MJRDN photo: April 2014

Apr 26, 2014

grand palace & wat po

The Grand Palace & Wat Po are two very must-see attractions in Bangkok. You have to take a water taxi over the river to get to the land on which they sit. Make sure to dress appropriately and bring a hand-fan, as these places get very warm due to location & the large groups of people.
The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings, not just one building. The palace has been the official living place of the Kings of Siam. And I can see why- the place is luxurious and covered in gold... Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held at the palace each year. The Grand Palace is one of the most, if not the most, popular attraction for tourists in Bangkok- even in Thailand.
Wat Po (or Wat Pho) is a Buddhist temple near the Grand Palace. Wat Po is sometimes referred to as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, for obvious reasons. The reclining Buddha is 15 meters high and 43 meters long.
Enjoy some images and video from my trip to these attractions. I had a great time!

Grand Palace

In between the Grand Palace and Wat Po many markets & food stalls stand to sell to tourists.

Wat Po

Apr 24, 2014

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Apr 21, 2014

hutsadin elephant foundation

I got to spend the entire week volunteering with beautiful, two-ton creatures. Welcoming me in to the Hutsadin Elephant Foundation was a spunky, young girl named Molly who is one of the lead volunteers. The Thai workers at the foundation were wonderfully inviting and hospitable- making some of the best Thai food I have had since being in the country.

Every morning I met Molly outside of my hostel to catch a ride to the foundation around nine a.m. All throughout the morning, until around one p.m., I cleaned up the elephants shelters (they make such a mess in the middle of the night), prepared the food by cutting up banana tree bark, and bathed the gentle giants. Every day the sun was very hot and my sports bra tan line came to be very prominent.

Originally, I only planned to volunteer on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the week that I was in Hua Hin- to dedicate the other days to discovering the city. After the first day of volunteering, I was hooked. I decided to come in every single day that I was in Hua Hin and spend my time and energy improving the lives of the elephants. After a week of being sweaty and covered in elephant poop, I felt very accomplished and fulfilled to have been a part of this foundation, if only for a short time.

This volunteer opportunity was made possible by those who donated to my GoFundMe account . Thank you so much to those of you who were generous enough to help
provide me with transportation, accommodation, and food for the week I volunteered.

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The aim of the Hutsadin Foundation is to care for elephants and give them every opportunity to live a life that's full and pain free. The Hutsadin Elephant foundation was started by three local businessmen to rescue elephants abandoned by their owners due to ill health, old age or simply because they are unable to work any longer. The foundation is a non-profit organisation and any funds received directly benefit the elephants.

how to trick elephants into taking their vitamins

Apr 1, 2014

thong pha phum national park

After a seven hour journey, we had removed ourselves out of Bangkok and into a beautiful national park. The Thong Pha Phum National Park is located on the border of Thailand and Burma. The park has numerous waterfalls, mountains, and caves. You even have the options of staying in treehouses...yeah, like in the trees. This area of Thailand is gorgeous and definitely worth exploring. Most tourists and even Thai people aren't aware of its existence. This is the perfect place to isolate yourself from society for a bit and take in a big breath of fresh, mountain air.

Check out my vlog to get some more information about the park!