Elephant Rescue and a Connection to My Childhood Home

 July 10

Di and I went to an elephant Safari Park in the AM.  I was set to be highly indignant regarding the treatment of the elephants and that we shouldn't keep elephants in captivity, yes my inner PETA was all set to come out.  The Elephant Park was actually established as an elephant rescue by an Aussie, about fifteen years ago.  These elephants were rescued from very bad maltreatment in Sumatra.  Thirty-seven elephants have been rescued.  They are trained with rewards but no punishments.  The evil looking sticks the trainers carry are for emergency safety purposes only.   The elephants seemed to be contented and treated well.  I still chose not to ride, rather was contented to pet the elephants and have a picture taken.  

One of the three baby elephants born in captivity.  The other thirty-seven elephants were all rescued.  

The elephants are trained to ham it up for the camera.  

Sweet pic...

Di riding with a fairly young elephant (just 30 years old).

What a ham...the elephant too.  

One of the features of the park was a museum.  One of the coolest things about this museum was the miniature mammoth found on the Channel Islands.  Yes, the very same Channel Islands situated right off Ventura, where I grew up in Southern California.  

Ancient bone carvings in the museum. 

Very intricate. 

Seriously, I flew half way across the world, to see an artifact discovered on an island off my childhood home.  

As Di and I were being fondled by elephants, Rusty and Phil took an Indonesian cooking class.  

Indonesian market chickens.  I'm afraid the coloring may not exactly be natural. 

Selling small offering baskets typically for the street in front of shops and on home altars.  

Marigolds at the market.  

The master chef. 

Multiple types of ginger (including turmeric). 

A cup of Bali coffee before the real work begins.  

Phil cooking away!

Other students listening intently. 

Julia Child's has nothing on Phil.  

More offerings.

A truly exotic bounty of inredients. 

Mortar and pestle are essential in an Indonesian kitchen.  

One of the many finished dishes. 

After returning from the elephants, we all walked downtown and all tried the fish foot treatment.  You put your feet into a tank and these fish nibble off the dead skin.  In California this treatment has been banned due to the potential for bacteria, although there has been no actually case of anyone being infected.  In Ubud, this treatment happens on a sidewalk in front of a shop next to a restaurant.  

Rusty being attacked.

Rusty not sure if he is enjoying it or not.

The jury is still out. 

Those fish have their work cut out for them.  

The sensation was definitely odd (ticklish yes, but after a time it felt like tiny little bits of electricity on my feet – hard to adequately explain really gentle reader…I suggest trying this treatment when you visit Bali).