This week has been marked by the coming and going of many people, which loosely translates to several late nights of indulging in island life. Camilla, Miriam, and Camilla's friend Ash who was visiting left on Tuesday for Bangkok where Camilla is, today, flying to Australia and Miriam is sorting out medical information for her New Zealand visa application. Miriam will be back today but I'm quite sad to see Camilla go; we'd been hanging out a lot in her last few days. Also on Tuesday we had two new volunteers arive. There's one girl, Sarah, from Manchester who has been rooming with me since her arrival and another girl, Tilly, from England and both seem like nice people. Today the two Polish vets, Sylvia and Eva, after several attempts to extend their stay, are sadly departing for home. With Miriam in Bangkok for these few days I hold the title of longest volunteer which is strange since I still feel like I've just arrived here, but no, tomorrow is four weeks - my half way point. Am I half way through all the things I'd like to do here?
As usual I have to comment on my bike once again and our deteriorating relationship. While I first thought of it as cute and quirky in a broken down kind of way, I'm now realizing a few more of its dangers and attitude problems. I say attitude problems because clearly my bike has a mind of its own and will try to kill anyone who rides it besides me. The time I let Terezia ride it she fell over and cut her elbow. Then I let Miriam ride it the other day when I was on the back of Sylvia's bike and while she was driving the kickstand somehow came down and sent sparks flying behind it, almost causing a really dangerous accident. We continued driving out to Kantiang Bay, about half an hour's drive, to go to Why Not Bar for Camilla's last night. Such a fun night, but when Miriam and I went to get on my bike and drive home we discovered it had taken some angry revenge out on us by having a flat tire. I need a bike therapist.
It would have been too dangerous to ride the bike home in that condition with two of us on it and a terrible road, and suddenly we found ourselves stranded far away from the shelter. But then to our rescue came a Thai man from the bar who immediately offered us a ride home and to bring me back the next day to get my bike fixed. What is this kindness? A complete stranger is going to go out of his way for our sake? But that's kind of what people are like here. This island is small enough that you routinely run into people you've met before and they're all generally kind and with good intentions. As I was working the next day this guy, Pey, offered to take my keys and money and get it fixed so, trustingly or perhaps naively, I did just that. And he did what he said he would and I got my bike back the next day, but not without becoming aware of some alterior motives. While I'm beyond grateful for the help I would be more than happy not to run into this fellow again...and therein lies the problem of living on an island.
When Miriam left I didn't have my bike back yet and the lovely person that she is left me her bike keys as well as her laptop. It's so strange having unlimited time on a computer as opposed to counting minutes because I'm paying for them. I find myself just staring at the screen, fixated by nothing. I saw a television in a store a couple of weeks ago and found it really bizarre to watch the moving picture - it started giving me a bit of a headache. Oh I hope it's not so easy to fall back into habits of tv and electronics as it has been to fall out of them. I really spend most of my free time reading and it's beyond wonderful. That's by far been one of the best things about having this time away without commitment. I've read so many wonderful books and I just want to keep reading. Actually I really wish I had someone to talk about these books with, but I lent Sarah a few of mine so perhaps that wish will be fulfilled. Fittingly for Thailand I've read a few Buddhist-oriented books such as Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh which was a perfect lead in for Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. I flew through Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) and found myself entirely engrossed in Viktor E Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. All I've got left is some short stories by J.D. Salinger and then I'll have to prowl some more out of the shelter's left behind book collection. In some ways I'm really looking forward to college and reading lists just to have good books and other people to talk about them with which is so not the attitude I had before I left. I just figured I'd skim through books or use online summaries in typical high school fashion but that would be such a waste of good literature. Maybe that's enough on my love affair with libraries (for today).
Also, Maine, I'm sorry it's snowing but don't feel too bad because it's also only 30 degrees or so here...celsius. Thanks to Miriam's laptop I was able to skype with my parents for the first time in maybe a month today and it was so lovely. It's always a bit strange arranging times to speak because I'm 11 hours ahead (it used to be 12 but Thailand doesn't have a time change) and so it was bright morning sunshine on my end and nightly darkness at home. I suppose that's all I have time for right now - it's time to work the afternoon shift, and then I'm also doing the sleep in tonight. First sleep in without Rufus!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Adventures With Sea Gypsies
I feel like I haven't stopped moving since I last wrote, but for good, adventurous reasons generally. For such a small island I am ever amazed at the amount of things there are to do and places to see. Wednesday night happened to be the 1 year anniversary of the Funky Monkey, Koh Lanta's closest thing to a night club - though it always seems empty when I drive by. The Why Not band (from the Why Not Bar) was performing and they're quite good so I went out with Sylvia, one of the Polish vets. Almost immediately we ran into a few people we'd both met previously through different circumstances and hung out with them for the majority of the night, but first we danced enthusiastically for hours until the band stopped playing. Then we left with the others to go to one of the beach bars, Klappa Klum. Inevitably if you build a bar alongside the ocean people are going to want to go swimming at some point, and so a crew of us ran into the ocean and swam under the stars until we felt a rarely experienced sensation: cold, and called it a night in respect of next day working shifts.
Dutifully I worked the Thursday night sleep-in and was so given the honor of Rufus' last night before he left for the UK with two other dogs; Punk and Blackie. This was the first time he didn't howl the entire night and it was with a tinge of sadness that we said our goodbyes to him in the morning. I was a bit misled when I wrote my last post, and it turns out that Rufus, Punk, and Blackie are to be followed this week by Camilla who is heading impulsively to Australia, and Sylvia and Eva who couldn't extend their trip and are returning to Poland. One new volunteer is arriving on Tuesday but I don't know anything about her.
Friday was such a crazy adventure day! A friend of the shelter, Rob, is friends with a sea gypsy who lives on Koh Lanta Noi. We're on Koh Lanta Yai which is farther from the mainland but just a short ferry ride to Noi. Seven of us hopped on our bikes in the afternoon and rode across on the ferry to Noi and drove around to the other side of the island where our guide awaited us at the end of a concrete pier facing several small islands and, in the distance, the mainland. He took us in his wooden boat to one of the nearest islands and stopped at a lovely strip of beach that looked like the kind of place on those paradise commercials. He then drove us around the perimeter of the island and it was unbelievable. Essentially the island rises directly out of the water in a sheer cliff. The rock walls are covered in twisted trees and greenery, but where the rock shines through it looks like it's been watercolored because of the different colored strains of earth coating the cliff walls. This island is home to eagles and heron-like birds that soar above us as they feel displaced by our boat. Monkeys paced the shoreline and fish leapt out of the water as we circled their home. After doing this loop we entered a cave mouth that can only be accessed at low tide and the real adventure began.
Inside the cave is a large sandy chamber with one massive chandelier-like stalactite in the center. At first glance this appears to be the entire cave, but if you look up towards the top of the back wall there is an entrance into unknowing darkness. A rope hangs down from here and we began the ascent up the increasingly sloping, slippery wall. By the time you reach the last 20 feet you are essentially pulling yourself up entirely by upper body strength since the ground offers no support. Our lovely guide quite likely saved my life more than once on this journey upward; as Rob stressed emphatically beforehand, this is not a tourist destination - this is dangerous and if you fall you could easily break your back/die. The second chamber is much larger than the first, pitch black, full of bats, and, therefore, covered in dry bat feces as those of us in barefeet were only too aware of. We whipped out our flashlights and ventured through this great hall until we supposedly came to the end. But wait, whats that hole above our heads? I'm sorry Mr. Sea Gypsy Guide, you want us to climb into that hole? (Did I mention that our guide spoke no English and none of us know Thai?) About here is where claustrophobia sunk in and I announced that I would be waiting here for their return. It quickly become aware that this wasn't an option as everyone cajoled me into going and the guide beckoned me towards the hole. Once through the hole it was possible to stand up and you're in an upward bound tunnel with a rope hanging down. Again, pull yourself up the rope and suddenly eight of us were cramped together looking at a hole descending downwards into darkness with a rope hanging down. Nearly in tears, I propelled myself down the rope into nothingness and found myself alive in a small "room." Not obvious at first glance was the tall but narrow opening at one side that we slipped into and then had to lower ourself onto the ground to squeeze through an opening that was so narrow you couldn't go through on your stomach, you had to rotate yourself onto your shoulders and pull yourself through that way. And then it became worth it. We were in another room not much bigger than the one before filled with a small pool of cold, clear, spring water. The clearest water I've ever seen; it reflected the dark ceiling and didn't even look at water at first. Our guide lit candles around the edge and, sweaty from our trek, we gratefully got into the water and paddled around, slightly giddy with our success since Rob warned us that not everyone would make it this far. He was almost right, but we proved him wrong. The way back out seemed much easier and we emerged just as the sun began to set. Our guide drove us back to shore on his boat and we quickly got on our bikes to try to make it home before it got too dark. We returned in complete darkness, but we all returned alive and having made it through all the caves' chambers.
Friday also marked my three week mark on Koh Lanta. I realized that I haven't been in one place for as long as three weeks in over three months, since I left home. I'm loving getting to know this island and all it has to offer. I've never been in this kind of situation before where I've become part of a community in that I have my favorite restaurants and I know where to get the things that I need and I have means to get around by myself and I have friends to go out with or I can go out by myself and it's wonderful. Will I be able to leave in five weeks? I know I'm not even half way through my time here but the days are just melting away - kind of like I am in the constant sun.
Camilla has a friend, Ash, visiting right now so on Saturday she took him down to the sourthern most tip of the island to see the lighthouse and national park and I tagged along. It's amazing riding alongside the ocean with the palm trees providing shade and the only breeze being that which you create with your bike. However the farther south you go the more interesting the road becomes. Remember how my bike is...finicky? Besides not starting well, not braking well, being a gas guzzler, etc it is also terrifying when it comes to sharp turns and there's always a moment of "am I going to make it?" That road is crazy; it goes up and down and left and right all at the same time. You'll be going around one turn and up hill so that you can't see what's coming next and then there'll be a sign pointing the opposite direction and suddenly you're going downhill and the opposite direction that you just were. Happily my bike and I survived okay and were rewarded with a beautiful beach and dozens of monkeys running around. These monkeys are so funny. They're not very big, maybe the size of a small dog on average, but they're used to being fed by people so they're not afraid at all and climb all over bikes and cars and try to come up to you. One tried to steal my backpack when we sat down but ran off when we spotted her. The three of us wandered around for a while before doing a loop of the island - my first time going up the east side of the island. Up north, back in Saladan, we stopped at a Buddhist Temple for a short while and looked around a little under the gaze of a watchful monk. We returned home in time for the dark to set in.
Today's been a quiet day where I slept in between working the morning shift. I was feeling a little sick yesterday but I feel much better now. Unfortunately Meagan, one of the volunteers from Canada, came in feeling sick yesterday and she has all the symptoms of Dengue Fever. It's too early to test for it but that's what everyone suspects. I've heard that where she's staying at the Chill Out House there's been a few recent cases so I hope it's not something I'm as at risk of getting while I stay here at the shelter. Though if it's not going to be Dengue Fever I still have to be on the lookout for cobras and falling out of caves. This reminds me that I'm just about out of bugspray so it's off to the ever popular and super classy 7/11 in search of some more.
Dutifully I worked the Thursday night sleep-in and was so given the honor of Rufus' last night before he left for the UK with two other dogs; Punk and Blackie. This was the first time he didn't howl the entire night and it was with a tinge of sadness that we said our goodbyes to him in the morning. I was a bit misled when I wrote my last post, and it turns out that Rufus, Punk, and Blackie are to be followed this week by Camilla who is heading impulsively to Australia, and Sylvia and Eva who couldn't extend their trip and are returning to Poland. One new volunteer is arriving on Tuesday but I don't know anything about her.
Friday was such a crazy adventure day! A friend of the shelter, Rob, is friends with a sea gypsy who lives on Koh Lanta Noi. We're on Koh Lanta Yai which is farther from the mainland but just a short ferry ride to Noi. Seven of us hopped on our bikes in the afternoon and rode across on the ferry to Noi and drove around to the other side of the island where our guide awaited us at the end of a concrete pier facing several small islands and, in the distance, the mainland. He took us in his wooden boat to one of the nearest islands and stopped at a lovely strip of beach that looked like the kind of place on those paradise commercials. He then drove us around the perimeter of the island and it was unbelievable. Essentially the island rises directly out of the water in a sheer cliff. The rock walls are covered in twisted trees and greenery, but where the rock shines through it looks like it's been watercolored because of the different colored strains of earth coating the cliff walls. This island is home to eagles and heron-like birds that soar above us as they feel displaced by our boat. Monkeys paced the shoreline and fish leapt out of the water as we circled their home. After doing this loop we entered a cave mouth that can only be accessed at low tide and the real adventure began.
Inside the cave is a large sandy chamber with one massive chandelier-like stalactite in the center. At first glance this appears to be the entire cave, but if you look up towards the top of the back wall there is an entrance into unknowing darkness. A rope hangs down from here and we began the ascent up the increasingly sloping, slippery wall. By the time you reach the last 20 feet you are essentially pulling yourself up entirely by upper body strength since the ground offers no support. Our lovely guide quite likely saved my life more than once on this journey upward; as Rob stressed emphatically beforehand, this is not a tourist destination - this is dangerous and if you fall you could easily break your back/die. The second chamber is much larger than the first, pitch black, full of bats, and, therefore, covered in dry bat feces as those of us in barefeet were only too aware of. We whipped out our flashlights and ventured through this great hall until we supposedly came to the end. But wait, whats that hole above our heads? I'm sorry Mr. Sea Gypsy Guide, you want us to climb into that hole? (Did I mention that our guide spoke no English and none of us know Thai?) About here is where claustrophobia sunk in and I announced that I would be waiting here for their return. It quickly become aware that this wasn't an option as everyone cajoled me into going and the guide beckoned me towards the hole. Once through the hole it was possible to stand up and you're in an upward bound tunnel with a rope hanging down. Again, pull yourself up the rope and suddenly eight of us were cramped together looking at a hole descending downwards into darkness with a rope hanging down. Nearly in tears, I propelled myself down the rope into nothingness and found myself alive in a small "room." Not obvious at first glance was the tall but narrow opening at one side that we slipped into and then had to lower ourself onto the ground to squeeze through an opening that was so narrow you couldn't go through on your stomach, you had to rotate yourself onto your shoulders and pull yourself through that way. And then it became worth it. We were in another room not much bigger than the one before filled with a small pool of cold, clear, spring water. The clearest water I've ever seen; it reflected the dark ceiling and didn't even look at water at first. Our guide lit candles around the edge and, sweaty from our trek, we gratefully got into the water and paddled around, slightly giddy with our success since Rob warned us that not everyone would make it this far. He was almost right, but we proved him wrong. The way back out seemed much easier and we emerged just as the sun began to set. Our guide drove us back to shore on his boat and we quickly got on our bikes to try to make it home before it got too dark. We returned in complete darkness, but we all returned alive and having made it through all the caves' chambers.
Friday also marked my three week mark on Koh Lanta. I realized that I haven't been in one place for as long as three weeks in over three months, since I left home. I'm loving getting to know this island and all it has to offer. I've never been in this kind of situation before where I've become part of a community in that I have my favorite restaurants and I know where to get the things that I need and I have means to get around by myself and I have friends to go out with or I can go out by myself and it's wonderful. Will I be able to leave in five weeks? I know I'm not even half way through my time here but the days are just melting away - kind of like I am in the constant sun.
Camilla has a friend, Ash, visiting right now so on Saturday she took him down to the sourthern most tip of the island to see the lighthouse and national park and I tagged along. It's amazing riding alongside the ocean with the palm trees providing shade and the only breeze being that which you create with your bike. However the farther south you go the more interesting the road becomes. Remember how my bike is...finicky? Besides not starting well, not braking well, being a gas guzzler, etc it is also terrifying when it comes to sharp turns and there's always a moment of "am I going to make it?" That road is crazy; it goes up and down and left and right all at the same time. You'll be going around one turn and up hill so that you can't see what's coming next and then there'll be a sign pointing the opposite direction and suddenly you're going downhill and the opposite direction that you just were. Happily my bike and I survived okay and were rewarded with a beautiful beach and dozens of monkeys running around. These monkeys are so funny. They're not very big, maybe the size of a small dog on average, but they're used to being fed by people so they're not afraid at all and climb all over bikes and cars and try to come up to you. One tried to steal my backpack when we sat down but ran off when we spotted her. The three of us wandered around for a while before doing a loop of the island - my first time going up the east side of the island. Up north, back in Saladan, we stopped at a Buddhist Temple for a short while and looked around a little under the gaze of a watchful monk. We returned home in time for the dark to set in.
Today's been a quiet day where I slept in between working the morning shift. I was feeling a little sick yesterday but I feel much better now. Unfortunately Meagan, one of the volunteers from Canada, came in feeling sick yesterday and she has all the symptoms of Dengue Fever. It's too early to test for it but that's what everyone suspects. I've heard that where she's staying at the Chill Out House there's been a few recent cases so I hope it's not something I'm as at risk of getting while I stay here at the shelter. Though if it's not going to be Dengue Fever I still have to be on the lookout for cobras and falling out of caves. This reminds me that I'm just about out of bugspray so it's off to the ever popular and super classy 7/11 in search of some more.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Everyone's Staying!
The past few days have really made me aware of some of the huge differences between life in Thailand vs. life in Maine. Not that I haven't been aware of the insane incomparabilities since I got here, but a few new things popped up that just reiterated this thought. Most noticably was my Monday. I was working in the afternoon and it kicked right off with my first real dog fight. It's easy to forget that these dogs weren't born into a life of pethood and many spent the first portion of their life surviving in packs on the island, trying to find food and competing over resources. One of our newest dogs, Bones (named because she came in with absolutely no meat on her), is still not completely adjusted to the fact that she will have meals everyday and went nuts on Michael, the dog I wrote about last time, in a fit to eat first. Don't let this put you off though, if anyone wants a dog right now I can hook you up. Following this incident I took the two older puppies, Beijoqueiro ("kisser" in Portugese) and Rocket for a walk to the river. Along the way they were sniffing in the grass just off the side of the road when they both lunged after what I assumed would be a frog or gecko. But no, a King Cobra rose out of the grass and towered over the puppies, hood up and fangs ready. I yanked them away as swiftly as possible, though the two were all for playing with the cobra. No harm, no foul, but beyond what I was expecting. Of course everyone else is quite jealous that I should see a Cobra after 2 1/2 weeks, when some volunteers have been here months, but I could have done without.
More excitement the next day on a walk to the river. I was with another volunteer, Sam, and we had three dogs altogether. A bike was coming towards us with a dog chasing the bike. Upon seeing our dogs, this other fellow tried to cross in front of the bike and come over to us but he collided with the bike which sent the driver into a ditch and the second guy flew off into the road. Luckily both were okay and the dog seemed to be as well, but one of our dogs, Chilli, slipped her harness and ran off with Sam chasing. In the end she just went home and once again, all's well that ends well.
For the most part I really enjoy Thai people. They're friendly and kind and have a wonderful sense of humor where they poke fun at you when you get rained on or sunburnt but in such a cheerful way that you don't feel upset or made fun of. Although when it comes to driving it's every man for himself. It doesn't matter how good or safe a driver you are, your life is dependent on how well you pay attention to what everyone around you is doing becuase usually it's something stupid. Between the few pedestrians, the fewer pedal bikes, motorbikes driven by all levels of experienced riders, tuk-tuks (essentially a taxi; a cart attached to a bike), and cars there isn't always a lot of room on the roads and people drive quite fast for the most part and a bit recklessly. These guys on their bikes must feel invincible based on their behavior, that or they like feeling especially vulnerable and surviving. I always feel so out in the open and unprotected, but it's a nice, liberating feeling. Especially on these hot-hot days where the breeze might be the main purpose for going for a ride.
In between shifts I've probably been spending most of my time at the beach. I don't know what I'll make of Sand Beach when I get home. Come to think of it, I also don't know what I'll think of flushing toilets, hot showers, and driving on the right side of the road (hopefully I adjust to that one quickly!). One of the best things about the beaches, and the island in general, in my opinion, are the massive eagles that fly everywhere. We had one at the shelter last week because it was injured but we just released it the other day. Speaking of birds, all I hear in my head when riding my bike is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY .
You know how I said everyone was leaving at the end of the month? They're not anymore! Sylvia and Eva, the Polish vets, are trying to extend their stay by two weeks; Camilla and Miriam were leaving next week to Australia/New Zealand but their visa's haven't gone through so they'll be here up to another month; Sam and Mitch decided to stay at least a month instead of the original two week plan; and Justin and Meaghan also decided to stay an extra two weeks or so. Only Marcus is leaving as planned but that's not nearly as bad as I was prepared for. Hooooray!
I don't have too much more to report. My cobra story is my claim to fame around here so that's really what I wanted to write down. I did find out that there is a horse rescue on this island (how did I manage that?) that I intend to check out as soon as possible. Also, this Friday, a bunch of us from the shelter are going in a boat to a series of cavernous, chambered caves. The way it was described to me by the organizer sounds amazing and possibly a little terrifying. I am having flashbacks to the descent into the crater in Israel; from what I've been told, to enter the third chamber you have to crawl through a tunnel so small that anyone on the larger side of a bit wide of shoulders wouldn't fit. I'm pretty claustrophobic but I will hopefully be able to persuade myself through it. There are your highlight of the past few days; I'll write again in not too long providing I don't get stuck in a cave tunnel and can no longer make it to a computer screen.
More excitement the next day on a walk to the river. I was with another volunteer, Sam, and we had three dogs altogether. A bike was coming towards us with a dog chasing the bike. Upon seeing our dogs, this other fellow tried to cross in front of the bike and come over to us but he collided with the bike which sent the driver into a ditch and the second guy flew off into the road. Luckily both were okay and the dog seemed to be as well, but one of our dogs, Chilli, slipped her harness and ran off with Sam chasing. In the end she just went home and once again, all's well that ends well.
For the most part I really enjoy Thai people. They're friendly and kind and have a wonderful sense of humor where they poke fun at you when you get rained on or sunburnt but in such a cheerful way that you don't feel upset or made fun of. Although when it comes to driving it's every man for himself. It doesn't matter how good or safe a driver you are, your life is dependent on how well you pay attention to what everyone around you is doing becuase usually it's something stupid. Between the few pedestrians, the fewer pedal bikes, motorbikes driven by all levels of experienced riders, tuk-tuks (essentially a taxi; a cart attached to a bike), and cars there isn't always a lot of room on the roads and people drive quite fast for the most part and a bit recklessly. These guys on their bikes must feel invincible based on their behavior, that or they like feeling especially vulnerable and surviving. I always feel so out in the open and unprotected, but it's a nice, liberating feeling. Especially on these hot-hot days where the breeze might be the main purpose for going for a ride.
In between shifts I've probably been spending most of my time at the beach. I don't know what I'll make of Sand Beach when I get home. Come to think of it, I also don't know what I'll think of flushing toilets, hot showers, and driving on the right side of the road (hopefully I adjust to that one quickly!). One of the best things about the beaches, and the island in general, in my opinion, are the massive eagles that fly everywhere. We had one at the shelter last week because it was injured but we just released it the other day. Speaking of birds, all I hear in my head when riding my bike is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY .
You know how I said everyone was leaving at the end of the month? They're not anymore! Sylvia and Eva, the Polish vets, are trying to extend their stay by two weeks; Camilla and Miriam were leaving next week to Australia/New Zealand but their visa's haven't gone through so they'll be here up to another month; Sam and Mitch decided to stay at least a month instead of the original two week plan; and Justin and Meaghan also decided to stay an extra two weeks or so. Only Marcus is leaving as planned but that's not nearly as bad as I was prepared for. Hooooray!
I don't have too much more to report. My cobra story is my claim to fame around here so that's really what I wanted to write down. I did find out that there is a horse rescue on this island (how did I manage that?) that I intend to check out as soon as possible. Also, this Friday, a bunch of us from the shelter are going in a boat to a series of cavernous, chambered caves. The way it was described to me by the organizer sounds amazing and possibly a little terrifying. I am having flashbacks to the descent into the crater in Israel; from what I've been told, to enter the third chamber you have to crawl through a tunnel so small that anyone on the larger side of a bit wide of shoulders wouldn't fit. I'm pretty claustrophobic but I will hopefully be able to persuade myself through it. There are your highlight of the past few days; I'll write again in not too long providing I don't get stuck in a cave tunnel and can no longer make it to a computer screen.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Two Weeks - Dengue Free
Sawadee Ka!
I left off last Tuesday so let me catch you up on what's being going on since then. It's been a really great past few days that are just racing by. I'm over two weeks into my stay here; a quarter of the way finished my stay in Thailand. I know six weeks is still a long time but it feels like not enough. One of the things that's been on my mind a lot the past few days is that this trip feels too planned out and pre-booked. I'm wishing partly that I could extend my travels for a bit longer. I don't necessarily want to stay in Koh Lanta for much longer than two months but I don't know that I particularly want to go home. Though two months is still a good amount of time so I'm sure I'll feel different towards the end and just be ready to go home and see my friends and family, but at this moment I don't want to stop.
Anyways, back to what I've actually been doing, Tuesday was Jon, the volunteer coordinator/shelter manager's birthday and we threw him a surprise party at the center. All the volunteers came and we put up balloons and his girlfriend and fellow volunteer, Julia, ordered cake (which is a true rarity here) and it was just a really nice time. We spent a few hours there and then went to Pangea, the same bar where the full moon party was last week. I'm coming to look forward to Tuesday's very much because of Pangea dance party nights. Not to mention that I had Wednesday off work so I stayed out until 5am with a few other volunteers. All in all it was a good night and I think Jon was happily surprised.
The mission of Wednesday was to locate new shoes since mine broke the day before. Anywhere close by only sells cheap, plastic ones that I really don't like so I drove to Saladan, the town at the north of the island and most touristy place. That's one of the most interesting things about this island; it's not very big and yet it has a huge range of cultures and languages and financial backgrounds. It's not a main tourist spot so it's not crowded or dirty, but it's touristy enough that most store owners speak a little english and you can get what you need generally. I'm staying about 15ish minutes south of Saladan on a road off the main one. If I drive to the main road there are restaurants and minimarts and if I drive north there are an increasing amount of stores and tourist attractions. However, if I walk 10 minutes down my road away from the main street there are small woven houses and children bathing in the river. Back on the topic of Saladan, I was finally able to locate some cool, locally made shoes for about $3. I did a bit of shopping for food and other things as well and felt like I was spending a lot of money, but then I did the math and realized I'd spent less than $15. It's easy to forget that $1 is about 40 baht so you're really not spending much money ever.
Thursday was my first day working with one of the new couples, Sam and Mitch. They're from London and I really like them so it's nice that they're staying for a month or so. We worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day at the beach - such a difficult life it is here. It's completely beautiful and insanely different than anywhere I've ever been but I still don't think I could spend an indefinite amount of time here. I love it but I think I would go a bit crazy on an island if I was there for too long. Friday was the last day for Rebecka before her return to Sweden. I made shakshuka for the first time for a few of us and it remarkably turned out edible. It's interesting shopping for groceries here, and probably this is part of the reason we eat out so much, but you can't just go to a supermarket with a produce section. You have to go to fruit or vegetable stands or the market which is in a different location everyday (on Thursday's it's right by the shelter). I also kind of like this, though. I really want to cook more, as in at all, when I get back home.
At night we went to Chill Out House which is a bar/restaurant/tree house sort of establishment. The owner built it himself and it is the coolest building I've ever been in. There aren't really walls, there are branches that create an enclosure with seats built in and around the branches and hammocks hanging from the "ceiling," if I can call it that. They're starting an organic farm there and sadly my roommate was asked to leave today because they don't think she's putting enough work in so she's gone to stay there and work at the farm. I have a room to myself again but I liked staying with her and we were leaving on the same day but now she might leave earlier. It's a bit of a shame. Suddenly it feels like everyone is leaving. She and Rebecka are gone, and two volunteers are leaving next week, and then four or five are leaving at the end of the month. I know I kept saying that I didn't really feel like part of the group but now I do, just in time for that group to disperse. I'm hoping there'll be more volunteers coming but it's also getting towards the end of the high season so there may not be so many.
I wrote about a few dogs I didn't like last time so I thought I'd write about my two favorites today. They are Michael and Denver. Michael has an expression and built a bit like my dog, Gulliver, but he has golden eyes and a tail as curly as a pig's. He's a bit shy but really sweet. Then there's Denver who is between 6months and a year, I'm not sure, and his paws and ears are way too big for the rest of him. He's a bit of a floppy puppy but very cute and you can just carry him around and he sits on your lap like a cat. I had a scare this morning when I walked into his kennel to feed him and found him lying on his side whimpering in pain. The vets checked him out (hooray for attached clinic) and think he has a blood parasite which makes him very tired and sore. It takes about a month of treatment for him to get better, but he might not be so easy to carry around or willing to sit quietly on my lap once he feels better. There's also 15-20 cats who wander the premises, free to come and go. No one is going to stop you from letting one (or six) sleep in your room at night which I love. There's one cat, Batman, who sleeps with me and he's so good at night but as soon as my alarm goes off he's up and begins attacking my feet. I guess it's good in that it makes me get up, but I can only reason that out later in the day.
I'm just about out of time. The volunteers are going to Time For Lime tonight, the restaurant owned by the woman who started the shelter and we're supposed to leave in less than 15 minutes. Tonight is my night sleeping in the shelter with the dogs which ought to be fun (does sarcasm come through in writing?). Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
I left off last Tuesday so let me catch you up on what's being going on since then. It's been a really great past few days that are just racing by. I'm over two weeks into my stay here; a quarter of the way finished my stay in Thailand. I know six weeks is still a long time but it feels like not enough. One of the things that's been on my mind a lot the past few days is that this trip feels too planned out and pre-booked. I'm wishing partly that I could extend my travels for a bit longer. I don't necessarily want to stay in Koh Lanta for much longer than two months but I don't know that I particularly want to go home. Though two months is still a good amount of time so I'm sure I'll feel different towards the end and just be ready to go home and see my friends and family, but at this moment I don't want to stop.
Anyways, back to what I've actually been doing, Tuesday was Jon, the volunteer coordinator/shelter manager's birthday and we threw him a surprise party at the center. All the volunteers came and we put up balloons and his girlfriend and fellow volunteer, Julia, ordered cake (which is a true rarity here) and it was just a really nice time. We spent a few hours there and then went to Pangea, the same bar where the full moon party was last week. I'm coming to look forward to Tuesday's very much because of Pangea dance party nights. Not to mention that I had Wednesday off work so I stayed out until 5am with a few other volunteers. All in all it was a good night and I think Jon was happily surprised.
The mission of Wednesday was to locate new shoes since mine broke the day before. Anywhere close by only sells cheap, plastic ones that I really don't like so I drove to Saladan, the town at the north of the island and most touristy place. That's one of the most interesting things about this island; it's not very big and yet it has a huge range of cultures and languages and financial backgrounds. It's not a main tourist spot so it's not crowded or dirty, but it's touristy enough that most store owners speak a little english and you can get what you need generally. I'm staying about 15ish minutes south of Saladan on a road off the main one. If I drive to the main road there are restaurants and minimarts and if I drive north there are an increasing amount of stores and tourist attractions. However, if I walk 10 minutes down my road away from the main street there are small woven houses and children bathing in the river. Back on the topic of Saladan, I was finally able to locate some cool, locally made shoes for about $3. I did a bit of shopping for food and other things as well and felt like I was spending a lot of money, but then I did the math and realized I'd spent less than $15. It's easy to forget that $1 is about 40 baht so you're really not spending much money ever.
Thursday was my first day working with one of the new couples, Sam and Mitch. They're from London and I really like them so it's nice that they're staying for a month or so. We worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day at the beach - such a difficult life it is here. It's completely beautiful and insanely different than anywhere I've ever been but I still don't think I could spend an indefinite amount of time here. I love it but I think I would go a bit crazy on an island if I was there for too long. Friday was the last day for Rebecka before her return to Sweden. I made shakshuka for the first time for a few of us and it remarkably turned out edible. It's interesting shopping for groceries here, and probably this is part of the reason we eat out so much, but you can't just go to a supermarket with a produce section. You have to go to fruit or vegetable stands or the market which is in a different location everyday (on Thursday's it's right by the shelter). I also kind of like this, though. I really want to cook more, as in at all, when I get back home.
At night we went to Chill Out House which is a bar/restaurant/tree house sort of establishment. The owner built it himself and it is the coolest building I've ever been in. There aren't really walls, there are branches that create an enclosure with seats built in and around the branches and hammocks hanging from the "ceiling," if I can call it that. They're starting an organic farm there and sadly my roommate was asked to leave today because they don't think she's putting enough work in so she's gone to stay there and work at the farm. I have a room to myself again but I liked staying with her and we were leaving on the same day but now she might leave earlier. It's a bit of a shame. Suddenly it feels like everyone is leaving. She and Rebecka are gone, and two volunteers are leaving next week, and then four or five are leaving at the end of the month. I know I kept saying that I didn't really feel like part of the group but now I do, just in time for that group to disperse. I'm hoping there'll be more volunteers coming but it's also getting towards the end of the high season so there may not be so many.
I wrote about a few dogs I didn't like last time so I thought I'd write about my two favorites today. They are Michael and Denver. Michael has an expression and built a bit like my dog, Gulliver, but he has golden eyes and a tail as curly as a pig's. He's a bit shy but really sweet. Then there's Denver who is between 6months and a year, I'm not sure, and his paws and ears are way too big for the rest of him. He's a bit of a floppy puppy but very cute and you can just carry him around and he sits on your lap like a cat. I had a scare this morning when I walked into his kennel to feed him and found him lying on his side whimpering in pain. The vets checked him out (hooray for attached clinic) and think he has a blood parasite which makes him very tired and sore. It takes about a month of treatment for him to get better, but he might not be so easy to carry around or willing to sit quietly on my lap once he feels better. There's also 15-20 cats who wander the premises, free to come and go. No one is going to stop you from letting one (or six) sleep in your room at night which I love. There's one cat, Batman, who sleeps with me and he's so good at night but as soon as my alarm goes off he's up and begins attacking my feet. I guess it's good in that it makes me get up, but I can only reason that out later in the day.
I'm just about out of time. The volunteers are going to Time For Lime tonight, the restaurant owned by the woman who started the shelter and we're supposed to leave in less than 15 minutes. Tonight is my night sleeping in the shelter with the dogs which ought to be fun (does sarcasm come through in writing?). Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Rain and Rufus
Immediately after I finished writing my last post the storm clouds rolled in with a final warning and I hopped on my bike to head home. That's the thing about bike as transportation - when it rains you really don't want to be going anywhere. It rained all of Thursday so my day off was spent divided between my bed and a sheltered hammock. I suppose there are worse ways to spend a day. It was still raining in the evening when we went to the Laanta Lanta Festival so it wasn't such fun, but we got good food and had a quick look in some nice booths before giving up and returning to the truck.
Friday night was my first night sleeping in the kennel and it was just about everything it's cracked up to be. The evening begun with Sanchez, a tough looking dog covered in battle scars, whining fearfully at things moving in the night. To quiet him down I brought him into the kitchen where I was sleeping and let him curl up with me, but then Rufus the Terrible figured that if Sanchez got to be in the kitchen then he ought to be as well. And so he begun howling loudly, and Rufus is the kind of dog who enjoys being yelled at and punished so it's really hard to shut him up once he gets going. He became the greater of two evils so Sanchez had to return to face the night demons (frogs and kittens) and Rufus took his rightful place in the kitchen. Have I mentioned that I really dislike Rufus? He's this huge dog who isn't aware of his size or the fact that he's no longer a puppy. I took him for a walk the other day and he wanted to play with some strange dogs but I wouldn't let him so he turned and bounded at me. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Anyways, with Rufus in the kitchen I was able to get a few hours of sleep before they started barking at 3, howling at 4, and getting up at 5 to prevent them barking during the Muslim prayer. It was a less than enjoyable night, but only 7 more of those to deal with.
In the past few days there have been a lot of volunteers coming and going, and more are leaving in the next few. Toni left for Australia, Rebecka is about to leave for Sweden, and Josh is going...wherever Josh lives. A new couple came on Saturday from Canada and another couple came just last night from London. They all seem like good people but it meant I lost my single bedroom. I moved in with Terezia yesterday but she's cool and we get along so it should be fine, but so much for settling in a bit these two months. I feel like I'm getting to know all the volunteers a bit better. We all get along well but it's not like when I volunteered at the farm in Israel when we were all tight after a week. I think part of the reason is that I'm so much younger (over twice my age in some cases), and also a lot of people came with a friend or as a couple so there's automatically some division. But no worries, when we do hang it's great and I also really enjoy doing my own thing.
So my bike...is kind of a piece of shit. I say that affectionately but honestly. It's old. It's a gas guzzler. The brakes suck. It often refuses to start for several minutes. The motor doesn't start well so it kicks and almost throws you off the backseat everytime you get it going. I thought I was just a really bad driver but I let someone else drive it yesterday and they fell off when it kicked so I feel a bit better about myself, but slightly concerned that I'll now have to pay for a cracked mirror. Regardless, it gets me around though I'm eternally teased about my slow driving speeds.
Not much else has been new at the shelter. There's the income of animals for treatments, the daily walking of dogs, the routine chores. None of its hard but my most common phrase might just be, "This is probably the grossest thing I've ever done." Still I'm glad for something to fill part of my time and to meet people through volunteering. The beaches are great and the parties are fun, but I think I'd be a bit bored if I didn't have anything else to do during the day. I suppose a lot of tourists feel that way because everyday we have dozens who visit and walk a few dogs for us.
I guess that's all for now. Tomorrow's my day off and since I worked a morning shift today I'm officially free. I'll write again soon, hope all is well with everyone.
Friday night was my first night sleeping in the kennel and it was just about everything it's cracked up to be. The evening begun with Sanchez, a tough looking dog covered in battle scars, whining fearfully at things moving in the night. To quiet him down I brought him into the kitchen where I was sleeping and let him curl up with me, but then Rufus the Terrible figured that if Sanchez got to be in the kitchen then he ought to be as well. And so he begun howling loudly, and Rufus is the kind of dog who enjoys being yelled at and punished so it's really hard to shut him up once he gets going. He became the greater of two evils so Sanchez had to return to face the night demons (frogs and kittens) and Rufus took his rightful place in the kitchen. Have I mentioned that I really dislike Rufus? He's this huge dog who isn't aware of his size or the fact that he's no longer a puppy. I took him for a walk the other day and he wanted to play with some strange dogs but I wouldn't let him so he turned and bounded at me. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Anyways, with Rufus in the kitchen I was able to get a few hours of sleep before they started barking at 3, howling at 4, and getting up at 5 to prevent them barking during the Muslim prayer. It was a less than enjoyable night, but only 7 more of those to deal with.
In the past few days there have been a lot of volunteers coming and going, and more are leaving in the next few. Toni left for Australia, Rebecka is about to leave for Sweden, and Josh is going...wherever Josh lives. A new couple came on Saturday from Canada and another couple came just last night from London. They all seem like good people but it meant I lost my single bedroom. I moved in with Terezia yesterday but she's cool and we get along so it should be fine, but so much for settling in a bit these two months. I feel like I'm getting to know all the volunteers a bit better. We all get along well but it's not like when I volunteered at the farm in Israel when we were all tight after a week. I think part of the reason is that I'm so much younger (over twice my age in some cases), and also a lot of people came with a friend or as a couple so there's automatically some division. But no worries, when we do hang it's great and I also really enjoy doing my own thing.
So my bike...is kind of a piece of shit. I say that affectionately but honestly. It's old. It's a gas guzzler. The brakes suck. It often refuses to start for several minutes. The motor doesn't start well so it kicks and almost throws you off the backseat everytime you get it going. I thought I was just a really bad driver but I let someone else drive it yesterday and they fell off when it kicked so I feel a bit better about myself, but slightly concerned that I'll now have to pay for a cracked mirror. Regardless, it gets me around though I'm eternally teased about my slow driving speeds.
Not much else has been new at the shelter. There's the income of animals for treatments, the daily walking of dogs, the routine chores. None of its hard but my most common phrase might just be, "This is probably the grossest thing I've ever done." Still I'm glad for something to fill part of my time and to meet people through volunteering. The beaches are great and the parties are fun, but I think I'd be a bit bored if I didn't have anything else to do during the day. I suppose a lot of tourists feel that way because everyday we have dozens who visit and walk a few dogs for us.
I guess that's all for now. Tomorrow's my day off and since I worked a morning shift today I'm officially free. I'll write again soon, hope all is well with everyone.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Letter From A Hammock
I'm beginning to fall in love with my island. I love how none of the restaurants have walls. I love taking naps in the hammock outside my room after work. I love the parties on the beach, the fruits I've never seen before, the delicious food, taking off your shoes before entering buildings (though I rarely wear shoes to begin with). I even love the thirty minute thunderstorms every afternoon that completely soak you in seconds, and the heat that presses down on you 24 hours a day, and I even don't mind that my toilet doesn't flush - you pour a bucket of water after you go to flush it. The more I see of Koh Lanta the more I like it.
Time moves differently here. The days drift into one another lazily and it feels live I've been here longer than almost one week. The only things punctuating my days are work, meals, and the reapplication of bugspray. The work at the shelter isn't hard; it's a little gross at times between keeping the dog and cat areas clean but I knew what I was getting myself into. I've been mostly working the morning 7am-1pm shift since I got here but for the next few days I'm doing the afternoon 1pm-7pm shift. Also tomorrow night is my turn to sleep in the shelter to keep the dogs quiet during the night. Someone sleeps there every night because the neighbors complain a lot about noise. Today is my day off! It couldn't have come sooner. I've been out pretty late the last few nights and really needed the 13 1/2 hours of sleep I was able to get last night. It's still early though, not even 12. I've already been to the beach for a while and went swimming. It's so strange swimming in an ocean that's warm. I'm so used to freezing in the Atlantic, but the Indian is practically bath water. The rest of the afternoon is unplanned but tonight is the second night of the three day Lanta Laanta Festival on the other side of the island. I didn't go last night because I was sleeping, and like I said tomorrow I have to stay in the shelter from 7pm onwards so tonight is my only chance.
During the day when we're not working most of the volunteers are at the beach, and then almost every night we go out for dinner and then there's usually a party at some bar along the beach. I've never lived like this before. I hardly ever eat out at home but here it's so affordable and so delicious that it's worth it. And while the other volunteers are quite a bit older than me and seem to be regular partiers I rarely stay out so late so many nights in a row. On Tuesday night there was a full moon party on the beach (and the moon wasn't even full) and that was really fun. I met a lot of cool people from all over including Greg from Australia who I hung out with yesterday after work for a few hours.
A couple of days ago I rented my motorbike which I am still getting comfortable driving but I love it. It's purple. And it means I'm independent. Here you drive on the left side of the road which I still have to consciously remember but it's getting easier.
So that's me up to date I believe. Island life is good, though very different than anything I've experienced before. Good thing I have a long time to get used to it. Tomorrow marks one week down. I can't believe it; sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and sometimes it's like I just got here yesterday. Like I said, time moves differently here. And for some good news to wrap up with there have been no new cases of Dengue Fever in about a week which means the threat might be over, and there have been no more creatures in my bathroom since the gecko.
Time moves differently here. The days drift into one another lazily and it feels live I've been here longer than almost one week. The only things punctuating my days are work, meals, and the reapplication of bugspray. The work at the shelter isn't hard; it's a little gross at times between keeping the dog and cat areas clean but I knew what I was getting myself into. I've been mostly working the morning 7am-1pm shift since I got here but for the next few days I'm doing the afternoon 1pm-7pm shift. Also tomorrow night is my turn to sleep in the shelter to keep the dogs quiet during the night. Someone sleeps there every night because the neighbors complain a lot about noise. Today is my day off! It couldn't have come sooner. I've been out pretty late the last few nights and really needed the 13 1/2 hours of sleep I was able to get last night. It's still early though, not even 12. I've already been to the beach for a while and went swimming. It's so strange swimming in an ocean that's warm. I'm so used to freezing in the Atlantic, but the Indian is practically bath water. The rest of the afternoon is unplanned but tonight is the second night of the three day Lanta Laanta Festival on the other side of the island. I didn't go last night because I was sleeping, and like I said tomorrow I have to stay in the shelter from 7pm onwards so tonight is my only chance.
During the day when we're not working most of the volunteers are at the beach, and then almost every night we go out for dinner and then there's usually a party at some bar along the beach. I've never lived like this before. I hardly ever eat out at home but here it's so affordable and so delicious that it's worth it. And while the other volunteers are quite a bit older than me and seem to be regular partiers I rarely stay out so late so many nights in a row. On Tuesday night there was a full moon party on the beach (and the moon wasn't even full) and that was really fun. I met a lot of cool people from all over including Greg from Australia who I hung out with yesterday after work for a few hours.
A couple of days ago I rented my motorbike which I am still getting comfortable driving but I love it. It's purple. And it means I'm independent. Here you drive on the left side of the road which I still have to consciously remember but it's getting easier.
So that's me up to date I believe. Island life is good, though very different than anything I've experienced before. Good thing I have a long time to get used to it. Tomorrow marks one week down. I can't believe it; sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and sometimes it's like I just got here yesterday. Like I said, time moves differently here. And for some good news to wrap up with there have been no new cases of Dengue Fever in about a week which means the threat might be over, and there have been no more creatures in my bathroom since the gecko.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Creatures In My Bathroom
Three plane rides, two ferry boats, and one taxi later I've arrived on Koh Lanta. What a disorienting trip. I got on a plane Wednesday night and arrived in Taiwan 14 hours later. Then there was a 4 hour flight to Bangkok and a 1 and a half hour flight to Krabi. From there a 2 and a half hour taxi ride that encompassed the two ferry boat rides. By the time I arrived at the Lanta Animal Welfare shelter it was about 7pm on Friday. On the ferry ride over I saw my island for the first time and smiled as I thought of my home for the next two months. It seemed so surreal...and then reality hit.
In my state of exhaustion and confusion I had a pretty pessimistic outlook upon arriving and viewing my surroundings for the first time. I could only focus on the negative, such as the cockroach in my bathroom, the cobwebs on my bed frame, and the fact that five recent volunteers came down with Dengue Fever. I also couldn't get my Thai cell phone to work so that I might call home, and there isn't actually an onsite communal computer as I was led to believe. In that moment, sitting in my room, I felt the most alone and scared I have this entire trip. That was the first time I really thought to myself, "I don't know if I can do this."
But that's not the right attitude to have. So I killed the cockroach in the bathroom, swept the cobwebs off my bed, and gave myself a good coating of bugspray. After much frustration my parents and I were able to talk on the phone, but I was still feeling pretty discouraged by the time I fell asleep. However when I woke up I was able to see things in a new light. Yes, these are some of roughest living conditions I've experienced, but they're not bad at all. I have an attached bathroom with running water (it's cold water only, but with the temperatures here that's all you want). There's electricity. I have a fan. I have a bed and clean sheets and a room to myself. It could be infinitely worse. And the living situation isn't the reason I came. I came to volunteer at the animal shelter. Priorities.
After my first shift yesterday morning from 7-1 I feel like I'm really putting my time to good use. The shelter is a bit understaffed right now and there are a lot of animals that need to be taken care of. There are about 20 cats and 30 dogs. I'm sad to say that I've never seen so many animals missing limbs or eyes or tails; it's heartbreaking. This place and these people work so hard to make these animals comfortable and keep their environment clean; it's really a wonderful effort. After my morning shift with Marcus from Germany and Fon from Thailand I went out to lunch with Fon, which meant I got my first motorbike ride! I haven't rented one yet but I think I have to. There just isn't any other form of transportation and things are too spread out to walk. That also means I need to learn how to ride one, but how hard can it be? The lunch we got was so delicious and cost less than $2. That's the amazing thing about Thailand - things are cheap. Really cheap. Afterwards we went to the beach and lay there for hours under our covered rest place, drinking beer and watching a thunderstorm rage around us as the afternoon progressed. This is undoubtedly the wildest place I've ever been.
As far as food goes, it seems that the volunteers typically buy lunch and dinner out and pick up a few groceries for breakfast. I haven't figured out exactly if I'm going to follow that same guideline but we'll see as time progresses. Yesterday for dinner I went out with all the volunteers to a market in Saladan, the main town on the island, and ate fried food off a stick. I kid you not that everything was on a stick and fried. Vegetarian options are limited but available and I found some battered quail eggs (fried and on a stick) which was weird but not too bad. The rest of the volunteers went out to a bar later at night but jetlag insisted I go to bed. Seeing as they didn't get back until 5am I think my decision was a good one. I'm trying to fit in and be part of the group but everyone is considerably older than I am and much more alcohol-oriented than me. Everyone seems really nice though and there's always an invitation somewhere.
I think I can do this. It's had its ups and downs in the time since I got here, and I'm sure it will have more, but I think I'll be okay. And the island itself does seem pretty cool. From my drive-by's there look to be a lot of cool stores and there's a huge amount of delicious food. We'll see how it continues, but for now that's all I have time for since I'm in an internet cafe and being charged by the minute (though cheaply, since this is Thailand). Also, this morning, I found a gecko in my bathroom. I don't know how he got in there since it is sealed everywhere as far as I can tell. He and the cockroach are in cahoots.
In my state of exhaustion and confusion I had a pretty pessimistic outlook upon arriving and viewing my surroundings for the first time. I could only focus on the negative, such as the cockroach in my bathroom, the cobwebs on my bed frame, and the fact that five recent volunteers came down with Dengue Fever. I also couldn't get my Thai cell phone to work so that I might call home, and there isn't actually an onsite communal computer as I was led to believe. In that moment, sitting in my room, I felt the most alone and scared I have this entire trip. That was the first time I really thought to myself, "I don't know if I can do this."
But that's not the right attitude to have. So I killed the cockroach in the bathroom, swept the cobwebs off my bed, and gave myself a good coating of bugspray. After much frustration my parents and I were able to talk on the phone, but I was still feeling pretty discouraged by the time I fell asleep. However when I woke up I was able to see things in a new light. Yes, these are some of roughest living conditions I've experienced, but they're not bad at all. I have an attached bathroom with running water (it's cold water only, but with the temperatures here that's all you want). There's electricity. I have a fan. I have a bed and clean sheets and a room to myself. It could be infinitely worse. And the living situation isn't the reason I came. I came to volunteer at the animal shelter. Priorities.
After my first shift yesterday morning from 7-1 I feel like I'm really putting my time to good use. The shelter is a bit understaffed right now and there are a lot of animals that need to be taken care of. There are about 20 cats and 30 dogs. I'm sad to say that I've never seen so many animals missing limbs or eyes or tails; it's heartbreaking. This place and these people work so hard to make these animals comfortable and keep their environment clean; it's really a wonderful effort. After my morning shift with Marcus from Germany and Fon from Thailand I went out to lunch with Fon, which meant I got my first motorbike ride! I haven't rented one yet but I think I have to. There just isn't any other form of transportation and things are too spread out to walk. That also means I need to learn how to ride one, but how hard can it be? The lunch we got was so delicious and cost less than $2. That's the amazing thing about Thailand - things are cheap. Really cheap. Afterwards we went to the beach and lay there for hours under our covered rest place, drinking beer and watching a thunderstorm rage around us as the afternoon progressed. This is undoubtedly the wildest place I've ever been.
As far as food goes, it seems that the volunteers typically buy lunch and dinner out and pick up a few groceries for breakfast. I haven't figured out exactly if I'm going to follow that same guideline but we'll see as time progresses. Yesterday for dinner I went out with all the volunteers to a market in Saladan, the main town on the island, and ate fried food off a stick. I kid you not that everything was on a stick and fried. Vegetarian options are limited but available and I found some battered quail eggs (fried and on a stick) which was weird but not too bad. The rest of the volunteers went out to a bar later at night but jetlag insisted I go to bed. Seeing as they didn't get back until 5am I think my decision was a good one. I'm trying to fit in and be part of the group but everyone is considerably older than I am and much more alcohol-oriented than me. Everyone seems really nice though and there's always an invitation somewhere.
I think I can do this. It's had its ups and downs in the time since I got here, and I'm sure it will have more, but I think I'll be okay. And the island itself does seem pretty cool. From my drive-by's there look to be a lot of cool stores and there's a huge amount of delicious food. We'll see how it continues, but for now that's all I have time for since I'm in an internet cafe and being charged by the minute (though cheaply, since this is Thailand). Also, this morning, I found a gecko in my bathroom. I don't know how he got in there since it is sealed everywhere as far as I can tell. He and the cockroach are in cahoots.
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