Elephant Summary of 3 weeks gone by

now you know this one is going to be long so get your book mark out...it could take you some time....oh and the red wine...or other beverage...
P.S...congratulation to my beautiful girlfriend Nicki and her wonderful husband Charlie....belly full of arms and legs...no turning back now....love to you both...xxxxxxx
ok, back to me.....this was started 2 days ago and finished today...so we need to go back in time before heading into the present....and the future!!!....:)...oh and pics will be uploaded soon..i promise
well i have only 2 more days to go before i head off to some luxury accommodation in bangkok then a flight to Saigon, another flight to danang, and a bus trip for 8
hours.....and yes i am actually excited about all of it....another country, more sights, different food, a change of people and i'm only 2 minutes to the beach.....
i suppose by now i should give a summary of the whole 3 weeks experiences the people, the place and all the stuff inbetween that make up the whole experience.
you'll have to excuse me if i jump from one thing to another but most of you know that's just how my brain works and i kinda like it like that sometimes.....
so first of all the place....
well, as you will see from the accommodation pictures it's definately a five star kinda experience!!!!
i have to say i wanted to walk right out of there when i first arrived.....my heart sank as i had been so spoiled in India with my brand new beach hut overlooking
the water and the mountains and this room just stunk, everything felt dirty, the bathroom is stained beyond repair and we have to bucket the water into the loo to
flush down our....well you know what we flush, it's all basic human function....there was two single beds (oh shit i hope they don't make me share this very very
small dirty space....the matresses are old and yes you can feel the springs and the sags (no wonder my body is aching!!)....the beds both had mouse poo and gecko
poo all over them, the mosquito net was in it's hey day white but now is just a lovely greyish brown....on the good side surprise surprise i have four drawers and a
little cupboard to use which i didn't in india and i tell you what if it wasn't for the drawers and the cupboard....they would have lost me.
good news is that even though they had allocated my room to someone new on the 27th i managed to convince them not to make me share....i think the older you
are the more they let you have your own space...lucky i'm old!!!!
The Wildlife Sanctuary itself...full of all sorts of animals but a bit on that later.....it is really incredible what Edwin (the owner) has achieved and is still achieving
with the help of volunteers and a very quick dutch tongue...he's not afraid to get his hands dirty in the sense that he will fight for injustice of animals regardless
how big or small....all the animals at the sanctuary have a story which i've already mentioned before so it's heartfelt to see the amount of animals already saved
and those still coming in. It is however one of the greatest 'shames' i have had to see. Where a country mistreats so many of it's animals in hideous ways...and i
know this happens in many countries but to witness it and be a part of the process of helping is in itself a mixture of emotions....it's a delight in being there and
waking up to the sounds of wild animals around you (i could live with that sound everyday and never get sick of it...so amazingly moving to wake up the call of
gibons singing to the sunrise), to some extend i feel shame in knowing that the human race created this situation, gratitude for the people who created the
sanctuary and in it allowing those who are compassionate to be involved however they can and of course sadness knowing that each creature living there will
most likely die there....they do not have the choice....the training and torture they endured has made it impossible for release back into the wild.....they will never
have the freedom in which they were born into and should have lived.....my only consolation in these thoughts is that the karmic circle turns...
The Work....well as most of you already know there is poo, poo and more poo.....but besides the poo the work is varied....ok, actually no it's not....you clean poo in
the morning along with the food scraps left over from the previous nights feed....after that you either water some plants, make some fruit treats or take our
resident horse 'Sam' for his walk to the paddock (about a 15 minute walk) and if you're on duty with the two old girls you make banana balls (banana mixed with
pellets and rice powder made special for June who is severely underweight) cut a shit load of fruit (which you have to peel as June's teeth were removed and she
can no longer chew the skin on fruit)...after that you get to have breakfast. After breakfast you have a special project which can be anything from removal of the
dumped poo to another dumping ground which entails you picking up the poo, chucking it into the back of the truck and when it's full you get to  sit on the poo
and take a poo dump ride where we then rake out the poo from the back of the truck and level it on the ground as fertilizer....other projects could be removal of
the food scraps (similar to the poo and actually a hell of a lot stinkier as well!! We also have rock removal, tree planting and fertilizing, trench digging and of
course the all time favorite....Harvest....big banana trees carried on the shoulders of a 5ft nothing girl who seems to have lost a couple of inches in height these
past three weeks.....after a our special project we get to eat again...YEH for food and the sustaining of energy cause we're only at midday!!!...after lunch you do
more poo cleaning, a water round (allowing the elephants to drink from the hose and squirt themselves...most love this time and we do it about 3 times each day),
feeding more banana trees (they actually let us use the machette which i am in love with...just trying to find a logical reason for one at home!!!), taking food to Sam
the horse, and then it's time for special project 2pm which is again one of the above mentioned 'warms the heart' activities!!! then it's a quick break, back to feeding
and poo cleaning, hiding some fruit, washing the elephants, walking the elephants, more poo cleaning and ending the day with a final feed and poop scoop.....it's
strange how satisfying manual dirty hardcore labour is....i loved all of it...even the shitty parts (pardon the pun)
The People...well it's community living so it's good bad ugly and lazy.......let's start and end with the good eggs....on my travel to the sanctuary we picked up an
amazing couple Nicky and Dave...loved them from word go....fun, fun and more fun. Nicky is a definate hands on girl...no worries about the hard work or dirt and
Dave...well Dave was one of those people who would make controversial comments just for the fun of it....suggesting that we could hire a few of the local thai
people to do the work we didn't want to...i think most people took him way too seriously because when it came to the hard labour, he was right there hands and
working his butt off...I really connected with Nicky and am glad to say we are still in contact and hopefully will continue to be for a long time....then there was a
huge group of the early 20's....i think they mostly come for the socializing as the hard work seemed too much for them, or maybe it's just that they're not used to
using their initiative...either way they each taught me a lesson (more on that later too)....back to the good eggs.....
Alex; young guy studying physcology, white as a ghost and very jealous of my tan.... had a great sense of humor and i would have to say made week 2 and 3 so
much more enjoyable. Wonderful quite energy....gentle and yet full of fun....honest words and a smiling heart...absolutely hysterical when he's drunk....and a
really bad tango dancer!!!
Lauren; French beauty and the most amazing girl to be in the presence of...very much a peaceful soul....i sat in awe of her from day one...she is young but
'knowing' and  Brave to the core, her energy and being has left an inprint on my heart.
Rachel; now this is no woman to mess with...again very young but Rachel is a cage fighter....and yes i admit i am scared of her ;)....her strength of being is
solid..she feels grounded and sure and i loved watching her confidence...a real sureness about herself...just beautiful to see.
Andrew; older gentleman. recently seperated and finding himself. His honesty was refreshing, his gentle nature heartwarming, his keeness to lend a hand
welcoming and his occasional shyness childlike and endearing....
Leah; wow what a amazing energy of pure beauty and love...her smile joyful and from the heart, her words wise beyond her years, her conversations real and true
and i look forward to keeping that wonderful girl in my life..
Bruce; our Aussie poet...(in joke)...definately a blokey bloke but amazed me none the less....words of an Aussie with a heart pure and kind, never a bad word about
anyone, his energy light and fun, his search for himself and happiness an inspiration, his ability to befriend all is a credit to his amazing personality...
Lisa; now here a woman with poise and grace...never flustered or roused up even when she's is.../so in control, cool and calm...we could all take a page from her graceful book!!!
Allie; amazing fun and one hell of a woman....an  energy exuding happiness and love. A personality as big as a third world country. An independant strength with
the ability to let those into her heart and once you're there you can feel that love envelope you like the arms of your mother wrapped around you....
those people mentioned are those i worked along side with and who touched my life and my heart they made my time in the poo so much more than i anticipated
and now that i have left i know i need to do better at expressing that heart connection when in the presence of them.....There are also many not mentioned but i
can honestly say that everyone left an inprint, i was truly blessed with some amazing truthful conversations (not just the chitta chatter we often make when in the
company of so many) and inquisitive souls searching for their peace.....
Go Team POO!!!!
The animals....apart from the elephants which touched my heart and left their own little imprint in my soul....there are other animals that stand out for me...
The horse - Sam, dying of leaukemia and known as being grumpy....my heart went out to him...he is still hanging in there and not giving up his will to live....very
grumpy in the morning and most likely to kick or bite you before he gets his morning feed but such a lovely creature and i actually loved his grumpiness....i
figured he was allowed to be like that....i have to say i enjoyed walking him to his paddock, i enjoyed seeing him waiting for me at the gate at feeding times and i
loved how he would just wonder over at the end of the day happy to walk home with me knowing his last feed was waiting for him.....he actually taught me a lot
about compassion and understanding....
The Otta - Ollie, quite possibly the most annoying sound known to man and something that you hear on a regular basis during the day...especially at feeding
times....up on his hind legs and screaching none stop....sadly Ollie is by himself and i only found out yesterday that he used to have a female friend who
unfortunatley passaed away....she actually taught Ollie how to swim as Ollie had never been in the water before....she used to swim on her back and put Ollie on
her stomach and take him through the water...eventually he learned his natural behaviour....i guess that story made me like him even more.....
The Monkeys - cheaky little buggers....they'll throw poo at you and even try to wee on you if you get too close....my favorite by far was the langers....they remind
me of a smaller version of an orangutan but with a different face...and colouring...ok, not much like an orangutan but still...my favorite looking monkey....for
those that i saw anyway....i didn't really manage to see the nocturnals which i have been told are incredibly cute....
The Lake - an amazing view from the front of the sanctuary and topped off with the mountains in the background...this became my peaceful morning yoga practice
area....5am and still dark...no noise and only the light from the moon reflecting on the lake....allowing me the stillness of the world and stillness within, quiet
surrounding me and peace filling my body....and unbelievably hard to leave that feeling each morning and start my day of busyness...
The meditation room - a little hut partially open with inbuilt seating and cushions all around....hardly ever used and soon claimed as my meditation area of an
evening....candles, fresh air and meditation music....allowing me the release of the day and the connection back with me.....enjoying the peace within again....i
loved this little hut...the feel, the cosyness, the ultimate evening sanctuary and easy to spend an hour or more just breathing and listening to my body.....
The Lessons....refecting...ok, we all learn a lot from each experience it's just if we are open to seeing them.....the following is my insight after reflecting on my time
in the poo.....
i need to step up and put myself on the line more...so many people asked about the yoga and meditation and my fear of not being good enough held me back from
making this a great opportunity for teaching....
I need to take a step back every now and then and enjoy the little moments more....
I need to let others take responsibility and not be so harsh when they are not ready to...
I need to look past the words and harsh personalities and see the real people, not just what they want you to see
I need to allow myself to get closer and express my heart openly to those that touch it
I need to enjoy the fact that i can also touch the hearts of others and be comfortable within that
On ending my little journey in Thailand i managed to finally get a massage in Bangkok....I opted for a sauna, salt scrub and oil massage...all i can say is that is was
worth the 3 week wait and it's amazing to end my final day here on a spoil just for me....now it's time for bed in my cosy little room, and allowing myself the 
release of  emotions that have been sitting patiently inside.....tears of joy at being able to experience this and sadness knowing that this part of the journey is
over...
A good sleep tonight and then off to the airport tomorrow to start my next journey....
If you managed to read the whole 'post'...well, let's just say, i'm impressed!!!!..will try to be a bit more consistant in the coming weeks....
P.S. Happy New Year to all xxxxxxx
Love, love and extra heart warming love to all......