Chinese New Year

So Chinese New Year started last Thursday and Phnom Tamao rescue centre was bustling with people, it was a hard day though the amount of people aloud me to see some things which made me sad. It showed me how important education of the next generation will be in this country, simple things which being an animal lover is hard to comprehend over here. 

The poor lions across from the bears had a bit of a rough day, I could see one of them was just fed up with people, he sat at the front of his enclosure at the fence line and was visibly irritable, his wild eyes caught mine as crowds swarmed in front of him. Almost in a stubborn way he refused to move away and growled at people directly in front of him and of course the apparent reaction for some people here is to throw things at the lion to get a great photo...something which unfortunately is a familiar thing at home too. He would launch at the fence to the great delight of visitors and me being me I couldn't stand it so I just kind of sauntered over and tried my best to emulate what they were doing that they shouldn't trying to withhold my crankiness. They did understand though and just stared at me and I just stood there until they moved on, it just goes to show how little is understood in the way of what is considered to be cruel, taunting a lion by throwing things obviously isn't considered to be. Same thing with feeding animals, I caught a couple of people throwing pieces of muesli bars and snacks to an enclosure that holds 8 bears. The bears lined up at the fence waiting to catch a scrap, unfortunately there obviously isn't enough to go around so what else is to happen apart from the bears becoming aggravated and fighting with each other....again much to the delight of the visitors. Same deal again here I just stood there, emulated and waited until they left. 

It's just something that the Cambodian people don't understand and Free the Bears works with local schools to educate children and give them an understanding of what is considered to be cruel and why hunting and owning an illegal pet isn't a good for them or the animal.

In the wake of this countries sad history people were looking for a way to survive, a way to feed their families and repairing their lives and this would always come before anyone even thought of the suffering of animals...simply unheard of. I completely understand this, it's a nation thrown into turmoil and looking for a resource for money and bears happens to be one, they did it out of necessity not out of greed unlike some of the canned hunting that goes on in Africa egged on by rich tourists.

So for the future of wildlife here education is key, for the country to begin to repair its environment education is key...

Very simple things that at home people don't approve of such as littering...eating my lunch I watch a little girl open her bag of chips and through the top seal on the ground, it actually really shocked me just to see it in person and I was genuinely surprised at my reaction despite seeing the country side with more garbage masses than grass.....again a people that doesn't understand the long term reprocussioins of single handedly ruining their environment due to a lack of education and government services such as garbage pick up etc that we have, its simply not done...good luck ever finding a garbage can here.

Probably the hardest thing I saw that day was the beggars... everyday entering the sanctuary the older generation is lining the road holding a bowl or hands in prayer form begging for money. Maybe any given day we'd see roughly 10 people but on Chinese New Year, it was around 50 or more lining both sides, old men, women and very young children, begging for money as you drive past and this is all they have to do. It seems once your unfit to work or too old to be useful you end up begging as there is nowhere for you in society, though I wonder where their families are? There are grandparents teaching their grandchildren to beg because people feel sorry for children and cough up the money in turn these children will never recieve an education because collecting money and picking up cans for a 0.50c per kilo return is much more worth it to their families. 

Children and elderly or disabled people will beg everywhere and you never know where that money is going, more likely it is going to someone controlling that sector of a cities poor population almost like a mafia scenario. No matter what you give them it's likely it will be sold on even food, so as a tourist I cannot do it, in my own mind as much as it hurts I can't give in to it. Mothers carrying babies on the street begging because it will likely bring in more money if they hold a tiny sleeping baby then seeing them later counting out their dollar bills from passers by...it's heartbreaking but I cannot give in not knowing where that money will end up. The hardest part leaving the sanctuary on New Year's Day was going back down that 5 km stretch back past the faces and every single one that we passed locked eyes with me, it chipped away more and more, every face that passed until finally my heart felt like someone had squeezed it to within an inch of life.

I know this is not the most pleasant post to read but it is a reality and a harsh one at that. But it opens your eyes to what you may not see though you cannot help but feel.

Bears Bears Bears!!!

I don't even know where to begin every moment I'm spending at the sanctuary is rewarding and memorable. The sounds they make I never EVER expected to come out of a bear! From the audible "NOM NOM NOM" to the noises they make when sucking a paw, something they learn as a coping mechanism during their previous captive lives.

They act and sometimes look like big dogs, lumbering around, rolling around, playing with each other and chasing around. The younger four year olds make the whingiest noises when awaiting their morning porridge and snacks, they honestly sound like cranky toddlers. 

The dexterity they have in their paws is something that you just have to see to believe, delicately pealing bananas and eating the flesh, holding leaves in between their claws and nibbling on it as a royal would. 

I could watch them for hours and thankfully I CAN! The way they run volunteering here is not as a military would, it's all in Cambodian time. There's no pressure to have something done in a certain amount of time and no one gets grumpy when you take a moment to appreciate what the animal is doing especially when it comes to filming or photography. We can take photographs of whatever we like which is a testimate to the confidence this organisation has in what it does and how it does things. The Bears spend 90% of their day outside in their enclosures, some of which are enormous plenty of room to explore and search for their food which we attempt to expertly hide to no avail.

To be continued...

Differences...

The cultural differences here are so vast from driving to communication the more you see and hear the more you understand.

I explained previously how the driving is here though now it's all about the culture right now, simple things we do can be taken to offence, things like touching a child or baby on the head which is a right  reserved for Monks. Khmer people also do not yell or raise their voice to one another even in heavy discussion or argument it's all very quiet, so when we see a foreigner yelling at a driver over 2000 Riel (0.50c) it's pretty insulting to them and the Khmer people around them seeing this will shake their heads and look at us as if for us to take note and share our disgust of how rude that is and completely unnecessary. 

No matter how regularly a Cambodian may see foreigners they smile and play along if we attempt to speak their language. As with most cultures do they appreciate the effort, currently our security guard here at the house is trying so hard to learn English. Every night he brings his little notebook with the 'Gangnam Style' cover and we teach him new phrases and he practices them with us over and over. Last Friday I spend 3 hours teaching him and he is so eager to learn! To the point where we kind of have to end the session by distracting with something else or he keeps going :) 

He comes in everyday and speaks to us in English the very best he can and he spends his nights practicing his English and pulsing the taser he carries around throughout the night ;)

Phnom Tamao - Free the Bears

I cannot express enough how good it feels to finally be here, the past few days have been just the start of an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge, learn from some incredible keepers and see some animals that I never would have laid eyes on IN MY LIFE!

It felt really intimidating at first, coming to a place that represents such strength, perseverance, compassion and hope and wondering what I could contribute that would help. I have a ridiculous amount of respect for everything FREE THE BEARS stands for after first finding out about the bile trade a few years ago. The years since then I found out more and more, eventually finding Free the Bears and following along loyally since that day.

Everything feels so familiar and so good! After a year of training with some of the most supportive and inspirational people it's amazing how simply I just slip back into the routine and not just the routine...those good ergonomic tips come back to mind, "bend your knees when you shovel shit or you'll wreck your back in 20 years". 

So here I am pooper scooping a new species....Sun Bears and Moon Bears (or the Asiatic Black bear). Everyday is a new surprise with these little beasties, one cage immaculate and the next looks like there was a music festival and someone overloaded the portaloo....then rolled in it (pics to follow don't worry I wouldn't let you miss out on that!). The past few days have consisted of 'bear balls', bamboo treats, chopping up porridge and other goodies, re-painting one of the cages and starting on a bear hammock! I won't mention the WH&S but here's a hint for mummy and daddy....burning holes in nylon straps with a red hot piece of steel ;) 

We toured Phnom Tamao Wildlife Recue centre yesterday and it is enormous!!! Between 2001-2013, 55000 animals were seized from traders and from homes where they were pets including a current total of 80 Burmese Pythons and one Reticulated Python, around 60 odd Gibbons (Pelated, Yellow cheeked and White cheeked), Silver Langurs, Slow Loris, two Leopards, Siamese crocodiles and the newest additions...12 tiny Australian Sugar Gliders.

When you see these animals it's sad to see they cannot all be released however not so much if you could imagine where they would have ended up. I found it confronting to realise the amount and variety of animals but when I saw those tiny little sugar gliders all huddled together......I had no idea that this was still happening at home to that degree and how easy it seemed that they had been smuggled out.

Just confirms even more in my mind that I'm here for the right reasons, to learn, to educate and contribute whatever I can to help and share the reality of our world and the animals. I'm taking in as much as I can and my passion is stronger than ever. 

Every day is something new, something inspiring and something unforgettable.

One hundred and thirty-seven, the number of Sun and Moon Bears currently with Free the Bears in Cambodia.

Seven, the number of houses containing these Bears live in soon to be eight once completed :)

Namaste

I met a French woman named Elisa short for Elisabeth, she was travelling solo as well and had the most amazing life in order to do so. She volunteered in a meditation centre in Paris for 3 months of the year, worked n a hospital for 3 months of the year and travelled for 3 months of the year before starting the cycle over again. What a life!! Elisa has been studying meditation and Buddhism for 30 years of her life and she has a beautiful insight into so many different things. I had dabbled in meditation though not very successfully I thought however she gave me some tips.

1. When a thought comes, you acknowledge the thought and send it away or say that you will think about this after meditation.

2. Your knees when sitting should always touch the corners of your mat just like Buddha giving you a connection to the earth and during your meditation you should not move though this comes with time and practice.

We decided to visit Wat Langka in PP just a short walk from the guest house for the 8:30am session on Sunday morning. This session is open to all locals, foreigners and expats, it went for an hour and as we got there early we had the opportunity to explore before meditation began. It is a beautiful place and as we went upstairs the monks had laid out all the cushions and mats for the session. 

As we went in as is the custom we remove shoes at the entrance and silently take or place on a mat and begin. For the first 30 minutes I managed very well, I was acknowledging and sending thoughts away and concentrating solely on the awareness of breath ie. when a thought comes I send it away and focus back on my breathing....in........and out. 

I was honestly amazed with how well I managed to keep my concentration and allow my mind to be still. The second half hour was more difficult, I was becoming aware that I was concentrating on being still, so my thoughts continued and I often wasn't quick enough to catch them and stop them before they went onto the next...very silly things like what I'm doing tomorrow and what Free the Bears will be like, a couple of occasions required me to open my eyes and switch legs because my foot had gone dead or I had pins and needles. Though in that time it was nice to admire the intricate details of this temple and its ancient paintings of Buddhas history and life. 

I found my self smiling at Buddha because Buddha was always smiling back.

When we finished we bowed and gave thanks as is the custom and left feeling calm and quiet. I certainly feel like I have more of a connection or understanding of the temples and what they represent having been there and experienced it for myself. 

As a tourist in South East Asia it's very easy to walk into yet another temple and go 'snap' 'snap' 'snap' with your camera and walk out saying "well that was nice". 

We continued to walk to the very first Wat in PP Wat Phnom on a small hill at the top of the city, this is said to be the place where a woman named Penh went to the Mekong and pulled four statues of Buddha out of the water she took them to this hill and built a little bamboo house for them to keep them safe and allow her to give offerings and becoming the reason behind the name of the city Phnom Penh. This now being a place for locals to come and bring offerings and being a Sunday the place was filled with local families, we took the time to sit inside and watch families bringing lotus flowers and incense, fake money and fruit plates to offer. We sat and admired the glistening gold throughout the temple, the ornate statues throughout and the stories that unfolded the deeper you focused on the paintings and their intricacies. A very young boy in blue denim overalls and his older sister were ushered in by their grandmother to say blessings to us which was very sweet. 

I'm very grateful to Elisa for the insight she shared with me and I can only hope to carry these thoughts forward in my journey and in life.

As we were leaving we passed a monk with a lotus flower, we stopped to ask if we could take a photo of him and he smiled, as we thanked him he stopped me and looked at my GoPro ...."memory?" he asked......it certainly was.

Namaste.

The Killing Fields and S21 Prison

'It's really difficult to picture what actually went on here not that long ago, you wouldn't imagine that behind the smiling faces of the Cambodian people there is such deep sadness and loss. When I left PP this morning everything was as it was the day before but as soon as I started to head outside of the city the reality of what happened to this country starts to reveal itself. People started to look poorer, there were no more children in school uniforms like in the city, the smell changed, the overal feeling changed. 

The Killing Fields are 30 minutes outside the city which doesn't seem like much but they are worlds apart. Once I reached it there was an incredibly somber and sad feeling washing over me, as soon as I was inside I started to imagine what it must have felt like to be herded into those big military trucks one by one and in the pitch black be driven to this place, moved into a shed and then one by one being taken out and slaughtered as silently as possible. That sad and somber feeling changed to a heavy feeling, everything I saw just weighed on my thoughts more and more. 

I can't really explain how I felt when I started to see bone and cloth protruding from the earth beneath my feet, they had already exhumed as much as they could years earlier but as the yearly rains erode more soil more remains appear. 

A child's skull

This is a memorium with 9000 skulls inside, 17 level of them on four sides up the very highest possible points, all with descriptions from age to cause of death.

These poor souls suffered immensely even in death..bullets were too expensive so the people were left to suffer the most horrific deaths which included being clubbed with an ox cart axle, axed in the head with a garden hoe and having their throats slit with the serrated edge of a palm frond. Mothers were stripped naked and killed but not before watching their children swung by their feet into a tree known as 'the killing tree'.

The Killing Tree

In memory of over approximately 100 infants and children killed on this very spot.

You can never prepare yourself for the way you will feel in a place like this, it saddens the soul to know 9000 or more people were senselessly murdered and for what reasons? Things like wearing glasses, being educated, having a trade and believing in pretty much anything other than Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. But why did the infant children have to die? Pol Pot said "to be rid of the grass you must pull it up from the roots..." otherwise it would simply grow back or in his case, there may have been an uprising or rebellion from the next generation.

They had a little museum there with some information and some original weapons used...the dents all of the axle was more than a little unnerving, it just left me with a very sick feeling however there was more to come.

I must say the now Genocide Museum looks very out of place where it is currently though it wouldn't it if had remained a simple high school, now it's a memorium to cruel torture and suffering. 

One prisoner to a room shackled to their bed attached to a pivoting steel rod to secure them with a rice bowl for when they were actually fed. I cannot put myself in their shoes...I have nothing to compare it to, just reading about their torture methods is harrowing. One in particular was stringing a prisoner up with their arms behind their backs on a rope, the guards pulled the rope hoisting the person into the air by their arms and then when they passed out from the pain their head was dunked into a vat of sewage water to wake them up again to continue the torture. This I imagine wasn't the worst they did, things like pulling out fingernails one by one, whipping till the skin was opened and pouring salt water on the wounds or simply beating someone until they either told you the information or died from the torture. 

The hardest thing for me to comprehend was the faces in the photographs of the people. Some even smirking or smiling in their portrait taken by the guards on entry, no doubt having no clue what they would soon be put through...some were so very young, the thought that they would have most likely died of starvation before anything else is just heartbreaking. There was not a trace of mercy, none.

There were photos of people who had died from torture, foaming at the mouth, eyes wide open and incredibly haunting..I won't soon be forgetting those images, though they are nothing compared to the reality. One of the 7 surviving prisoners of S21 was there signing his book about his experiences, he is 74 years old and such a small smiling man you would never even think he had suffered these atrocities. Bou Meng's wife was slain at the killing fields while he was at S21 and while he was tortured for information he also offered a valuable skill of painting which may well have saved his life! He was asked to paint Pol Pot realistically and if he didn't like it Bou would be killed. His paintings meant he would recieve food regularly unlike many other prisoners and this kept him gong him while his skills were required.

Such an honour to meet this man, so smiley and pleased with his life now, I'm glad he has found a means to profit in some way from his previous life and that which was stolen from him. He can now live freely and comfortably. 

Up early

I'm up early this morning but it appears that everyone else is as well. I woke up at 4am and forced myself to go back to sleep for another couple of hours, I suppose that's the norm for me I did it in Kazakhstan during the first week I just woke up crazy early every day. 

I have seen some HUGE backpacks being carted around those big 70-90L packs....so happy with  myself that I serverly limited what I bought with me, it's so cheap to buy clothes here now that I found the 'Central Market' yesterday, it took me a while to get my bearings when my driver said "clothes here everywhere!" and I'm thinking I see maybe two little shops .... It took me about 20 minutes of perilous walking up and down trying not to get run over to realise that the markets were behind the front stores, very well hidden and inside was this assault of colours and fabrics and.......tourists. Yep I found where they were all hiding

And when I say trying not to get run over I really mean it...it's quite literally a life or death decision because noone is stopping for you at all, I had stop and say, it's actually not even worth attempting to cross here.

I wish I could allow you to smell this coffee...i don't even have words to describe it except that it smells nothing like what I'm used to, almost sweeter.