fair dinkum

G'day Leigh,

I'm in Laos and about to get on a 24 hour bus ride to Vietnam.I've been in Chang Mai (north Thailand). Much nicer than Bangkok, kinda rural. It's still quite a shock to see how polluted the air and streets are. I've been getting around on a motorbike, great way to see the joint.

I went on a 3 day trek through the jungle. That was pretty cool, hot and humid.

While on the trek we went Elephant riding, and what a shit thing that proved to be, for so many reasons. Firstly seeing the ways these local blokes treat those big humble champs of animals. They lead em around with a hook in their ear, bleeding. 

We were all loaded up on top of the elephants, 2 per elephant, and we were riding nervously along the track when our elephant decided to stand on the edge of a step embankment, then the big bastard slipped! I haven't shat myself like that for along time, I was screaming "get us up"! and the blokes running the joint smacked it on the head and starting shooting it with sling shots to get it back on the track. For a second I fair dinkum though I was gunna die. If I had of fallen off and down the embankment, and then the elephant on top of me, well.

I was in a combined state of fright, and total anger at the treatment of the elephant. When the elephant came good and got back on the track the blokes shoved shit (actual shit) in it's mouth.

As much as I was shaken I still understood that this big creature doesn't want someone like me on it's back, and less so, pricks like them hitting it, making it's ear bleed with hooks, and putting shit in it's mouth.

But it's all part of me being broken into a way of life other than what I know. It's hard not too judge though.

Aside from that, there have been some great things. On the trek we stayed overnight in several jungle villages. Don't know if you've ever seen Platoon, but the villages and jungle were the same sort of setting. The people are so happy by default, not at all corrupt or stressed by deadline. It's a preview into the human spirit before materialism.

Laos has been amazing, it's much quieter than Thailand. The adventure continues, I've only been away 3 weeks but I feel like I can barely remember home.

Hope you and Eduardo are well and good. I'll be in touch along the way, although I'm often in areas where it's difficult to access email.

Bye for now little curly.

Jackie Chan Kerrigan

xoxo