There are several beaches on the western coast of Ko Chang. These are pictures from where we stayed on “Lonely Beach.”
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pictures from Lonely Beach
There are several beaches on the western coast of Ko Chang. These are pictures from where we stayed on “Lonely Beach.”
Elephant Trekking Photos!!!
Here are some highlights of our trekking experience, including driving, feeding and swimming. Sorry no videos yet . . . the internet is really too slow to upload them but I will try to work something out!
Photos from Ko Chang
Here are shots of Klong Phu falls, where we went swimming; a pair of spirit houses with offerings, including a cat; the view from where I would have breakfast at this backpacker place appropriately called “Treehouse;” an example of “shipwreck” snorkeling; and the view to the south from Bang Bao pier.
Just kidding about the cat being an offering! There are tons of stray animals here in Thailand, and they go where they please . . .
Pie Ko Chang! (Go to “Elephant Island”!)
Zach, Rich and I just took six days off and headed down to Southeastern Thailand to Ko Chang, Thailand’s second-largest island. It took several methods of transportation and about twenty hours to get there but it was definitely worth it. One of the funniest parts of our journey was the night bus from Chum Phae (near Phu Khieo) to Bangkok. The “VIP” bus made the trip in seven hours or so . . . but this included a 2am stop for food! I didn’t make it off the bus at 2am on the way down, but I did explore my options on the way back. It seems that all of these buses brake for food like this, and you can get a variety of Thai dishes to go, ice cream, chips, baked goods, etc.
A decent part of our vacation was spent lounging on the beach. It was so nice to go someplace warm and tropical for a few days to rejuvenate, so we all enjoyed relaxing in the sand, swimming in the sea, and reading. We also made a point of eating really well. Several of you have asked about the food here, and I promise I will devote a future entry solely to this subject, but in brief, the food at the sanctuary can be pretty bland- a lot of rice, egg, and boiled cucumber. We always enjoy the opportunity to get good Thai curries, seafood, and Western food when we leave the sanctuary, and Ko Chang was good for all of these.
I enjoyed going to little backpacker restaurants overlooking the water, especially for breakfast before most of the rest of the island was awake (see photos in the next entry). Where we stayed on the island catered to the backpacker lifestyle and there were many people our age exploring Thailand this way. We even met some Americans who work in Chang Mai, the big city in Northwestern Thailand.
We didn’t spend all of our time vegging out in the sun, though. One of the first days on the island we rented motor scooters (not to be confused with the motorbikes we drive to work) and drove up to Klong Phu Falls. While there is a decent amount of development along the coast on the western side of the island, the interior is protected as a national park and has several waterfalls. Klong Phu is one of the largest, and swimming in the cool, clear water was a great way to get into vacation mode. We also took our bikes down to the southern tip of the island to Bang Bao, a fishing village. Many of the houses are built on stilts above the water, and there are great views of the smaller islands south of Ko Chang. There is even a lighthouse you can climb up into!
Another day, Rich and I went elephant trekking, which is about as amazing as it sounds. We had heard good things about the elephant camp in the north of the island, so we braved the songathew journey with the hills and switchbacks to go to Baan Kwan elephant camp. (“Songathew” refers to any vehicle having two rows of seating in the back; it can be a bus but in this case it was a pickup truck.) Rich and I boarded a large, 26-year old female elephant for a walk through some orchards and forest. Our elephant enjoyed taking dust baths and then a wet bath when we crossed a stream! We were really, really high up above the ground and the ride rocked us from side to side. Rich and I each got a chance to “drive” by sitting on our elephant’s neck. The mahout (elephant keeper) and the elephant have a great relationship- the elephants respond to verbal cues so our mahout would literally walk in front of the elephant when one of us was driving and say “maa, maa, maa” which means “come” in Thai. There were only four elephants on our tour and it was a nice, quiet way to see a different type of Thai forest. After our ride, we fed our elephants green bananas by hand and then took a few down to the river for a swim. Only one other person besides Rich and I got into the water with the elephants. We got to scrub them down and as I was on the back of one the mahout gave the elephant the command to spray me with her trunk-twice! Then they said, “let’s go” and I drove the elephant back to camp in my bathing suit. Rich has got lots of pictures- I’ll post them as soon as I can!
The last day we were in Ko Chang we went snorkeling. We had heard rumors about “shipwreck snorkeling” and that is pretty much what it looked like. There is a marine reserve around Ko Chang that has some level of national park protection, but most of the snorkel boats go to the same few islands in the same order, so it can be very crowded in the water. When you couple that with the fact that most of the Thais snorkel in t-shirts and shorts, wear life jackets, and don’t move far from the boat, to anyone driving by it does look like everyone has just abandoned a sinking ship! Rich, Zach and I were able to swim around the islands to get away from most of the people, so it wasn’t too bad. There aren’t too many large fish, but I did see several species of parrotfish, an angelfish, Christmas tree worms in all sorts of colors, brightly-colored clams, houndsfish, and a huge sea cucumber. The coral isn’t particularly colorful but it was in a lot better shape than I had originally anticipated. I also took out a kayak at one of the islands and paddled around to see some pineapples, crabs, and birds.
Too soon it was time for the journey home. The transportation went as follows: songathew truck to the north of Ko Chang, ferry to Trat, minibus to bus station, VIP bus to Ekkamai in Bangkok, skytrain across town, taxi to Mo Chit, VIP bus to Chum Phae, songathew bus to Lui Lai, Macaque mobile to Tung Ka Mang. It’s been a long day and the work hasn’t even started yet!
A decent part of our vacation was spent lounging on the beach. It was so nice to go someplace warm and tropical for a few days to rejuvenate, so we all enjoyed relaxing in the sand, swimming in the sea, and reading. We also made a point of eating really well. Several of you have asked about the food here, and I promise I will devote a future entry solely to this subject, but in brief, the food at the sanctuary can be pretty bland- a lot of rice, egg, and boiled cucumber. We always enjoy the opportunity to get good Thai curries, seafood, and Western food when we leave the sanctuary, and Ko Chang was good for all of these.
I enjoyed going to little backpacker restaurants overlooking the water, especially for breakfast before most of the rest of the island was awake (see photos in the next entry). Where we stayed on the island catered to the backpacker lifestyle and there were many people our age exploring Thailand this way. We even met some Americans who work in Chang Mai, the big city in Northwestern Thailand.
We didn’t spend all of our time vegging out in the sun, though. One of the first days on the island we rented motor scooters (not to be confused with the motorbikes we drive to work) and drove up to Klong Phu Falls. While there is a decent amount of development along the coast on the western side of the island, the interior is protected as a national park and has several waterfalls. Klong Phu is one of the largest, and swimming in the cool, clear water was a great way to get into vacation mode. We also took our bikes down to the southern tip of the island to Bang Bao, a fishing village. Many of the houses are built on stilts above the water, and there are great views of the smaller islands south of Ko Chang. There is even a lighthouse you can climb up into!
Another day, Rich and I went elephant trekking, which is about as amazing as it sounds. We had heard good things about the elephant camp in the north of the island, so we braved the songathew journey with the hills and switchbacks to go to Baan Kwan elephant camp. (“Songathew” refers to any vehicle having two rows of seating in the back; it can be a bus but in this case it was a pickup truck.) Rich and I boarded a large, 26-year old female elephant for a walk through some orchards and forest. Our elephant enjoyed taking dust baths and then a wet bath when we crossed a stream! We were really, really high up above the ground and the ride rocked us from side to side. Rich and I each got a chance to “drive” by sitting on our elephant’s neck. The mahout (elephant keeper) and the elephant have a great relationship- the elephants respond to verbal cues so our mahout would literally walk in front of the elephant when one of us was driving and say “maa, maa, maa” which means “come” in Thai. There were only four elephants on our tour and it was a nice, quiet way to see a different type of Thai forest. After our ride, we fed our elephants green bananas by hand and then took a few down to the river for a swim. Only one other person besides Rich and I got into the water with the elephants. We got to scrub them down and as I was on the back of one the mahout gave the elephant the command to spray me with her trunk-twice! Then they said, “let’s go” and I drove the elephant back to camp in my bathing suit. Rich has got lots of pictures- I’ll post them as soon as I can!
The last day we were in Ko Chang we went snorkeling. We had heard rumors about “shipwreck snorkeling” and that is pretty much what it looked like. There is a marine reserve around Ko Chang that has some level of national park protection, but most of the snorkel boats go to the same few islands in the same order, so it can be very crowded in the water. When you couple that with the fact that most of the Thais snorkel in t-shirts and shorts, wear life jackets, and don’t move far from the boat, to anyone driving by it does look like everyone has just abandoned a sinking ship! Rich, Zach and I were able to swim around the islands to get away from most of the people, so it wasn’t too bad. There aren’t too many large fish, but I did see several species of parrotfish, an angelfish, Christmas tree worms in all sorts of colors, brightly-colored clams, houndsfish, and a huge sea cucumber. The coral isn’t particularly colorful but it was in a lot better shape than I had originally anticipated. I also took out a kayak at one of the islands and paddled around to see some pineapples, crabs, and birds.
Too soon it was time for the journey home. The transportation went as follows: songathew truck to the north of Ko Chang, ferry to Trat, minibus to bus station, VIP bus to Ekkamai in Bangkok, skytrain across town, taxi to Mo Chit, VIP bus to Chum Phae, songathew bus to Lui Lai, Macaque mobile to Tung Ka Mang. It’s been a long day and the work hasn’t even started yet!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Our animal friends of PKWS
My great aunt used to read to us from this wonderful book called “Our Animal Friends of Maple Tree Farm.” There were stories about the horses, goats, chickens, sheep, and cats that lived at Maple Tree Farm, plus entries for cows and wildlife. Consider this my first installment . . . The land monitor was at Baan Ling- it actually came down one of the trees- no idea how it got there though. The stick insect hung out outside my room for several hours one day, but I am not sure it knew it hadn’t chosen very good camouflage against our white-washed house! If you look closely at the cicada you’ll notice that it is molding (eew). All of these species of cicada are slowing down which is a relief to my ears- you literally cannot hear the monkeys over them once they get going- and a special treat for the macaques, because now they are slow enough for the macaques to catch and eat. Our monkeys are far less omnivorous than the macaques so I haven’t seen anyone I know eating them!
Dedicating the new spirit house
One of the advantages to staying in Thailand in a small community for as long as I will is that I really become immersed in the culture and have the opportunity to experience Thai traditions. Most recently, I went to a ceremony to dedicate the new spirit house at Sala Phrom, near the entrance of the sanctuary.
My knowledge of spirit houses is limited but is as follows:
They are not Buddhist, although you may see them near wats (temples). They are related to animism, and the idea that spirits are not attached to humans alone, e.g. trees (can) have spirits.
Each building or group of buildings needs to have one to house and placate the spirits displaced by the building.
The grander your house/building, the grander the spirit house.
If you add an addition to your house, you should enlarge the spirit house as well.
Offerings such as fruits, flowers, water, or soft drinks are left for the spirits to keep them happy.
The old spirit house at Sala Phrom was in disrepair, so a new, larger one was constructed. I’ll try to get some pictures, but the new spirit house is basically a little cottage with red curtains. The wood over the door is patterned and inside there are multiple altars beneath a portrait of a ranger who died here about sixty-five years ago (the resident ghost).
When I boarded the blue bus outside the office, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The ride was less bumpy that I would have expected from the road, and everyone squeezed in to make room for all of the people who wanted to go. When we first got to the house, some rangers and other residents of Sala Phrom were already there. Mats had been set out on the porch of the house, and women were sitting there already. There were also chairs set out for more people to sit. Several of the rangers had brought cameras and were taking pictures of everything going on.
The entire ceremony was in Thai, but here’s what I think happened . . . Everyone was given incense and a “prayer” was said by a older ranger who retired recently (we had the opportunity to go to his retirement party a few weeks ago and it was lots of fun). The chief of the sanctuary also said some words- maybe a blessing or a commitment to take care of the spirits. There were many offerings on the altars, including apples, bananas, sticky rice, water, whiskey, a whole chicken, and pig’s heads- these also received sticks of incense but they weren’t lit. After the offerings were dedicated, the spirits had their chance to enjoy them . . . before we ate it all!
It was quite the experience to watch the meat being cut up, and once I was able to convey that I was a vegetarian (mai ao means “I don’t want any”), I was passed bananas and sticky rice at frequent intervals. The women remained sitting on the porch sharing sticky rice, fruit, meat, and chili sauce, but the men moved around a table with the lao kao (whiskey) and meat. There was also some sort of jelly-coconut-raisin dessert that I hadn’t had before that was fabulous. (I am slowly finding Thai food to satisfy my sweet tooth but am also enjoying trying 5 Baht (about 15 cents) candy from 7-11.)
After this second breakfast it was back on the bus, where I was taught how to fold lotus blossoms into open flowers. There was a small tree fall across the road at one point, but that was easily taken care of with the amount of people we had! At one point I think some people were commenting on the wild chickens (“gai” is chicken, and as the first letter in the Thai alphabet is G I can recognize this word. Though it is deceptively similar to “kai”, the second letter, which means “egg.”. . but I don’t think people were pointing at eggs by the road!). Going to the ceremony was a great way to start my morning and I look forward to witnessing more of these events.
My knowledge of spirit houses is limited but is as follows:
They are not Buddhist, although you may see them near wats (temples). They are related to animism, and the idea that spirits are not attached to humans alone, e.g. trees (can) have spirits.
Each building or group of buildings needs to have one to house and placate the spirits displaced by the building.
The grander your house/building, the grander the spirit house.
If you add an addition to your house, you should enlarge the spirit house as well.
Offerings such as fruits, flowers, water, or soft drinks are left for the spirits to keep them happy.
The old spirit house at Sala Phrom was in disrepair, so a new, larger one was constructed. I’ll try to get some pictures, but the new spirit house is basically a little cottage with red curtains. The wood over the door is patterned and inside there are multiple altars beneath a portrait of a ranger who died here about sixty-five years ago (the resident ghost).
When I boarded the blue bus outside the office, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The ride was less bumpy that I would have expected from the road, and everyone squeezed in to make room for all of the people who wanted to go. When we first got to the house, some rangers and other residents of Sala Phrom were already there. Mats had been set out on the porch of the house, and women were sitting there already. There were also chairs set out for more people to sit. Several of the rangers had brought cameras and were taking pictures of everything going on.
The entire ceremony was in Thai, but here’s what I think happened . . . Everyone was given incense and a “prayer” was said by a older ranger who retired recently (we had the opportunity to go to his retirement party a few weeks ago and it was lots of fun). The chief of the sanctuary also said some words- maybe a blessing or a commitment to take care of the spirits. There were many offerings on the altars, including apples, bananas, sticky rice, water, whiskey, a whole chicken, and pig’s heads- these also received sticks of incense but they weren’t lit. After the offerings were dedicated, the spirits had their chance to enjoy them . . . before we ate it all!
It was quite the experience to watch the meat being cut up, and once I was able to convey that I was a vegetarian (mai ao means “I don’t want any”), I was passed bananas and sticky rice at frequent intervals. The women remained sitting on the porch sharing sticky rice, fruit, meat, and chili sauce, but the men moved around a table with the lao kao (whiskey) and meat. There was also some sort of jelly-coconut-raisin dessert that I hadn’t had before that was fabulous. (I am slowly finding Thai food to satisfy my sweet tooth but am also enjoying trying 5 Baht (about 15 cents) candy from 7-11.)
After this second breakfast it was back on the bus, where I was taught how to fold lotus blossoms into open flowers. There was a small tree fall across the road at one point, but that was easily taken care of with the amount of people we had! At one point I think some people were commenting on the wild chickens (“gai” is chicken, and as the first letter in the Thai alphabet is G I can recognize this word. Though it is deceptively similar to “kai”, the second letter, which means “egg.”. . but I don’t think people were pointing at eggs by the road!). Going to the ceremony was a great way to start my morning and I look forward to witnessing more of these events.
Don’t stand under the monkeys!
There are several good reasons to not stand under the monkeys. First, it is harder to follow them if you are directly under them. You’d be surprised how easy it is to lose a dozen monkeys! Next, they drop things. Like the fruit they are done with. There is one fruit (which actually tastes really good; on this note I am not trying everything the monkeys eat but I think we both like bamboo and ma ka mang) that is about the size and shape of a flattened mango- except it is much heavier! They take about 20 minutes to eat one fruit, which is great because they stay in one place and are easier to draw . . . but then they drop the bits they don’t eat. Which means if you are under them you can get hit.
The monkeys also “drop” sticks and branches as they move through the canopy. Because it is monsoon season, there is a lot of rotten, dead matter in the canopy, and I can say from personal experience that it hurts to get hit! So standing to the side helps avoid this as well.
Finally, if you are standing under the monkeys you can be hit by monkey poop or pee. They don’t ever “aim” for you, and I don’t think it is their fault if you are hit, it is more of a wrong place-wrong time thing. I’ve been pooped on once (ironically as I was off to go for a pee myself) and it smells REALLY bad. According to Ines, one of the PhD’s of Team Macaque, the poop smells different based on what the monkeys eat (high protein is the worst). I’ve also been peed on once, but that was totally worth it. The monkeys were in this huge tree fall area and came down to the ground to drink. It is rare that we get to see them do this and they are super nervous because it is more dangerous for them to come down, so it is really cool to see them drink. In this instance, the monkeys were drinking out of a pool created in the place where a tree had been uprooted and I walked far around them and sat on a log nearby to watch. But with drinking comes peeing (Rich got peed on multiple times after being able to watch one group drink for an hour!) and the great spot I had chosen to sit was where the monkeys were headed next. They stayed very low and some were within just a few meters of me, but I neglected to notice that one had moved directly over me . . .
The monkeys also “drop” sticks and branches as they move through the canopy. Because it is monsoon season, there is a lot of rotten, dead matter in the canopy, and I can say from personal experience that it hurts to get hit! So standing to the side helps avoid this as well.
Finally, if you are standing under the monkeys you can be hit by monkey poop or pee. They don’t ever “aim” for you, and I don’t think it is their fault if you are hit, it is more of a wrong place-wrong time thing. I’ve been pooped on once (ironically as I was off to go for a pee myself) and it smells REALLY bad. According to Ines, one of the PhD’s of Team Macaque, the poop smells different based on what the monkeys eat (high protein is the worst). I’ve also been peed on once, but that was totally worth it. The monkeys were in this huge tree fall area and came down to the ground to drink. It is rare that we get to see them do this and they are super nervous because it is more dangerous for them to come down, so it is really cool to see them drink. In this instance, the monkeys were drinking out of a pool created in the place where a tree had been uprooted and I walked far around them and sat on a log nearby to watch. But with drinking comes peeing (Rich got peed on multiple times after being able to watch one group drink for an hour!) and the great spot I had chosen to sit was where the monkeys were headed next. They stayed very low and some were within just a few meters of me, but I neglected to notice that one had moved directly over me . . .
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