When your neighbors are elephants...

So it's time for some new activities! 

To my audience who's more patient than I am...it's been a busy few days with lots of naps when I'm able to fit in. 

It's 90 degrees, the sun is much different than back home. Tan time for me! But see there's this rule...conservative Thai. If I have my shoulders showing I need to have my knees covered. If I have my knees out, I have to cover my shoulders. 

Which tan line do I care about more? Either way you're fucked Shayna, either way. 

I went with shoulders showing and knees covered for the next few days. 

We went to volunteer at the "elephant poo paper making factory" Yup, you read it right. Elephants eat bamboo...so they poo bamboo. Which can be made into paper. Nifty, eh? Let me pause briefly to say there's 4 Canadians with us...so my accents coming back are going to be quite interesting! 

 

We get to the "factory" which consisted of 2 people working in an outdoor shaded area in the midst of the trees. No "machinery" in sight. 

 

 

We each can take a turn making a sheet of paper. The process is as follows, pour the elephant shit that's been boiled and sterilized in a tub of water. Mix it, bare hands...cringe...its sterile Shayna its sterile. Then grab your net and scoop it while you let the fibers settle. Hang it to dry. 

I was coming up with every excuse in my head as to why I wasn't going to participate in this section of the volunteering. I've got a cut...don't want to stick an open wound In that sterile water. Ugh. That won't work. I'm too short to reach across the bin, I'll ruin it. Oh, the 4"9 girl did it? Shucks. 

Fine. I'm doing it...

 

  

Alllllllright, I'm good with never having to do that again in my life. Next project please!!! 

We cut up some of the green leaves they used for dye. With 16 of us cutting you can only imagine how long that would have taken the two guys and lady to do! 

 

 

Before our stay in Thailand was over, we got to take another bath with our elephants, cut more bamboo for them, feed them watermelon and went kayaking up the river. Arm workout....check!

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine the tan line I got from this outfit? Lol shiiiiiiit. 

Time to say goodbye to my sweet pregnant elephant. She was a lot nicer this time...maybe I should feed her watermelon more often. 

 

Thailand has definitely taught me a whole different perspective on many ways. I've seen poverty, there's no absence of that in South America. But this was different...I got to see hard working, kind people who have the largest smiles and such light spirits in a world where they are happy making even $5 a day. I got to witness how hard a life an elephant will have if it gets put up for the tourist trap of riding them. I got to see the love and kindness from more people in different parts of the world. It never fails to remind you just how small this world is. A smile is the universal language and they sure brought that to me. I'll never stop finding ways to remind myself of that. I'll never stop realizing the importance of humbling yourself and taking a time out.

See ya later Thailand! Cambodia here I come.