Elephant Rodeo

Elephant Rodeo

After a few days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KL) we were ready to get out of the city. Deb picked up a brochure about an elephant sanctuary about 50 miles out of KL. We hired a taxi for the day and zipped out of the city on a modern 4 lane expressway into the highlands of Malaysia. Verdant green jungle covered hills disappeared into the hazy mist in the distance. After about an hour and a half drive we arrived at the elephant sanctuary.

The sanctuary was founded to care for injured and orphaned elephants. It is funded with grants and visitor donations. They welcome visitors to raise awareness of the elephants plight world wide and also to garner support for the sanctuary. They provide a number of activities for the visitors to familiarize them with the elephants.

We first visited an exhibit about the elephants. We learned that elephants are incredibly smart and gentle animals and live to a ripe old age. The oldest elephant there was 71 years old and was still going strong. One of the first elephants we saw had been attacked by a tiger which had taken off its tail.
We saw a video about one of the functions of the sanctuary; relocating problem elephants.

As man increasingly infringes on elephant habitat, there are inevitably problems. To prevent angry farmers and villagers from killing the elephants they relocate them. As you can imagine, this is a daunting task. How do you relocate an animal that weighs several thousand pounds? First you have to find the elephant, often in dense jungle, and deal with the fact that a wild elephant is an extremely dangerous animal. The other problem is elephants are very family oriented. You can not move just one animal, you have to move several. The video was heartbreaking to watch because the whole process is very stressful for the elephants. Some of them die from stress during the relocation process.

After watching the video we went to our first activity which involved meeting the elephants and watching the mahouts (elephant handlers) bathe them. A parade of nine elephants walked by close enough that we could touch them as they passed. The mahouts rode them into the river where they bathed the elephants. Often it was unclear who was bathing who. The largest elephant kept fully submerging herself and the mahout on her back. After a few minutes of bathing, the elephants were brought back on shore where we learned about the elephant’s diets and had an opportunity to feed them several pieces of fruit. We were shown how to hold the fruit out for the elephant to take with their trunks. We also learned to hold the fruit high up in front of the elephant’s eye and then place it directly into the elephant’s mouth! The first attempt at this was a little unnerving. We were all pleasantly surprised to find that the elephants were very gentle and had very soft mouths and no one lost any body parts.

The next activity was riding an elephant. We climbed up onto a platform and were invited to step onto the elephants back and then sit down for a short ride around the compound. I had ridden an elephant before but never bareback. It takes a wide spread of the hips to straddle one of these beasts. As you might imagine it was an amazing experience to feel this powerful beast between your legs. You truly become one with the elephant. When you get off of the elephant you kind of smell like one. This problem was solved by the next activity; swimming with the elephants.
Deb takes a ride

Again we climbed a platform, this time by the river. In groups of four we got on the back of the elephant. After mounting we rode into deep water where, on command, the elephant dumped us into the river by rolling on her side. We frolicked with the elephant briefly before she left us to repeat the process with the other visitors. On our way back to the riverbank there were two baby elephants in the water that we played with for about 20 minutes. One of them took a fancy to me. First she started snuffling my chest with her trunk and worked her way up to my neck and beard. Deb, Ian and Tiara were falling over laughing at the advances of my new girl friend.
Just before our elephant dunk

Playing with the baby elephant

After our activities with the elephants and we were offered a shower which I don’t think anyone turned down. After the shower, we got back into the taxi for the ride back to KL. We had experienced a wonderful day with these magnificent creatures but were sobered by the plight of elephants worldwide.

Hong Kong Dim Sum

We knew we had arrived

Hong Kong and Dim Sum

I am finding it impossible to chronicle our journey in the way I intended. There is so much happening every day that I can’t find the time to write. As a consequence, I will give some highlights as we go along which might be more entertaining anyway.

One of the highlights in retrospect after nearly a month on our journey was Hong Kong which was surprising to me. I did not expect to like it so much. We arrived in Hong Kong to rendezvous with our son Ian and GF Tiara.

Dim Sum



Ian and Richard lost in dim sum restaurant

Our first morning we went to a dim sum restaurant for breakfast. The restaurant was jammed wall to wall with tables full of at least 200 chop stick wielding Chinese. As we walked into the restaurant the cacophony of incomprehensible language was almost overwhelming. At first it was a little daunting as I realized that we were the only non Chinese in the place. There was a hazy surreal quality to the light which was diffused by the hundreds of steaming bowls on the tables. Through the haze a waiter materialized and waved us to a communal table in the back corner which we shared with four Chinese who were gabbing and slurping and digging into various bowls with chopsticks and spoons. Their smiles and gestures were an unmistakable sign that we were welcome. We spoke not a word of Chinese and no one indicated that they spoke any English.

The waiter brought us teacups and plates and a bowl of scalding water. Our set up was completed by a pair of chopsticks and spoon for each of us. Our clueless stare caused the waiter to demonstrate that we were to use the bowl of water to rinse the cups and plates.
Our fellow diners

We watched the scene for a few moments. A number of wizened Chinese ladies were pushing wooden carts between the closely packed tables stacked with cylindrical bamboo containers from which aromatic steam emanated. We watched as some of the other diners flagged down a cart and indicated what they wanted. Inside the containers were a variety of dishes, most of which were dumplings with unknown contents. I started pointing to containers and the waitress put them on our table and stamped a ticket with different numbers on it which indicated what we had. After a few minutes one of our fellow diners indicated a few dishes that he either thought we might. Once we took our first bite of dim sum our surroundings got even hazier because we were transported into a world of gastronomic ecstasy. Not only was this the best dim sum I had ever eaten, it was some of the best food I had ever had.

Most of the dishes consisted of dumplings which were the most delicate pockets of noodles. The pockets contained a variety of fillings ranging from vegetables, to meat, to seafood. Many had accompanying sauces and some were just dipped in shoyu. There were also dishes without dumplings such as duck, chicken or meat. After endless cups of tea and what seemed like about 20 different dishes we left the restaurant stuffed to the gills. It seemed like a fitting introduction to Hong Kong.

What's a wat?

A wat is a Buddhist temple complex which contains numerous structures. Typically a wat would contain a mondop which is a towering structure that might house a sacred object or text. These are usually tiered square structures capped by either a dome or spire depending on whether it is a Khmer or Thai design. The mondops are decorated with ceramic mosaics, mother of pearl, seashells and gold leaf.

Mondop at Wat Arun

Some of the more important wats will also have a chedi which is a round tapering structure, often covered in gold tile or gold leaf. The chedis are built to house a relic of Buddha such as a toenail or piece of bone. The chedis and mondops can be over 100 feet high. The more important wats were built expressly to house such relics. Wats also generally have a wihan which is a gathering or meeting house for the monks. There are also dormitories on site to house the monks.

A fine example of a chedi

Often there are large statues of Buddha. The most notable that we saw was Wat Pho which houses a 150 foot long reclining Buddha. The holiest wat we saw was Wat Phra Kaeo which has a mondop in the Kmer style right next to a chedi that houses a piece of Buddha’s breastbone. This wat houses the so called Emerald Buddha that is actually made from a chunk of jade about 2’ high. This is one of the most sacred buddhas in Thailand.

Reclining Buddha at What Pho

I continue to be amazed as I travel the world how seriously people take their religion. Many Thais live in grinding poverty yet millions of dollars are spent building these elaborate tributes to this man,Buddha,that they revere. Millions more are spent maintaining the thousands of wats, supporting the monks, and making offerings. This is a pattern I have seen repeated by the Muslims in Afghanistan, Catholics in Peru, the Hindus in India and Christians in America. I just don’t understand a religion that demands such sacrifice. At the same time many of the great works of art were commissioned or created in the name of religion. I appreciate this art and by association I must appreciate and respect the faith that inspires it.

Journey to Bangkok

Sunrise at 38,000 feet

After an 18 hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles we watched the sunrise at 38,000 over Bangkok, Thailand. The plane spiraled down into the thick, humid, polluted soup that passes for air in Bangkok. The traffic jammed ride into the city took over an hour which gave us plenty of time to suck up the fumes from millions of cars, trucks and buses. We arrived at our hotel to find daughter Kate and her boyfriend who had arrived the day before. We dropped our bags and took off at a rapid pace to visit the standing Buddha, a 60’ tall gilded statue.

Size 462 ZZZ

The ancient Kingdom of Siam is in a headlong collision course with the modern world. Two hundred year old temples are juxtaposed against modern skyscrapers of the most radical design. Orange robed monks mingle with the other 10 million residents of this exploding metropolis. Everyone seems young and moves with a sense of purpose and destination.

The streets are a swirling mass of cars, trucks and buses that move without concern for normal rules of the road. Curiously absent is the road rage that is so evident in our society. Vehicles swerve crazily, tailgating, and cutting each other off, yet no one seems upset by these curious rules of the road. The only discernible rule is thatthe bigger the vehicle the more apparent entitlement to the right of way. Traffic lights are obeyed but not much else seems to matter. Crossing the street requires finding the rhythm of the traffic, a strong heart, and some rapid footwork.

Despite the swirling chaos, there are many opportunities to escape the madness of the streets in beautiful well manicured parks or by entering one of the many temple complexes called wats. Visiting the wats takes one to a calmer time and place. The chanting of the monks seems to say, “Release yourself to the void. This is only temporal and the real world lies in the next incarnation on the way to nirvana.”

Bangkok has often been called the Venice of the east. Located on the Chao Phraya river it is interlaced with a series of canals which used to be the main highways of transportation. In most cases the water is still the quickest way to get around the city on ferries and express boats unless you are close to the Skytrain which is an elevated light rail system that whisks you above the traffic in the most modern air condition comfort.

Bangkok assaults your senses. The most pleasant assault is on the palate. You can literally eat your way around the city with street food vendors on virtually every sidewalk, corner and alley and restaurants in between. All of the food is really good and with a little attention to where and what you are eating it is generally safe to eat. On the street you can get a filling tasty meal with a large bottle of beer for less than three bucks. Skip the beer and you can eat for under a dollar. Restaurants range from slightly more expensive than street food to whatever your wallet can stand.

At times Bangkok can be magical. The other night we took a sunset walk along one of the elevated walkways. Through the maze of skyscrapers a few palms were silhouetted against a deep pink sky. We were near the Victory Monument which is a giant obelisk like the Washington monument centered in a traffic circle. Around this circle are numerous tall buildings with giant neon and lcd billboards. Exotic Asian music blared over the crowds of Thais rushing here and there like little ants. The smell of auto exhaust mingled with the smells hundreds of street food vendors. The roar of the traffic was supplemented by the buzzing conversation of thousands of chattering people in the streets. The light of the setting sun gave the scene a surreal quality straight out of the movie Bladerunner.

Nightime in Bangkok

Watch for the Hong Kong post. Meanwhile we are now traveling with son Ian and his girlfriend Tiara. If you would like to see some really amusing stuff check out www.tiaragrayson.blogspot.com.

Journey to Bangkok

We safely arrived in Bangkok and spent four days then moved on to Hong Kong. Having trouble accessing internet or finding time to write. Look for a full blown post within a few days.