Falling... falling... fallen...
For the last couple of weeks I have committed myself to helping Fritz, an outgoing, hilarious American intern who broke his leg at the beginning of his stay. I am his legs, and his plant tagger. I get the interesting task of going along, tagging plants I see the elephants eat, asking the Mahouts for the Pakinwoh name. Padie Saiee, Thong Dee oo meh mooch illah? Padie Saiee, what is Thong Dee eating?
I record what part the elephants eat, and which elephant is munching. Its an interesting process, and I am beginning to recognise plants on sight. Later next week, Fritz, a mahout and I will go along and collect leaves from each numbered tag which will be taken into a professor in Chiang Mai and get identified. From that, the information will be used to write a paper about what elephants choose to eat while foraging in the forest, with the hope of informing zoos and elephant camps of the merits of a well rounded diet.
So everyday you’ll find me, in my overalls, with little red plastic tags hanging out of pockets, camera around my neck, pen in my hair, clipboard in hand, following elephants, curiously watching their mouths. Sometimes the elephants will eat the whole sample, other times I can’t reach the plant. But still, I am enjoying the challenge.
I absolutely love the interaction with the mahouts, who have come to answer me before I even ask. I love testing myself, climbing over vines to tag that plant I saw Mah Nah eating. And I love that this is hopefully going to contribute to the improved diet and health of elephants all over Thailand.
On Tuesday and Thursday I found myself bumping along in an old truck by 8 am on the way to cut elephant grass. Its the tail end of the dry season and the grass is hard to find and very tough. On Thursday we drove down a bumpy dirt track for what felt like hours, passing cabbage fields a flutter of white butterflies mating to a quiet spot with a view of rolling hillsides. Machete in hand (I bought one from a passing truck on the weekend, no idea what I’ll do with it when I get home, but hey, I’ll think of something) I dive into the bush finding succulent grass, swing, swing the grass piles up.
I’ve come to realise I love manual labour. I love the physical demand of weilding a machete, clawing through over growth to reach that one perfectly green bit of grass. I love the look on the villagers face as I pick up one of the big bundles of elephant grass and dump it on the truck. I love the mix of sun and sweat on my face as my muscles hum after a good hours work. So grass cutting mornings are among my favourite. After we stop at a little village of another hill tribe, descendants from northern China. I buy a weeks worth of watermelons, to give to the mahouts and my home stay.
And by lunch, I was back at base, eating lunch (which I shared with Polo the pup who stole my heart). Before I know it we’re walking out for the afternoon hike to bring the elephants into the village for a health check. The elephants are gracious and constant, but what really makes the hikes is the moods of the mahouts.
This week Boon Chew worked with Mah Nah, and its official, he’s basically my little brother. From the sling shot competitions (I hold out my hand and he tried to hit me, and true to a well raised village boy, gets me every time, then I get a go, and as you can imagine, miss every time- I am getting better though!) to general punch offs, our banter puts a smile on my face. Padie Saiee is like the elephants, constant and kind, patient and calm.
And finally Jor Doh, he’s the most unpredictable of the mahouts. Some days he just shows those capricous eyes, face hidden in a t-shirt tied around his head. Other days, I see him smile as he sits atop Boon Jan, throwing sticks at us. But he has come to accept my flowers and high fives, and seeing his smile is one of the best parts of my day.
So, I guess I’m still in paradise. I’m still falling more and more in love with this village, with the elephants and these mahouts. This last week has yielded some of the best hikes yet. On Monday, we found ourselves following the elephants through dense forest, watching them be elephants, break trees to eat their bark, moving with surprising grace over the dead leaves as we slip and slide after them.
After they out paced us we turned home, but not before stopping at the river and making tea. With a quick word to the mahouts, they were off. A flurry of machetes and bamboo, and before we knew it we had an open fire, boiling two hollowed bamboo kettles full of tea.
To the sound of the running stream we drank the fresh tea in bamboo cups. What more could I possibly want in life? And as I sat there, sipping, I couldn’t think of a single thing.
And as my fourth week here has passed, every experience has left me smiling.
From eating squirrel tail, caught in the forest.
To playing soccer with the local guys in the evening (for those of you who don’t know. I am coordinated and good at sports- that don’t include my feet. I am a total nuisance and sure enough, the guys pass me the ball, laughing as I squeal before attempting to head it, and smile despite my constant spray of sorrys).
From asking the mahouts to wear my GoPro camera on their heads as they work with the elephants, to showing these videos to the local kids.
This place makes me feel calm, happy and complete. Oh, the joy of falling in love...
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