Becky's diary - the edge of reason

Hi I'm Becky (Rebecca)26. I went to Sri Lanka in June 2006. It was at bit of a spur of the moment thing and I was very scared and unsure of what I was letting myself in for. Leaving my boyfriend at the airport was one of the hardest things I've done. I was very happy to see there was someone at the other end to pick me up from the airport. After a few hours in the taxi which I slept through, I was greated by 4 lovely English girls Jenny, Annie, who I spared a room with and Veronica and Alex. We all became very good friends and we spent all our time together.

We had to get up early to muck out the our ele's, its amazing how heaviy ele poo is!! After breakfast we had to make up the doug balls and vitamins for the ele's. Every day each ele has a vet check, feet cleaned, any treatment given (mine had treatment on her feet) and vitamins given. Everyone treats their ele. After vet check I had to bath my ele. It was really weird standing in manky water with an ele at your feet plu the fish plus the poo oh and the odd montior lizard!! But it was great to get in there so close to the ele's, but your arms started to hurt after a while.

No time for a shower as Mr karuo(not sure how you spell it)will come and find you to get you to work in the eco garden. It very very very hard work in the hot sun shine. We did weeding, clearing ground, planting new veg for us to eat for our dinner and I remember making ele poo compost!!!It was worth it in the end once Mr Karuo cracked open a fresh pinapple. After a shower out in the open sun shine, which is the best way to have a shower out in the sun shine with the jungle sounds as back ground music, and lunch.

It was our own free time, then at 4pm we tought English to the local school kids Jenny and Annie asked me to help them do this when I arrived. I wasn't to sure about it but it turned out to be the most rewarding thing I ever done. The kids where so sweet and greatful for what we where doing for them, they aged between 5-15years and one lady of 23.

One of the best moments for me was helping the moblie vet with an ele with colic and then getting to go on safari to watch the wild ele's. This was a fantastic life experiance that I'll never forget and I've made some life long friends.

(By the way I'm the one in the 2nd photo below on the right with the white cap on, yellow vest top and my stomach sticking out looking very sexy!!!! Mr Karuo is also in the middle of the same photo!!)

A taste of MEF life

The amazing kids we taught - they were cute!

Picking some aubergines - where's wally?!!

Me helping the vet with Gune's head wound - bless!!

Jenny Howarths diary (and not a pair of big knickers in sight!!)

6th June 2006

Hi all!!! I've arrived and I'm feeling overwhelmed but great. I am currently sat in the office with 5 elephants outside the window - one of which just sways from side to side - bless her!! SO much to tell but the internet is very jurassic so will be brief and hopefully not too boring (Louise I will try to be funny!) Anyway started work today and its great to get started. The whole thing from Colombo to here was just an arse and dragged. We arrived yesterday afternoon feeling gob smacked by everything. We are pretty much in the jungle in the hills and its a lot to take in. We have a hut thats VERY basic, paddy fields surrounding us and about 2 mins from where the ele's are. This morning - 7.30am I washed my ele called Gune. Its one of two males and he is 45 years old. He is gorgeous and has problems with his spine. You ahve to take them down to this muddy shallow river and scrape them with a cocunut husk. I am gonna get rid of these bat wings easily! Anyway I had my flip flops on and was trying not to think what was in this water. Until I saw a female elephant piss and poo (at the same time) in it! You would have all laughed cos I kept getting splashed in the face with piss poo water, face like a beetroot and covered in mud splash back! Next was the eco garden. Now, you all know I am lazy arse but weeding in 30 degrees plus in humidy weather is not my cup of tea. I "dusted my shoulders off" and just went for it though. It really was good fun and they grow yams, chillis (you'd love em nick) and lilac aubergines! But again, beetroot face, smelling of piss poo water and now absolutely caked in mud! Face and all! (Mum your email made me laugh - half the beach, I have half of srilanka's mud on my flip flops!!) I've now had lunch and just gonna starting preparing to teach some kids english on site. Lesson is from 4 - 5, I stupidly offered my services this morning to help with anything they need - hoping it wouldn'tr be teaching but it now seems it will be like this everyday - ah well - beats sleeping, reading or taking photo's (????!!). NB I have had a shower btw Later me and Annie (otehr english girl) are going to the town to get some supplies and calling card. If you want to try and call here and see if I am around then the number is +94 352265377. Sorry if its a bit random email but I am extremly shattered and delirious. Love you all lots and lots!! Jen ele xxxxxx


13th June 2006

Well a week has passed and i feel really settled into it now. Got loads of stories but this comp is crap so may not fill you all in with everything. Got sunburnt shoulders today whilst gardening - can you believe had to lug ele poo from the jungle up a hill all the way back down to the eco garden. I have muscles now and everything - plus in 36degress it was a test of stamina. Also been planting Yams and weeding the chilli's and aubergine plants. I'm Charlie Dimmock these days! I have moved into the proper house now so feel much better, I share a room with Annie and anotehr english girl called Rebecca - both are lovely. We don't have a shower so we have to use an outdoor one - it is amazing (yes I go naked) as you can see the trees and blue sky and catch a tan whilst washing my hair! I also have been handwashing my stuff yesterday so I will be applying to Survivor next year! The worst thing about the room is that we have a pond next to our room, full o frogs as you can guess! Yesterday when I got up two came under the door and starting leaping around - went straight passed the other two beds and leaped onto mine. They must smell fear! They are foul! so I have blocked up the door and hoepfully I won't c them again. Oh before I forget - you never guess what - I was watching the ele's in the river and wathing the tourists - they usually come in the afternoon. I noticed this girl with bikini bottoms on which i thought was a bit naughty as we have to cover up really. Next minute I she opened her mouth and the strongest rochdale accent came out. As she straddled the ele with arse hanging out of the bikini I could feel my face getting redder - I was sooo embarssed - turns out after talking to her following her elephant shower (mascara all over her face) that she was from Worsley!! Anyway seeing my ele everyday is great. I get to medicate him and everything. He is a bit camp and throws palm leaves onto his head as a sort of "crown" and jsut leaves them there to look cute! He also crosses his legs when he lies down in the water - bless him! We went to Kandy last weekend which is a town over the mountains and funny stuff happened there, was nice to get away and shop! This weekend I think I am going to the ancient cities where you can bike ride around the ruins! Everythings cool and good fun! Hard work but well worth it! Everyone should do this and I know how you can get it much cheaper now!!
Best go anyway as have to teach the cuties soon and want to have a sunbathe! Love you all lots! Jungle Jen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

23rd June 2006

Sorry its been a while – or has it – time over here is odd. Feels like I have lots to tell. Done a lot! So last weekend I went North (not too far north where all the problems are tho) and went to a place called Polonowara (I think that’s how u spell it!?). There is ruins of an ancient city there but it was red hot – must have been 38 degrees – and we were in and out of this van looking at various ruins. So it wasn’t much fun as a) I find them kind of things interesting for the first 60 seconds then get bored and b) everyone wanted to sell you something so you had to literally run round so people wouldn’t hassle you and c) my feet were burning as you have to go round bare foot! It costs $40 for the ticket too so way too pricey for me! Next day we woke up at 6.30am to walk up this massive rock called Sigiriya Rock. I know if you google it you can see how HUGE it is. It was 1222 steps in total. You walk up the side of it on these metal see through steps which I found VERY scary, not to mention the guide who was with us who thought it was funny to whisper “don’t look down” continiously in my ear. I wasn’t sure whether I had gone mad and turned skitzo! It was well worth the wobbly knees and shaky hands though. The view was amazing! Then Wednesday I went up north again to near Sigiriya with the mobile vet unit. Again an early start and we had to get up at 5am! Pretty much all of this week its been heavy rainfall – monsoon! So when we set off in pitch black and torrential rainfall we got one minute down the road and there was a tree blocking the way. We turned around and went through the jungle instead – great place to go when trees are falling down left right and centre!! So after 3 and half hours of sheer fear we arrived at this safari place where an ele had bad colic (Mrs Collins would be concerned mum!) We stood there feeling like a spare part and feeling sorry for the ele. So kinda felt it was a wasted trip until the afternoon when we went on a jeep safari to see wild elephants. This deserves a new paragraph – OH MY GOD! It was amazing! We drove through the jungle stood up a jeep which made us giggle constantly for about 20 minutes. After a while we began to think there wasn’t gonna be any, until we came out into an opening and saw them! 150 elephants (we counted) all grazing next to a lake. All shapes and sizes and even a 10day old baby! They came quite close after a while – about 10yards – and even started to go nuts which I caught on camera! We then carried on through the jungle and fell upon a ele that was in must (basically the male sereets liquid from its temples and is kind of hormonal i.e. no one goes near them, not even trained mahouts!) The smell was interesting as he had a musty smell (hence must) and he did seem crazy. I felt like David Attenborough! We stayed overnight in this place I can’t pronounce (Harabanana or summit) then went to a local village the next day to where one of the elephants corridor’s are – so muchos human/elephant conflict. Again felt like a spare part as there wasn’t much to do. The local children sang us a song about elephants and it was a geldof moment. We gave them sweets and biscuits, books and clothes. The locals took us for a walk in the paddy fields which went on for miles and showed us the jungle some more! IT was all lovely, except it took 4 and half hours to get back last night and sat in the back of a people carrier with a broken chair ain’t nice. I thought I was going to puke several times and today my back feels like I have been punched in it a thousand times. Got back to a power cut and exhausted but nothing a Lion beer didn’t cure. Hanging around the sanctuary this evening – no plans to go away for the weekend – although some have gone to the maldives but I am skint! Plus I have missed two days of working with my ele so gonna get up at the usual time of 6 to work tomorrow. Can’t believe its almost my last week – devastated! Also can’t believe how long this email is so best stop boring you and go! Hope your all great! Love you lots

28th June 2006

Ayabuwan (hello)
Well last few days left and can't believe how quick its gone. Really sad to be going but know I will be back again – can't stay away from these cuties!! The elephants that is – not the mahouts!Just did my last teaching lesson with the kids who are all gorgeous and they gave me pressies, love letters and pictures! I took lots of pictures of them so I can remember them all. Some asked for my address so they can write to me and an 11 year old asked for my phone number – watch out Nick you have competition!My last weekend was a VERY crazy one – we spent Friday night just chilling here and it was quiet as the other volunteers went away. Saturday day our boss – Szara asked whether we would like to go watch rugby in Kandy (the nearest town) and we were planning on going here for the rest of the weekend anyway – plus a bit of eye Kandy for us poor souls who only have each other to look at (all females) and our toothless mahouts! So we went and watched rugby which was crazy as there were about 900 – 100 people there and they all are well into it. After two minutes one of the players were thrown through the barrier. After that we went for drinks at the local cricket club – England was getting there asses whipped by Sri Lanka on the tv so much slating to us. We drank vodka – quadruple shots and laughed away, then a band started to play and we ended up getting them to sing Yellow Submarine and My Way – shame we don't have any folk songs, or one's we know. After all this Szara and his mates took us to our hotel where we were staying however we took a quick detour. They wanted to show us there old school church – but had to get passed the air force (??) security first. As we got up to the barrier Szara explained that we were relatives of the principle of the school and that we had just arrived and were staying with him. The guy wobbled his head from side to side as they do here and we got through. We went to this amazing church but felt naughty as we had broken in (sorry I know its very wrong!). We then realised that we would have to go back past security – not to worry! Szara told them we didn't like where we were staying and that we would be back tomorrow for breakfast. Crazy!Sunday we went shopping feeling very hungover and then went to a beautiful golf resort where we hung out by the infinity pool (check me out) all day! Tired from all the random unplannedness we expected to get a bus home and be in bed by 9. No chance – on the way back Szara and his mates insisted we went to some guys birthday party which was at a local hotel. We really didn't want to go as we looked scruffy, had pool hair and still smelt of ele's (it just won't go away). They told is it wouldn't be a problem so off we went. We arrived – the birthday boy just smiled and had a look of "who the f%% are you", next minute we were having out photo taken by the hired photographer with birthday boy, as we were doing this I pooped the balloon display with my handbag – not a good start! We then went into the main hall where it fell silent and tumble weed rolled by, snooker balls stopped and darts stopped mid air! We were a minority of being female and the only whiteys! After feeling VERY uncomfortable for about an hour plus I didn't want to smoke as Sri Lankan women JUST DON'T. We started on Arrack – Sri Lanka's tequila, ouzo, etc. The party got started – they had a dj and we ended up staying until 2am dancing the night away! Anyway felt rough as toast on Monday so was naughty and didn't get up at 6 to wash my ele. But yesterday I was very privalaged and I went into the jungle, riding on Gune's back to go and collect food for all the other ele's. He is about 12 foot or something – massive! My bum is very sore today too as had no cushion – just bare back. I saw a snakes skin from a king cobra and felt a proper jungle girl!Anyway best go as tea is nearly ready – mmm noodles again ;-(Speak to you all when I get back which is Saturday at 9am for those of you who are interested.

Lots of Love