When one flies into Thailand, they are given a 30-day tourist visa, for free. It’s one of the reasons why there are so many tourists (and refugees) here. Thailand is cheap, and easy (yes, I am aware this is a loaded sentence. I’ll let your mind drift where you want it to). If you want to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days you need to either extend your visa (which costs money), or do a visa run to another country (which also costs money). Now, if you’re lazy, you may opt to extend. If you want to be forced to explore more, outside of Thailand, you may opt to do a visa run.

Lets say you want to stay in Thailand for at least another month, you can leave Thailand overland, but you’ll need to fly back to get the 30-day Tourist Visa on arrival. If you return by land, you’ll receive a 15-day Tourist Visa.

Now, I would love to tell you that I spend hours, days, or even weeks, planning my visa runs, but I don’t. There are certain places I would love to visit, but my decisions usually boil down to the cheapest flight available. I’m a sucker for a cheap flight. So, when I realized that I would need to make a visa run next week, I spent a little time on the Air Asia website, and Kayak.com looking for flight deals.

So, where am I going? Sri Lanka!

I’ve played with the idea of traveling to Sri Lanka a few times, but I never fully committed to it, at least not until this week when I started searching for cheap flights. I looked at Singapore, Penang, Cambodia, and even China, but Colombo, Sri Lanka was the cheapest flight.

When you find a flight from Bangkok to Colombo for 5,910 THB ($192 CND), return, you book it!

Where Will I Go in Sri Lanka?

I have zero plans for Sri Lanka. I have done absolutely no research. I’ve asked friends, and they all tell me to leave Colombo and go to either the beach towns, or up to the tea plantations. Both of those options sounds fabulous. Their suggestions were good. If I had an open travel schedule, I would definitely check out the beaches, and spend a week or more exploring Ceylon tea plantations. I have 4 days. Yes, there are beach towns within 30 minutes of Colombo, but after reading so much opposition, I am more intrigued than ever.

My inner rebel says stay in Colombo, and prove to all the naysayers that Colombo is sexy and worth 4 days of my time. I love cities. I think wandering the streets of Colombo by day, and relaxing (or writing) by night sounds pretty good (I reserve the right to change my mind, once I arrive in Colombo)! If you know me (or this blog), you’ll know that I like to buck convention. I like to challenge myself, as well as the perception of others. It’s my thing, rebellion. I am fiercely independent, and stubborn (ask my family).

Why do you think I should avoid Colombo?

I know, I’m asking a negative (and possibly loaded) question, but I have a very good reason. I want you to tell me why you think I should avoid Colombo, and then I, in return, will do my best to change your views on the city. Make Sense?

List your reasons in the comments below -or, if you’re dying to know more about Colombo, tell me and I’ll do my best to help you out.

For the last few months I have been over the moon happy about returning to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I love it here. I love the people. I love the character and history of the old city. I love the food. I love how cheap it is. I love…. I think you get the picture already.

This past week I made the choice to move into an apartment, to save some money. Gap’s House is a fabulous guesthouse in the old city, but stay there for the rest of the month would cost me 7,700 THB. An apartment on Huay Keaw (outside the old city) would cost me 4,000 THB for the rest of the month. It seemed like an easy decision.

My apartment comes with cable TV, a double bed that is hard, an air conditioning unit (which I pay extra for), a bathroom, a fridge, and a balcony. There is also a large pool outside, a gym, a little shop, laundry, and a couple restaurants in the complex. For 4,000 THB ($130) a month, it’s heaven. And that is the problem.

As a solo traveler, living in an apartment outside the old city, isolates me even more. It’s so easy to sit inside my apartment, type away on my laptop and watch an English movie on TV. It kind of scares me.

I’ve told the landlord I want the apartment for 3 months, but I am seriously reconsidering. I’m afraid of becoming too comfortable. Of becoming lazy. I want to explore, discover new things, experience new cultures. This morning I’ve been looking at my options. I need to be in Europe by July 1st, but before that my schedule is wide open. I could go somewhere else. I could find a new place to chill-out for a month.

Maybe I’m just tired. Maybe I just need a few lazy ‘me’ days and then I’ll snap out of it.

Maybe.

What if I don’t? Where should I go from here? It needs to be cheap. I looked into Sri Lanka for a 4-day visa run next week. It’s cheap there. Now, thanks to a friend, I’m thinking of going to Sri Lanka for all of May instead. It’s a crazy notion. I know. It’s just where my head is right now. As I said, this could all change in a few days, but right now, a month in Sri Lanka sounds pretty damn good!

OMG I just realized that I may have a fear of commitment, to Chiang Mai. Is that even possible?!?!

I knew there would be water fights for the duration of Songkran, but I had no idea it would be this intense.

I left my new neighborhood early, before 8:00 a.m. I figured this way I would beat the crowds and find a cozy place to relax before meeting friends at 10:00 a.m. I hailed a Songtheow and cursed myself as I climbed inside. I was surrounded by frog ladies (women who dress in traditional Karen village clothing, walking around selling bracelets, and these annoying wooden frogs. Hence, frog ladies). Awesome. I spent the entire ride telling them that I wasn’t interested in buying a bracelet. It felt like such a long ride. I would have bought one to make them happy, but I only had enough money on me to pay for the Songtheow (I was planning to find an ATM later in the day).

When I arrived at Tha Phae Gate in the old city, I was surprised by the number of people there. The square was full, and it wasn’t even 7:30 a.m. yet!

Thai people (and foreigners) looking on as Monks begin Songkran with prayers.

Songkran (Thai New Year) is a celebration where the Thai people (Songkran takes place all over Asia, but I’ll just reference Thailand as that is where I am) pour water on one another to wash away bad luck. It’s a time of new life, and celebration. A time to give thanks, and to respect the element of water, an important part of the agricultural culture in Thailand (and all of Asia).

My water gun purchase was rash, and once I filled it up, I regretted it. Somehow I had managed to buy a gun that had to be pumped first. This is all well and good, but not functional for Songkran -as I would soon find out. We decided to walk along the moat, starting at the South Gate (Chiang Mai Gate). Most of the people we came across were Thai. The kids were overzealous, as kids usually are, and the adults were kind and offered to pour water on me, gently. A very pleasant way to celebrate Songkran. I could have stayed with those locals all day and had the time of my life, but we were headed for Tha Phae Gate (which I now call ‘Enemy Lines’).

In the beginning I shot back, pumping my gun and going after the kids. When I needed a refill, they’d soak me first, then let me use the water they had collected and poured into a large garbage pail. It was friendly fun, and I was having a blast -although my gun was annoyingly slow.

The closer we got to Tha Phae Gate, the more intense the fighting was. There were more westerners on this section of the moat, which meant no mercy. There was also a lot of pick-up trucks carrying loads of people and garbage pails of water (with massive hunks of ice). There was no safe haven. If you didn’t pay attention, you’d get it on both sides. By the time we reached Tha Phae Gate, I had given up using my water gun. There was no point, no way to properly re-load.

I would take about 3-5 steps, then have a bucket of water poured on me. Walk another 3-5 steps, and have another bucket poured on me. Soon I was feeling like a Chinese torture victim. My clothes were drenched, and hanging off me. I was wearing my GoPro on my head, and after looking at photos of myself, I realize that I looked a lot like Mole from the movie Atlantis (without the jacket, of course)! So very attractive. ha ha

Songkran (especially the first day) is insane. Cool, fun, crazy, but also insane.

I have to admit, by the time we reached Tha Phae Gate I was eager to find a patio somewhere and take a break. My eyes stung due to moat water thrown at my face, and those icy buckets of water mixed with the heat outside was making me feel physically drained. Honestly, if I had gone solo, I would have parked my dripping wet self in a bar, and watched the fun, while trying to dry out. But, I was with friends, so that wasn’t really an option. We still needed to walk past Tha Phae Gate, to the next street intersection. I sucked in my breath, my gun and bucket were hanging from my sides, and I held my head as I walked along the street -and had bucket, after bucket, after bucket, of water poured on me.

This is the first day of Songkran. It feels as though everyone is outside, and water is flying in all directions. The road from Mike’s Burger, passed Tha Phae Gate, and to the bend in the moat, is like running a gauntlet. It’s best to keep your head up, and walk the gauntlet, taking on each attack with a smile on your face.

That being said, once our group left the moat and settled down at a courtyard for lunch, I was pretty much done. It was hot out. I was drenched. I felt mentally and physically exhausted. All I could think about was going back to my apartment, putting on the last clean and dry outfit I own. I needed to get my laundry done, and a quiet apartment sounded so inviting.

It took me over any hour (It’s usually about 10 mins) to get from the Old City to my apartment. The streets around the moat were packed with cars, tuk tuks, and trucks carrying pails of icy water. It was a long ride.

I loved celebrating Songkran in Chiang Mai -despite my obvious frustration with many of the western participants. I think next time I’d like to go into one of the smaller towns and celebrate with the Thai people -and hopefully gain an even deeper understanding of the festival.

There should be rules of engagement for Songkran. Not for the Thai people, but for the westerners who choose to take part.

To Thai people, Songkran is a respect for water, an important element in the agricultural culture of Thailand. A celebration of a new year. A belief that by throwing water, bad luck is washed away.

To Westerners, Songkran is one big-ass water fight, and many of them take it to the extreme, and then beyond.

Where the Thai people will gently pour water on you (for the most part), westerners will shoot water into your face (which is usually taken from the moat and tends to sting the eyes). It doesn’t matter if you’re armed or not. Westerners will shoot first, and not ask questions later. The Thai people (it would seem) are more respectful.

After hours of Songkran yesterday morning, and then being ambushed (by Westerners) on my way home from the grocery store, I felt trapped inside my own apartment. I knew they were out there. I knew that if I attempted to go outside, I would get ambushed, again. I only had one set of dry (and clean) clothes left, which I was wearing. My other clothes were being washed, and then hung on my balcony to dry. It sucked. The Thai’s would let me pass, the Westerners shoot me in the back, and then laugh because they think it’s funny.

I am SO not bitter, can you tell? ha ha

This morning, as I laid in bed, I began planning my day. It was early, before 6:00 a.m. I knew that if I wanted to find a place to work (and score some free wifi) I would need to venture away from my new neighbourhood. Naturally, my mind wandered to the Old City, and some of my favourite places there. I’ve spent so much time in the Old City, that I have become very comfortable at certain places. Plus, I could maybe watch the festival from inside (where I would remain dry), and possibly snap some more action photos. This is when my inner monologue switched from random thoughts, to tactical maneuvers.

My Inner Monologue This Morning

I could go in early. If I leave around 7:00 a.m. most westerners will still be in bed, and I can use the wifi at Black Canyon Coffee until UN Irish Pub opens. 

Hmmm…That would work, but I need to avoid the moat. The moat is the enemy base camp, I can’t go anywhere near there today if I’m packing my laptop and camera. I’ll have to take my chances on Rachadamnoen Road, and pray that no water trucks go by. If I can make it to Soi 5, things may be quieter there. Mostly homes down that Soi.

That’s all well and good, but the problem will be when I reach the end of Soi 5. Ratchawithi is full of bars and coffee shops. There will definitely be water stations, and tons of westerners over there. Crossing the street, and staying dry, may be a challenge. Hopefully UN Irish Pub opens early, and I can get in there before the enemy sets up camp!

Yeah, UN Irish Pub is probably best. It’s a little expensive, but the staff are good, the food is good, and I can stay the entire day. I’ll need to stay until nightfall if possible. Taking a Songtheow during daylight is too dangerous. The enemy will throw buckets of water at me while I’m in the Songtheow, and I can’t risk getting my laptop or camera wet. Yes, I’ll need to wait for night fall, that’s when the unspoken truce occurs. 

Yes, I Acted As Though I was Navigating Through A War Zone

I love Songkran, and the meaning behind it, but if I’m walking home from the grocery store, I shouldn’t have to worry about being soaked with water. In my opinion, small children, the elderly (unless they’re packing), and unarmed people should be safe. Sitting in a Songtheow, without a weapon should not make you a sitting duck. After yesterday, part of me can see why some of the expats left the city before Songkran started. I understand their desire to go about their day, without having to worry about being ambushed. I understand that they don’t want to feel trapped in their homes until the festival is over.

My actions today may seem extreme, but I didn’t want to be trapped, knowing that a quick run to 7-Eleven would get ugly. Maybe it’s because I’m tired and still getting use to the hard bed in my apartment. Or maybe it’s because I wish there was a way to celebrate with the Thai people, and not the a-hole westerners (I should say that not all of them were a-holes. It seemed to be mostly the jock-type). Again, not bitter at all today.

Rules of Engagement

Are you planning a trip to Thailand for Songkran? Here are some tips on how to make it fun, for everyone.

• If a person it unarmed, either don’t shoot (or dump water), or shoot at their feet or legs.
• If there are small children, don’t shoot at them. You can flick a little water on them, but be thoughtful.
• Think before you shoot. Avoid throwing water in someone’s face. Moat water stings the eyes, and it’s just not nice. Below the neck!
• If a person is clearly coming back from the shop (you can tell by the plastic grocery bags), don’t shoot. That makes you an asshole.
• Throwing buckets of water at people inside a songtheow is just mean. They are clearly trying to go somewhere, and they may have items on them which should not get wet.
• Be respectful. You can have fun, and still be respectful. I’ve seen it done. Watch the Thai people, they are a great example of this.

Songkran is a festival that everyone should celebrate, at least once. Just be prepared. It gets mental in Chiang Mai, and sometimes there is no escape. If three days of massive water fights is too much, plan to spend a day at your guesthouse, catching up on sleep, or maybe do a day trip outside of the city. One day can be a lot of fun. Three days can be draining. Ha ha

Have you ever had one of those nights where everything feels a tad surreal? It’s almost like you’re dreaming the whole time, but there are times when you realize that there is no way it could be a dream because your imagination is not that good! Yeah, that was my night last night.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that I love to write about things that are odd, different, quirky, or fun (or if I can find all the above, I’m on cloud 9). So, when one of the volunteers from last week (Duncan) messaged me on Facebook and told me he was going to be in a Mr. Tourism pageant, and that speedos were involved, I was excited. Think about it. An all male pageant. Speedos. Prize money. This could be good!

The pageant was held at the Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel, a somewhat posh hotel located on Huay Keaw Rd. When Rebecca (Duncan’s girlfriend), Barry (another volunteer from last week at ENP), and I walked into the ballroom, and my mind began to reel.

The room was filled with round tables draped with white table cloths, and matching high-back chairs. Along the walls of the room where food and alcohol sellers. At the far end was a stage (complete with a catwalk), also draped in white. The wall behind the stage had the words ‘Mister Tourism 2012’ in large blue letters.  There were TV screens on either side of the stage, and in front of the catwalk, was the judges table. It was an elegant scene, for a night that definitely had some questionable moments.

Duncan & Jerome (also a volunteer from last week) are competing for Mr. Tourism 2012, and a prize of 10,000 THB.

As we sat down at a table, It didn’t take long for me to realize a few things about this pageant.

1. The pageant was organized by a Lady Boy (who wore a flowing white beaded gown)
2. The judges (except for 2) were gay.
3. ALL of the competitors were foreign.
4. Most of the competitors were straight

The event started with the guys (who were bare-chested) introducing themselves. Many of them mumbled, which made it hard to understand what they were saying. A few of them spoke in Thai (obviously trying to impress the judges), and Duncan (who was #8 out of 20) announced that if he won, he would donate the entire 10,000 THB to the Elephant Nature Park (that is roughly $325).

Once the introductions were finished, it was time for the fun to begin (and in the beginning, it was just fun). The catwalk.

The catwalk was in the shape of a ‘T’, with the ‘T’ portion in front of the judges table, and each of the contestants had to strut their stuff, and strut they did! A few of the guys put a little flare into their walk, but most of them strutted like they were competing for a mate. One of the body builder types walked like he had the competition in the bag, while some of the skinnier (these dudes were like poles) guys try to make their chests beefy, which didn’t really work.  As the guys strutted down the catwalk, the audience could buy chains made from shiny red ribbon, for 100 THB each, and give them to the guy of their choice. It was all about popularity.

The pageant was slow, and the time between each segment was long (or at least it felt that way).

The swimsuit competition is when everything started to get a little strange, and disturbing. I sat, in a state of shock, and hilarity, as I watch contestant #1 walk down the runway in his speedo. His number was dangling off the front of his speedo, but that wasn’t as bad as when he turned around, showing that he had hiked his speedo up to look like a g-string. Yep. He was barring his blinding white ass-checks for all the world to see. And then the rest of the night went down hill.

Although some of the contestants remained professional (if you can even call it that), others went way above and beyond expectations to impress the judges. I sat at the table with my mouth wide open, and a shocked, but happy look on my face for pretty much the entire swimsuit portion of the pageant (I believe I even belly laughed a few times). I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I watch one guy walk down the runway with part of his junk hanging out of his speedo (which I’m told he did on purpose), and listened as the room erupted with awkward laughter. I watched a guys shake what their mamas gave them, and I watched (in complete shock) as one guy from Spain pumped, thrusted, and danced in front of the judges. It was…I can’t even find the words for it. The best I can do is compare it to a dance that a male stripper might do, except this guy was not built, and did not look impressive in a speedo. Think of Chris Farley in that stripper skit with Patrick Swayze-except this guy was skinner.

Once the swimsuit competition was over, the night seemed to get longer. It took forever to announce winners, and whenever the hosts were on stage, competitor #1 was there. Seriously, this dude was on something. At one point security (not as frightening as it sounds) escorted him off stage, twice!

I have no idea what the criteria was for the competition, but I personally think the Japanese guy should have been voted Mr. Sexy or Mr. Handsome (both of these honors went to the same guy!).

Duncan (remember him from the beginning of this story) ended up in the top three, and at the end of the night, he was declared the winner (which made his girlfriend more than a little excited).

I have to admit, as shocking as it was at times, going to the Mr. Tourism pageant was absolutely fabulous. There is no way I could pass it up, and I am so happy I went. I was happy for Duncan, and Jerome…OMG he just became more animated, and more hilarious as the night went on. Furthermore I met Anna, and American who is volunteering in Chiang Mai (awesome to have an expat friend outside of the blogging world).

The Mister Tourism pageant was all kinds of crazy. So glad I went. I’m looking forward to  partying with Anna, Annabelle, and the lady boy who ran the pageant. Chiang Mai, I am falling in love with you, all again!

Am I still doing the Mongol Rally? I know this question has been on your mind. After all it’s been almost 2 weeks since my last post on the Mongol Rally. I think at one point, I forgot, I was doing the Mongol Rally!

Planning for the Mongol Rally is huge. There is more involved than I could have ever imagined. It has occupied my mind for days, weeks, and even months. I have lived, breathed, and slept, thinking of the Mongol Rally. I’ve sent emails to potential sponsors, I’ve met with sponsors, I’ve held a fundraiser, and I’ve asked friends for their support. It sounds like a lot, I know. Yet, I feel that I should be doing more, spending more time on my planning and preparations. A thought which has consumed me from time to time.

When I arrived in Thailand on March 28, 2012, I decided to take a break. I felt as though I had been head-on too much, and I wanted to rejuvenate myself. It was needed, a vacation from the Mongol Rally.

I’d be lying if I said that everything has been rosy and sweet since I decided to do the Mongol Rally. I (and I believe Charlie as well) have thought of packing it in. Mind you, that thought lasts all of 30 seconds before I remind myself that quitting is not an option!

So, what have I been doing the last 2 weeks? Well…I left Canada and flew (via airplane) to Thailand (I added the airplane part incase one of you decides to be a smartass). I stayed in Bangkok for a few days, then traveled to Chiang Mai. Last week I volunteered at Elephant Nature Park, and became more than a little vocal about the plight of elephants in Thailand.

Now, I’m back in Chiang Mai and getting ready to move into a cheap studio apartment later this week.

Now that I am settling down, it’s time to focus on the Mongol Rally and all the things that still need to be completed. The first thing on my agenda is to contact the Canadian Embassy here in Thailand, and ask about a second passport. My current passport expires next year, and a second passport would allow me to send it away for all the visas I need for the Mongol Rally. Yes, I know I said I would apply for them in Bangkok, but when I sit down and consider all the trips to Bangkok and waiting periods, it may not be worth all the work in the end. But, we shall see what the Canadian Embassy has to say before I worry about it (Please cross your body parts on this).

With the Toronto fundraiser out of the way, and the 15 Day Beautiful Thailand tour given to Don Bodin (Congrats again, Don!), we are starting to focus on raising money for the charity, The Lotus Children’s Center in Ulan Baatar, Mongolia. The Intrepid Foundation has graciously created a landing page for our team, SM Stowaway, on their website, and they have committed to matching all donations, dollar for dollar (up to 10,000 AUD)! It’s awesome! (Have you donated yet? You should get on that!)

Charlie, DJ, and I dream big. We want you to feel as though you’re inside our car with us. How do we do that? Well, we’re working on that part. If all works out, it should be absolutely stellar. In the meantime I’ll be brushing up on my video skills here in Thailand (look for a video later this week on Songkran, the Thai New Year festival).

Are you thinking of doing the Mongol Rally? What kind of information do you want to know? 

I’ve written about the animal rights protest in Bangkok here, and touched on it a wee bit here, but I haven’t posted many photos. This was not an oversight, merely a lack of good internet! Which I have now fixed, well not personally, I’ver just moved to a guesthouse with awesome wifi access.

My time at the Elephant Nature Park was amazing, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to join Lek and the others in Bangkok, to protest for animal rights in Thailand. It was a very full day, and I took many, many photos.

Claire MacRae having her face painted

One of the first things the volunteers did in Bangkok (after arriving way before anyone else) was get their faces painted. I think out of 18 volunteers, 12 had their faces painted. Claire’s face ended up being the most dramatic, and I believe it took her 2 days to get it all off.

Lek Chailert with Bangkok Police Officers

It didn’t take long for police officers to walk over to the protest area and ask Lek what she was doing. They wanted to know where our permit was, and once Lek explained that we were protesting for animal rights, they softened. When she offered them each a t-shirt, they assumed she was bribing them, how Lek was quick to explain that the t-shirts were merely a gift. 

Protestors wearing Dog face masks

Not everyone was early enough to have their faces painted, so animal masks were handed out. I was in awe of the magnitude of this protest. Lek and Edwin (from a reserve south of Bangkok) only had a week to prepare for this protest, but it looked like they had been planning for months. They had t-shirts, face paint, face masks, full body animal costumes, cages and more.

Frazer, Jerome & Sam dressed up for the protest

Four of the male volunteers agreed to put on full body animal costumes for the protest. It was at least 36˚ Celsius in Bangkok. The guys were hot, and I was hot just looking at them. There were times throughout the protest where they were able to take the heads off the costumes and drink some cold water. By the time we were ready to leave Bangkok all four of them were drenched in sweat.

Lek is followed into Parliament

Lek was joined by a few Thai celebraties (looking up their names, and will post when I know them), protestors, and volunteers as she left the street and walked through the gates in front of Parliament. The excitement in the air was palpable as we passed guards and cars and marched into the air conditioned reception room.

Surawit Khonsomboon, Minister to the Prime Minister of Thailand

Lek was hoping to speak with the Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra (sister of Thaksin Shinwatra), however the Prime Minister was busy, and unable to come down to the reception room where we were waiting. Mr. Surawit Khonsomboon, Minister to the Prime Minister made an appearance in her place. It was during this time that we learned an exciting piece of news. The animal welfare and animal rights laws had been moved from position 47 on the docket, to position 17. This meant that these laws would be discussed in Parliament within 3 days!

To view more photos from the protest, visit here.

Lek singing Faa Maa to sleep

When Lek (the woman responsible for Elephant Nature Park) announced that she would be going to Bangkok on Wednesday night, and going to Parliament on Thursday, I was intrigued. Her plan was to meet with the Prime Minister, and present her with a petition of over 10,000 signatures to pass laws on animal welfare, and animal rights -something that Lek has been fighting for, for many years. The details were vague, but when she invited the volunteers to join her (there are 31 of us, from all over the world), I knew I wanted to go (and 17 others joined me).

We drove all night on Wednesday, arriving in Bangkok on Thursday morning. The morning was slow, at first, but as 11:00 a.m. approached, things started to pick-up. More protestors arrived, faces were painted, t-shirts were handed out, and signs were passed throughout the group.

Protests in Bangkok seem to be slow at first, but pick-up over time (at least, in my experience). In some ways they almost feel like one big party, as trucks with loudspeakers pull up and blast music. But this isn’t a party, it’s a serious issue.  Just after 11:00 a.m. Lek and several volunteers and protestors walk through the gates and onto Parliament property. There is excitement in the air as we walk along the path and into an air conditioned reception room. Once we’re inside the room microphones are set-up, and baskets (as well as boxes) of petition forms are laid down on the floor. For some reason the TSPCA (Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has shown up. This is not their protest. They have not helped with the planning, or execution, and as soon as we’re inside Parliament the push Lek out of the way and try to claim responsibility. Some are outraged, and vocal about what is happening, Lek merely ignores the politics and focuses on why she is in Bangkok, to present a law on Animal Welfare and Animal Rights for consideration by Parliament. It’s another testament to her outstanding character. By the time we leave Parliament we’re told that the laws have been moved up on the docket, from position 47 to position 17. It’s a big win.

As travellers (in my opinion) we have the opportunity to connect with, and give back to, communities all over the world. We’re able to lend our voice, and sometimes be a part of something unique and special. Yes, travel is fun, but there is more to travel than full moon parties, or tourist sites.

This week 31 volunteers from around the world came to Elephant Nature Park to donate their time, and to experience this amazing animal shelter. They worked hard, and were given opportunities to get up close to several of the elephants at the park. They bonded as a group, and learned about Lek’s story (as well as the stories of many of the elephants). On Wednesday 18 of the volunteers (myself included) decided to travel 10+ hours overnight, by mini van, to Bangkok. We didn’t know what was happening or what the plan was, we only knew that Lek needed our help.

These volunteers didn’t hesitate. They jumped in with both feet, and not only did they make an impression on the Thai protestors, and ministers, but Lek as well.

Travel has the ability to transcend ones understanding of the world around them, but first we must open ourselves to it.

Open our eyes, so we may see the opportunities that are laid in front of us.

Open our ears, so we may hear the needs, and hopes of others.

Open our hearts, so we may be free to give of ourselves whenever we can.

Going the extra mile may not be easy, but it is definitely worth your time and efforts, and the reward is great. Knowing you have helped someone in need, helped a community, a cause…It’s euphoric. And for those that you are helping, imagine their surprise and delight when they see a foreigner care. It means more to them then you’ll ever know.

There is still so much to write about Lek, and the Elephant Nature Park. My time there has ended, but I still have more that I want to share with you. I hope it’s something you’ll want to learn more about as well.

Plans have changed slightly here at Elephant Nature Park.

Yesterday Lek spoke to us about the dogs she rescued during the floods last year, and the plight of street dogs in Thailand. It’s horrifying. Many dogs are captured, tied to trucks, and beaten. Many of the dogs are killed. The meat is sold to countries like Vietnam or China, the skins are sold to Japan for things like golf balls. It’s sickening.

Tonight Lek, myself and several other volunteers will be leaving the Elephant Nature Park and heading into Bangkok. We’ll be driving all night to get there. When we arrive, Lek will speak with the Prime Minister about passing a law on animal rights. It’s a unique opportunity, and one that I could not say no to.

While I’m in Bangkok I’ll be able to tweet, and upload photos from my cell phone. I won’t have wifi access to write a post for this blog, but I will write one on Friday after we return from Bangkok. In the meantime I thought I would share with you some of my favourite photos from my time here so far. Please forgive me for the very brief captions. I have roughly 15 minutes to get this post up before we have to leave for Bangkok.

See you Friday!

I’ve always been an early riser, and it is times like this that I am really grateful that I am.

Last night was a little restless. I was tired, and ready for bed. I laid there, starring at the mosquito netting that surrounded me, and listening to the sounds of elephants, birds, crickets, and the occasional dog. It was bliss. I was having a hard time believing I was, well, where I was.  I thought sleep would come quickly. I was ready for it. I was ready for the deep sleep that I rarely have. It didn’t really come. I was surrounded by mosquito netting, listening to the sounds of elephants, birds, crickets, and what is best described as a gaggle of dogs. This resulted in a lot of tossing and turning.

I gave up my desire for deep sleep at around 5:00am.

I’m not a huge dog lover. The friendly ones are fine, but the barking ones terrify me. I’m always afraid that they’ll attack me [I know that may seem silly]. There are over 230 dogs at the Elephant Nature Park. These dogs were rescued by Lek after the floods last year. Most of the dogs are friendly, but some of them are a wee bit mean. The mean ones have a red collar. I try to stay as far from them as possible, which is why I felt so brave this morning as I navigated my way to the Main Building in the darkness. The last thing I wanted was to run into a dog with a red collar, in the dark. Thankfully I didn’t.

It was pitch black when I settled at a table and opened my laptop. But not for long. As daylight started to take over the sky, I could make out the shape of elephants. I don’t know what it is about these animals, but they are truly mesmerizing. I could sit and watch them all day long, and never get bored.

It’s day two at Elephant Nature Park. Today is when the chores start, and things get harder, or so I am told.

I’ve been placed in Group B. Our chore for the morning is to clean the mud pit where the elephants go to cool off in the afternoon. Mix explains that we need to use buckets to scoop the water out of the centre of the mud pit, and then throw it over the side. It’s a dirty job, and we’ve been told to wear old clothing.

Like the others, I choose to go in barefoot.

I stepped in slowly, feeling the mud squish between my toes. The more I walked, the further down my feet would sink in the mud. All I could think was “Don’t fall in. Don’t fall in. Don’t fall in.”  I grabbed onto Rebecca’s hand as I stepped from the dry mud, and into the water. My feet sank, and in no time I was arse down in the mud. I had fallen in. I fell gently, but I still fell. With my backend covered in mud, I stood back up [with Rebecca's help] and took up position.

With bucket in hand I joined my teammates as we scooped out the water and threw it passed the edge of the pond-like area. It looked like we would never get the water out. Some of us were dirty, others were clean. Jealousy soon took over, and muddy water started to fly. It was only a little at first. This person would ambush that person, then that person would retaliate, but hit an extra person. By the time we had scooped out most of the water several of us were dripping in mud and muddy water, and those of us who were deemed to be too clean, were ambushed as we all made our way out of the pit.