Category: Uncategorized

Posted November 8, 2019

I’ve never given elephants a lot of thought, except when I was decorating my second son’s room before he was born. I carefully put up his jungle themed wall border, half way up the wall (so he could see it). It was filled with elephants, which may have sparked his elephant obsession as a child.

Other than that, I haven’t ever been too elephant obsessed myself. I, of course, have been aware and saddened by the fact that these very wise, kind, and loving animals have been treated so cruelly throughout history, and that their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss. 

An Early Start

Yesterday all that changed. My newfound passion, love, and respect for elephants has been born.

Our all-day excursion with Elephant Jungle Sanctuary started at 8 am. We drove in the back of a small pick up truck, outfitted with two barely padded, bright blue bench seats, running perpendicular to the truck’s cab.

We picked up our truck-mates. One young couple was from California, San Mateo (shout out to my mom and dad’s home town) and Mountain View (where Steve and I had our first apartment together), respectively. The other young couple was from Krakow, Poland. 

The Drive

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Our drive was about 1.5 hours in total, through Chiang Mai, then the “suburbs”, and then the rolling countryside. When we hit the highway, the six of us in the back of the rickety truck suddenly bonded. The driver floored it, driving way too fast for comfort. We looked at each other with wide-eyes, grinning, and giggling (nervously).  We rationalized our situation, agreeing it was all a part of the experience, which I suppose is true, and, considering we didn’t have a lot of choice at this point, we sat back and enjoyed the ride and the wind in our hair. 

After climbing high into the mountains we turned off the paved road onto a winding and steep downhill facing dirt road, barely wide enough for the trucks wheels.  We hit areas where the road was crumbling, and the wheels would slip, just a bit. Some of the turns were so tight that I’d close my eyes so I wouldn’t see the drop off just below the side of the truck. 

Into the Valley

Down, down, down we went, through the trees into the beautiful valley below. We parked.

We were still up the hill a bit from the camp and the valley floor.

I hopped out of the truck (ok, full disclosure, that was a very generous description of my disembarkation. With my bad knee, it was more like I awkwardly crawled out of the truck). From where we stood, we had a birds eye view of the valley and camp.

We stood gasping, pointing, and staring at the maybe 10 elephants below us clustered in two family groups. We had made it. 

A Stunning Setting

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The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Camp was a dream setting. Set remotely in the mountains of northern Thailand, where it is green and lush with expansive vistas. Add in a meandering river, with a waterfall or two thrown in, complete with calm pools for swimming. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more beautiful setting to learn about and fall in love with the elephants.

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The Three Warnings

By far the best part of the day was joining the elephants in their giant mud pit.

Seriously, it was crazy. And it all started with three warnings. 

The First Warning

Firstly, our host told us to only wear or bring waterproof items, or items that can be washed, into the mud pit.

The speaker tried to drive home his point, in his thick Thai accent, over and over, even citing statistics. Twenty one cell phones, fifteen pairs of sunglasses, and multiple cameras now call the bottom of the mud pit home. And that’s just from the last few months. He gave example after example of people who didn’t heed his warning, complete with impersonations of people pleading with him, outraged at their loss. 

The Second Warning

Secondly, our host talked about the folks who don’t want to join in the mud pit (there’s always at least a few). They decide they only want to watch and take pictures. But then they see all the fun, set down their camera, or slip off their shirt, and join in, carefully leaving their items up on the “shore”. Big mistake. The elephants love to play and they love toys. Anything left near the mud pits is fair game, and it’s guaranteed the elephants will be happy to play with the “toys” you’ve so thoughtfully left for them. Your items will never be the same. Kiss them goodbye. 

The Third Warning

Thirdly, watch where you are in relation to the elephants legs and back end. The elephants like to lay down on their side and stretch out, wiggle, and roll in the mud. If you’re in their path, well, you might be in some trouble. If you end up at their tail end, they may inadvertently kick you all the way back to Chiang Mai during a particularly big stretch.  

To See, or Not To See

After our warnings, Steve decided to leave his glasses at the camp, where they’d stay safe. I decided to keep my glasses on, since I’m so blind without them.  I needed to be sure I could see well enough to distinguish the front end from the back end, so I’d make it through the day in one piece. 

To the Mud Pit

We had been advised to go barefoot, since the mud is very sticky and sucks sandals down like quicksand.  So, with one of us bespeckled, and one not, and both barefoot, we headed down to the mud pit.

The elephants were just entering the pit as we arrived. Some people plowed straight in, but I held back for a moment, surveying the pit for my best entry option. Nothing was really jumping out at me. All entry points looked similar, shiny, slippery mud, with opaque, murky puddles all around. Steve was already in the pit, up to his calves in muck. I flashed on the ride up, when Steve said there may be snakes in these parts, specifically in the water. Shaking that sweet tidbit from my mind, I waded in. 

The Bad Place

I was busy looking down, quite focused on my feet sinking deeper into the mud, and the water hitting my thighs, when suddenly a larger (much larger) priority emerged. A huge elephant (actually they are all huge) was in the process of lying down directly in front of me, its back getting larger until it filled my vision. Water was being displaced in droves, creating a wake spurting in all directions.  Everything was happening quite quickly. It was impossible to tell what the elephant had in mind (if anything) regarding his ultimate landing plans. Steve was in the bad place, per warning number three, when the elephant finally finished his roll-over move. 

Thankfully a camp worker, strategically placed for our safety, came to the rescue. He yanked Steve out from the elephants back end to a safer location, over by the elephants mid-section, where I was standing. Just then the elephant farted, complete with bubbles, just like in a bathtub. It was a near miss for Steve. I was laughing so hard I could barely stand. 

A Mud Massage

We proceeded to grab big handfuls of mud and spread the thick goo all over the elephant’s back, head, trunk, and ears. He was loving it.

His hide was mostly rough, with one notably smooth section on his forehead. His feet looked like they belonged to a dinosaur.

He had long, thick, and straight hairs sticking out all over the top of his head and lots of softer looking hair by his mouth.

His eyes reminded me of a horse’s eyes, soft and knowing.

After everyone was good and mudded up, including the elephants, we moved on to a beautiful waterfall, complete with a tranquil pool, to wash off. Before entering the pool, we were each handed a brightly colored plastic pail to splash the elephants (and each other). The hosts were purposely drenching us all, which turned into a giant water fight. We splashed, played, and laughed. It was chaotic and loads of fun.

As Hungry as a Dinosaur

From what we were told, the elephants eat about as much as a Brontosaurus. They are always hungry and will always eat, kind of like a Labrador Retriever.

We fed the elephants three different “courses” that day. Locally grown, tiny sized bananas were served for their appetizer. The bananas were short and stout, about four to six inches each and several inches around. Huge bunches were handed out to each of us. We pulled the bananas off our bunch and stuffed them in the giant front pocket of the traditional shirt were were all given to wear. The bananas were overripe, black, and mushy.  We hung on to the stock end too. The elephants will eat it all.

“Bon, Bon!”

Per our coaching, I’d raise up my arm, and loudly shout “Bon, Bon”. This told the elephant that I was going to hand feed it, putting the banana directly into his mouth. We entered the elephant field. The elephants ran towards us, knowing we had bananas. It’s a bit difficult to stand your ground when an excited elephant is galloping towards you, even if it’s a slow gallop.

“Bon, Bon”!, and the trunk flies up, exposing a very large, “V” shaped mouth. I reached up and placed a banana on the giant, warm, soft, pink tongue. Then again and again. It’s never something I dreamed of doing, but I’m so glad I can say that I touched an elephants tongue, multiple times. Now that’s up close and personal.

The Corn Stalks

For the elephants second course, we all walked back up the hill and were thrown a stack of dried out corn stalks. One by one, we carried them back down the steep steps into the valley, to the waiting elephants.

Steve was fascinated watching the elephant’s trunk in action, curling and twisting with perfect control.  We’d watch the elephant pick up a corn stalk with his trunk, then adeptly strip all the leaves off with one or two swipes of his trunk. Apparently the stalk is what’s yummy in this equation.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

If you’re In Thailand, I highly recommend Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. Our day with the elephants was glorious. And fun. And muddy. And more fun. And educational.

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Elephant Jungle Sanctuary has camps in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, and Samui. They were a tiny bit more expensive than some of the other camps (of which there are zillions), but the selfless work they are doing to give elephants the life, care, love and respect they deserve is nothing short of incredible. And you get a cool shirt to take home, a lovely lunch, and lots of elephant love.

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The camp directors consider the elephants family. It’s a continual struggle to maintain the camps, fighting against big-money investors that exploit the elephants for profits. Their dedication to continue expanding and creating sustainable camps is beyond admirable. Learn more about Elephant Jungle Sanctuary here:

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Chiang Mai

The day was long, but so worth every minute and every penny.
#❤️elephants 

Wins and Losses

Wins

• Hearing an elephant trumpet. At least five or six times throughout the day. Soooo cool. 
• Watching the elephants finger-like appendage, at the end of his trunk, that gave him amazing precision dexterity for picking up and manipulating small items. 
• Touching the huge bulge protruding from the side of the pregnant elephant. 18 months down, 6 to go. Gestation is two years for elephants. OMG. 
• Getting educated about the real struggle to save the elephants from abuse and extinction. 

Losses

• Noticing big, floating blobs in the mud pit as we exited, and realizing what they were. Hint: what goes in must come out. 

Posted October 23, 2019

Train to the Douro Valley

If you’re deciding whether or not to head up to the Douro Valley from Porto, let me clear things up for you.  Do it. Especially if it’s a sunny day.

We elected to take the train up. It’s a two hour ride each way and $20 euros round-trip. Be sure to sit on the right side of the train, window seat preferably. You’ll catch spectacular views of the famously terraced grape vine covered hillsides and lovely, grand estates.

There are other options to get up to the valley including all kinds of boat excursions that slowly cruise up the river and take all day (like 7 hours). I’m sure they are quite pricey, but, if you have the time and don’t mind the cost, I’m sure it would be lovely.

Pinhao, which means pine nut in Portuguese, was our destination in the Douro. I’ve never seen such a tranquil and picturesque riverside village.  

We had the boardwalk along the river almost completely to ourselves. It looked like a few boat tours had docked, but the groups must have been hauled off somewhere else, probably wine tasting.

I’m not a wine drinker (darn migraines), so we stuck around Pinhao for a few hours and enjoyed the serenity, eating our sandwiches on a park bench in the sunshine.

On a walk we saw a little bungalow we wouldn’t mind settling in, right along the Douro River. Maybe just for the spring and fall. It had a wonderful vegetable garden down in front, and plenty of room for friends and family to visit. Dream on…

The Beautiful Churches of Porto

The churches in Porto are so colorful. We found them around every corner, or so it seemed. Many feature the blue and white Azulejo tiles, brilliant against the blue sky (and the gray sky too). 

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Most churches are front and center, prominently displayed at the top of a main boulevard or at the head of a Praca (square), but some are tucked away and jump out at you unexpectedly.

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A perfect example of a well hidden church was just up the street from our apartment. It’s situated on a very narrow street, where it’s easy to miss and hard to appreciate its grandeur.

We walked by it multiple times without even noticing it. When I finally did notice it, I had to strain my neck as far back as I could go just to take in the entire facade.

Tiles of Porto

The Sao Bento train station in Porto has amazingly detailed, floor to ceiling, blue and white tiles depicting historical scenes.

Whole tour bus loads of people, who are not taking a train at all, stop in just to admire the tiles and get pictures.  It’s really a very impressive display.

Tile Homes

I especially love the bright and colorful tiles that adorn many homes up and down the cobblestone streets of Porto.

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The Trolley Cars

The Trolleys in Lisbon are a nightmare. Hoards of people line up for hours, waiting for the next Trolley.  Even when you do get on board, chances are you’ll be smashed somewhere in the middle, standing the entire ride and unable to see a thing except your neighbor’s armpit. 

With that in mind, we skipped the Trolleys in Lisbon and postponed until Porto, where the Trolleys are (supposedly) much less crowded. Being extra cautious of possible crowds, we decided to take a morning Trolley. We waited near the University for the #22 Trolley, due at 9:20 am.  

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I was shocked to find that we had the Trolley all to ourselves for almost our entire thirty minute ride!  It was wonderful. I kept changing seats, jumping from one side of the aisle to the other, depending on the view and my mood.  Steve mostly stayed in one seat, as is his style.  

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When we got down the hill to the end of the run, the conductor (if that’s what she is called) left her controls at the front and walked down the aisle, preparing the Trolley for the opposite direction. She flipped the backs of the seats so the they would face the right direction, and reversed the power connector cable on the top of the Trolley. 

There were power controls at both ends. The Trolley back was now the front, and we were off and running up the hill to back where we started.

Posted on October 16, 2019

The Town

We stepped out of the Tomar bus station and the first thing we saw was a huge castle looming over the town. I had to stop in my tracks and stare up in awe.

We headed towards our Hostel located on the main pedestrian-only corridor.  I was surprised to see that there weren’t many people around, considering it was the center of town. Only a few of the cafes along the corridor were open, and of those only about half the tables were full with local patrons having afternoon espresso. I guess that’s mid-October in Tomar.

It was quite refreshing to be in a town with mostly locals and just a few other tourists.

Tomar is small and quite lovely, with the River Tâmega running through the center and one of the finest Roman bridges in Portugal. 

The black and white checkerboard tile pattern, set on the diagonal, in the main square, Praça da Republica, is mesmerizing.

At the time we didn’t know it, but we had arrived on the one day a year where the Knights Templar have a nighttime Procession, marching and riding on horseback down the steep, uneven cobblestone path from the castle into and through town.  

The Great Fall

In preparation for the Knights Templar Procession, the town had dropped sand, lots of sand, along the processional path (I’m not sure why – maybe for the horses?).  There happened to be a huge amount of sand just in front of our hostel, and as I stepped down my foot suddenly slid 10 inches. I lurched forward and somehow flat out pancaked in front of the hostel.

With my large green backpack on, I’m sure I looked like a giant turtle flailing and falling, completely out of control. Unlike the turtle, when I landed, my face was suspended just inches from the hard tile.  My right knee took the brunt of the impact. My poor right knee that has already had two surgeries, including an ACL repair.

My first thought was utter astonishment (it all happened so fast). My second thought was, “Am I ok?”. My third thought was, “OMG, how embarrassing”. One of the few crowded outdoor cafes was right across from our Hostel, and everyone there had a prime view of my entire gymnastics move. 

Two different local men stopped and offered their help. The Portugeuse are so very friendly and thoughtful. I kindly refused their offers, and had Steve help me to my feet.  I hobbled up the stairs, and Steve checked us in.

After some elevating and icing, and a consult by a Physical Therapist from Missouri that was staying at our Hostel, all I could do was rest.  The PT taped up my knee, and advised me that I could climb up the steep path to the castle the next day, if I felt up to it and took it super slow. 

Knights Templar

But before thinking about tomorrow and the castle, we still had the Knights Templar to look forward to. I was excited to text my oldest son, who is a High School History Teacher, about our good fortune to see the “Knights of Templar”. He seemed excited too, but was quick to correct me that it’s “Knights Templar” (no “of”). Of course, he would know that bit of historical information. I admit I’ve never heard of the Knights Templar, but will be sure to leave out the “of” forevermore.

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The Knights started descending from the Castle at 10:30 pm. We were fortunate to have a balcony overlooking the Processional path. By the time the Knights were passing under our balcony it was after 11:15 pm.  

The Knights were clad in all white robes with the red Knights Templar emblem emblazoned on the front.  In all, several hundred Knights marched past, many with torches, while others rode on horseback. Medieval music blared throughout the Kingdom (or the street, if you prefer).  

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I still can’t believe the luck of happening upon this annual event.  I couldn’t have planned it any better if I’d tried, except I’d skip the undignified entry into town part. 

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Getting Up The Hill

The next morning I tried out my knee.  It was stiff and sore, but I was determined to see the Knights Templar Castle located at the very top of the steep hill looking over the town. 

We walked the three minutes to the main square in search of a Tuk-Tuk to haul me up the hill to the Castle. Anywhere you find tourists in Europe, you will find dozens of Tuk-Tuks.

Well, this one time there were no Tuk-Tuk’s to be found. Since a Tuk-Tuk was out of the question, we decided to turn to Uber, which is widely used in Portugal.   I opened my Uber app. The app read, “No Uber service available”.

Well, the transportation Gods were not in our favor, so I took a deep breath and started up the hill, on foot.  

The Knights Templar Castle

A very slow and steady pace up many stairs, then on to a steep, winding, cobblestone path, finally led to the Castle. Rounding the bend and seeing the Castle in full view was quite a sight. The Castle complex was huge and had a commanding presence.

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Wandering the grounds and touring the interior, full of the traditional blue and white tiles lining every corridor, was stunning, but the true jewel was The Convent of Christ, in the center of the Castle.

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The Convent of Christ

The Convent of Christ was a very unexpected and pleasant surprise. I  didn’t realize it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, or I would have known to expect something really special.  

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The Convent of Christ was like a Church within a Church within a Castle. The unique ceiling, with spines gracefully arching up towards the center, was breathtaking.

The pictures don’t do it justice. The colors, the patterns, and the enormity of the altar were awe-inspiring. I could have stayed for hours studying the detail and gawking at the beauty.

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Wins and Losses

Wins

• Happening into town on the very day of the the annual Knights Templar Procession!
• Having a large, comfortable room with a lovely balcony perfect for viewing the Knights Templar Procession
• Lying flat in the Hostel lobby, while Steve checked in, with ice on my knee, and having a Physical Therapist from Missouri come to my aid

Losses

• Checking into our Hostel and finding out we don’t have a private bathroom, which, at the time, was the least of my worries. 
• Watching two Tuk-Tuk’s zoom by us at the end of a long day when we had been unable to find a Tuk-Tuk anywhere for a ride up, or a ride down the steep hill to the Castle. 
• Pancaking in the street right in front of our Hostel has got to go in the Losses column.  No doubt about it