn’t take any last time! I said they were naughty children and they laughed. The ages range from 6 years to 15 years. And they are so polite and eager to learn. I’m really enjoying it as we have a good laugh every lesson.
So life is pretty good. It’s simple and I like it. While it’s difficult for people at times (especially those that are not as well off), they seem really happy. And it’s just so refreshing to see such a joyous approach to life, without the little petty things that seem to consume our lives, like being annoyed if a train is 5 minutes late. They have bigger things to worry about like not having enough money to buy books for their child for school or replacing the school shoes that their child has outgrown. But they appreciate each other and take in all of the good things that life has to offer like sharing a joke, singing, dancing and all of the things that make us human. I love it!
As I’m the only one here, I prepare all of the medication for the elephants. The vet assistant’s seem content to let me do this myself every morning. I have been involved in preparing traditional medicine as well. The mahouts use bark, oil, sap and various other natural remedies to sooth ailments. We have massaged the oil from 5 trees on one of the older elephants who has bad arthritis. We then pressed heated bark against her legs which must have been a bit too hot for her as she tried to hit me with her tail. The other day, the head mahout was grinding some leaves and alcohol. They said it was for the elephant but when I learned that the leaves contained ganje (yes, that is Sinhalese for marijuana), I think that it was really for the mahouts.
The mahouts are such lovely people. Maybe it is the ‘traditional medicine’ or the bettle nut that they chew all day (I can easily picture Thurstan sitting with them in their hut, all chewing with mouths all red. I laughed when one tourist asked why their mouths were bleeding) but they are all so relaxed and always have a smile. They speak little English but that doesn’t stop us trying to communicate. I helped them crack a coconut, peal jack fruit and then tasted the delicious curry they made from it. Jack fruit is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted and it makes me wonder why it’s not more prevalent in QLD as it would be able to grow in the tropics. It can be eaten as a fruit or cooked in a curry and everyone owns a jack fruit tree so no one goes hungry! It’s also the biggest fruit in the world.
It’s really interesting watching the interaction the mahouts have with the elephants. Some even bow to the elephant each morning. My mahout says a little prayer or whatever Buddhists do (excuse my religious ignorance) and then proceeds to talk to the elephant like she can understand him. I’m sure he often swears at her, especially when she has made a mess of her sleeping area because he has to clean it up! Sometimes they act like a married couple.
I have learned a lot about the elephants and now my favourite past time is watching them bath in the river. As much as I like being up close and personal, I prefer to watch them unrestrained and splashing water all over themselves. In particular, I love watching Poojah, the youngest, who almost rolls over on her back as she splashes around amusing herself. While watching the elephants, I also spot many birds, and there is a beautiful kingfisher that I see fishing every afternoon.
I have been working on consolidating the information on the elephants and creating a comprehensive medical treatment program for each one. It’s really interesting and I hope it helps the organisation.
I was fortunate to tag along with the vet from the local university who was required at a pera hera (elephant procession) in a village called Avissawella. The pera hera is celebrated in this particular village to welcome the harvest of the crops. The elephants take part in the procession with many of them belonging to the local temples. An official is required to be there by law in case the elephants decide to charge at anyone. The vet students put together the tranquiliser gun and they told me that just a drop of the heavy duty tranquiliser could kill a human. It was sealed in a box as it can seep through the skin. The antidote was with it so I quizzed them on how this is administered just in case! Luckily they didn’t need to use it and the procession went ahead with only a minor incident with an elephant knocking over a man with his trunk. Just a few cuts and bruises but it could have been a lot worse.
The entire village came out to watch and the procession also had Kandyan dancers and drummers and other performers. It was such a wonderful spectacle to see an entire village join together to celebrate. Everyone was smiling and as our jeep went past, and the kids realised a white person was in the car, they would all yell out ‘foreigner’ ‘foreigner’! I think I was the only foreigner there so I stood out, even though it was night time and very dark. It’s strange, I just don’t seem to blend in for some reason!
I hope to join the vet on some vet runs that he has coming up. He is such a character. He’s very animated so I’m sure he’s a favourite with his students. He tells very funny stories and has the most contagious laugh possible. He delivers a number of lectures at the university so I’ll see if I can attend these before I go.
The office staff are so friendly. Most of the guides that take the tourists around can speak English, German and Japanese. They also have a smile every morning which is a great way to start the day.
I started teaching the local kids English and it’s so much fun. I made the mistake of taking some stickers and awarding them prizes because now they want stickers all the time. They called me naughty madam when I didn’t take any last time! I said they were naughty children and they laughed. The ages range from 6 years to 15 years. And they are so polite and eager to learn. I’m really enjoying it as we have a good laugh every lesson.
So life is pretty good. It’s simple and I like it. While it’s difficult for people at times (especially those that are not as well off), they seem really happy. And it’s just so refreshing to see such a joyous approach to life, without the little petty things that seem to consume our lives, like being annoyed if a train is 5 minutes late. They have bigger things to worry about like not having enough money to buy books for their child for school or replacing the school shoes that their child has outgrown. But they appreciate each other and take in all of the good things that life has to offer like sharing a joke, singing, dancing and all of the things that make us human. I love it!
Paradise destroyed but bouncing back
One thing that was abundantly clear on my train journey from Colombo to Galle was the devastation that the tsunami had on Sri Lanka. The train runs along the west coast and the destruction is still very visible. There are concrete platforms that once formed the base of a house, and I learned from some very friendly people who sat next to me that what was now grass and uprooted trees, was previously an entire fishing village.
I was reading my lonely planet on the train and there was a section that read:
Between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa is where some of the most significant loss of life occurred. It was here that a train was trapped and thousands of people lost their lives.
I looked out the window and tried to imagine the fear of the people trapped in the train. I can’t comprehend what those people must have felt and the sheer panic as they tried to flee the rising waters. It was one of the scariest thoughts I have ever had.
And it appears every Sri Lankan has a story related to the tsunami. The people I met on the train said some close family friends were on the train, and the mother, father and two children lost their lives. One daughter survived and is being cared for by her aunt.
And I stayed at a place called Beach Bungalow in Unawatuna which is owned by a Sri Lankan family. They had a concrete barrier at the back so when the waters came in, they fled and jumped the fence which gave them time to continue running and escape the water. Unfortunately, their neighbour and her baby weren’t so lucky.
It is so painfully sad, that it is difficult to understand how these communities are bouncing back. But bouncing back they are. The reconstruction is slow but it is obvious. There are still makeshift houses but new ones are being built. Businesses are growing again and the area is slowly returning to the paradise it once was. It was heartwarming to hear the following story: the Beach Bungalow tuk tuk driver (who is one of the 9 children of the woman who owns it) told how his tuk tuk was damaged and it was going to take an extortionate amount of money to repair it. This pretty much meant that he would have no vehicle to earn the money to repair the vehicle. There was an English woman staying at the Beach Bungalow just after the tsunami and she heard of his story. So when she got back to England, she transferred 33 000 rupees to his account (about 1600 pounds) and he was able to get his vehicle fixed and he is now running people around the coast earning a living again. My tips were extremely generous in this region and they did not go unappreciated. The people are so beautiful and there appears to be an optimistic vibe that the region will be what is once was.
Now let me describe the places I visited. Galle was built by the Dutch in 1663 and occupies a 36 hectare fort. This is recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Inside the walls are very old homes, churches, administrative buildings, and a growing number of guest houses and restaurants. There were a number of foreigners and I learned from Sabri at my guesthouse that many foreigners are taking advantage of the cheap real estate and buying property. There is a sense that this town will boom but there is still a lot of work to be done to restore some of the beautiful buildings. And it is still very much a working community.
I stayed at a beautiful guesthouse that had ocean views. I quickly checked in and rushed out to the walls to take advantage of the fading light. The walls are beautiful as the sun sets with lots of couples and people just enjoying the ocean breeze. It’s not uncommon to get hassled a little with people selling items and people asking for money while they tell you how they were affected by the tsunami (the lonely planet said to watch out for these), but I’m quickly learning to give a swift no thank you and keep walking. Actually, it may take about 5 ‘no thank yous’ but it eventually works.
The beauty of Galle is to simply walk around and enjoy seeing the history in its buildings which is basically what I did.
The guesthouse cooked me an incredible dinner. It was far too much for one person but I did the best I could. There was a huge bowl of rice and 6 different vegetarian curries. I foolishly said I liked spicy food so my nose ran like a tap but it was still delicious. I retired to my balcony where I wrote in my journal while listening to the waves crash against the fort walls.
The next day I walked around as the sun was rising and just watched people running around the wall and doing their morning exercise. The guesthouse made me yet another delicious meal of toast, egg, fresh papaya juice and the biggest papaya I have seen. I simply squeezed some lime onto it and ate the entire thing.
I then made a quick dash to the local government run craft centre where I bargained for some lovely batiks (traditional Sri Lankan art on cotton where they use wax to colour the material). Then I jumped in my tuk tuk and made my way to the beautiful Unawatuna. Unawatuna was devastated by the tsunami, mainly because everything is so close to the beach. But many places have been rebuilt due to its beautiful location and international assistance.
Many places are built onto the beach, so you can dine at a table that is held stable by the sand. My hotel was 5m from the beach and they kindly gave me the top floor room which meant I had the entire top verandah to myself. It was so peaceful.
I immediately headed for the beach, bought a sarong and soaked up some rays. The water was a perfect temperature. The sun was so hot, but then half an hour later, the clouds came in and the rains came down. Welcome to the tropics! So I planted myself on my verandah and finished my Bill Bryson book. It was amazing and even though I was at the beach, I really enjoyed the dual sound of the rain and the waves crashing.
The food was amazing. I sold my soul and ordered prawns which were incredibly tasty and the fresh juice was to die for. No added water (but I had to request no added sugar because Sri Lankans have something of a sweet tooth!) and the mango, papaya and pineapple juice was the best I have ever had.
Unfortunately I had to leave this paradise. But I hope to be back.
I was reading my lonely planet on the train and there was a section that read:
Between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa is where some of the most significant loss of life occurred. It was here that a train was trapped and thousands of people lost their lives.
I looked out the window and tried to imagine the fear of the people trapped in the train. I can’t comprehend what those people must have felt and the sheer panic as they tried to flee the rising waters. It was one of the scariest thoughts I have ever had.
And it appears every Sri Lankan has a story related to the tsunami. The people I met on the train said some close family friends were on the train, and the mother, father and two children lost their lives. One daughter survived and is being cared for by her aunt.
And I stayed at a place called Beach Bungalow in Unawatuna which is owned by a Sri Lankan family. They had a concrete barrier at the back so when the waters came in, they fled and jumped the fence which gave them time to continue running and escape the water. Unfortunately, their neighbour and her baby weren’t so lucky.
It is so painfully sad, that it is difficult to understand how these communities are bouncing back. But bouncing back they are. The reconstruction is slow but it is obvious. There are still makeshift houses but new ones are being built. Businesses are growing again and the area is slowly returning to the paradise it once was. It was heartwarming to hear the following story: the Beach Bungalow tuk tuk driver (who is one of the 9 children of the woman who owns it) told how his tuk tuk was damaged and it was going to take an extortionate amount of money to repair it. This pretty much meant that he would have no vehicle to earn the money to repair the vehicle. There was an English woman staying at the Beach Bungalow just after the tsunami and she heard of his story. So when she got back to England, she transferred 33 000 rupees to his account (about 1600 pounds) and he was able to get his vehicle fixed and he is now running people around the coast earning a living again. My tips were extremely generous in this region and they did not go unappreciated. The people are so beautiful and there appears to be an optimistic vibe that the region will be what is once was.
Now let me describe the places I visited. Galle was built by the Dutch in 1663 and occupies a 36 hectare fort. This is recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Inside the walls are very old homes, churches, administrative buildings, and a growing number of guest houses and restaurants. There were a number of foreigners and I learned from Sabri at my guesthouse that many foreigners are taking advantage of the cheap real estate and buying property. There is a sense that this town will boom but there is still a lot of work to be done to restore some of the beautiful buildings. And it is still very much a working community.
I stayed at a beautiful guesthouse that had ocean views. I quickly checked in and rushed out to the walls to take advantage of the fading light. The walls are beautiful as the sun sets with lots of couples and people just enjoying the ocean breeze. It’s not uncommon to get hassled a little with people selling items and people asking for money while they tell you how they were affected by the tsunami (the lonely planet said to watch out for these), but I’m quickly learning to give a swift no thank you and keep walking. Actually, it may take about 5 ‘no thank yous’ but it eventually works.
The beauty of Galle is to simply walk around and enjoy seeing the history in its buildings which is basically what I did.
The guesthouse cooked me an incredible dinner. It was far too much for one person but I did the best I could. There was a huge bowl of rice and 6 different vegetarian curries. I foolishly said I liked spicy food so my nose ran like a tap but it was still delicious. I retired to my balcony where I wrote in my journal while listening to the waves crash against the fort walls.
The next day I walked around as the sun was rising and just watched people running around the wall and doing their morning exercise. The guesthouse made me yet another delicious meal of toast, egg, fresh papaya juice and the biggest papaya I have seen. I simply squeezed some lime onto it and ate the entire thing.
I then made a quick dash to the local government run craft centre where I bargained for some lovely batiks (traditional Sri Lankan art on cotton where they use wax to colour the material). Then I jumped in my tuk tuk and made my way to the beautiful Unawatuna. Unawatuna was devastated by the tsunami, mainly because everything is so close to the beach. But many places have been rebuilt due to its beautiful location and international assistance.
Many places are built onto the beach, so you can dine at a table that is held stable by the sand. My hotel was 5m from the beach and they kindly gave me the top floor room which meant I had the entire top verandah to myself. It was so peaceful.
I immediately headed for the beach, bought a sarong and soaked up some rays. The water was a perfect temperature. The sun was so hot, but then half an hour later, the clouds came in and the rains came down. Welcome to the tropics! So I planted myself on my verandah and finished my Bill Bryson book. It was amazing and even though I was at the beach, I really enjoyed the dual sound of the rain and the waves crashing.
The food was amazing. I sold my soul and ordered prawns which were incredibly tasty and the fresh juice was to die for. No added water (but I had to request no added sugar because Sri Lankans have something of a sweet tooth!) and the mango, papaya and pineapple juice was the best I have ever had.
Unfortunately I had to leave this paradise. But I hope to be back.
The chicken bus
Well it’s not quite the chicken bus. There were no live animals! I asked my tuk-tuk driver to take me to the private, air-conditioned buses as these are quicker and slightly more pleasant. However, his English is not particularly good…obviously…because he put me on the old 1940s bus that stops at what appear to bus stops (although there is nothing to indicate that they are), every 5 minutes. So what was probably a 2 hour journey took 3.5 hours from Kegalle (closest town to me) to Colombo.
Let me try and paint the picture for you. I got on the back of the bus and there is a guy yelling out the destination of the bus outside. It simply waits until it’s full (which doesn’t take long) and then it goes. There is no apparent timetable.
It appears the bus drivers decorate their buses as they wish. They all have flowers of some sort around the windscreen and from the rear view mirror. My driver had about 20 different pictures of Buddha stuck all over the front, roof, dash etc. Some have neon lights although mine was not that extravagant. The best part is they choose their own music for the passengers (or their) entertainment. I have since learned that they are only supposed to play the radio at a low volume. Well, my driver is not the law-abiding type, and it was I guess what you would call Sri Lankan reggae at a very high volume. It was like we should have been doing laps in our brand new Holden Commodore with high tech sub-woofer speakers! It was hilarious. There is also plenty of other entertainment to keep you occupied:
- Blind or disabled singers playing a tambourine and singing Sri Lankan folk songs. Some were very good and earned their donations. Some Sri Lankans even sang along
And you get all of this for a mere 30p!
Then it was onto Sri Lanka’s famous old (and let me stress old) trains. A lovely lady took me to the train station from the bus stop because she said I would get ripped off by the tuk-tuk drivers. I bought my ticket and the ticket guy said that my husband (because I am married remember), is very bad (and you have to say that with a Sri Lankan accent…veddy baad) for leaving me alone. Tsk tsk Thurstan!
I don’t think the trains have been replaced since they were first built. They are rickety old things that somehow manage to stay on the tracks and avoid people, animals (although mine hit a cow on the way back) and vehicles. The roads and pathways run alongside the track so only hitting one cow is actually impressive.
I bought a 2nd class ticket because 1st class wasn’t available on this train. 2nd class simply means you are more likely to get a seat (although this is not guaranteed and some pushing and shoving is required) and there are fans that rotate from the ceiling providing limited relief from the heat. 3rd class I believe (although I didn’t dare venture inside) is simply wooden benches and it’s apparently very crowded.
So the rollercoaster ride lasted about 4 hours from Colombo to Galle and I was very happy to step onto the platform. I learned that 5 hours later there was a bombing at Colombo train station by the LTTE but no one was killed. Still, a bit of a wake up call that the civil war is likely to flare up again so public transport will be avoided from now on (although given the above experience, it may have been avoided nonetheless!).
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Morning Bliss
So every morning I wake up to the sounds of about a hundred different bird calls. It is so beautiful. I don’t think I will need my ipod. The grounds are huge and being the tropics, it is full of coconut trees and other tropical looking plants. And I don’t think I have ever felt more relaxed in my life.
Although it has rained every day, it only lasts a short time and then the sun comes out. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Even if I have seen someone 5 times in one day, their smile is still as big and bright as if we hadn’t seen each other for a week. It’s really beautiful.
I have been here nearly a week and have settled in to my daily routine. I get up at 6.30am and make my way down to the office at 7am to prepare the medicine for the elephants. Each elephant has a particular dosage of vitamins and minerals that is recommended by the vet. I sort these out and put them into dough balls or bread to later give to the elephants. At 7.30am, my mahout, Jaya calls me and we go to my elephant’s sleeping area. My elephant’s name is Lakshme and she is 42 years old. She was the first elephant here as she was a working elephant for Carminie and her husband. She has been in movies (Tarzan) and she was the first elephant to give birth in captivity in Sri Lanka. I’ll talk more about this later.
So the mahout clears old coconut leaves and bark that she has been feeding on through the night. Now comes the worse part of it. I have to clear the elephant dung. Now I’m sure most of you don’t know, but an elephant poos up to 100kg per day! And the mahouts don’t use shovels to clear the dung…oh no…it’s done by hand! Thank god it doesn’t smell because all they eat is grass and bark. But I just can’t get the thought that I am picking up poo out of my head. I never thought I would spend my mornings praying that Lakshme doesn’t poo in the morning because if she does…get ready for this….it is still warm!
So after clearing the area, I now do the best part which is bath and scrub Lakshme in the river. To ensure the elephants don’t get skin infections, the mahouts get the elephants to lie down in the river and scrub their bodies with a coconut shell. I can’t describe how amazing it is to be that close to these magnificent creatures.
MEF provide the opportunity for tourists to come and scrub them, have an elephant bath (where they spray you while you sit on their back) or ride an elephant. Unlike many other places, MEF restrict the number of people on the elephant, and there are never more than a couple of people here at any time.
Now, being the person that I am, I have been having an internal debate in my head about how I feel about it all. And here are my thoughts:
The mahouts carry these long poles with a hook on the end called an ankus. They also sound quite aggressive when they give the elephant commands. I was a bit distressed, and still get distressed when I see an elephant being reprimanded if they disobey a command. The mahouts don’t use the hooks as such. In fact, it is mainly used to simply touch certain pressure points that indicate a command to the elephant. But sometimes the elephants misbehave (which is actually really cute and I find myself rooting for the elephant) and the mahouts get frustrated. They don’t mistreat them, they just give a little nudge with the ankus. I guess like with any domestic animal, keepers need to assert their dominance. Otherwise, the elephant could harm itself or other people and it would most likely then have to be put down.
With the tourism side of things, these are domestic elephants that cannot be put back into the wild for obvious reasons. And most of them have been rescued from mistreatment or taken from owners that cannot afford to keep them (they eat up to 200kg of grass per day!). So while I’m not entirely condoning the exploitation of animals for the benefit of humans, MEF have a responsible policy for managing this and I feel a bit better about it than previously. It also educates people on the plight of the Asian elephant (in Sri Lanka, there were 10 000 in the wild in 1900 and there are now only about 3000 and it is declining rapidly). MEF also educate farmers and others that have domestic elephants on the appropriate treatment and handling of them in an attempt to minimise mistreatment.
I told Sandith I was very interested in the veterinary care and the treatment of the elephants. MEF manage the Mobile Vet Unit (MVU) which is the only one in the country. They run this with the assistance of WSPA and Dr Dangolla, a lecturer in veterinary science. I am particularly interested in observing and monitoring their behaviour. He has asked me to draft a comprehensive elephant management program which I was very excited about. However, he said this is particularly important because they want to start a captive breeding program. This is my biggest internal debate.
So the dilemma is that it is (rightly) prohibited to take elephants from the wild for domestic purposes. However, there are very few or no captive breeding programs so people are unable to purchase elephants for domestic purposes. There are currently about 150 domestic elephants in Sri Lanka, most of which are over 50 years, so beyond the age being able to breed. MEF have 3 female elephants that are able to breed and 3 male elephants so they are working with the vet from the university to establish the breeding program. My problem is that I really think these animals should be in the wild. It’s difficult because if you take domestic elephants away, it would affect the economy of Sri Lanka. They have been working animals for 4000 years and are sacred to Sinhalese Buddhists and are therefore also used for ceremonial purposes. How do you change 4000 years of history? And is it right to do so?
The other problem is that if you don’t allow domestic elephants, farmers/keepers may continue to take them from the wild which would perpetuate the decline of wild Asian elephants.
So it is for the above reasons that I am going to help the captive breeding program. I am going to set up daily monitoring of the animals and a database to record when they are in heat and when the males are in musth (almost like a male on heat…yes, we know males are always on heat, but this is a particularly tough time for the males as they become extremely agitated and are very dangerous to be around. All the males here are in that state at the moment and can only be approached by their mahout, and even then, it is done with extreme care). The database will also record their medication records and their feeding records. Everything is a little haphazard in the office so I’m going to try and make it a little more organised. I have already rearranged their files on the computer that were all over the place. They can probably delete about three quarters of the files because they are out of date so I’ll try and get them to do this. So hopefully I’ll help them set this up and they will be able to maintain it after I leave. I also want to introduce more work for volunteers in terms of monitoring the elephants. Volunteers will have to monitor the dung and do a vet check every day. They will also have to monitor the elephants when they are unrestrained (i.e. without their mahout), something I can’t wait to do. So hopefully this will be taken on board and I would have contributed something to the foundation and the elephants care.
So back to my routine (sometimes I wish I didn’t have to analyse everything!). After breakfast, I check the elephants’ feet for foot rot (common in domestic elephants where infections can go deep into the leg from holes in the feet). If an elephant has skin infections (like the older elephants) or deep holes, we treat it with peroxide and iodine to stop the infection getting in. Then I give them their medication. They open their mouths for me, and I place the dough ball or bread on their tongue. They won’t lower their trunk until I tap it and say ‘good girl’. I love it because I am so close to their eyes which are so beautiful. They are ridiculously intelligent and I believe this is evident in their eyes which are so expressive. When I watch them eat, they use their feet, trunks and mouths to rip leaves off and you can actually see them solving problems and co-ordinating their movements to make something work (Lakshme was eating the coconut leaves off the branch so she wraps her trunk around 4-5 leaves and rips them off. She had about 6-7 in her trunk and it wouldn’t rip, so she delicately released the additional 2 which then enabled her to continue ripping and eating. Might not sound like much but when you see it, you can see they are actively thinking to make it work).
After the medical check, I normally go and work in the eco farm. This is probably the most relaxing part of my day. I didn’t realise the benefits of farming/gardening. The eco-farmer, Bandare, does not speak English. So we don’t say very much, but that is what I love. So far I have picked cardamom seeds and planted carrots. I think I’m developing a green thumb.
I then have my lunch and work on my project in the afternoon. I will also be starting to teach the local children English (and to everyone in England, I’m sure I’ll be able to cope so no jokes about my English language ability please!). So the afternoons are also taken up with lesson plans which I normally prepare overlooking the elephants bathing in the river….life is tough!
So then I finish at about 5pm and it’s time to rest and have a ‘cold’ shower. Yes, I have not had a hot shower for over a week, and no matter how many times I stand under the shower head, and no matter how hot it has been throughout the day, I can never get used to the cold water. Then I spray my fragrance, eau de rid to keep the mossies at bay, and do some reading or planning for the weekend.
As part of the program, MEF will send me to Habarana, a small village where the elephant-human conflict is rife. They have introduced something as simple as bells to alert villagers when wild elephants are coming. The elephants are starting to learn that the bells signal nearby humans and tend to move away. This is a cheap and effective way to solve the conflict and it means less elephants and people are killed.
MEF will also send me to a national park where I hope to see elephants in the wild. I can’t wait for that.
And I am really excited about going out on the MVU. Sri Lanka has Pera Hera which is a celebration every poya (full moon). The elephants attached to temples are used in these processions. The MVU goes out before each Pera Hera to make sure the elephants are fit to take part. This one might be to mark the occasion that Buddha first stepped on the island but I’ll try and find out more. I’m also hoping to go out on one of the calls to help treat an injured or sick elephant.
I plan on taking the train to Galle this weekend, which is an old Dutch fort. And then spending a night in Unawatuna, which is coastal town, 10 minutes outside Galle. The train is 6 hours so first class it is!
Hope you are all well and enjoying the start to the new year. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages. Remember I love hearing from you. Even if I can't reply, I just want to know what you are all up to. Even though I don't mind my own company, I am a little lonely being the only volunteer so it's good to hear from you.
Take care and love to all!
Although it has rained every day, it only lasts a short time and then the sun comes out. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Even if I have seen someone 5 times in one day, their smile is still as big and bright as if we hadn’t seen each other for a week. It’s really beautiful.
I have been here nearly a week and have settled in to my daily routine. I get up at 6.30am and make my way down to the office at 7am to prepare the medicine for the elephants. Each elephant has a particular dosage of vitamins and minerals that is recommended by the vet. I sort these out and put them into dough balls or bread to later give to the elephants. At 7.30am, my mahout, Jaya calls me and we go to my elephant’s sleeping area. My elephant’s name is Lakshme and she is 42 years old. She was the first elephant here as she was a working elephant for Carminie and her husband. She has been in movies (Tarzan) and she was the first elephant to give birth in captivity in Sri Lanka. I’ll talk more about this later.
So the mahout clears old coconut leaves and bark that she has been feeding on through the night. Now comes the worse part of it. I have to clear the elephant dung. Now I’m sure most of you don’t know, but an elephant poos up to 100kg per day! And the mahouts don’t use shovels to clear the dung…oh no…it’s done by hand! Thank god it doesn’t smell because all they eat is grass and bark. But I just can’t get the thought that I am picking up poo out of my head. I never thought I would spend my mornings praying that Lakshme doesn’t poo in the morning because if she does…get ready for this….it is still warm!
So after clearing the area, I now do the best part which is bath and scrub Lakshme in the river. To ensure the elephants don’t get skin infections, the mahouts get the elephants to lie down in the river and scrub their bodies with a coconut shell. I can’t describe how amazing it is to be that close to these magnificent creatures.
MEF provide the opportunity for tourists to come and scrub them, have an elephant bath (where they spray you while you sit on their back) or ride an elephant. Unlike many other places, MEF restrict the number of people on the elephant, and there are never more than a couple of people here at any time.
Now, being the person that I am, I have been having an internal debate in my head about how I feel about it all. And here are my thoughts:
The mahouts carry these long poles with a hook on the end called an ankus. They also sound quite aggressive when they give the elephant commands. I was a bit distressed, and still get distressed when I see an elephant being reprimanded if they disobey a command. The mahouts don’t use the hooks as such. In fact, it is mainly used to simply touch certain pressure points that indicate a command to the elephant. But sometimes the elephants misbehave (which is actually really cute and I find myself rooting for the elephant) and the mahouts get frustrated. They don’t mistreat them, they just give a little nudge with the ankus. I guess like with any domestic animal, keepers need to assert their dominance. Otherwise, the elephant could harm itself or other people and it would most likely then have to be put down.
With the tourism side of things, these are domestic elephants that cannot be put back into the wild for obvious reasons. And most of them have been rescued from mistreatment or taken from owners that cannot afford to keep them (they eat up to 200kg of grass per day!). So while I’m not entirely condoning the exploitation of animals for the benefit of humans, MEF have a responsible policy for managing this and I feel a bit better about it than previously. It also educates people on the plight of the Asian elephant (in Sri Lanka, there were 10 000 in the wild in 1900 and there are now only about 3000 and it is declining rapidly). MEF also educate farmers and others that have domestic elephants on the appropriate treatment and handling of them in an attempt to minimise mistreatment.
I told Sandith I was very interested in the veterinary care and the treatment of the elephants. MEF manage the Mobile Vet Unit (MVU) which is the only one in the country. They run this with the assistance of WSPA and Dr Dangolla, a lecturer in veterinary science. I am particularly interested in observing and monitoring their behaviour. He has asked me to draft a comprehensive elephant management program which I was very excited about. However, he said this is particularly important because they want to start a captive breeding program. This is my biggest internal debate.
So the dilemma is that it is (rightly) prohibited to take elephants from the wild for domestic purposes. However, there are very few or no captive breeding programs so people are unable to purchase elephants for domestic purposes. There are currently about 150 domestic elephants in Sri Lanka, most of which are over 50 years, so beyond the age being able to breed. MEF have 3 female elephants that are able to breed and 3 male elephants so they are working with the vet from the university to establish the breeding program. My problem is that I really think these animals should be in the wild. It’s difficult because if you take domestic elephants away, it would affect the economy of Sri Lanka. They have been working animals for 4000 years and are sacred to Sinhalese Buddhists and are therefore also used for ceremonial purposes. How do you change 4000 years of history? And is it right to do so?
The other problem is that if you don’t allow domestic elephants, farmers/keepers may continue to take them from the wild which would perpetuate the decline of wild Asian elephants.
So it is for the above reasons that I am going to help the captive breeding program. I am going to set up daily monitoring of the animals and a database to record when they are in heat and when the males are in musth (almost like a male on heat…yes, we know males are always on heat, but this is a particularly tough time for the males as they become extremely agitated and are very dangerous to be around. All the males here are in that state at the moment and can only be approached by their mahout, and even then, it is done with extreme care). The database will also record their medication records and their feeding records. Everything is a little haphazard in the office so I’m going to try and make it a little more organised. I have already rearranged their files on the computer that were all over the place. They can probably delete about three quarters of the files because they are out of date so I’ll try and get them to do this. So hopefully I’ll help them set this up and they will be able to maintain it after I leave. I also want to introduce more work for volunteers in terms of monitoring the elephants. Volunteers will have to monitor the dung and do a vet check every day. They will also have to monitor the elephants when they are unrestrained (i.e. without their mahout), something I can’t wait to do. So hopefully this will be taken on board and I would have contributed something to the foundation and the elephants care.
So back to my routine (sometimes I wish I didn’t have to analyse everything!). After breakfast, I check the elephants’ feet for foot rot (common in domestic elephants where infections can go deep into the leg from holes in the feet). If an elephant has skin infections (like the older elephants) or deep holes, we treat it with peroxide and iodine to stop the infection getting in. Then I give them their medication. They open their mouths for me, and I place the dough ball or bread on their tongue. They won’t lower their trunk until I tap it and say ‘good girl’. I love it because I am so close to their eyes which are so beautiful. They are ridiculously intelligent and I believe this is evident in their eyes which are so expressive. When I watch them eat, they use their feet, trunks and mouths to rip leaves off and you can actually see them solving problems and co-ordinating their movements to make something work (Lakshme was eating the coconut leaves off the branch so she wraps her trunk around 4-5 leaves and rips them off. She had about 6-7 in her trunk and it wouldn’t rip, so she delicately released the additional 2 which then enabled her to continue ripping and eating. Might not sound like much but when you see it, you can see they are actively thinking to make it work).
After the medical check, I normally go and work in the eco farm. This is probably the most relaxing part of my day. I didn’t realise the benefits of farming/gardening. The eco-farmer, Bandare, does not speak English. So we don’t say very much, but that is what I love. So far I have picked cardamom seeds and planted carrots. I think I’m developing a green thumb.
I then have my lunch and work on my project in the afternoon. I will also be starting to teach the local children English (and to everyone in England, I’m sure I’ll be able to cope so no jokes about my English language ability please!). So the afternoons are also taken up with lesson plans which I normally prepare overlooking the elephants bathing in the river….life is tough!
So then I finish at about 5pm and it’s time to rest and have a ‘cold’ shower. Yes, I have not had a hot shower for over a week, and no matter how many times I stand under the shower head, and no matter how hot it has been throughout the day, I can never get used to the cold water. Then I spray my fragrance, eau de rid to keep the mossies at bay, and do some reading or planning for the weekend.
As part of the program, MEF will send me to Habarana, a small village where the elephant-human conflict is rife. They have introduced something as simple as bells to alert villagers when wild elephants are coming. The elephants are starting to learn that the bells signal nearby humans and tend to move away. This is a cheap and effective way to solve the conflict and it means less elephants and people are killed.
MEF will also send me to a national park where I hope to see elephants in the wild. I can’t wait for that.
And I am really excited about going out on the MVU. Sri Lanka has Pera Hera which is a celebration every poya (full moon). The elephants attached to temples are used in these processions. The MVU goes out before each Pera Hera to make sure the elephants are fit to take part. This one might be to mark the occasion that Buddha first stepped on the island but I’ll try and find out more. I’m also hoping to go out on one of the calls to help treat an injured or sick elephant.
I plan on taking the train to Galle this weekend, which is an old Dutch fort. And then spending a night in Unawatuna, which is coastal town, 10 minutes outside Galle. The train is 6 hours so first class it is!
Hope you are all well and enjoying the start to the new year. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages. Remember I love hearing from you. Even if I can't reply, I just want to know what you are all up to. Even though I don't mind my own company, I am a little lonely being the only volunteer so it's good to hear from you.
Take care and love to all!
From chaos to the most peaceful place on earth
‘What the hell am I doing?’ ‘What have I got myself into?’ These were my thoughts all the way from Brisbane to Sydney, Sydney to Darwin, Darwin to Mumbai, and especially in the taxi from the airport to my hotel. More on that in a moment!
Saying goodbye was of course awful. My sobbing attracted stares and Thurstan even had to shush me. I cried all the way to Sydney. Luckily the flight was not full so the man next to me hastily moved to another seat the moment the seat belt light went off so as not to sit next to the crazy, sniffling girl for an hour. Then we changed to the international flight in Sydney and there was no turning back.
Now I’m trying to think if any other captain for any other airline would provide cricket updates throughout the flight. That’s what our Qantas captain did. And the Indian kids were rather excited as India’s form was much better than the first test. India could well be more fanatical about cricket than Australia.
We arrived in Mumbai at about 6.30pm and a balmy 30 degrees celsius (for the benefit of my North American friends). I was fortunate to meet Karen who was my neighbour for the international flight. She is studying her masters in mental health and was selected to study the management of health in a developing country at grass roots level. She has been posted to a village that is so small, it’s not on our lonely planet map. She was spending a couple of days in the chaos that is Mumbai so we shared a cab.
Now, to those who I have travelled with to Egypt and Morocco, you thought they were crazy drivers. They’ve got nothing on Mumbai drivers, who I’m sure have the most acute sense of spatial awareness on the planet! I swear we came within millimetres of other cars, but not once did I see an accident.
I don’t think there is anything that can prepare you for this drive. We passed high rises, billboards, cafes, restaurants, and then slums with corrugated iron walls and roofs and these appear to be the deluxe ones because we then saw people eating and sleeping on the street, with cardboard or tarp for cover. And then it was more high rises, billboards, cafes etc and then more slums. So just when you think you are prepared, with all the warnings in the literature and accounts from other people, the craziness and devastation still hits you with full force.
I know homelessness is a part of any major city in any country in the world. However, nothing compares to the sheer scale of poverty in Mumbai. It was actually in the plane on the way out to Colombo during daylight hours that this truly became apparent. Slums have been erected right next to the air strip with only a small, easy to climb fence separating the two. These slums went for miles and in the distance, I could just see the high rises through the smog. How does one deal with this visual snapshot? What was even more staggering was there were men sitting on a hillside waving as the planes went by, with massive smiles on their faces. And then there were kids who had created a makeshift cricket pitch and were laughing and playing as if they were the luckiest kids and happiest kids on earth. They just don’t seem to have the unhappiness or depression that is so profound in western culture. They seem to get joy out of the little things that we often overlook because we are too busy or in too much of a hurry for no real or at least significant reason.
There is no doubt though that their life is a difficult one. Especially when you see the other extreme to Mumbai and that is the conspicuous extravagance of the rich. When taking a cab to Chowpatty beach, Karen and I saw an outdoor function area set up for what appeared to be weddings and possibly other events. There appeared to be no expense spared as a horse and carriage not unlike what one imagines Cinderella had for the ball, parked out the front. The contrast was remarkable.
Mumbai has such extremes as well as everything in between. But the city seems to work and it has a charm that I don’t think is mirrored anywhere else in the world. I have learned a lot in just two days and I now obligingly impart some useful tips for anyone who dares to visit:
- Trust your taxi driver. As much as you fear for your life, he has probably saved it 5 times over with his manic but knowledgeable driving skills. And tipping for the pleasure of saving your life is very much appreciated, especially when cab rates are as low as 5 pounds of a 1.5 hours trip!
- Take your passport with you where ever you go. For some reason, India has made ID necessary for everything from buying something at the department store, to using the internet. There are signs everywhere at the internet café warning against the use of terrorist related sites as well as pornographic sites, which carries an equally severe punishment of imprisonment. So watch out guys (or girls)!
- 5-10 minutes normally means 45 minutes to an hour. Just take this as gospel, as Indians rarely deviate from this well known fact!
- Don’t look at anyone selling anything more than once. They will follow you and you will end up buying it.
- Don’t even look at the stray dogs more than once. They will follow you too!
- Men, you are apparently free to pee wherever and whenever you have the desire. It is not uncommon to find a man against the fence with a puddle around his feet. In fact, our taxi driver did it half way through our journey into Mumbai.
- Men, you are also free to cough up a lung and spit it out on the street. It even appears that the louder and more disgusting you are, the better!
- Ladies, it is best to say you are married when asked (and you undoubtedly will be, normally before ‘what is your name?’ and ‘where are you from?’). So Thurstan, we are now married, you are my loving husband and soon we may have some children because that is normally the very next question. Congratulations dad :)
- Visit Chowpatty beach at sunset. It is an amazing spectacle, partly due to the pollution which helps create every shade of red and orange in the sky. The open air food stalls are a delight and the men who work there take great delight in watching you eat. For a mere 15p, you can sample 6 pieces of the local delicacy (crunchy bread like shells filled with chickpeas and a sweet and spicy soup like sauce…yummy!). I am also pleased to report that we are still solid, even after tempting fate and having ice in my drink. Just trying to toughen up the guts in preparation for the next five months.
- Elephanta Island is amazing and for a mere one pound fifty pence, the local guides are not too bad. Of course, I have no idea if the tales of Shiva and the demons are true, but he made a great story teller in any event. The only downside is you witness just how smoggy the city is because as you depart the Gateway to India by boat (which is quite a spectacle), the harbour disappears within a mere kilometre. This brings me to my next tip…
- Don’t blow your nose for the first time while sitting in a café, with other people. The stuff that comes out of your nose is so disgusting, you wonder how you are still alive after breathing it in for an entire day. I’m sure the unlucky couple saw the revulsion that I expelled from my nose. London has nothing on Mumbai for snot discolouration!
- Don’t be surprised to see men in suits playing cricket. It appears to be the favourite past time and a common lunch time activity. It was great watching them play with the backdrop being the gorgeous High Court and University buildings. Mumbai’s architecture is really beautiful.
- A cheap hotel room is cheap for a reason. Opt for a private bath and unless you want to squat in the communal toilet or have a baby wipe shower for three days rather than use the festering shower, pay the 20 pounds rather than the 5 pounds. You won’t regret it.
Try local food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This place is a veggie’s dream with more than half of the menu catering for vegetarians. And the curries are delicious and ridiculously cheap. - Take plenty of insect repellant. Total bite count so far is 36 bites. Let’s hope those malaria tablets are working!
- Laura and Rach, I am pleased to confirm that wobbling the head is widespread. I am yet to master it without looking like a moron. For those that have not read Shantaram, the author refers to the practice of Indians moving their head as they talk and greet each other. It is very endearing and seems to be used in a variety of scenarios.
- Finally, the best thing to do is have a laugh. People are extremely friendly. And although you are tempted to be sceptical and assume everyone is out to rip you off, it is best to keep a positive attitude and enjoy yourself. Of course, there are some that are out to get you. It happened within 2 minutes of getting off the plane as the pre-paid taxi guy tried to charge 380 rupees when only 330 rupees was written on the receipt. I kept asking what this ‘surcharge’ was for and he finally relented and gave my 50 rupees back. Of course, this is the equivalent of 65p but it’s the principle and besides, that is the cost of a veg thali!
So the time came to leave and I got on a plane to Colombo. I noticed the difference immediately. Instead of slums surrounding the air strip, it was farmland and palm trees.
My driver picked me up in the MEF/WSPA truck (Millenium Elephant Foundation/Wildlife Society for the Protection of Animals) and we set out on the 2 hour drive to the elephant sanctuary. It started to get dark but the humidity was so high, I was so relieved the truck had air con, which the driver, Ashoka, allowed me to have on high (poor dude was probably freezing!).
Sri Lanka is still a very rural country with most people living (probably by choice) in rural areas rather than the larger cities. This means that while nearly every part of the country is inhabited, there is so much greenery and a rustic charm that is irresistible.
My driver spoke little English but I managed to find out the sanctuary has 10 elephants, he is one of their drivers and that is his only job, he has a 12 year old son named Asanka, and he was married but he said his wife went to Kuwait and never came back :( I don’t know what happened but he said the middle east is a bad place so I’m guessing she was caught in a bomb attack or something like that. So then in the next breath, he asks if I ‘want water’ and he will ‘make stop’. And he said this with a huge smile after telling me his wife was gone! The friendly nature and smiling faces of Sri Lankan people is unbelievable. I am in love with this place and it’s only been 30 minutes!
When we arrived after a harrowing, but no where near as bad as Mumbai, drive, I met Carminie (MEF founder) and her son Sandith (Assistant Director). I was exhausted so they showed me my room and I went to sleep almost immediately. And yes, I still hadn’t showered since I left but that would have to wait until the morning.
I am the only volunteer here because tourism is so low due to the tsunami and recent bombings in Colombo. So they are allowing me to stay in the family home rather than the volunteer bungalow which is detached a little bit away from the house. They didn’t want me in there alone. The house is beautiful and I guess it’s what they call a colonial style house with beautiful antique looking furniture. My bed is a four poster bed with mosquito net of course. I have my own bathroom and some guests to keep me company like 3 frogs and some geckos. I did have a scary hairy spider visit me but thank goodness it hasn’t been back.
They let me unpack and settle in for the first day. What I’m about to do finally hit me when I was sitting on the patio sipping my tea and the mahout (elephant handler) and his elephant strolled past! WOW! I fought the urge to run up and continued sipping my tea and took in my surreal surroundings.
I have my meals at the restaurant across the street which makes Sri Lankan and western meals. So when I get sick of curry for breakfast, I can switch to cheese and tomato omelette.
Local transport is bus (which crams in as many people as possible) or tuk-tuk, a three wheeler. I braved the tuk-tuk into the closest town, Kegalle. Now the roads are not the smoothest and the suspension on these things is non-existent. So what you get is a white woman bouncing around uncontrollably all over the back of the tuk-tuk, trying to find a stable position. Everyone else who went past in one seemed to stay still! I’m sure my driver deliberately went over large potholes as the spectacle would have been quite amusing. I mastered the stance on the way back, probably much to my driver’s displeasure, so it was much more enjoyable.
The towns are very cute. They have everything you need (including tyre replacement centre due to the potholes), everything is just on a smaller scale. I can’t wait to explore more of this beautiful place so I spend my evenings planning excursions to as many places as possible.
Sorry for the rambling. There is just so much to tell!
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