Well hello friends Happy belated New Year! I can't believe we are already in the third month of 2018! As I write, it is the one year anniversary of our big move to our new home after 13 plus years living and working in the same place. It has been quite a year, but my son and I have settled in well. Time flies. I had good intentions of getting a blog post out earlier, but 2018 began with a flurry of friends and activities, which are still ongoing. It has been fun, but I have been so busy that I have had little time to make art, let alone write. My New Year got off to a great start because I finally took part in Bring the Elephant Home's BIKE FOR ELEPHANTS event! I have had the desire to do this for years, but it never worked out. Finally, I had the opportunity to make it to this event. What perfect timing as Antoinette Van de Water, the founder is branching out with her research and efforts - not long after the bike ride, she relocated to South Africa to include African Elephant conservation under the BTEH umbrella. Antoinette and I first met in 2004 at ENP, before she even started her Foundation. In the beginning the focus of BTEH was tree planting and reforestation to create natural habitat for captive elephants. BTEH also rescued old and handicapped elephants from working situations and gave them retirement in a safe haven. As time passed, Antoinette began devoting more time to conservation of wild elephant habitat, planting thousands of trees a year and building check dams in National Parks throughout Thailand. Soon it became apparent that BTEH should focus exclusively on conservation of wild elephants, their habitat and on reducing human-elephant conflict in areas where it was an ongoing problem. Antoinette is a very inspiring woman. She sets goals and achieves them. Her dedication and determination are admirable. She has accomplished much in a country not her own and has done so in a way that is respectful of customs and culture, always focusing on empowering the local communities. She is a strong female role model and a humble hero of elephants. I am proud to support her and be her friend. So back to January.... Despite the fact that funds are always limited, I had the opportunity to hang out with Antoinette and other good friends while supporting a great cause - WITH the possibility to observe wild elephants AND enjoy a long bike ride... It didn't take me long to decide that I had to do it. I have always loved to ride bikes. Whenever I do, I immediately feel like a teenager once again and that I am flying, with barely any effort. I also feel that I am really at one with my surroundings. I love that there is no motor, no car body confining me, no air con ... only me, the bike and the view. I am not competitive. I just want to enjoy the ride. I am always paying attention to my surroundings, not focused on the road ahead (well, enough to stay safe) - and since we were in elephant territory, I was looking for signs of elephants - trees worn by their scratching, boluses of dung on the road side - anything to reassure me that they were out there, but well hidden. I didn't give much thought to the fact that I am a bit out of shape and haven't ridden more than 12 miles at a time in about 25 years. This wasn't a race, it was a chance to be part of something special and a great excuse to RIDE! The amount of biking each day was about 35 to 40 miles, with some hills. We stopped for a break every 10 miles or so. There were only about 27 of us riding but we also had road crew and support teams who took very good care of us. The first day was the most enjoyable to me. There was a lot of rural dirt road riding in the HEC (human elephant conflict) zone. We stopped for a break at a farmer's home in a very remote area. He was the latest farmer to try out the bee hive fences to protect his garden. When you see where these farmers live you realise just how vulnerable their homes and gardens are. They are truly at the mercy of the elephants. Most of them have no interest in causing their wild neighbours any harm - but - they also have no wish to lose their crops which they depend on for food and income - or - even worse, their lives. Thankfully, bee hive fences seem to be the answer. Though there are still some difficulties to overcome, for the most part they do work. They also provide the farmer with an extra income by harvesting some of the honey to sell. Once we had our fill of fruit and fresh water, off we pedaled again. The farmer rode along with us for a few kilometers just for the fun of it. He and the others seemed really appreciative that we were there riding in support of and sympathetic to their ongoing challenges. Day one ended at a successful bee hive fence project near a resevoir where the elephants like to frequent each evening. It was common for herds of up to !100! elephants to pass right next to the bee hive fence on the way to have their evening bath and drink. Witnessing such a large herd of elephants had been the highlight of past Bike for Elephant events and we too had high hopes of seeing this herd on the move. The closer we got to the flagship bee hive fence project, I began to see the telltale signs of elephants. The first being a destroyed spirit house - and then - finally - what I had been waiting for... WILD ELEPHANT DUNG!!!!! I was so excited I decided I needed to collect some as a souvenier. Wild ele poo is like golden treasure to me. Being that this was a high HEC zone, the area is patrolled by rangers who track the elephants and alert the locals of their wherabouts so that everyone can be safe. There is a precarious balance between nature and agriculture in this region. There are mainly plantations of palm oil and rubber trees. People also plant some fruit trees. There is a protected forest for the wild elephant population, but unfortunately they prefer the habitat outside the protected area. They do not damage the palm oil or rubber trees, but their presence can be dangerous when workers come to tap the rubber trees, which is usually done at night. People have been killed when they happened to be in the right place at the wrong time and caught elephants by surprise. It is difficult enough to allocate protected land for wildlife and then another thing altogether to expect the animals to understand that they must not cross the boundaries. When we arrived at our destination, the rangers informed us that there were no elephants in the area today. This news was good for the farmers, but not good for us as far as observing them. We took the news in stride as with wild animals there is never a guarantee that they will be in a certain place at a certain time - which is exactly the way it should be. The next day of riding took us on a scenic route which mostly followed the shoreline of the gulf of Thailand. There were some big hills in the beginning which I needed to walk up and some very hot stretches, but the ride went fast and ended early at a beach front bar and restaurant. The celebration continued into the evening after which we all slept well. I must say that I was really proud of myself for being able to complete the ride. Though I didn't doubt I could do so, I hadn't trained at all. There were some of us who still had elephants on our minds though! Not sure when we would make our way back down to that region, a few of us arranged to go back to the bee hive fence project in hopes of catching a glimpse of the wild eles. It was a 2 hour ride back to the site and no guarantee we would see elephants but we were determined to try! We set out early the next day, hoping google maps would help us to locate the remote area not big enough to rate on most maps. The route was very scenic and we made a few stops at points of interest along the way. As we got closer to our destination, it became unclear which direction we should take. The roads weren't marked and often seemed more like jungle trails. We ended up on an incredibly exciting yet stressful road which resembled an off road roller coaster with very steep inclines both up and down. We dreaded travelling the same road to return if we left after dark. Here we were, a group of Westerners on an adventure to see wild elephants and we had the audacity to think that we could keep to a preferred schedule!! Our driver, 'Fearless Phil' was not keen on driving back on unfamiliar roads after dark so we planned to leave the site by 3:30. As you can imagine, that is not how it worked out at all... but as you can see, I am here to tell the tale so all's well that ends well. After the roller coaster ride, things started to look more familiar. Soon we happened upon a group of rangers parked on the side of the road. We stopped to ask if they had spotted any elephants and they informed us that there was a group of 40 resting in a plantation just beyond a grove of trees not far away. Our excitement was overwhelming. We would see the elephants! For the moment, all we could do was wait; So that is exactly what we did. Elephants take their time ... and the day was still hot. They were enjoying the privacy of a shady plantation, dozing off while the babies alternately played and napped. A half hour was soon an hour and a half. A few locals showed up to watch the elephants pass as well. In the meantime, it was time for kids to be coming home from school. Knowing the elephants were in the area, the rangers had all traffic stopped until the elephants crossed both roads on their way to the water. We waited expectantly, certain we would get our elephant filled happy ending, but Mother Nature cut it short. Despite the fact that it was the 'cold' season and rarely did it rain, we watched with concern as the sky grew dark and ominous. All we could hope for is that the elephants would start moving before the rain began to fall. Finally, just in the nick of time, the first elephants emerged crossing the first road ... two young tuskers! Following them was a steady stream of mothers, infants, aunties, juveniles, another bull - all very healthy looking. Tears streamed as I watched the herd, framed by concrete electric poles. We all had mixed emotions ... We were happy to see how healthy they were and how many babies they had, but also concerned as their presence in this area was dangerous for both them and the humans they shared it with. And then, bringing up the rear - a magnificent bull in full musth, temporin streaming! His pheremone filled scent was pungent and drifted towards us on the wind, which was getting more intense. The storm was approaching quickly. I inhaled deeply with a huge smile on my face. One of my favourite scents in the whole world is the aroma of a bull in full musth and here I was, privileged to be smelling not a captive bull, but a WILD one. No chains restrained him, he was in his full glory amongst his herd. The only restraint was the dwindling habitat. Following the big bull came the rain. The elephants would stay put until the storm passed. We stayed out as long as was possible, but soon there was no other choice but to go back to the car. By now it was also getting dark, but we couldn't leave. There were vehicles backed up in three different directions waiting for the herd to pass. The rain continued as night fell. We weren't sure we would be able to make our way out alone. With a rented car, we surely didn't want to run into any elephants! We were able to arrange for a ranger to lead us out to a main road for a small fee - and so very thankful for his guidance. Two hours later we pulled in to the Villa Bali Eco Resort and found Antoinette and crew in the dining area. We excitedly told our tales, proudly showed our photos and then danced the night away. Our mission was complete. The next day, the participants started to disperse, going their separate ways. For three of us the next destination was Elsie Evans Art Retreat in Rayong. My dear friends Phil and Moira treated me to this stay, which would not have been in my budget otherwise. Elsie Evans is an accomplished artist and teacher. With the help of her sons, she has made an oasis of creativity and relaxation. She hosts visiting artists and workshops as well as running a B and B. Even if you are not taking part in her classes or workshops, for a modest fee she offers day access to her studio and all of the mediums she has available. Though I have my full studio set up at home, Phil and Moira insisted I got creative while there, so I did. As of late I have been doing more intuitive painting than figurative so I just started making marks with no real plan. I couldn't really let go, as we had a time limit and the paint had to be dry by the time the canvas needed to be rolled up. By the time I had to stop, the painting was a hot mess. There would have been a time when I would have been filled with disappointment and despair over this, but I have learned so much over the last few years and am now able embrace the ugly stage, confident I can work past it. Being at Elsie Evans' place was very inspiring for me in many ways and I am truly thankful to Phil and Moira for taking me there! On the evening of our arrival we went for dinner at the most strange, quirky, tacky and unique place I have been to in almost forever. I can't remember the name but it was a giant theme restaurant which was part of a resort. The restaurant was pretty much a cross between Jurassic Park (minus the dinosaurs) and Indiana Jones. It was rambling and humongous, with ropes and vines everywhere and the most over the top bathrooms (complete with stalagmites!) I have ever been in. The ridiculous extreme of it brought out the child in me and I couldn't resist doing a goofball glamour photo shoot. Laughter is good medicine and I definitely laughed alot while acting a fool! The day after arriving back home, I had a bit of time to myself so I unrolled the painting to have a look with fresh eyes. I saw some potential and set to work. I quickly fell into the FLOW state and trusted my intuition. All of the marks were starting to make sense. Before I knew it, the afternoon was gone. As I stood back and looked at the piece from all angles, I was thrilled to see that it represented the fragile ecosystem in which the elephants had to live within. Art is magic... it is always a thrill to see how even unconsciously your experiences can influence your creations. Originally my intention was to give the painting to Phil and Moira as a thank you gift for my stay.Instead they suggested that I auction the painting and give the funds to BTEH to help support the ongoing efforts of all who work so hard to maintain safety and harmony between the elephants and humans in the conflict zone. I agreed that this was a wonderful idea and put the painting up for auction for a week, but sadly received no bids. At this time, the painting is still available with 100 percent of the proceeds going to BTEH, so if anyone reading is interested, please contact me and let me know! The bidding will start at 8000 baht. I would like to thank everyone who joined me and helped to finance my bike ride. It was a pleasure to share such a great experience with you - Antoinette, Phil, Moira, Jenny, Chandra, Jackie, Zabe and all the other participants. A special thanks go to Hazel and Martyn who won a painting that I auctioned to help cover the expenses. It wouldn't have been the same without any of you!
6 Comments
Samantha Burman
3/11/2018 03:48:11 am
Absuutely beautiful piece of writing Jodi, well done! You are in Doi Saket right? Hope to come and visit sometime - any times to avoid?
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Jodi
3/11/2018 05:20:02 am
Thanks Sam! I will pm you ☺
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Janet Ghio
3/11/2018 05:34:02 am
Jodi--what a wonderful story of your adventure!
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Jodi
3/12/2018 01:23:45 am
Thanks Janet. It was really exciting ☺
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Karen
3/11/2018 05:35:03 am
I could feel your experience reading this Jodi! So happy you got.to see the elephants 😀
Reply
Jodi
3/12/2018 01:22:54 am
Awww thanks Karen ☺
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AuthorMy name is Jodi. I am an Artist, Vegan, Activist, Nature Worshipper, Animal Lover, Idea Person, Strategist, Writer, Intuitive, Empath and Mom. Life can be exciting and complicated. I am easily distracted by horizons filled with fantastic mountains and cloud formations. Archives
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#elephants #artists #vegan #mixed media #art therapy #animal activism
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