Tiger Kingdom

As you guys have already seen, I got to spend some time recently with tigers! Tiger Kingdom is a tourist attraction in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which allows you to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures. However, there are mixed opinions on this place.

After hearing things such as the tigers are drugged or are probably killed after their time at the Kingdom, I did some research. I checked out the website, read reviews on Tiger Kingdom and also looked up general information on tigers.

According to the Tiger Kingdom website, the tigers are not drugged or tranquilized. They do not believe in using chains or any other form of animal abuse. The website also states that they have a partnership with Ubon Zoo, so the tigers either go there or to other zoos after leaving Tiger Kingdom. It also mentions that the tigers are so tame because they are bred at Tiger Kingdom, therefore hand reared and see humans as family.  But of course, the website is going to have all positive information on it, which is also why I read reviews from people who have actually visited Tiger Kingdom.

The majority of the reviews and blogs I read regarding the morality of Tiger Kingdom, were all positive. After going to the attraction, seeing the tigers and how the staff interacted with them, they decided that it was a legit organization. The reviews stated that the tigers, especially the babies, were active and playing. The staff seemed to genuinely care for the tigers and only used a wooden stick to tap the tigers for bad behavior. The tigers seemed well taken care of and well fed.

Other information I found while doing general research on tigers is that tigers are lazy animals; comparing them to the domestic house cat. In the wild, tigers are only active while hunting for food; sleeping roughly 18-20 hours a day. At Tiger Kingdom the tigers are fed meat twice a day; therefore, they do not have to go on the prowl.

After discovering all of this information, I decided I wanted to check this place out. What I discovered, was exactly what the reviews stated.  The younger, smaller tigers were more playful than the older, larger tigers. In fact, one baby tiger even tried to take a swat at my foot. Luckily, I'm quick as a ninja and got out of the way! A staff member was nearby and quickly responded moving the tiger away from me. The staffs only form of discipline was a small wooden stick, which I didn't even see used. They all seemed to care for the tigers and enjoy their job. Before even entering the smallest tiger's pen, we had to wash our hands and remove our shoes. They were also very adamant about not using the flash on your camera because it can be harmful to the tigers eyes. The tigers appeared to be taken very good care of. The larger tigers were very lazy, often just laying around. But when a staff member would shake a toy near it, the tiger came to life! The tigers would jump up to swat at the stick, ready to play. It reminded me of a domestic house cat. Tigers are also ticklish. If you scratch on its side, it will swat its tail! The tail is so massive. It could do some serious damage. The staff member who showed us around the largest tiger cage was quite a jokester. He asked us all where we were from. I obviously answered, "America". To which he replied, "You better be careful. Tigers like American meat! They like the white meat." Which I had to admit, was pretty funny.

It was such a cool experience to be so close to such a dangerous animal. The staff made sure that we never approached the tiger from the front or stroke its head. Even though these tigers have been hand reared and are used to humans, they are still wild animals and could attack.

The moral issue still arises though because Tiger Kingdom appears to be just a money-making business. Yes, the tigers are taken care of and will always have food, but they are not free. Tigers are wild animals meant to be in the wild, not hand reared for a tourist attraction. However, due to poaching and deforestation, tigers are endangered species. And even a tourist attraction, such as Tiger Kingdom, can help protect these amazing creatures to keep them from going extinct. Sadly though, they will never be able to be released into the wild.

I am glad I visited Tiger Kingdom. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and it really is amazing to be able to get so close to an animal you've only seen behind a cage at the zoo.  I looked so small next to these enormous cats!

A Smile & a Laugh

This past week while I was waiting at the elephant vet, I met a mahout named Duey. He has the cutest little two year old boy. He liked to sit on my lap for a little bit then run back to his mom. He was adorable. Even though we weren't able to verbally communicate, we could understand each other based on body language. Plus, his little giggles said enough.

Duey asked me in broken English, what my name was and where I was from. He then tried to tell me something in Thai using hand motions, but I had no idea. So he got out his tablet, typed it in and translated it to English so I could read it. He was asking if I was there to "bathe the wound" or help the vet. The second time he typed something, it said "elephant husbandman". I was really confused! I laughed, shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. He then tried again and it said, "veternarian"! I was like, "Ahh!! Yes. Yes." It was really sweet of him to take the time to speak with me even if it was via electronics.

Another mahout asked me what my name was, but he spoke in Thai. I had no idea what he was saying. He repeated it a couple of times before answering the question himself. He pointed to himself and said his name. I was then able to understand what he wanted from me. He just wanted to know my name! I replied saying, "Randi" very slowly and he repeated it. Then said, "America?" I said, "Yes!"

A few people at the camp who speak English pretty well still have trouble with some words. They will repeat the word to me, but sometimes I have difficulty figuring out what it is they are trying to say. When that happens, they just spell the word for me. I'm always like, "Oh yeah"! We laugh a bit then I teach them how to pronounce the word properly.

Jin, myself and Bas who works at the zip line nearby, were playing music on our phones one afternoon. We all knew and listened to Adele and Mumford & Sons. It's crazy how the music I listen to in the States is the same that people all the way in Thailand are enjoying.

We are all alike, young and old. Even though our language and culture might be different, we all want to communicate with each other. It's amazing how we find ways to make that happen. Luckily, a smile and a laugh is understood in every language around the world.

Alone in the Jungle

This past week was my solo week at the elephant camp. Melissa, who was with me my first week, left to go back to Florida already. I wasn't planning on going to the camp because I wasn't sure how it would be by myself. While I'm at the camp, I feel like I miss out on so much going on back at the volunteer house. All the girls go out to dinner, make plans for the weekend and just get to hang out while I'm alone in the jungle.

I wanted to work at the children's home for the week with a couple of girls from the volunteer house, but the minimum was a two week commitment. I still wanted to come back to the elephant camp my third week, so I wasn't able to do that. So off to go to the camp I went , but only for half of the week and not before going to the Western store to buy some Peter Pan peanut butter and Frosted Flakes or Frosties, as they are called here.

This past week, I tried coconut for the first time! The coconut water was pretty good; however, I didn't like the inside part. There were three coconuts total and I got to feed them to Souk Chai when we were finished! When I gave him a coconut, he tried to put it in his mouth but it was too big. So being the genius that he is, he proceeded to put the coconut on the ground so he could crush it with his foot then eat the smaller pieces. It was really cute to watch. Elephants are such smart animals.

The river water was too high this past week to bathe the elephants in, so we had to use a water hose. Souk Chai likes to pick up the hose with his trunk and put it in his mouth to drink. My mahout always says, "Yum yum!" My job during bathing was to spray Souk Chai and keep the water running on him. My mahout still handed me my scrub brush though...Like I could continuously spray Souk Chai with the hose and scrub him at the same time?!  Whenever I tried to, my mahout would take the hose from me and spray it himself. It's way too difficult to do both jobs so I just stuck with the water hose.

I went to the resort nearby to eat lunch and Skype with my parents Tuesday. However, the wifi connection was bad and it kept cutting out. I couldn't even see them, but they could see me which I just found weird. Then that afternoon the water and electricity went out in the entire camp and village. It was crazy. Jin said this had never happened before. I sat outside in the hammock and read a bit then decided to write some postcards. Luckily, the water and electricity came back on about an hour later. I was so glad. There was no way I would've been able to sleep in that heat.  Too bad Wednesday morning the electricity went out again! I couldn't even take my usual afternoon nap because it was too dang hot in the room.

Last week during the show, we got to watch a proposal! A guy came riding in on an elephant holding a bouquet of flowers while the elephant held a basket of flowers in his trunk. Two other people walked ahead with a banner that said, "Marry me, please?" The elephant walked right up to the girl in the crowd and handed her the basket. The guy climbed off the elephant, got down on one knee and proposed. It was the cutest proposal! I now have high expectations for my future proposal. So to my future husband, if you're reading this, good luck!

Surprisingly, my solo week at the camp wasn't too bad. I actually enjoyed being at the camp alone. But I am very glad to be back in the city with electricity and air conditioning!

Lions, Tigers, Bears, Oh My...

                                     Actually, just tigers!

Three Month Old Cub

Six Month Old Cub

18 Month Old Tiger

Recap in Photos!

Temples

Spirit House: They believe the spirits of those who lived there before come back and will protect them if offered food and drink.

Monk sleeping in the Temple

Temple: There used to be stairs leading up to the top, but the monks filled it with concrete to prevent thieves from accessing the gold at the top.

Cool Statue at the Temple

There were little signs like this all throughout the outside of the Temple.

Overlooking the City of Chiang Mai

Part of the Largest Market in Chiang Mai

Dried Seafood at the Market

Raw Fish at the Market

Random Boat

Family Working their Stand at the Sunday Night Market

Traditional Dance at the Sunday Night Market

Common Area at the Elephant Camp

Getting Kisses

Boomi!

Boomi, again.

Souk Chai, myself and my Mahout, Tiet

Children at the Local School 

The kids steal your iPhone or camera and take so many photos!

Painted in Chalk for a Tourism Video

Mai and Yan

Hole in the Wall Restaurant in Pai

Mai and I Hiking to the Waterfall

Waterfall in Pai

Canyon in Pai

The Cutest Kids Ever in Pai on their Mother's Motorbike Cart

The Bungalow in Pai

The Terrifying Bridge

Peace Out, Pai! (Kaj, myself, and Mai)

Birthday Weekend!

This past weekend eight of the volunteers took a girls trip to Pai. Pai is a quaint little hippie town about a three hour drive from Chiang Mai. The town is actually much closer, but the road to get there is worse than Highway 101 I took to get to Portland, OR. The road is so windy, it doesn't even make sense. Some curves were basically u-turns. Let's not forget about our CRAZY driver who felt it was necessary to pass every car on a two lane road and drive as fast as possible without flipping the van. We even played "chicken" with a few cars too. Unfortunately, that's not one of my favorite car games to play.

About half way there we stopped at this random small shop. It was sort of like a tiny convenience store. They sold some candy, drinks and a few actual meals. We just took a short break to use the bathroom and buy a snack. A couple of us headed to the bathroom, which was down some stairs. These stairs were so unusual. The top half of the stairs were really wide and flat, but the bottom half were narrow and steep. It was odd. The bathrooms were obviously not the nicest. At first we thought there was only a squat toilet. I was not about to use that. I haven't had to use one since being here, and hopefully never have to. Luckily, the next two bathrooms were western style. We were pretty stoked on that until we saw the sign that said you had to buy toilet paper at the front counter. What?! Who doesn't provide toilet paper to people? Good thing our friend was smart and had some with her. The bathrooms were so dark. The sink was outside to wash your hands, but of course there was no soap. After about a 15 minute break, we loaded back in the van to continue on.

Roughly three hours after our journey began and about a million curves later we arrived in Pai. Now, I had heard great things about this town. That it was a great weekend trip. There was a lot to do. It would be a blast. While I did enjoy my time there, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. This could be because we didn't rent a motorbike, which basically everyone else was doing.

As soon as we arrived we booked our return taxi ticket for 3:30PM on Sunday, but me and two  girls later changed it to 12:30PM. Then we went on the search to find a place to stay. Even though we were a group of eight, it actually didn't take long to find a place. We checked out a couple before deciding to stay in a bungalow a little bit outside of town. I shared a room with two other girls. The room was nice with air conditioning, but the bathroom had some bugs and slugs in it with no hot water. The wifi was also a bit sketch and always cut out. The worst part of the bungalow though was the bridge you had to walk across to get there. This bridge is going to collapse any day. It stretches over a filthy river. The floor of the bridge is just a bunch of wooden planks. Actually, it's not even planks. It's much thinner than one would imagine a plank would be. Anyway, it wasn't a smooth surface and if you weren't paying attention you would've tripped and fallen overboard. The bridge also swayed..a lot. Especially when all eight of us would walk across at the same time.

After settling into our rooms we went to lunch at this hole in the wall restaurant, where I ordered a toasted ham sandwich and a strawberry banana shake. The sandwich was alright and the shake had weird seeds in it. Not the best. We then took a taxi to the waterfall and canyon. The waterfall was pretty cool. You had to hike a little ways and then climb down some rocks to reach it. I am not the best at this. I was terrified I was going to slip on the rocks. I finally made it though and it was nice. The water was refreshing and not even waist deep where I stood. But it was much deeper closer to the waterfall. Deep enough for some people to cliff jump. I was too scared to climb up the rocks in order to jump in though. Only two girls from our group did. Of course, it was the other two Americans which just made me look like a total wimp. We spent roughly an hour there then headed to the canyon. The canyon reminded me of the Laguna Canyon in California, except the Laguna Canyon is way cooler because it looks out over the ocean. This one just looked out over some fields. It was still a pretty view and there were some trails you could hike around. We took a cute group photo and then headed back to the bungalows.

That night we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant where I ordered spaghetti with beef sauce. Only they had ran out of beef so I had to go with pork. Surprisingly, it wasn't too terrible. We then walked around the town and ate some dessert. My dessert was delicious. It was rotie with banana in the middle and Nutella spread on top. So good, I didn't even share with anyone else. It began raining so we quickly walked back to our bungalow to hang out and play some card games. I taught a few of the girls how to play Spoons, which was fun. We talked a bit then headed to bed a little before midnight. I was half asleep when Mai tapped me on my shoulder at midnight to tell me Happy Birthday! It was really sweet of her.

The next morning I ate a great birthday breakfast of pancakes with banana and chocolate syrup. It was the best! The drive back to Chiang Mai was so slowwww. This time we had a super nice van, but our driver was very cautious which is unusual for Thailand. It felt like it took twice as long to get back as it did to get there. It was a much safer drive, that's for sure. We were tired of being in the van though. Once we got back to town, we had to switch into one of the pickup truck taxi's with the boards in the back for seats, which took us to Tha Phae Gate. We then had a short walk to our volunteer house, where we relaxed a bit. Actually everyone else Skyped their friends/family, while I showered, packed for the elephant camp and sat there bored. This 11 hour time difference is beginning to suck especially since most of the other girls are from Europe, so while everyone I know is sleeping, their friends/family are awake and Skyping.

We finally left for dinner, where we went to our usual Coffee Club restaurant. It is super nice, clean with Western food. My favorite. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fries. It was a really nice birthday dinner. Afterwards, we walked the night market where I bought some postcards and Kaj bought me a cute bracelet for my birthday! Then it was time for McFlurry's!! Sunday night was actually the very first time I had stepped foot inside a McDonald's since arriving here. Surprising, I know. The only topping we could get was Oreo, which was a bit of a bummer. I wanted M&M and Mai wanted Smarties. Apparently in Europe they have this candy called Smarties, which aren't anything like the Smarties we have in the States. Smarties in Europe are similar to M&M's. Who knew?! We got our McFlurry's then walked to the nail salon for a pedicure.

It was the worst pedicure I have ever gotten. They literally soak your feet for five seconds, scrub them for two seconds then proceed to trim and file your toes. After which they paint your nails and you're done. No massage. No lotion...just Vaseline, which is weird. My lady couldn't even paint my toes, so another girl had to do it. It was terrible. Let's just say, if I ever go back there it will be to try the fish pedicure and get a foot massage. (Update: I went back tonight for the fish pedicure and massage. The fish part was strange. It felt like pins and needles. The foot massage was really nice though. Thirty minutes wasn't long enough!)
All in all, I had a great birthday weekend and enjoyed spending it with new friends!

So far in Thailand...

So far in Thailand I have:
-seen at least two cockroaches in the kitchen.
-almost been ran over while crossing the street.
-ridden a Tuk Tuk.
-visited Temples and markets.
-felt sick a few times.
-bargained to get a cheaper price on some cool elephant pants.
-eaten Thai food and hated it.
-also eaten toast almost every morning for breakfast.
-found cobwebs, a lizard, spiders, and a snail in my bedroom/bathroom.
-ridden and bathed an elephant 11 times.
-played badminton.
-never taken my shoes off so many times.
-learned to say "Thank you, you're welcome, sorry and hello" in Thai.
-played the card game, Spoons.
-seen more stray dogs than in my lifetime in the States.
-fallen off my elephant in the river.
-had elephant poop flung at me.
-gotten a rash on my arms.
-gone to the hospital for said rash. (Literally took five minutes. Didn't fill out a single form or pay a cent and was given medicine and calamine lotion.)
-heard something scurry across the roof of my bedroom.
-had an elephant give me a kiss.
-been able to communicate quite well with people without using words.
-had an elephant spray me with water.
-lost my scrub brush in the river, but luckily my Mahout was quick enough to recover it.
-taught English to Kindergartners, as well as, 20 something year olds.
-also taught the "Cup Game" to one of the English students.
-never seen so many friendly, smiling faces.
-never felt scared for my safety.
-never felt so gross and dirty, yet have been okay with it.
-gotten elephant rash on my thighs.
-woken up to roosters crowing and elephants trumpeting. (Actually, an elephant sounds more like a freaking dinosaur..no lie.)
-had an elephant fart in my face. (Never thought I'd be able to say that.)
-been the only volunteer at the elephant camp this past week.
-celebrated my birthday!

First Week

It's hard to believe I have been in Thailand for over one week! My first weekend here was pretty busy because I had two days of orientation. I got picked up from my guesthouse on Friday morning. Luckily, another girl had just been picked up from the airport and was in the truck too. Here in Thailand, they ride in "taxi's" or "buses". It's really just a pick-up truck with two boards in the back for seats and a topper with flaps. Probably not the safest form of transportation, but hey, we're in Thailand. We went to the Friends for Asia office to sign some paperwork then got dropped off at the guesthouse, which was just a short way.  My new friend, Julia who is from Germany, and I got settled in then walked around the city of Chiang Mai. We stumbled upon a cute little coffee shop where Julia ordered a Coke and I got a Five Berry Smoothie. It was delicious! Once we arrived back at the house, more volunteers had arrived. We got to know some of the new girls and a few of us went to dinner that night. I ordered fried rice with beef. Disgusting.

The next morning orientation began at 9AM. We talked about Thai Culture, learned a few phrases in Thai, talked about our individual programs, then went out to lunch and to see a few Temples. That night we went to a Traditional Thai dinner and Cultural Show. It was an experience, that's for sure. Some of the dances were really cool, but others we all found a bit strange. I tried Sugar Cane for the first time that night. It was interesting. Sunday morning involved more Thai lessons and a bit more talk about our programs. That afternoon we went one of the largest markets in Chiang Mai. It was crazy. They sold anything and everything you could want. They had any kind of fish...raw fish, live fish, dried fish. Many different fruits and vegetables. They even had clothes and shoes. At the end of the tour of the market, two of the new volunteers ate a fried cricket! I was going to give it a try, but I wasn't feeling well at the market and decided I better not. Sunday night we went to Sunday Street, which is a night market. They close down the streets for it. It's so crowded and packed with people and booths. There were lots of different street foods to try, but we picked a small restaurant on our way home. While there, a cat literally jumped on a table and no one made it get down. I, of course, didn't eat anything there. It was not very sanitary. After dinner, we took a Tuk Tuk home. It's a three wheeled motorbike with a covered seat in the back. Pretty cool form of transportation, but probably not the safest. Although, nothing is really safe in Chiang Mai. The streets are so crowded with people and motorbikes! I've seen an entire family on a motorbike...baby in front, mom in the middle and the father in the back. None wearing helmets. I've also seen 12 year olds riding them by theirself. There are so many cultural differences between Thailand and America, but that will be saved for another blog.

Monday morning, I left to go to the Elephant Camp with a volunteer named Melissa, who is from Florida. Monday was a pretty chill day. I got to pick out my elephant! I chose Suk Chai, who is the third smallest elephant and nine years old. He's the sweetest.

My daily schedule at the camp is:

6:30AM- Meet my Mahout, Tiet (Thee); Pick up the elephant poop, sweep the stall, then climb on Suk Chai to go to the river for bathing
Tiet will say a command and Suk Chai knows to lay down with his back leg propped up like a step for me. I climb up and sit on his neck holding onto his head. The hair on his head is kind of rough and my palms are sore from it. When we get close to the river, Tiet will climb up too and in the water we go. Once in the water, Tiet commands Suk Chai to lay down so we can climb off and begin washing him. Once back into the stall, I sadly have to chain his front right leg. That's definitely not my favorite part. I still have mixed feelings about this camp. Anyway, after that I feed him some grass and Suk Chai tells me "Thank you" by bowing down and making a noise.

7:30AM- Shower, eat breakfast

8:30AM- Help at the show
I really enjoy helping at the show because I get to spend so much time with the elephants. Before the show starts the mahouts bring their elephants out and just sit around with them. This is the most time I get to spend with Suk Chai during the day. I stand there and just pet his face and trunk. He almost always closes his eyes, so relaxed. During the show, I help sell bananas and sugarcane that the tourists can feed the elephants. It's 30 Baht (roughly $1) for a bunch of bananas and sugarcane. The elephants do different things during the show. They either paint a picture, play soccer, play the harmonica and dance, lift logs (elephants were used for logging back in the day), or do some sort of trick. My elephant does the best one. He can do a handstand using only his front legs and trunk. He can also stand up on his hind legs. After the show, we stand around with the elephants again.

11AM- Make vitamins
After the show, we go to the  vet to package vitamins for the elephants. We fill paper bags with a bucketful of vitamins and fold the bag twice. When the elephants come for their turn, they lift their trunk, open their mouth and you shove the bag in. My first time I was a little scared, but it's actually really cool.

12PM- Lunch
We eat a buffet style lunch with the tourists. It's not the greatest food, but they do have plain white rice, which I can handle.

1PM- Free Time
We have a few options during this time, but we have mainly just been helping some guys improve their English. People here have such a desire to learn English.  I also take a nap during this time.

4PM-Meet my Mahout, Tiet (Thee); Pick up the elephant poop, sweep the stall, then climb on Suk Chai to go to the river for bathing

5PM- Shower, get ready for dinner
One evening we played Badminton. Our coordinator here is in a badminton tournament soon and wanted some practice. Unfortunately, Melissa and I suck at that game.

6:30PM- Dinner
We go to the restaurant and order something from the menu. I've only tried the macaroni with chicken in tomato sauce. It's not the best, but not the worst. The tomato sauce is really sweet here.

8/9PM- Bed time
The evenings here are really quiet and peaceful, except for the occasional elephant. During the day though, there are many tourists and the camp can be pretty busy.

Friday afternoons, I return to the city and rejoin the other volunteers in the guesthouse. This weekend we have decided to go to Pai to celebrate birthdays! Mine is on Sunday and another volunteer's was on Thursday. Pai is only a few hours away and is a cool, little hippie town apparently. You can get transportation there and back, plus hotel and food for like $30.

Next weekend we plan to check out Tiger Kingdom, Thai Boxing, and a Monk Chat.