We went to the Cambodian Elephant Sanctuary. We got on a bus and headed for the three-hour drive. This time (thank goodness) nobody threw up near/next to us.
When we arrived at the camp, we met the dogs. There were seven dogs in total, six let me touch them but I touched all seven. One had three legs and another had an injury on his leg. The pack leader was named Jack.
Then we sat around until lunch. While we waited, we listed to the rules. The lunch was the first Vegan meal of the week):
After lunch, we were off to “clean the ponds.” That involved getting buckets and emptying out three ponds that ducks poop and pee in. You could definitely tell that they used it that way.
We fed the elephants, there’s more info below.
We ate dinner and headed to bed.
One day we went to a school for Cambodian children. It was made of wood and looked like if it rained it wouldn’t keep all the water out. There were two classrooms in total, one for the littler kids (6-10) and another for the big kids (11-?). They had no electricity. That means, no fans or A/C when it’s a scalding 100 degrees out. The floor was made up of concrete with sand and dirt on top.
There were boys and girls. The oldest (in the younger group) was 10 and youngest 6. There were super happy to learn English.
The way we taught them:
Games,
Showing pictures and telling the word to them, such as:
We asked them their name and age, and they told us.
Later that week, we went to a local Cambodian wedding and saw the children again.
One day we went on a jungle walk with the elephants. We had two armed guards. It was a six-hour walk. Some of the time, we followed the elephants, and sometimes they followed us. The elephants got in the river and bathed in the muddy water. The mahout let me use his machete and cut some bush down during lunch.
Info on Elephants
There were four in total at the camp.
One was blind. The reason she was blinded was so that the mahout who had her before she got rescued had complete control over her. She was rescued from a logging company. (Click here for more on the loggers.)
Two of the elephants were aggressive with trunks, so they could get more food during feeding.
Once during feeding, a dog got too close and got smacked by an elephant’s trunk.
The fourth one hung out by itself. We were the first group to introduce it to bananas and watermelon.
How and what we feed them.
The blind elephant got a special mixture of rice and bananas and pellets for vitamins.
The other ones got sugarcane and watermelon.
We feed them by putting it in their trunk.
Thanks, Caden!