The Jet Lag is Gone and I'm Ready to Work

Before we arrived, our last trip to Southeast Asia seemed a lifetime ago; yet having been here for a couple of days, Jamie and I are beginning to feel at home, as if we never left. We arrived a couple of days ago in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Perhaps due to the jet lag, our first full day in Thailand seemed like a dream. 

We spent that surreal day at the Patara Elephant Sanctuary. Each of us was assigned an elephant to care for during our visit. Mine was a 16 year old mother (ideally they live to 85 years). Her one year old baby, YaYa, was never far from her. 

We learned how to evaluate an elephants health. Flapping ears, dirt on their back and sides, a little sweat by the toes and a voracious appetite all indicate a healthy pachyderm. 

Yet we weren't there to observe them; rather, we were caretakers for the day. Our chores included: feeding the elephants, a quick cleaning of their backs and a 45 minute ride to their favorite waterfall. Here we swam with our new friends and scrubbed their skin clean. They rolled on their sides giving us access to the hard to reach places. And finally, we were rewarded for efforts as they squirted us with blasts of water from their trunks, much to the entertainment of their handlers. 

I would like to say that I had a terrific Thai dinner that evening, but exhausted from the travel and the day, I went to bed early.  

On day two,  we travelled to Bangkok and reunited with our friend from dental school, Phira. Phira returned home to Thailand after completing his  dental and prosthetic studies in the United States. He is Vice President of Bangkok University, the oldest and largest university in Thailand. He also lectures in the school's dental program and maintains a private practice. He is one of the nicest people I know, and was a terrific host showing us the sites in Bangkok and introducing us to real Thai food. 

Now adjusted to the time change, we woke before dawn this morning and flew to Phnom Penh. We are energized and ready to work. Our team meetings begin this afternoon. We know the first two days will be challenging. We will work near Phnom Penh tomorrow then drive to the border with Vietnam, where we'll work on day two. 

We are trying to remember to be like the elephants that we met. They make careful, well considered decisions and move powerfully and steadily toward their goals.