I wake up early the next morning, which is good because work starts at 7am! But unfortunately I'm not feeling much better and the day entails several visits to the loo. Undeterred, I meet the others and am introduced to our "pack" of dogs, which includes gorgeous 3-legged monster Sam (who immediately jumps up to greet me - he's pretty much my height!); ditzy but strong Noodle; and leader of the pack Deng. It seems I missed a fight yesterday - one of the dogs, Buddy, was injured and has been removed from the pack until he recovers; and the instigator, Flinky, will move to the main shelter for a week or so as punishment.
The day starts with letting the cats out (they stay in "cathouses" overnight for their safety), feeding them and emptying the litter trays. Then we walk the dogs. I quickly realise that I have never been around so many dogs at once, and it's a bit intimidating especially as I'm getting to know them...but it's a lovely walk along the beach, past the colourful boats of the sea gypsies and up to a small cove. The tide comes in really quickly and we have to walk back along the sea wall, which is a bit of a challenge for the less mobile dogs (especially the chubby one who doesn't like to get her feet wet!) but we all make it back OK, although Shelley is a bit worried because she spotted some dengue mosquitoes on her shoulder (apparently they are green & yellow, and come out in mid-morning - strange). Karl had dengue fever on an earlier trip and it wasn't pleasant!
The next day, Karl doesn't really need my help with the cathouse, so I set out to build a new door for my neighbour Stevie's cathouse. Poor Stevie has to live on his own because he's allergic to fleas. In fact, we soon find out that Stevie has a nerve disorder that causes loads of problems for him if he scratches himself - unfortunately, Shelley finds this out the hard way when he has a fit while she's scratching his back. He ends up having some injections at the main clinic but he makes a full recovery, and seems to accept his new door without much difficulty (well, he spends the first night meowing at it, but after that it seems to be OK!).
The whole time we are working, we are stalked by our cutest kitten, Momo - the only black cat (and also the youngest) at Time for Lime, she has big green eyes and loves to hide in the grass around the cabins. Many of the other cats also try to "help" by batting our nails around, climbing or jumping on the pieces of mesh while we put them in place, etc... ;-) One of the longest-term residents, a big white cat named Fatty, just loves to lie on the sidewalk watching the world go by - and accepting all back scratches, of course! It's hard to fathom that someone knifed this lovely creature in the stomach and he nearly died - he's lucky to have met Junie just in time.
The next day is my first shift at the main shelter, from 1-7pm. I head up to my favourite travel agency in the morning with plans to blog for a bit, and then take advantage of their bike rental service - but today they are mysteriously closed. I find out from the neighbouring shop that the owner has gone to the mainland for the day and won't be back until late.
Undeterred, I set off on foot - I'm sure the other volunteers mentioned another bike rental place nearby. I see a small house (a shack, really, but it's clearly someone's home and a small business too!) with lots of bikes outside, stacked precariously in every corner and even hanging from the overhead trellis. I hunt around for a business owner and finally find an old fellow in the back. I try to communicate the fact that I'd like to rent a bicycle, but he seems really averse to the idea....so eventually I have to give up. I cross the street to a sports shop and the man there confirms that the old man does rent bikes, but also that he's a bit moody so he's not surprised that I'm not having much success! I continue on towards the shelter on foot....
My next stop is a scooter/motorcycle rental stand. He doesn't rent bicycles but he says there is a place over the road that does. I'm confused - I can see an insurance shop (which also appears to be a cafe) but he seems firmly convinced that it's a bike rental place. So I head over and ask at the small counter (between portions of curry & rice)...the woman tells me to take a seat, and a few minutes later a bicycle appears from somewhere in the back. While I'm reviewing the contract (which has some suspicious blanks, including important facts such as my liability in case the bike is lost or stolen), a man pops it up on a stand and proceeds to tune the brakes, check the tires and generally ensure that it's OK. I negotiate a discount for a weekly rental (450 instead of 500), and after the contract has been completed I jump on and head to the clinic in a much speedier fashion. This is soooo much better than walking, since the roads are quite flat (in fact, they almost always seem to be running slightly downhill - regardless of which way I'm travelling...?) and the speed of the bicycle creates a nice breeze to cool me.
I have just enough time to stop into the tasty Faim de Loup French bakery for a cinnamon roll & a loaf of bread (tomorrow's breakfast!), and roll into the clinic in time for my 1pm shift. There's a lot to learn as there are so many more animals & volunteers here. The hardest thing is making sure that all the dogs get a walk at least once a day - this can be impossible to fit in amongst all the routine tasks that need to be done to keep over 60 animals fit, fed & happy! I actually end up spending several hours of my first shift de-boning fish, since every little bone needs to be removed to prevent choking. We are not so careful about this process for the Time for Lime animals, but all of ours are pretty healthy whereas some of the ones at the main clinic have long-term health problems or are recovering from surgery or injuries. The main clinic also takes in people's pets for sterilisation so we need to be extra-careful!
Dinnertime for the dogs is hectic - we have about 30 (a couple of recent adoptees move to their new homes during my stay, which is great to see!) and they're arranged primarily into 4 "packs", which each have their own area to run in during the day. In the evening, each dog needs to be moved into a kennel (there are a few kennel pairs too, with two dogs staying together) and to make this easier, their dinners are placed inside. With the exception of one picky dog, Soda, they wolf down their meals in seconds, giving you just enough time to close the kennel door and head back to the area for the next dog. EVERYONE barks as the dogs are moved in, and especially on the first day when I don't know which kennel belongs to who, it's hard to concentrate. But in the end everyone gets to their kennel and (sort of) quiets down for the evening. One volunteer sleeps in overnight to ensure that the dogs don't start barking like crazy and annoying the neighbours - the worst point is early in the morning when the Muslim call to prayer begins, because that really sets the pooches off (seems they never get used to it!). The best way to control the barking is apparently to spray them with a water gun ;-)
My shift is finished at 7pm and I'm racing against the sunset to get home. I don't have a light on my bike so this doesn't seem like the safest idea with all the scooters racing by...especially since drink-driving is sadly not uncommon here. I'm on the morning shift tomorrow (7am) and I decide to ask Maya, the manager, if I can work all early shifts for the rest of my stay - hopefully most of the volunteers prefer to sleep in, as I don't want to cause any conflicts.
It's strange to be up before the rest of the Time for Lime gang, but I did feel a bit guilty yesterday when I wasn't helping them work in the early morning! I've managed to pack some muesli in my travel mug, and with the addition of one of the small yogurts in our communal breakfast fridge I reckon I can avoid spending money on food. I hop on the bike and cycle along the near-silent road to the clinic (I do pass another cyclist...we will see each other almost every morning and exchange waves & smiles; we're a rare breed in Thailand!).
The tasks for the early shift are a little different. We feed all the dogs & cats (this takes longer than you'd think, because you have to stay with the cats & each pair of dogs to ensure they all get a fair share & there are no "food fights"!). I am starting to remember a few of their dogs from their eating habits or rituals: Soda, who is fussy and must have water added to her food...but often she still won't eat it; Sara, who had a terrible infection in her bum and now has problems pooing, so she has a very special meal with LOTS of water, pumpkin, and something called Loevac (sp?); Sara's cagemate, Lucy, who leaps around when her food arrives, sometimes reaching amazing heights (I call her "kangaroo"); and Oscar, who has a special "food dance", standing on his hind legs and spinning in circles!
After breakfast, we start to move the dogs into their areas. We start with area 4 (I think - I will never be 100% sure of which area is which, and always need to check the signs on the gates!). We go in first and check the area for snakes, cats and any other hazards. We also make sure all the gates are secured. Then we bring the dogs who "belong" in area 1 into this area one by one. They stay there in their pack for a little while - maybe up to 30 minutes - doing their morning toilet rituals and getting reacquainted with their pack members! Then, we check area 3 next door for hazards, and open the connecting gate. We usher the dogs into the new area, close the gate, and then move the next pack of dogs into area 4. This "rotation" continues until all the dog packs are out in their correct areas, and is designed to ensure that all the dogs get a chance to be in each area. However, I'm sure you can do the math - the last pack to go out only visits area 4 - so in fact, the routine changes during my stay to include some additional rotations in the afternoon, to make things more fair for this pack.
Like Time for Lime, there are different daily tasks to be completed on each shift. One of my days at the main clinic, this will be bathing & de-ticking all the dogs - but this one takes so long that even after both shifts have done their best, only half the dogs are washed. Some days are easier to achieve such as scrubbing the dog's cages, which is the allotted task on my first morning shift. Unfortunately I do it with such enthusiasm that I hurt my back and am unable to wield the scrubbing brush for the rest of my stay!
The shift passes quickly, and I decide to make the most of my new vehicle by cycling to the Old Town on the other side of the island. Junie & the volunteers look at me like I'm a little bit crazy =) But it turns out to be a beautiful ride. The center of the island is a ridge of hills, where I have to walk the bike up (but the coasting down part is great!), and there is hardly any traffic. I pass a huge group of people who seem to be having a celebratory meal at a house...or maybe it's a cafe/restaurant, but it doesn't have any discernible signage and it is closed when I'm coming home, so I think it's just somewhere for special occasions! When I reach the east side of the island I'm back on a main road, but there is plenty of space for everyone and even more to see. The road doesn't run as close to the sea as it does on the other side (in fact, I think this side has mangrove forests with some rivers running through them - you can take a kayak tour there). There are a lot of farms, and a couple of small villages which each have a gas station & corner store. I even pass a logging crew who have a pair of elephants working with them!
I finally reach the old town, which is wonderfully wooden and looks like just the right home for Thai fishermen. Many of the houses are built on stilts over the harbour. There is a long pier with taxi & tour boats (not so many of the latter at this time of year!). I'm thirsty so I pop into the very last bar in town (after that you're back in the forest!) which is run by a rather camp French fellow, who is chatting with a friend in a hammock. He can only offer beer or Coke (well, there are no other customers, so why would he keep a lot of stock on site)...so I take a Coke and wander around the wraparound deck admiring the view. We have a great chat about travelling and he encourages me to try cycling again when we get to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. He's an interesting fellow but I'm keen to get home before dark, so I don't stay too long. Even with the hills to cross, I manage to make it home just before sunset...and boy, is my bum sore, so I jump in the sea quickly to refresh (not really helpful, it's almost hot water in there argh). But I am really impressed that I managed to do it, since this is my first proper bike ride since I was in university! (no, we cannot count Serbia, I had to walk that bike up even the smallest incline - this is a MUCH better vehicle)
The days pass by quickly. I have managed to get all early shifts at the clinic so I have my afternoons free to explore, or go swimming at some of the local hotels (although there are not many who extend this privilege to non-guests, even if you're buying food & drink!). Big thanks to Blue Andaman and the stunning Relax Bay Resort for welcoming the shelter volunteers! (and a special thanks to the sweet beach bartender at the latter, who remembers everyone's name and gave me a puzzle to solve while she made my drink!)
All sorts of interesting people pass through the restaurant, including lots of cooking students, and a sweet young honeymoon couple from Bedfordshire (UK), Matt & Mandy. They come to visit us often, and become really good friends with Shelley & Karl. One day they take a fishing trip and catch a huge barracuda which we share on a Monday night - it's delicious, I'm sure in part since Shelley's family owns a restaurant in New Zealand, and Mandy is a keen & creative cook too (as well as a fireworks planner & operator - cool!).
Before I know it, my time on Ko Lanta is nearly up, so I take one more long cycle ride - this time, heading for the national park (& waterfall!) at the southern tip of the island. I pass so many beautiful beaches and coves, but after a while the road starts to get quite steep and I am getting tired. I have to admit defeat, but at least I can do this at the amazing Diamond Cliff restaurant & viewpoint. I have a cup of tea and a rest while admiring the view, then hop back on the bike & coast towards home. This is definitely the fun part of the ride =)
On my second last day, I stop at the internet cafe on my way home to have a Skype chat with Graham (my father-in-law) and am surprised to find Chris is online - it seems that the monastery offered a "get out of jail card" ha ha, and he's left there one day earlier than planned. We make a plan to meet at Lamphu House on 1 July to celebrate Canada Day! Then I have to rush back to Time for Lime for my Thai cooking class with Mai & a young couple (whose names I have sadly forgotten =( ).
The class is fantastic. I've found the flavours in Thai food to be confusing and more complex than I anticipated (certainly very different from what we've had in the UK and elsewhere); Mai patiently explains the need to include sweet, sour, salty and spicy in each dish, and what ingredients can be used to achieve this. We taste several ingredients, smell some others, and learn the all-important way to cut each item in the special Thai "eat me" or "don't eat me" way! We learn how to make:
Everything turns out deliciously, although I have a bit of work to do on presentation (maybe my next class?)! It's a really fun way to spend the evening, and I am already contemplating whether maple sugar can be substituted for palm sugar when we're in Canada.
My last shift at the clinic is an afternoon one (my request, since the bike is due back that day before 11am), and I manage to finish a project I've been picking away at since my arrival - a new version of the "dog board" (an invaluable resource, especially for new volunteers). The lines are not perfectly parallel, but there is enough space for the details of each dog so it'll do the job ;-)
I give a big hug & a pat to some of my favourite dogs, and also of course to the other volunteers - although I don't feel like I know anyone as well as the Time for Lime crew - it's just a different vibe at the main clinic, and since I don't live with them there's not so much opportunity for socialising. I did get invited to a couple of social events like a beach BBQ but since I'm still not up for a lot of alcohol-drinking, it didn't seem like I'd fit in very well!. New arrival Kate comes back to Time for Lime with me after my shift. lured by the promise of cheap food & karaoke (it's Matt & Mandy's last night on Lanta also, so we're going to hit the town!). We are wondering how we're going to manage to travel the 3km or so up to Time for Lime in the dark, on foot, but a "knight in shining tuk-tuk" comes to our rescue - a fellow who was reclining on a hammock near the road, but leaps up & drives over when he spots us walking. When I ask how much he'll charge us, he asks us what we'd like to pay - a clever ploy, as I offer 100 baht which he accepts immediately (clearly much more than it should cost ;-) ). That's fine with me, I'm grateful for his timely appearance and it's only a little more than 3 USD.
We join the others for dinner and have a drink at the bar while we chat with the staff. I've spent the morning scrubbing my bathroom & sweeping my cabin in preparation for check-out; I'm leaving early tomorrow so I return all the cleaning supplies and settle my bill (which is wonderfully small, even though it includes almost 2 weeks accommodation, some food & drink and the cooking class - less than 3000 baht. Thanks Junie for the generous discounts!). Then we all head out to paint the town red! It's a fun evening in the local bars that we've passed by so many times; how they all stay in business is impossible to guess, since many of them have just a couple of other customers (or in one case, none at all!). This ensures a warm welcome for our group, at least. And what you hear about Thai ladyboys appears to be true - even on this smallish island, in the off season, pretty much all of the bar staff are definitely men dressed as women! We drink some cocktails, sing some karaoke (I even sing a song in Thai, since the English selection is limited to 2 disks - one of which is just a list of artists in the booklet!), and eventually stumble home at about 2:30am. Kate stays in my cabin since her hotel would be impossible to reach at this hour...although this means that she has the dubious pleasure of waking up at 6:30am when my alarm goes off! My transfer to town is due at about 7:30, but actually arrives 20 min early - oh well, for once I am packed and ready to go. There are hugs all around, although I'm a bit sad that I don't have time to get some photos of "our" dogs before I go. It's been a great experience, and nice to feel helpful for a while!
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| Scenes from walking the dogs |
We finish the walks with Red & Sugar, two dogs who aren't a part of our main pack so they stay in the restaurant area. This is quite lonely for them since the restaurant is only open in the evening, and at this time of year it's rarely busy so they don't get enough pats. We try to visit them as much as possible, and they move to someone's porch overnight so they can feel more like part of the family. After walks, we feed the dogs (always at the end of the process in case someone runs away while we're out & about - they're much more likely to come home quickly if there's a meal involved).
Each day of the week has a task assigned to it - today's task is to scrub the dog bowls. Time for Lime has been really short of volunteers lately so it's been a while since this was last done, and it takes a lot of elbow grease! But we are satisfied that we've done a good job and it will be easier next week.
We finish the morning by refilling the cat trays with newspaper and stones that are collected from the beach. Then we head to the restaurant to enjoy our free self-serve breakfast. I have a bit of toast and marmalade with some sweet tea, and vow to get my stomach sorted out so I can enjoy the fresh fruit & yogurt.
We've got a few hours off in the middle of the day before another round of walking & feeding, so I set out to explore the local area. I find a travel agency nearby which has computers set up for internet access - this will come in handy since Chris has the laptop, and several enquiries have not produced the option to rent or borrow a laptop here. I catch up on a few things and then stop into 7-Eleven to stock up on Gatorade and potato chips. It's great to have a fridge in my cabin so I can be self-catering, once I'm feeling better!
Time has flown by and I get back just in time to help with the afternoon tasks. All the dogs get another walk, and they & the cats are fed and put to bed. We finish just in time for sunset. It's Monday which means the Time for Lime restaurant is closed, so I jump on the back of Elo's scooter to go to a local restaurant. It's a great place with all the tables outside, and really cheap food! I choose a safe option, pad thai, which is tasty no matter how I feel. A few volunteers from the main clinic pass through to pick up a take-out, and tell us that one of the girls there has crashed her scooter and had several injuries to her face, as well as at least one tooth - but luckily she's not badly injured. We drive back home - carefully! - and I try to drink a beer but a couple of sips are enough. Tomorrow I think I'll head to the medical clinic which is down towards the main shelter.
Another restless night (feeling sick & being too hot are a bad combo), but I'm up early to help with the dogs & cats again. Karl & I will start our maintenance work tomorrow after Junie sorts out a few tools & other items that we need. Today's task is to rake the leaves & scoop the poo in the dog's area - another task which is well overdue, phew! At least having all those leaves around makes it easy to scoop up the poo and drop it in the garbage. We also tidy up some old tires and other junk which are making the approach to the restaurant look messy, and then go to a British cafe nearby for some breakfast. The breakfast is huge, albeit a bit expensive, and I feel like I can't properly appreciate it. The other volunteers are excited to discover that the cafe has a swimming pool that customers can use - at this time of year, the sea is very shallow and cloudy so it's not good for swimming. It's depressing to see how much garbage washes up - a combination of the seasonal tides, and the fact that no beach-cleaners are employed in the off-season.
After breakfast I set out to walk to the medical clinic. It seems like I can get there by walking along the beach, but in reality I see that the tide is too high so I wait in the shade along the shoreline for a while until I can be sure that the tide is receding. I have to pick my way along quite carefully when I set out (especially since almost anything could be in that surf!) and at one point I am wading hip-deep through a tidal river, but eventually I get to the right beach (I think!) and head back towards the main road. The first thing I spot is a pharmacy, so I decide to stop in and ask if I can just purchase the same stuff that Chris was "prescribed". No problem, says the pharmacist - a 2 day dose costs just 28 baht!!!! Armed with my remedy, I reward myself with an iced coffee concoction from the cafe next door.
Then I continue the rest of the way to Lanta Animal Welfare's main shelter, where one of the girls gives me a tour and I realise just how many dogs & cats are being cared for (the cats here are especially confusing, since there are loads of black ones, and you also only see all of them at feeding time when it's a bit crazy!). There are surgery rooms, a recovery area, and an isolation area for sick cats. At the moment there are 3 vets - two friends from Poland (who are still studying, I think, and are volunteering here to gain some practical experience), and one from Malaysia, who spends his weekends working on opening his own clinic on the mainland.
Generally, Thai people leave their dogs outside all the time, and don't really think of controlling them let alone getting them neutered - so the clinic has been really valuable in providing education to local people about how to take care of their pets, as well as neutering & vaccinating the strays that live around the island. But there is a long way to go - some of the temporary residents or the resorts will take on "pet" cats or dogs during the high season (sometimes just to impress the tourists!) and then abandon them once it's off-season. Other people are annoyed by the strays (or uncontrolled pet dogs!) and put out poison to reduce the population. In fact, I hear that a local man brought his dog into the main clinic as an emergency (a couple of days after my arrival), but unfortunately it died from some poisoned food that it ate on the beach. He was devastated. Junie is careful to ensure that all the dogs are under control while they're out for walks as she doesn't want this fate for any of our dogs - but it's hard on them because they really love the opportunity to run free on the beach. The poisoning seems crazy - there is a little girl on the island who has permanent organ damage after accidentally eating some - but as far as I can see the law enforcement here is not doing anything to stop this practice.
After a good chat with the main shelter volunteers, I start walking back along the main road. I am hurrying to get back before "walk time" at 4 but it's still really hot, and I'm tired now. Luckily about halfway home, a very sweet tuk-tuk driver takes pity on me and gives me a free lift, so I make it in time to chug some Gatorade before taking the dogs out.
This evening it's busy in the restaurant - some cooking students, a family, the Swiss/Austrian couple I met on Sunday, and a big group of volunteers from the main shelter. I spend most of the evening chatting with Carrie, a British girl who arrived a couple of days before me & already knows the rest of the Time for Lime gang (I think she stayed here for a night or two). I manage to eat a proper meal, which is delicious - the food at Time for Lime is kind of a modern twist on Thai, along with some local favourites. The regular customers get to try lots of different things because the usual format is a tasting menu with several courses, but volunteers can choose to have any of the dishes from that night's tasting menu in a double portion for a discounted price.
On Wednesday morning, Karl and I start a bit later as we'll need some supplies from the hardware store, which opens at 8am. We spend our day taking some old, rusty wire mesh off the frame of one of the cathouses. The roof, which is made from some sort of thin foam sheet, also needs replacing - and we find lots of rotten wood in the frame so there is plenty to keep us busy. It's crazy hot but Karl persists with the project all day (and so do I, as a somewhat bumbling assistant!), and by the end of the day all the "removal" work is done and the new roof is in place. There is still a lot of mesh to be replaced (this time, with a heavyweight plastic that won't become a hazard as it ages) but we'll tackle that over the rest of the week. It's pretty slow work as we have limited supplies (our tools consist of a handsaw, a hammer, and a pair of scissors!) and no money to get any more. Even the replacement wood for the frame has to be "found items" from the beach (luckily, Karl & Shelley have spotted an abandoned resort nearby which is a great source!).
Over dinner, I get a call from Junie. Since Anne's scooter accident they are short one volunteer at the main clinic, and she's hoping I can take that place for the rest of my stay on the island. I realise I am probably of more value there since my handyman skills are pretty rudimentary (hey, at least I have enthusiasm ;-) ) so I agree to make the switch on Friday, with the compromise that I'd like to continue staying at Time for Lime - I love meeting the cooking school students, and my little cabin home covered in cats!
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| Stevie's new door (just before the mesh is added) |
The whole time we are working, we are stalked by our cutest kitten, Momo - the only black cat (and also the youngest) at Time for Lime, she has big green eyes and loves to hide in the grass around the cabins. Many of the other cats also try to "help" by batting our nails around, climbing or jumping on the pieces of mesh while we put them in place, etc... ;-) One of the longest-term residents, a big white cat named Fatty, just loves to lie on the sidewalk watching the world go by - and accepting all back scratches, of course! It's hard to fathom that someone knifed this lovely creature in the stomach and he nearly died - he's lucky to have met Junie just in time.The next day is my first shift at the main shelter, from 1-7pm. I head up to my favourite travel agency in the morning with plans to blog for a bit, and then take advantage of their bike rental service - but today they are mysteriously closed. I find out from the neighbouring shop that the owner has gone to the mainland for the day and won't be back until late.
Undeterred, I set off on foot - I'm sure the other volunteers mentioned another bike rental place nearby. I see a small house (a shack, really, but it's clearly someone's home and a small business too!) with lots of bikes outside, stacked precariously in every corner and even hanging from the overhead trellis. I hunt around for a business owner and finally find an old fellow in the back. I try to communicate the fact that I'd like to rent a bicycle, but he seems really averse to the idea....so eventually I have to give up. I cross the street to a sports shop and the man there confirms that the old man does rent bikes, but also that he's a bit moody so he's not surprised that I'm not having much success! I continue on towards the shelter on foot....
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| Just after some bike returns - slightly clearer that this is more than "just" an insurance cafe! |
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| My wheels! |
I have just enough time to stop into the tasty Faim de Loup French bakery for a cinnamon roll & a loaf of bread (tomorrow's breakfast!), and roll into the clinic in time for my 1pm shift. There's a lot to learn as there are so many more animals & volunteers here. The hardest thing is making sure that all the dogs get a walk at least once a day - this can be impossible to fit in amongst all the routine tasks that need to be done to keep over 60 animals fit, fed & happy! I actually end up spending several hours of my first shift de-boning fish, since every little bone needs to be removed to prevent choking. We are not so careful about this process for the Time for Lime animals, but all of ours are pretty healthy whereas some of the ones at the main clinic have long-term health problems or are recovering from surgery or injuries. The main clinic also takes in people's pets for sterilisation so we need to be extra-careful!
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| Main clinic kitchen/central space |
My shift is finished at 7pm and I'm racing against the sunset to get home. I don't have a light on my bike so this doesn't seem like the safest idea with all the scooters racing by...especially since drink-driving is sadly not uncommon here. I'm on the morning shift tomorrow (7am) and I decide to ask Maya, the manager, if I can work all early shifts for the rest of my stay - hopefully most of the volunteers prefer to sleep in, as I don't want to cause any conflicts.
It's strange to be up before the rest of the Time for Lime gang, but I did feel a bit guilty yesterday when I wasn't helping them work in the early morning! I've managed to pack some muesli in my travel mug, and with the addition of one of the small yogurts in our communal breakfast fridge I reckon I can avoid spending money on food. I hop on the bike and cycle along the near-silent road to the clinic (I do pass another cyclist...we will see each other almost every morning and exchange waves & smiles; we're a rare breed in Thailand!).
The tasks for the early shift are a little different. We feed all the dogs & cats (this takes longer than you'd think, because you have to stay with the cats & each pair of dogs to ensure they all get a fair share & there are no "food fights"!). I am starting to remember a few of their dogs from their eating habits or rituals: Soda, who is fussy and must have water added to her food...but often she still won't eat it; Sara, who had a terrible infection in her bum and now has problems pooing, so she has a very special meal with LOTS of water, pumpkin, and something called Loevac (sp?); Sara's cagemate, Lucy, who leaps around when her food arrives, sometimes reaching amazing heights (I call her "kangaroo"); and Oscar, who has a special "food dance", standing on his hind legs and spinning in circles!
After breakfast, we start to move the dogs into their areas. We start with area 4 (I think - I will never be 100% sure of which area is which, and always need to check the signs on the gates!). We go in first and check the area for snakes, cats and any other hazards. We also make sure all the gates are secured. Then we bring the dogs who "belong" in area 1 into this area one by one. They stay there in their pack for a little while - maybe up to 30 minutes - doing their morning toilet rituals and getting reacquainted with their pack members! Then, we check area 3 next door for hazards, and open the connecting gate. We usher the dogs into the new area, close the gate, and then move the next pack of dogs into area 4. This "rotation" continues until all the dog packs are out in their correct areas, and is designed to ensure that all the dogs get a chance to be in each area. However, I'm sure you can do the math - the last pack to go out only visits area 4 - so in fact, the routine changes during my stay to include some additional rotations in the afternoon, to make things more fair for this pack.
Like Time for Lime, there are different daily tasks to be completed on each shift. One of my days at the main clinic, this will be bathing & de-ticking all the dogs - but this one takes so long that even after both shifts have done their best, only half the dogs are washed. Some days are easier to achieve such as scrubbing the dog's cages, which is the allotted task on my first morning shift. Unfortunately I do it with such enthusiasm that I hurt my back and am unable to wield the scrubbing brush for the rest of my stay!
The shift passes quickly, and I decide to make the most of my new vehicle by cycling to the Old Town on the other side of the island. Junie & the volunteers look at me like I'm a little bit crazy =) But it turns out to be a beautiful ride. The center of the island is a ridge of hills, where I have to walk the bike up (but the coasting down part is great!), and there is hardly any traffic. I pass a huge group of people who seem to be having a celebratory meal at a house...or maybe it's a cafe/restaurant, but it doesn't have any discernible signage and it is closed when I'm coming home, so I think it's just somewhere for special occasions! When I reach the east side of the island I'm back on a main road, but there is plenty of space for everyone and even more to see. The road doesn't run as close to the sea as it does on the other side (in fact, I think this side has mangrove forests with some rivers running through them - you can take a kayak tour there). There are a lot of farms, and a couple of small villages which each have a gas station & corner store. I even pass a logging crew who have a pair of elephants working with them!
I finally reach the old town, which is wonderfully wooden and looks like just the right home for Thai fishermen. Many of the houses are built on stilts over the harbour. There is a long pier with taxi & tour boats (not so many of the latter at this time of year!). I'm thirsty so I pop into the very last bar in town (after that you're back in the forest!) which is run by a rather camp French fellow, who is chatting with a friend in a hammock. He can only offer beer or Coke (well, there are no other customers, so why would he keep a lot of stock on site)...so I take a Coke and wander around the wraparound deck admiring the view. We have a great chat about travelling and he encourages me to try cycling again when we get to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. He's an interesting fellow but I'm keen to get home before dark, so I don't stay too long. Even with the hills to cross, I manage to make it home just before sunset...and boy, is my bum sore, so I jump in the sea quickly to refresh (not really helpful, it's almost hot water in there argh). But I am really impressed that I managed to do it, since this is my first proper bike ride since I was in university! (no, we cannot count Serbia, I had to walk that bike up even the smallest incline - this is a MUCH better vehicle)The days pass by quickly. I have managed to get all early shifts at the clinic so I have my afternoons free to explore, or go swimming at some of the local hotels (although there are not many who extend this privilege to non-guests, even if you're buying food & drink!). Big thanks to Blue Andaman and the stunning Relax Bay Resort for welcoming the shelter volunteers! (and a special thanks to the sweet beach bartender at the latter, who remembers everyone's name and gave me a puzzle to solve while she made my drink!)
The island is very quiet at this time of year, which is great most of the time (lots of opportunity to see real Thai life) but a slight pain at others. For example, it's impossible to watch rugby - there are 4 British pubs in a row! but they are all closed, and in fact at least 2 of them are for sale...and transport & tour options are severely limited. But the roads are often empty, especially in the early morning, which is great news for me on my bicycle. I can take my time to enjoy the views of the forested hills in the island's center, and the changing sea views which are available at almost every turn in the road.
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| Barra BBQ crew |
I spend a lot of time walking various dogs, and learning their little quirks. Sanchez & Pooey are not part of a pack, so they spend their days in the "puppy area", a separate area with a patch of lawn & 4 cages. We try to let each of the "puppy area" dogs or pairs out of their cages to run on the grass throughout the day. Flinky (the bad boy from Time for Lime) is also in this area and at first, he rams the gate or fence every time he's allowed out of his cage (so of course, he doesn't stay out for long!)...but by the end of my stay, he's calmed down & become friends with sweet oldie 3-Legs so they can share a cage, which is great news for her. I hope that some of Flinky's energy rubs off as she is often just too tired to get up, and taking her for a walk is hilarious - you might get across the road if you're lucky, and you'll probably have to carry her back!
Some of the dogs are notorious fighters, or will attack the cats, so they have to wear lots of gear on walks. Sanchez is one of these and it's sad but kind of funny to see him trussed up in muzzle, choke chain and harness. On our first walk together, we encounter a pack of wild dogs on the beach and he goes crazy trying to get loose & fight with them...so much so that he bashes into my leg and gives me what seems to be a permanent bruise (we have dubbed it "the contusion"). I am proud that I manage to hold onto him; he's a very strong dog! He's on the list of dogs that are not allowed to be walked by visitors. However, there are so many dogs that there's one to suit everyone, and we're really grateful to the many tourists and locals who stop by to walk dogs during the daytime; without these visitors, there is no way that all the dogs could get their daily walk. An Australian woman & her 9-year-old daughter come by one afternoon and end up staying for a couple of hours - they walk 6 dogs and also cuddle and play with lots of our cats!
There are many kinds of crab on the beaches here, including a daytime, sand-coloured type that scurries quickly across the surface of the sand, driving the dogs crazy during their walks; & a tall spindly type that runs towards the receding waterline after darkness falls. I also love listening to the birds, who are probably enjoying this peaceful & wet season. One night as I'm leaving the shelter I hear a strange honking, and turn to find a huge goose staring at me! Weirdly, even though this is the "wet season", there is no rain during my stay and consequently I can see the swampy areas drying out day by day. In fact I will leave just in time to miss a HUGE rainstorm which floods everything.
Towards the end of my stay, I notice that I've developed a dog-walkers tan - ie. all along the inside edge of my forearms! I'm very grateful for my giant folding hat though, which has kept my head, face & shoulders nicely shaded throughout the day. I only get sunburnt once, on a day that I cycle around various hotels looking for a swimming pool and forget to put on sunscreen before I set out.
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| Noodle - fishing as usual! |
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| 3-Legs |
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| Sanchez |
There are many kinds of crab on the beaches here, including a daytime, sand-coloured type that scurries quickly across the surface of the sand, driving the dogs crazy during their walks; & a tall spindly type that runs towards the receding waterline after darkness falls. I also love listening to the birds, who are probably enjoying this peaceful & wet season. One night as I'm leaving the shelter I hear a strange honking, and turn to find a huge goose staring at me! Weirdly, even though this is the "wet season", there is no rain during my stay and consequently I can see the swampy areas drying out day by day. In fact I will leave just in time to miss a HUGE rainstorm which floods everything.
Towards the end of my stay, I notice that I've developed a dog-walkers tan - ie. all along the inside edge of my forearms! I'm very grateful for my giant folding hat though, which has kept my head, face & shoulders nicely shaded throughout the day. I only get sunburnt once, on a day that I cycle around various hotels looking for a swimming pool and forget to put on sunscreen before I set out.
Before I know it, my time on Ko Lanta is nearly up, so I take one more long cycle ride - this time, heading for the national park (& waterfall!) at the southern tip of the island. I pass so many beautiful beaches and coves, but after a while the road starts to get quite steep and I am getting tired. I have to admit defeat, but at least I can do this at the amazing Diamond Cliff restaurant & viewpoint. I have a cup of tea and a rest while admiring the view, then hop back on the bike & coast towards home. This is definitely the fun part of the ride =)On my second last day, I stop at the internet cafe on my way home to have a Skype chat with Graham (my father-in-law) and am surprised to find Chris is online - it seems that the monastery offered a "get out of jail card" ha ha, and he's left there one day earlier than planned. We make a plan to meet at Lamphu House on 1 July to celebrate Canada Day! Then I have to rush back to Time for Lime for my Thai cooking class with Mai & a young couple (whose names I have sadly forgotten =( ).
The class is fantastic. I've found the flavours in Thai food to be confusing and more complex than I anticipated (certainly very different from what we've had in the UK and elsewhere); Mai patiently explains the need to include sweet, sour, salty and spicy in each dish, and what ingredients can be used to achieve this. We taste several ingredients, smell some others, and learn the all-important way to cut each item in the special Thai "eat me" or "don't eat me" way! We learn how to make:
- red curry paste (involves a great deal of pounding with a large mortar, very hard on the shoulders but definitely better than the pre-made stuff)
- papaya salad (one of my favourite Thai dishes, and now I understand the balance of flavours!)
- pad thai (another favourite), and
- a fish dish with deep-fried Thai basil and stir-fried morning glory (see fiery photo)
Everything turns out deliciously, although I have a bit of work to do on presentation (maybe my next class?)! It's a really fun way to spend the evening, and I am already contemplating whether maple sugar can be substituted for palm sugar when we're in Canada.
My last shift at the clinic is an afternoon one (my request, since the bike is due back that day before 11am), and I manage to finish a project I've been picking away at since my arrival - a new version of the "dog board" (an invaluable resource, especially for new volunteers). The lines are not perfectly parallel, but there is enough space for the details of each dog so it'll do the job ;-)
I give a big hug & a pat to some of my favourite dogs, and also of course to the other volunteers - although I don't feel like I know anyone as well as the Time for Lime crew - it's just a different vibe at the main clinic, and since I don't live with them there's not so much opportunity for socialising. I did get invited to a couple of social events like a beach BBQ but since I'm still not up for a lot of alcohol-drinking, it didn't seem like I'd fit in very well!. New arrival Kate comes back to Time for Lime with me after my shift. lured by the promise of cheap food & karaoke (it's Matt & Mandy's last night on Lanta also, so we're going to hit the town!). We are wondering how we're going to manage to travel the 3km or so up to Time for Lime in the dark, on foot, but a "knight in shining tuk-tuk" comes to our rescue - a fellow who was reclining on a hammock near the road, but leaps up & drives over when he spots us walking. When I ask how much he'll charge us, he asks us what we'd like to pay - a clever ploy, as I offer 100 baht which he accepts immediately (clearly much more than it should cost ;-) ). That's fine with me, I'm grateful for his timely appearance and it's only a little more than 3 USD.
We join the others for dinner and have a drink at the bar while we chat with the staff. I've spent the morning scrubbing my bathroom & sweeping my cabin in preparation for check-out; I'm leaving early tomorrow so I return all the cleaning supplies and settle my bill (which is wonderfully small, even though it includes almost 2 weeks accommodation, some food & drink and the cooking class - less than 3000 baht. Thanks Junie for the generous discounts!). Then we all head out to paint the town red! It's a fun evening in the local bars that we've passed by so many times; how they all stay in business is impossible to guess, since many of them have just a couple of other customers (or in one case, none at all!). This ensures a warm welcome for our group, at least. And what you hear about Thai ladyboys appears to be true - even on this smallish island, in the off season, pretty much all of the bar staff are definitely men dressed as women! We drink some cocktails, sing some karaoke (I even sing a song in Thai, since the English selection is limited to 2 disks - one of which is just a list of artists in the booklet!), and eventually stumble home at about 2:30am. Kate stays in my cabin since her hotel would be impossible to reach at this hour...although this means that she has the dubious pleasure of waking up at 6:30am when my alarm goes off! My transfer to town is due at about 7:30, but actually arrives 20 min early - oh well, for once I am packed and ready to go. There are hugs all around, although I'm a bit sad that I don't have time to get some photos of "our" dogs before I go. It's been a great experience, and nice to feel helpful for a while!
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