sabbath, my husband spent quite a lot of time working in Asia, particularly Thailand. While there, he loved what he saw and experienced, but because he was working, didn't really have the time to explore as he would have liked. When I retired, we decided to take a trip there so he could get to know the country better and so that I could see it for myself.

I'll admit that I had my doubts at first. I was worried about the climate and that it would be too hot and humid. I worried about the language barrier. I worried about getting lost and how we would find our way around. I worried about so many things, but none of my worries turned out to be worth worrying about.

Thailand is a magical place, full of contrasts and mystery. There is much to see and do and the people are truly kind and generous. We met people in the area we were staying that we are still in touch with. One of them, a young woman, who worked at one of the restaurant/bars that we frequented ended up inviting us to her wedding. We would have loved to attend a Thai wedding, but unfortunately, it was scheduled for after we left Thailand to come home. Last year, she had a beautiful baby boy and I am looking forward to meeting him and bringing him a gift from the United States the next time we return.

Elephants are next and I must warn you it is going to be a long post. There is just no way to shorten the things that need to be said and told.

One of the highlights of our visit to SE Asia was a day spent at the
Elephant Nature Park a sanctuary for neglected, abused and injured
elephants. The park was founded by Sangdeaun Lek Chailert and consists
of 250 acres where the rescued elephants will spend the rest of their
days in a pampered retirement. Each elephant has their own human
companion who spends the day with them and sees to their every need.

Lek is an amazing woman who was born into the Hill Tribes village of
Baan Lao. Her grandfather was a healer of both people and animals and
young Lek often accompanied him on his calls. As she grew into
adulthood, Lek became an advocate for animals, especially the Asian
elephant, which is the national symbol of Thailand. Her dream was to
create a place where elephants would be treated with patience, love and
kindness rather than force and punishment. She has succeeded beyond
anyone's wildest dreams and today other elephant parks are beginning to
model themselves after Elephant Nature Park.

For many tourists visiting Asia, riding an elephant is on their bucket
lists of things to do, but what they don't realize is that doing so
supports an industry that is harmful to elephants physically, mentally
and emotionally. As large as they are, elephants do not have strong
backs and anything weighing over 150 kilos (300 pounds) puts immense
stress on their spines. Giving rides involves a saddle (howdah) that
weighs approximately 100 pounds and up to four humans. Assuming those
humans weigh an average of 150 pounds each, the elephants could very
well end up carrying 700 or more pounds on their backs. This results in
spinal injuries as well as dislocated hips and even death for the
elephant as reported in this recent news story out of Cambodia. Samba's Death

Many of the elephants worked in the logging industry until logging was
banned by the Thai government in 1989. The unfortunate side affect was
that many mahouts (handlers) and their elephants found themselves out of
work overnight resulting in the mahouts turning to other sources of
income such as elephant rides, performances and begging in the streets.
These elephants are often malnourished, exhausted and suffering from
mental and emotional distress. Most working elephants were taken from
their mothers at a very young age and put through a brutal training
process known as the crush which is designed to break their spirits and
make them submissive to humans.

Fortunately, in large part due to Lek's work, attitudes in Thailand are
beginning to change. Elephant camp operators are starting to realize
that western tourists are happy to spend their money walking beside an
elephant, rather than riding it, as well as observing elephants being
elephants and participating in feeding and bathing. This is a wonderful
development for the elephants who get to lead a more natural life, the
mahouts who are still able to earn a living and the tourists who have a
much more enriching experience.

At the time of our visit, there were over 60 elephants living at the 250
acre park. It was very easy to make reservations through the park
website, Elephant Nature Park
where there are several packages from which to choose. Once that was
done, we eagerly awaited the big day. We were picked up at our hotel in
Chiang Mai at 8:15a.m. by one of the park's vans and settled back to
enjoy the drive.

The nature park is located in this beautiful valley:

Once at the park, we had a brief orientation from our guide and then it
was feeding time. We had no idea just how strong an elephant trunk was
until they were grabbing watermelon out of our hands!

One of the first elephants we met while on our walking tour was this
beautiful girl who had been at the park for only a couple of months.

Her foot was crushed in a logging accident and never healed
properly. Our guide explained that if she is deemed healthy enough,
surgery will be done to straighten her leg.

Next we met a small family group that includes four year old Navaan. He is sometimes a mischievous boy who is into everything!

Such a beautiful face...

And, big feet too!

Part II next - Houzz won't let me post any more photos in this post.

Time for a bath in the river. The elephants really enjoy playing in the water, especially Navaan.

Followed up by another of their favorite things - a dust bath!

The only thing better than splashing in the river is playing with old
tires and rope. The first three photos are of Navaan who gets in a
couple of well placed kick moves. The naughty boy doesn't like to share
his tire and chased me when I was standing too close to his toy!

Part III next...

Adult elephants like to play too...

Elephants eat several hundred pounds of food per day...

What goes in must come out - my goodness!

Sometimes an itch just has to be scratched!

This old girl had only been at the park a few weeks. Note how thin she
is, but it won't be long until she gains weight and is a healthy
elephant.

The banana room - it's a full time job keeping the elephants stocked up!

Besides elephants, the sanctuary is home to rescue dogs, cats and water buffalo.

I really enjoyed helping with bath time. Each person in our group was given a bucket and instructed to douse the elephants. Um, ok!

We would have loved to stay longer, but sadly the day came to an end.
As we rode back to our hotel, my thoughts turned to Lek and the amazing
job she has done with not only the sanctuary and elephant rescue but in
educating those who operate elephant camps and work with elephants.
Every now and then an extraordinary human being comes along and Lek is
certainly one of them. To quote William Shakespeare, "though she be but
little, she is fierce" and she lets nothing stand in her way when it
comes to helping her beloved elephants.

Thank you, Lek!

I love these posts! I also read that Lek is a vegetarian. My daughter is a vegetarian due to her love of animals, since childhood. I wish I could give up occasional chicken and salmon.....it's so hard, I have immense respect for those who are able to do so. Lek is truly an amazing woman!

I would love to see more. If you have time to post....so interesting...and inspiring!

This is the best travel writing I have seen in ages, Dawn! I hope you are planning more trips :-) Thank you so very much. I have never been to Thailand. We are considering spring break there or Japan next year. Your elephant pictures tell such a bittersweet story. Thank you.

Elephants are so majestic and so full of individual personalities. Thanks for telling us about this rescue habitat.

sabbath, it does not surprise me at all that Lek would be a vegetarian. When we were at the sanctuary, lunch was included in our package and it was a huge, delicious buffet of all vegetarian food. I could almost go vegetarian, but I really enjoy having meat with a meal although not every day. I'm trying to make myself feel better about this by moving towards only buying local, organic meat from my local farmers markets or from people I know personally who raise livestock on a small scale basis.

nicole, I love writing and posting pics about the Thailand trip, so as long as you guys are interested, I'm more than happy to keep this thread going.

Rita! Thank you so very much for your wonderful comment. You have just made my day. Asia is a fabulous place to visit, so which ever place you decide on, I'm sure you'll have a good time. I believe it was sabbath who just recently traveled to Japan and shared some of her wonderful pictures with us.

blfenton, thank you - my pleasure!

Just one more thing about the elephants that I meant to mention earlier. Most of the elephants in Lek's care adapt quickly to their new surroundings and form small social groups. Elephants are highly social animals and being part of a herd is important to them.

But, there are a few elephants at the sanctuary who have been so mentally and emotionally scarred that they are too unpredictable and dangerous to be allowed around the tourists who visit the sanctuary. They also refuse to socialize or interact with the other elephants and prefer to spend their days off by themselves doing self soothing activities such as swaying back and forth. These elephants each have a one on one human companion who spends the day with them just being nearby and trying to earn their trust. They do not push the elephant to go any faster than they are ready and this often means that the human might spend the entire day sitting quietly next to the elephant just being there. Eventually most of these elephants come around, but it can take a very long time.

Despite that sad thing, the sanctuary is a very positive, happy and uplifting place.

These days, Lek finds herself spending most of her time making fund raising appearances, giving interviews, meeting with government officials and corporate sponsors and not near the time she'd like with her elephants. I think if she had her way, she would be at the park all of the time, but it costs money to run an operation this size and the park employs a lot of Thai people and Lek understands this. She is there when she can be and off doing what needs to be done when it is necessary.

I watched a documentary where the elephants surrounded Lek as if she was an elephant. The commentator mentioned that the elephants don't usually interact with humans the way they interact with her.

Keep going we want to hear more!

Rita- I went to Japan in March. It was really amazing. It was tricky to find food for my daughter, as everything was so different. We went to 7 different cities in 12 days. No relaxing was done lol, lot's of fun was had though. We saw monkeys in Arashiyama, and deer in Miyajima that you can pet. My son and I laid down with our heads resting on the deer- which was my favorite part of the trip. If you decide to go Socks who posts here helped me tremendously. If you have any questions I will try to help too. We bullet trained from the bottom of Japan upwards.

Oh, Rita, I forgot. We are planning more trips. Heading over to Sweden and Poland later this year. I'm sure I'll be taking pictures like crazy!

We are going over there to watch two in a series of world championship speedway motorcycle races. The top riders earn points during this series with the top scoring rider being named the world champion. We have long been fans of this type of motorcycle racing and attend them whenever we can at a small local track. The current champion is an American and we are hoping he will be able to defend his title even though he is currently behind in point standings.

The motorcycles race on an oval track, sliding around the corners and have no brakes. Riders must control their speed with their bodies and skill. It's quite exciting to watch.

The caliber of racing is going to be way, way beyond what we see at our small track!

While we are there, we will also see as many other sights as we can. I am currently looking into tours of the Auschwitz concentration camp although there is another closer to where we are staying so we may end up going there instead.

That's very interesting! Do you ride motorcycles?

No, but my husband does. We have a couple of small trail bikes and he is going to teach me to ride one of these days. He hasn't done that yet because I don't have a helmet.

I'm sorry about your mom; that must have been especially frightening for you as a young child. I'm hope she made a full recovery.

I don't usually read long posts - I have a short attention span! But these posts are awesome! I hope you to continue writing and posting pics. Part of my enjoyment is your writing style.

Thank you so much for all the information on the elephant sanctuary, Dawn. I can't wait to hear about your trip to Poland and Sweden. Motorcycle racing without brakes, there is an interesting in a terrifying kind of way, sport. You really do have a wonderful way of explaining and showing things through words and images.

Sabbath, I will be sure to start a thread and DM you should we decide on Japan for spring break. I think that is the likely choice. We would have seven or eight days depending on our eldest son's spring break schedule.

Rita- I keep trying to make my DM thing work but I haven't been able to figure it out. Idk if my computer is old, or it's my limited technical skills lol. I really enjoyed Japan, my children's spring break was in March and we went during it, they are older 22 and 18 but both in school. I have so many dreams of going back...but I want to go everywhere else in the world too!

Sabbath, we've been very fortunate to be able to do these things. There is so much to do and see in this world and we're trying to squeeze in as much as we can while we are young and healthy enough.

Sophia - that is so sweet. Thank you so, so very much. I'm really glad you are enjoying the story.

Rita, it is exciting to watch. The racers sometimes look crazy out of control, but they are very skilled riders. Thank you again - I enjoy writing almost as much as I do taking photos.

New batch of photos will be posted in the morning, although since I am on the west coast, it may end up being early afternoon for some of you!

I'm on the west coast too, and just checked back to see if you've posted anything new :>)

Sephia, I thought about it, but there was too much stuff going on at home today and I never found the time. Morning for you for sure ! :)

Sabbath, try to edit your profile, go to advanced settings and towards the bottom you can adjust who is allowed to message you. I just saw that only people I follow could message me- that must be the default- I don't follow anyone- so I changed that to anyone can message me.

All over Thailand and Bangkok there are Spirit Houses. They can range
from quite small to very large and elaborate. Spirit houses serve as
shrines to protective spirits. The spirits are thought to protect homes
and businesses from misfortune.

Spirit houses are usually placed in a favorable location chosen after
consultation with a Brahmin priest, often in a corner of the property
that does not get shade. Normally in the form of a miniature house or
temple, spirit houses are often mounted on a single pillar or on a dais.

This spirit house was on a roof and visible from the train as it passed by:

The elephant is an important symbol in Thailand - animal representations are often included as part of a spirit house:

The spirit house provides shelter for spirits
that could cause problems for the people if not appeased. The shrines
often include images of people and animals. Offerings of food, drink,
incense and flowers are left to nurture the spirits. In return the
spirits offer protection and good fortune.

On this particular day, the spirits must have taken the form of pigeons when they visited the spirit house to accept the offerings of food and drink!

While walking around Bangkok, it was interesting to note that the
spirit houses come in many different sizes and shapes and range from
very simple to very intricate and complex.

The spirit houses are also another example of the contrasts found in
Bangkok. It's an ultra modern city of sky scrapers, high rise
apartments and some of the best medical care in the world, yet a
multi-million dollar construction project can't or won't proceed until a
spirit house has been properly established on the property. Failure to
do so could bring unimaginable bad luck.

These contrasts or ironies are also a major part of Thailand's charm and
appeal. It's rather cool that there is room for both modern progress
and ancient beliefs in this amazing country.

Glad you enjoyed the spirit houses, sabbath. It is a charming custom, but one the Thai people take very seriously. I like the idea of nurturing the spirits...it seems like an action that would invite good karma.

Yes it's something I am sure they take very seriously. I have a leaning towards miniature houses, that's what I meant by charming. I bought a couple of small Japanese houses in Japan that I have yet to construct because I can't read the directions lol. I love miniature villages and houses.

I was at an antique store and saw a miniature European home last week. I wanted it, but I don't have room for a bunch of miniature houses lol.

Oh dear, you are in a bit of a pickle with those instructions!

I'll bet with the diagrams you will be able to figure it out even if you do end up with a few leftover parts. Be sure to post pics when they are done. I agree - there is something about miniature anything that draws people in.

This little European Cottage, it was so well made. It seemed as though the walls were made of leather!! It had a thatched roof. I simply don't have the room for these things, but they bring out some childlike wonder in me.

I get sucked in by doll house furniture and accessories like tiny pots and pans and art for the walls and so on...

Thank you for the stunning pictures and wonderful explanations. I have forwarded your travelogue to my children. They were as delighted as I was by the scope of your story.

Sabbath, it was so nice to hear your children are 18 and 22 and you still go on spring break together. While I know my eldest is not a partier, I still worried a bit about scheduling family activities during a relatively short school break.

Rite, that is awesome and so are you! I hope they continue to enjoy the read. Thank you!

sabbath, try sending me a message and include your email address and I will email the link to you.

DawninCal & Rita- I sent both of you messages.

Got it. Replied.

Received and replied. Glad that worked!

While in Bangkok, we spent a day on the Chao Phraya River which runs through the city. We bought day passes for the water taxis that cruise up and down the river which allows pass holders to get on and off the river boats as many times as they
want. They stop at piers up and down both sides of the river. Many Thai people use the water taxis as a mode of transportation to commute to and from work.

They do get very crowded during the early morning and late afternoon commute hours. We tried not to use the water taxis during this time.

Besides the water taxis, there are many boats that give guided tours of the river area:

Like much of Bangkok, the shoreline is a mix of old and new:

There are also luxury high rise apartments, condos and hotels along the river:

Buddhism is the main religion practiced in Thailand followed by Hinduism. We saw several ornate and elaborate temples along the banks of the river as well.

Wow the roofs are so interesting!

I'm just catching up with this thread today, but want to chime in and thank Dawn for the pictures and commentary. What a wonderful trip!

Daddy was a career Naval officer, and served during the Viet Nam war. However, he was stationed in Thailand. I've seen loads of pictures of the city, but you have a different eye and it's nice to see the different view. Seems like there were a lot of snakes (cobras) in his. Did you see any when you were there?

Never had much interest in going to Thailand... till reading this! Wow. Actually I'd love to move there and work in the elephant sanctuary! Thank you so much for sharing the pictures and stories. Fascinating!

sabbath, I find Asian style architecture and design to be very interesting and pleasing to the eye. I imagine you noticed the same thing when you were in Japan.

Thank you, nickel! I'm glad you are enjoying it.

rob, we never saw a single snake while in Asia. It could be partly because attitudes are changing about the treatment of animals. They are being used for the entertainment of people less and less and there is growing interest in conservation and preservation of the limited natural resources and unique species of wildlife found in this part of the world.

share_oh, if you ever find yourself planning a trip to Thailand, the Elephant Nature Park, which I linked above with the posts about the elephants has a one week program for volunteers. When we were there, it was $500 for a week and included lodging and meals. Volunteers plant trees, prepare food for the elephants and other animals who live at the park, clean enclosures, walk with the elephants, play with and attend to the needs of the rescue dogs and cats and all kinds of other things. People come from all over the world for a chance to do this and from what I have read, the evenings they spend together after the park has closed for the day are times of great fun and bonding.

I really liked the blue tile roofs in Japan. I also loved the gardens. I did love all of the different architecture, the sky scrapers in Tokyo and the traditional homes that we saw from the train. I also love American architecture. I love the old buildings in New York, Boston, and New Orleans.

A trip to Bangkok would not be complete without a visit to Chatuchak
Market which is a 27 acre open air marketplace. Chatuchak Market is
open on Saturdays and Sundays and attracts crowds of an estimated
200,000 per day.

The easiest way to get there is to take the Sky Train to Mo Chit Station which
is the last stop on the line. After exiting the train, follow the
crowd.

Before entering, make a stop at the information center to pick up a free
map of the market. It is divided into sections based on the
merchandise being sold and helps in finding your way around. Once
inside, the clock tower can be used as an orienting landmark or as a
meeting place.

Prepare to haggle as it is expected and the vendors will think you're
strange if you pay the asking price of their items. Personally, I
dislike haggling as it makes me uncomfortable. I grew up in western culture where we go into a store and pay the sticker price and walk away with our puchases, but even I gave it a go.
I must admit it was rather satisfying to walk away with my purchases
after paying quite a bit less than the asking price!

Everything under the sun can be found here from clothing to jewelry to art to home decor to pet supplies and much, much more.

There are also food vendors throughout the market as well as a food
court offering delicious food and treats like vanilla ice cream served
in a coconut shell. Yum!

The market can be hot and crowded. It is a good idea to wear light clothing, comfortable shoes and drink plenty of water to stay
hydrated. Putting oneself in the right mindset of calm and patience is also necessary due to the crowds and noise, but what an experience it is!

That market looks amazing!

Given that 95% of the population of Thailand is Buddhist, it's no
surprise that there are an estimated 40,000 temples in Thailand. Thai
temple complexes usually include a temple or wat, feature a tall bell-shaped
stupa which is a place for relics and the ashes of monks, ordination and sermon halls, a space for shrines and Buddha
images and a residence for the monks.

The public is welcome at most temples. When visiting the temples, please show respect by observing the following guidelines:

Take your shoes off before entering the temple.

Make sure shoulders are covered and wear long pants (or long skirts for women).

Remove hats and sunglasses, don't chew gum or smoke and speak quietly.

After entering the temple, sit on the floor with your feet under you and
try not to put yourself in a position where you are higher than any
Buddha statues or Buddhist monks.

It's ok to take photographs unless there are signs forbidding it, but don't use a flash.

With their ornate appearance, the temples are easily recognizable:

These are peaceful places, and even if not Buddhist, one may feel the urge to reflect or meditate while visiting.

Beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers adorn the interior of the temples and they are spectacular:

The interior of the temples are dominated by Buddha statues. Buddha
statues are made out of many different materials from gold plate to
stone to wood to clay. One famous statue, the Golden Buddha, was
thought to be made of plaster until it was being moved to a new location
in 1954. Ropes supporting the statue snapped causing the statue to
fall to the floor and resulting in some of the plaster chipping off
allowing the gold surface underneath to be seen. After carefully
removing the plaster it was discovered that the statue was solid gold.
It is believed that it was covered over with plaster in the 1700's to
prevent theft, although at 5.5 tons stealing it would be a daunting
task!

The interior of the temples include beautifully embellished shutters and ceilings.

And, detailed murals cover the walls:

A walk through the temple grounds is a visual treat:

The treat continues!! Thank you, again Dawn. I almost missed this.