Christmas in Bangkok

It may have been a bit of an unusual Christmas, but then it has been a bit of an unusual year. And although we obviously both miss home on this particular day more than we ever have before, it has still been a very, very merry Christmas for the two of us.

Noodles and the King

One minute, we had thousands of cars flying by on one side and hundreds of pedestrians flying by on the other. The next minute, every singe lane of the street was empty, and every pedestrian had stopped in his tracks.

This Will Do Nicely

We decided that what we needed was a beach. We needed to luxuriate among white sands and turquoise waters. We needed to replace the omnipresent roaring of engines and honking of horns with the gentle sounds of surf lapping against shore.

A Day on Elephant Island

A wooden sign tells us it’s a 3 kilometer walk to the elephants, and a 4 kilometer walk to some waterfalls. With the midday sun pounding on our backs it doesn’t take us long to agree that a dip in the falls might be in order after our visit with the elephants.

One Year Later

And so here we are, one year later on a 12-month round-the-world trip…a 12-month trip that has turned into a 16-month round-the-world trip. And we couldn’t be happier for it.

Return to Bangkok

When they last left you, the hedgehogs had just arrived at the mighty temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Our tale resumes one week later, back in the metropolis of Bangkok, Thailand…

When All the Pieces Fit Together

Tim and I had been debating our next travel step for the past several days. We couldn’t decide where to head next. Several itineraries had been put forward each day, only to be discarded for this reason or that reason the next day. None of our ideas were feeling right…

Back in Civilization Again

For the next several posts or so, we’ll be telling you about the most special and amazing experience we’ve had on our entire trip. We’re talking about something downright life-changing here.

From One Day to Seven Weeks

It is virtually impossible to visit Thailand without having the urge to interact with an elephant in one way or another. (Of course, people say the same about Thai massage and I have, thus far, still not had one.)

Fourteen of our Favorite Elephant Photos

There are many stories we are looking forward to sharing from our time at Elephant Nature Park. But before we get to our stories, we thought you might enjoy some pictures of our gentle giant friends. So, without further ado, I present to you 14 of our favorite elephant pictures.

Her Name is Jokia

Abuse is somewhat endemic in the world of the working elephant, but in Jokia’s case that abuse was taken to the extreme. It only begins with the scars she has all over her body, with the large hole that was torn into her left ear by someone weilding a metal hook. It culminates with her pregnancy, and the tragedy that followed.

Jumbo 1: The Scenic Route

The pickup truck rumbles over the stream of rubble that passes for a road, and we splash full-on into the river. With a bit of wheezing and complaining, the engine holds out and we push on across to the other side. It’s official now: we’ve crossed the border. Illegally.

Jumbo 2: A Cry For Help

The adults stop laughing and smiling. The children stop talking and playing. Where moments before there was joy, now there is this sudden, unexpected sadness. And shame.

The Stuffy Who Fell On The Floor

In my last post, I mentioned that even though we’ve only recently returned to the United States, Tim and I had plans to visit Thailand again for 2.5 weeks. In addition to spending more time at Elephant Nature Park, there was a very specific reason we were returning to the land of smiles so soon after our round-the-world trip had ended.

The Tale of Tong Jan

Sometimes the work we do for the elephants can be heartbreaking. And sometimes it gets so hard that I can’t bear to take any more. And when that happens, I take a deep breath. And I think about Tong Jan.