feeding animals

I'm a fan of zoos and after visiting the Chiang Mai zoo, my zoo experience has been forever changed.  While I know I should be against what I'm about to praise, to be honest it made the zoo really awesome.  What is it you may ask?  It is exactly what you are not allowed to do in any other zoo I've ever been to.  

YOU CAN FEED THE ANIMALS.

Instead of straining to see the leopard hiding in his corner, you stick some raw meat on the end of a stick, put it through the fence and then BAM! You are face to face with a leopard, staring into it's eyes as it snatches the meat from the stick and then retreats back to it's shelter.  

So, as a result of this interaction, two new animals have made their way to the top of the coolest animal list. 

Number One: The Hippo

Usually I overlooked the hippo.  They tend to just float apathetically in the water, uninterested in the humans staring at it.  Here, they would swim up to the edge of the water and stretch their mouths open wide in anticipation of some green leaves. 

Number Two: The Giraffe

Again, another animal that usually couldn't care less about humans.  But, with a little coaxing and a few green stalks, you get to see the giraffes creepy and gross long purple tongue spiral out and snatch the food.... and then proceed to drool all over you.  They are majestic and sloppy at the same time. 

I was mostly afraid to feed the ostrich.  They honestly scare me and I was afraid it's little beak would remove a few fingers.  

So, while I know that feeding animals in zoos is wrong and it changes the natural habits of the animals; the level of interaction it created was (unnatural and) just too cool.  

temple trees

Outside the monastery walls of Wat Phra That, there is an ancient bodhi tree whose branches are supported by a forest of wooden crutches.  Old trees in Thailand are some of my favorite things to discover.  Colorful strips of fabric wrapped around the trunks of trees indicate that a spirit resides there. The tree may not be cut down before warning the tree spirit in order to let them find another tree to inhabit.  Monks, in order to protect against logging, have ordained some trees and wrapped them with thin orange cloth.  This signifies that the trees are now sacred and they are not allowed to be harmed.
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Wat Phra That

teacher patrick

elephant conservatory

With our students we visited an elephant conservatory in Lampang.  They raise and care for elephants and have the only elephant hospital in Thailand.  I have always had a love for elephants, but have never come into contact with them until living here in Thailand.  They are such majestic animals and looking into their eyes you know they are wise, feeling creatures.  Whenever you come across elephants here, there is always someone close by selling corn or bananas for you to feed them.  Because of this, physical contact with elephants has become a normal activity, one I know I won't be able to repeat inside the U.S.  

They trained the elephants to paint pictures which they then auction off to raise funds for the conservatory.

Elephant trunk reaching for some snacks!

Rocking a dorky grin because I'm touching an elephant.  

hiking in jungles with girls

During a recent English Camp field trip with my students, we went "hiking" through the jungle at Chae Son National Park in Lampang.  While we all can't look at cool as the park ranger, I consider my impromptu hiking outfit pretty top notch. 

While I may have considered "hiking" a quaint euphemism for a nice stroll through the jungle, the girls were quite exhausted along the way; needing to stop to make use of their eucalyptus inhalers.  While continually being asked, "Teacher, are you tired?" I became thankful of my Washingtonian upbringing consisting of common tramps through the woods and snowy hikes up mountains to get fresh tracks.  

After emerging from the jungle, the ladies refreshed themselves with soda in a bag and meat on a stick.  They laughed at the judgement they received from Patrick and I for their choice of snacks.  

English Camp

That beautiful blue bus is Uttaradit Darunee's flagship vessel.  Equipped to hold some fifty people it is decked out with a sweet sound system and t.v.s for all your karaoke and movie watching pleasure.  It helped to transport our students around Lampang for our English  Camp field trip.  

Hot springs in Chae Son National Park. 

The water is hot enough to boil eggs in just a few minutes. 

Patrick eating dinner with our adorable seventh grade students.  

Sukhothai

Spent the day riding bicycles through the remaining ruins of the old capital city Sukhothai.  

The ancient buddhas were an impressive sight and around every corner a new buddha presented itself.  I love the flakes of gold pressed against a buddha's foot or hand, the remnants of golden wax, the smell of incense, and the occasional flower placed inside a buddha's open hand. 

Since arriving in Thailand, I have wanted to visit Wat Si Shum, home to the majestic Phra Achana.  This renowned buddha's golden flaked hand is an iconic image around Thailand and sitting beneath it's towering stature I couldn't help but feeling a great amount of awe. 

Sunset at Rayon

Patrick and I signed up for what we were told would be a weekend trip south to the beaches.  Our school was offering three different trips to choose from, all supposedly centered around visiting a beach.  

Around 40 hours after we departed from our school in the north, with countless stops along the way, nonstop karaoke, a night sleeping at a naval base, and dinner at a rotating restaurant, we finally arrived at Rayon beach just before sunset.  

Patrick, Allison, Jeannie, and I (the four lone foreigners) grabbed our suits and made to the shore.  We were able to get a quick swim in before the sun dipped below the horizon.  

The next morning we were up for a 7am breakfast and a 16 hour bus ride back up north to our school, arriving sometime just after midnight and ready to teach in a few hours. 

oh, the fun we have!