Surin Project~ taking Asian elephants off of their chains

Last week we volunteered with the Surin project to help save elephants in Asia from the tourism industry. Going into the project, we thought we would be spending time with the elephants and supporting them to have a life that they deserve. Little did we know that we would also get to know awesome mahots, put on a "Farang" (foreign) show for them, play mahot Olympics, make amazing friends, and get so close to the elephants that they could eat cucumbers out of our hands. Often in life we feel that we are just one person, and that makes it hard to believe that we have the power to make a difference. This experience changed my life, and showed me that Gandhi was right, we CAN be the change that we would like to see in the world. Although where I was volunteering elephants were still kept on chains for a majority of the day, and we had to witness some very sad things such as elephants that were not part of the Surin Project being chained by both front feet all day and night, the project I was a part of helped make a change to get Asian elephants off of their chains. This project helps mahots see that there is  another way to share their elephants with tourists. This is not to keep their elephants on chains and participate in elephant trekking, but to let the elephants off of their chains and let volunteers help to wash, feed, and walk with the elephants. The Surin project believes that by changing nothing, nothing changes. We can all help to make a huge difference if only we have the courage to try. The Surin project was an amazing experience that I will never forget, and I am so happy that I got to help make a difference for the lives of one of the most beautiful, intelligent animals on earth. If you ever go to Asia, you will probably see tourist advertisements to ride an elephant. Please do not let this fool you! Despite their size, elephants are not meant to support the weight of humans on their backs. Moreover, the way elephants are treated from a young age to be trained by their mahot is horrific. If you are riding an elephant in Asia, you are supporting a horrible reality which is this- the elephant was probably taken from his mom long before it was supposed to be, only to be beaten by the mahot so that it becomes afraid of him and therefore will obey him. It is really so sad to see elephants chained up all day long, and when we would see them walking around with a basket of people on their backs we would feel so sad. Be the change and don't ever ride an elephant!! 

After we finished our week volunteering with the Surin Project, Ashley and I traveled with our new friends back to Bangkok. We arrived Sunday and we were never so excited to get a facial and a leg and foot rub simultaneously! It was so amazing after a week of being dirty all day long and only having a bucket to shower with!! After our spa trip, we went to a place called cloud 47 which took us to a tall skyscraper overlooking the entire city of Bangkok, the city of Angels. The view was breathtaking and we got to meet with all of our friends from the project which was really special. We shared a drink and relaxed admiring the beautiful view. After this, we went out on Khaosan road for some more fun. The next day, we rode about an hour and a half away to a place called Ayutaya.There

we saw temples and prayed to Buddha for our friend Brian who passed away last year after visiting his family for the first time in Thailand. It was really special to pray for the first time to Buddha. Yesterday, two if our friends had to go back to the project so we said good bye for now to them. Ashley, Sarah, and I decided to walk around Bangkok and try to find the floating market. At first we tried to find the recling Buddha, but when we got there we were told the temple was closed for a ceremony! Just our luck. So we continued on and searched for the floating market. If you ever need to go somewhere in Bangkok, know exactly where you need to go and have the address in Thai, because otherwise they don't understand anything! We asked so many people where to go and they kept telling us go this way or go that way. Finally we got to a small river that wasn't the floating market at all! Funny that all along we had been asking which way to the floating market and it was actually an hour or so outside of Bangkok-who knew! So we paid 3 baht to cross the river and we ended up seeing a beautiful temple instead. At 5 our friend Sarah had to leave to go back go France. I was so sad to see her go. She was so much fun and we connected so well, I can't wait to meet with her again soon! We shared so many laughs over the last week, as Sarah would say, it was amazing! 

Today Ashley and I decided to check out the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bangkok. The artwork there was just incredible. We were so amazed by it all. 

Now Ashley and I are ready for the final part of our journey in Asia- the islands! We are starting at Koh Samui, then making our way to Koh Phangyan and Koh Tao. I would like to end my trip seeing waterfalls, relaxing on beaches, and diving at Koh Tao! ❤️

Walking with the elephants~ 

Feeding the elephants cucumbers~

Nong Nun with her friend Faisai~  

Jeab and I~ 

Our bucket shower! ~ 

Teaching English to students in Surin~ 

The whole group with the mahots on the night of the Farang show~ 

Bangkok! The City of Angels~ 

The girls.. "maybe our girlfriends are our real soul mates.." ~

A prayer for Brian Roach~ 

Ayutthaya~ 

Tuk Tuk Selfie~ 

More Ayutthaya (Budhha head)| 

And some more~ 

The temple we accidentally ended up at~ 

 more Buddha's! ~ 

Museum of Contemporary Art~ The Three Kingdoms: The Celestial Realm (Heaven), The Human Realm (Middle Earth), The Unfortunate Realm (Hell). All beings of this world undergo Birth, Existence, and finally Decay. This is one law of nature discovered by The Lord Buddha and The Lord taught us for our consideration and contemplation that nobody and nothing can escape this law of nature. 

I have had one of the most special experiences of my life and it only reminds me of why I love to travel so much. Meeting people from all over the world, sharing stories, all while exploring different cultures and helping to make the world a better place.  ❤️ 

Cambodia you will be missed!

I did not get a chance to post about how much I miss Cambodia, so here it goes~ backpacking Cambodia for 8 days taught me a lot of things, not the least of which is that kindness is free. We met some of the friendliest faces I have in my entire life, all coming from much less than most people could even imagine. Whether they drive a tuk tuk all day long to make extra money for their family, or they live with 3 other people sharing one bathroom and paying half of their month's salary just for rent; or they are on the streets selling handmade bracelets for any extra dollar that they can earn- these people are amazing! I have never been surrounded by such friendly and humble people before. They are not selfish, but instead offer you so much even when they come from so little. I will surely miss these people, especially our Cambodian 'family' (Khan, Molly, her mother and children, and their puppy Lion), our Tuk Tuk driver Buddy who smiled more than anyone I've ever met, our sassy friend Linda selling her mother's handmade bracelets on Pub Street, and even the friendly bartenders we met who worked so very hard for the little that they would make. I will take the Cambodian lifestyle with me wherever I go. If you have not thought to go to this place, I encourage you to see for yourself. It is beautiful ❤️

Elephant Bath and Teaching English

This morning we took the elephants for a 40 minute walk to a river where we could bathe them. Unfortunately it is the rainy season, so our walk was very wet and muddy! We had to walk barefoot through mud for a while before getting to the river- but it was all worth it once we got there! We got to go in the water with the elephants and wash them. After lunch, we went to a local school and taught English to students in 4th grade. My group taught body parts. It was a lot of fun! The kids were saying Thai words to us that we didn't understand; we later found out that they were calling us lovely. They were so well behaved and fun to work with. I look forward to going back to the school later in the week. 

Surin

We arrived in Surin and are beginning our journey to help save captive elephants. Sadly, most tourists are unaware that when they come to Thailand and ride an elephant, it is at the expense of that elephant being taken from it's mother at a young age to be tortured and beaten by it's mahout. This way, the mahout has control over the elephant because it fears him. The Surin Project is a way to provide an alternative solution for the mahots and their elephants. We take the elephants on walks, bathe them, and feed them all to help their overall well being. Afterall, elephants in the wild walk up to 18 hours a day and should not be kept on chains.

 

Sihanoukville

We spent the last 2 nights on the coast of Cambodia in a town called Sihanoukville. Our first night we relaxed at a beach bungalow called Wish You Were Here at Otres Beach. The next day, we drove to Serendipity Beach and stayed at a place called Mich and Craig's. We were going to check out the nightlife, but then it started to down pour. Unfortunately, we are here for the rainy season. It was still a cool place to see though and it was refreshing to feel a breeze!! For $6 we got our laundry done and it came back perfectly folded in a plastic wrapping. We were so happy. We also had a private shower that was actually separate from the toilet- we haven't seen this in a while! Although it was only cold water, it was nice to have a shower like this. It is the little things .. :) For dinner we got a drink, appetizer, and entree for $5.50 at a place called Cafe Mango. We ordered Italian food that was delicious, especially the brucetta and gnocchi. Our server was so friendly and smiley, as are most of the people we have met here- except for the beggars on the beaches who call you a liar when you tell them you have no money lol. Backpacking Cambodia has been more amazing than I could have imagined. Looking forward to our last night and seeing our friends in Siem Reap tonight! 

Phnom Penh

Ashley and I were told Phnom Penh wasn't as happening as Siem Reap, and after a 6 hour bus ride with bumpy dirt roads and nothing but cows, stray dogs, and small homes and stores in sight~ we weren't sure where exactly we were headed. To our surprise, Phnom Penh is actually much busier and even more advanced than Siem Reap! As we entered the city, Ashley noticed someone was actually walking a dog! We aren't used to seeing that here. There are sky scapers all around and there are people every where riding their motorbikes (which is actually quite scary because there isn't much traffic control here)! We also passed the Capitol building that reminded us a lot of Philadelphia. Turns out Phnom Penh is an awesome place!

We had drinks at the Mad Monkey where we are staying and then went out to a few other bars. This morning we went to the Genocidal Pol Pot Regime known as the Killing Fields. It is hard to believe that we got to stand where this tragedy once took place. So many innocent Cambodian citizens were killed, many of which were under 20 years old. It was a very sad place, but we were happy to say a prayer to those whose lives were taken.  

Our Cambodian Family

Yesterday turned out to be a blessing in disguise, a true testimony to the saying that everything happens for a reason. Ashley and I had plans to leave Siem Reap and head out to Phnom Penh. Our beloved tuk tuk driver, Khun, drove us to the airport only after taking us to his home to see his wife, Molly, and their adorable puppy Lion. 

Saying good bye to our new friends at the airport brought us to tears. We went to the counter to purchase tickets and shortly found that there were no more flights available. The only seats were first class and would cost us $155. While trying to figure out what to do, a friendly woman working at the airport began to help us. It really is a small world because when she overheard us say that we were staying at the Mad Monkey, she told us that her son works there! It turns out that Khun is her son-in-law and Molly is her daughter! Shortly after sorting out our plans and deciding it was best to stay in Siem Reap one more night, our new friend invited us to her home for dinner. It is truly remarkable how genuine and kind people here are. Even when they come from so little, they offer you so much. These experiences are what remind me of the true meaning of life~ love and friendship. The richest people in the world don't have a lot of money, they have huge hearts and nothing to offer but love and kindness. When our new friend took a photo of Ashley and I with her kids, she called us a family. 

While sharing a delicious meal and bottle of wine, we laughed and sang together. She told us stories of how she struggled growing up; she lived under a tree and walked to school hungry most days. Although her home is off the beaten path~ a dirt road with puddles everywhere from the rain, we know how special it is because she worked hard for it.  She built her home herself and has 4 beautiful children that she works so hard for. I admire her so much for her strength and perservance through times that most of us living in the US could never even imagine. She welcomed us to her home with open arms and we are so grateful for this experience. 

After dinner, Ashley and I went out dancing with Khun and Molly. It has been such a touching experience to become so close with locals here in Cambodia. Their huge hearts have made an impression on me and they will forever have a place in my heart. People often forget that kindness is free. I am so grateful for meeting this wonderful family and being reminded of that. <3 

Siem Reap and all of it's treasures

Yesterday Ashley and I flew from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We arrived at our hostel called Mad Monkey and checked in. We found out that there was a black light party on the roof top sand bar! 

 

We walked to get dinner and stumbled upon an awesome place called Pub Street. 

Ashley asked a local to recommend a place to eat. She recommended a place called Khmer Family Restaurant. 

We loved it! We couldn't get over that draft beers were 50 cents. When the guy sitting next to us heard me say that- he started talking to us. He knew it must be our first day if we were surprised by the beer prices! It turns out that he was from New Zealand. We also met an adorable, sassy, sweet local named Linda who sold us Cambodia bracelets.   

Later that night we headed to the black light party.

  

The roof top sand bar is an awesome spot~ 

After the party, we headed back to Pub Street to drink and dance. We met up with our new friends from New Zealand and stayed out basically until the sunrise. At 5 am, we were picked up by a tuk tuk and driven to see the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat, directly translated as Temple City, is one of the largest religious monuments ever constructed. We spent the day exploring these beautiful, fascinating temples. We even had a volunteer tour guide who taught us so much about the temples. He was the best! 

We finished our day with dinner at the Cambodian BBQ~

Then we had half hour leg massages for $3- much needed after all the hiking that we did today! 

Cambodia has offered us more than we could have ever imagined. From getting a massage for $3 and a meal for $4, to meeting the friendliest locals and exploring fascinating ancient ruins~ we have enjoyed every moment of this place. 

<3