"Who Let The Dogs Out?"

CARE FOR DOGS FOUNDATION WEEK

Kathleen's Week:

Sweat was streaming down my forehead. The sun was at the hottest point in the afternoon as we moved into position on opposite sides of the field moving slowly and stealthily. We did not have to wait long until we heard the Pfft-plunk sound of Khun Chai's blowdart going off followed by a quick yelp of the dog as it took off into the underbrush with a tranquilizer dart dangling out of its thigh. The trick at this point was to follow the dog but not to scare it in the process. Adrenaline causes the tranquilizer to not work as quickly but if the dog runs away too far before succumbing to the sedation it will not likely be captured. In this case the dog disappeared into some deep underbrush. As I traversed around the edge of the thicket I could see and hear brush rustling and moving. I expected a dog to come charging out at any moment but it turned out to be Maggie, one of the local residents, and a dedicated dog lover. She was smothered in leaves and covered with scratches and cuts all over her arms and shoulders. We filled the truck and returned to the shelter. In an afternoon of darting dogs we managed to catch 3 grown dogs and 2 puppies. One dog had a large laceration across its nose and the two puppies had such a heavy tick burden that they were anemic as a result. Blow darting isn't the first capturing method of choice, but in circumstances where the dogs are skittish and difficult to catch, it's the only way. The dogs were treated, vaccinated and sterilized; and after 1 week of recovery, they were released. This is how my week began.

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand and is estimated to have 60,000 stray dogs wandering the streets (Bangkok is estimated to have 300,000). Many are dumped at Buddhist temples where the monks won't turn them away but have limited capacity to care for them, some are beaten to death or poisoned, and some end up in the dog meat trade. The dog meat trade is perhaps the most frightening. Strays are rounded up and shipped to Vietnam, often multiple dogs in the same crate where many die en route. The ones that survive are then force tube fed to fatten up and then are boiled alive as there is a belief that the adrenaline tenderizes the meat and has beneficial effects when eaten. (www.tradeofshame.org for more information and a video - viewer discretion strongly advised).

Care For Dogs Foundation (CFD) is where we spent a week helping out where we could. Their primary goal is to control the dog population in the most humane way possible via sterilization programs. This organization is doing a good job under tough conditions. Out of the several dog shelters we have toured they have the nicest and cleanest facility and their dogs appear to be in the best health. Their shelter sterilizations operate out of one small operating suite and their medical team compromises one full time vet and a 50% part-time vet; and whenever possible, international vet volunteers. Other volunteers fill their days by assisting with medical bathing, walking and socializing the dogs which is a huge help. Like all shelters in Thailand they are at maximum capacity or even over it.

The main yard at Care For Dogs

Last year CFD accomplished 635 spay/neuter sterilizations. The goal is to expand to 1000 this year. With the current surgical suite and the requisite in-house space it will be hard to reach that goal. That is where I was able to help. I spent the bulk of the week using my former grant writing skills from the University of Washington to apply for a grant from Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) seeking funding for the design, orientation, implementation and start-up of a mobile veterinary clinic that would primarily function as a sterilization unit; but would also double as an aide vehicle for community outreach in times during disaster (floods or Tsunami) or crisis (dog meat trade). Naturally, the WVS grant application process is competitive, so irregardless of the announcement, I hope someday this concept can be realized. It's a shame to see such passion and dedication restrained by resources.


John's Week:

I spent the week spaying/neutering and helping out with some of the other sick and injured dogs. It was fun doing surgeries all day (yes vet friends, I did just call surgery fun) though my lower back would be screaming by the end of the day.

Neutering

In the US I juggle what needs to be done (ideally) with what owners can afford. Here it was balancing what needed to be done with what was available for diagnostics, medications, and equipment. I realized how spoiled I have gotten over the years with pretty much everything I needed available. The hospitals I have worked at have MRI's and CT scanners. Now I was reduced a lot of the time to history, signalment, physical exam, and best guess. No imaging was available and just some very basic blood work. A blood parasite called Ehrlichia is rampant so low platelets are almost "normal" here which helped make some of the surgeries a little more exciting. A lot of the time I had help from a volunteer vet from Russia but there were times I would pre-med, induce, prep, do surgery, and monitor the anesthesia all by myself. Not like the small army of vet nurses I have helping me at home. For those of you that know Monty Python, all I really wanted was the machine that goes "ping". Any type of device that beeped to tell me the heart was beating (pulse ox, EKG, doppler, etc). Instead it was more just watching the chest to see if breathes were being taken. The week showed me that at some level all the fancy gadgets are not necessary (but they sure are nice). 

Besides the surgery it was interesting to see some types of cases that I had never seen before. I had seen pictures of Transmissible Venereal Tumors (TVT) before but was now able to help treat some cases. This is a strange type of cancer that is actually contagious and is treated with chemotherapy.

TVT case undergoing treatment

I also saw a case of Trypanosoma which does not exist in North America and is the same type of parasite that causes African Sleeping Sickness in humans. The other success case was a dog whose history and physical exam was classic for Myasthenia Gravis - a disease that causes the the neurotransmitter between the nerves and muscle to not function properly which causes them to get weak after a short bout of exercise. To my surprise Care For Dogs just happened to have had a donation of the drug that treats this problem and the dog responded wonderfully.

It was a great week working with some amazing dedicated people trying to make a dent into a huge problem. We are hoping that this will not be the last time we cross paths with these folks. www.Carefordogs.org to see more on the excellent work they do and how to help out.

FidEgan's Fastpacks - Episode 5 - Hash Running in Thailand

John and I are currently on a world trip where we plan to pursue our passion of trail running through the various landscapes and environments of the world. As we pass through each country we want to post our top pick for a trail run that we did. This does not mean that this is the best trail to run in that country. It just means that it was our favorite that we did. We are both using Ultraspire Fastpacks to carry our gear, hence the name of the column.

There are several National Parks in Thailand and there are many trails that weave through them but they aren't marked or on any map. They are trails that the hill tribes have used for 100's of years or more. This makes it hard to try to explore trail running on your own without the high risk of getting lost. The Hash runs helped solve some of this problem. Plus it's a great way to get to know the locals.

History of the Hash: Hash running began in 1938 by some Brits living in Malaysia.

Its goal was to: 1) Promote fitness 2) Get rid of weekend hangovers 3) To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it with beer (which directly counteracts goal #2) 4) To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel. It is often called "a drinking club with a running problem". There are now 2000 chapters around the world including 2 on Antarctica.

How it works: A "hare" sets the trail by marking it with paper and/or chalk. Intersections are marked with "checks" where decisions have to be made about the correct trail. False trails are often part of these checks. The runners call to each other as they search for and then find the correct trail.

The end of the run involves the social part or "circle". Various people are called up to sit on a block of ice (some do it bare-bummed) as they are commended, ridiculed, or otherwise called out for some action or behavior that occurred during the run. The groups we were with knew each other quite well so the ribbing that they gave each other was quite humorous. A cup (half full) of beer is downed by the person after they sit on the ice. Raunchy songs were sung by the group. In Chiang Mai a large group went out to dinner together and in Chiang Rai a delicious Thai buffet was served.

Hash runners all have their "hash names" that have been given to them by their peers. They tend to be on the inappropriate/gross side. You are named after going to the same Hash three times.

Where: Chiang Mai (www.chaingmaihhh.com) and Chiang Rai (www.chiangraihhh.blogspot.com), Thailand

Facilities/Trailhead: Depends on the site of the Hash run. Usually minimal facilities, but there is always the nearby bush. There is plenty of water and beer at the finish along with a nice big block of ice to cool your bum on. See the local website for the meeting place of the run.

Fees: Around 250 baht (~$8)

Terrain/Trails: Distance: 6-7 miles (~10 km) plus additional mileage for any false trails followed

Description: Both trails were in rural farmland near their respective towns. The running went past and through rice paddies, corn fields, through forest, jungle, over grassy fields and hills using a combination of dirt roads and single track. Sometimes the single track would be fast and smooth running, sometimes it was partial bush wacking.

Various additional obstacles were encountered including thorns, prickers, cows, and barbed wire fences.

The people in the lead would be the ones that would investigate the possible trails when checks would come so they ran most of the additional distance. The slightly slower people would wait at the check until the trail had been figured out. The checks tend to keep the fast and slow people together so there is not a big gap between the first and last at the finish line. The "Circles" held after each Hash were quite funny, though the Chiang Mai group is a bit more in the gutter while the Chiang Rai group is a little more family friendly. The best part of doing these Hashes was that it let us meet local runners. The Hash and the Hash runners we met would introduce us to the trails in the area and then John and I felt a little more comfortable about exploring further on our own.

Thailand - A first taste of Asia

        In Baja I had a schedule. I had to kayak to the next town before I ran out of water. In Europe we had a schedule. Relatives and friends of the family were expecting us to visit during certain weeks. Now our traveling has taken on a much more leisurely speed. The pace of life is slower. We are not interested in rushing around and trying to see "everything" there is to be seen. It has been more our style to pick a town and settle down for a bit, exploring the trails and countryside around the town, seeing some of the sites, and meeting some of the people that live there. 

      Once everyone had left Koh Samui after the wedding we hung out there for a few days with our friend Seth discussing plans for Nepal in the spring (see www.sethwolpin.com for all the crazy stuff he has been and will be up to).

View from Sarocha Villas, Koh Samui

We then flew up to Chiang Mai which is the big city in Northern Thailand. It is a town of about 175,000 people and its biggest drawback is that the air quality can get REALLY poor there since the pollution gets trapped within the mountains. Otherwise there is a lot going on in Chiang Mai. It is the gate way to the northern mountains and very much on the backpacker/tourist circuit. In most of Thailand there are temples everywhere but there are even a higher density here. Over 700 was the number I believe I read somewhere. They all have very similar features but are each unique at the same time, much like the cathedrals in Europe. At Wat (Temple) Srisuphan they have a "monk chat" three nights a week where the monks get to practice their English and the farang (Westerners) get to ask the monks questions about their life.

Wat Srisuphan, Chiang Mai

For many of them, being a monk is a way for them to get an education. The monk we talked to planned on being a monk for 10 years and hoped to get a masters degree. He said that many of the laypeople don't truly understand Buddhism but just go through the motions. We remarked that we thought at some level all religions are like that. For example I was raised a Christian but don't really understand the holy trinity - Father (God), Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost - where did the ghost come from? I thought ghosts were pagan? Ghosts or spirits are a real belief here and there is a spirit house (altar) in most houses and businesses with daily offerings of food, water, and incense. While in Chiang Mai we also met some local runners through a Hash House Harrier run (see FidEgan's Fastpacks - Epidsode 5 - Hash Running In Thailand). We did some running with them and then spent some days exploring the hills above town in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

Doi Suthep Park with Square Rooter and Brown Finger

View toward Chiang Mai

   
     Next stop was Chiang Dao where the mountains become more rugged as they get close to the Myanmar border. These hills are considered to be the very beginning (or end) of the Himalaya. We played tourist and rode elephants bareback. We laughed since we rode camels when we got engaged in Tunisia and now elephants on our "honeymoon" but we have never ridden horses together. We spent 2 days trekking the mountains and spent the night in a Hmong village.

Tarzan? - nope, just John

Hiking into Hmong village

Tarzan? - nope, just John

The other place we spent a chunk of time in was Chiang Rai which is smaller and much less polluted than Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai had some of the worst air quality I have ever been in though it did improve while we were there after it rained. Chiang Rai is a great place to relax. We rented a motor bike one day and explored the countryside.

The White Temple, Chiang Rai

Mae Korn Waterfall, Chiang Rai

We ran with some locals that our Chiang Mai friends had put us in touch with. We did a visa run to the Myanmar border one day which was interesting. That part of Myanmar we were told is run by two warlords (there used to be 3 but one was killed) and that area produces over 600 tons of heroin which is second only to Afghanistan. The border town of Tachileik was a fairly dreary place with a bit of a wild west feel to it. To truly enter Myanmar you have to fly in. Crossing the land border you are limited to that area and only for a day (or 14 days with special permission). We wandered the town for an hour before deciding the food options were more appealing in Thailand so we crossed back across the Mai Nam Sai River which reset our Thai visas to allow us to stay for another 30 days.

Mai Nam Sai River into Myanmar

     
We then went back to Bangkok for Christmas with the Fiddlers. We stopped at Sukhothai on the way which is an archaeological World Heritage Site. It was originally a Khmer city but was then the place where the first kings of Thailand began to develop their empire in the 1200s. There were spectacular ruins with influences from India, China, and Indonesia scattered over a wide area and we spent the day riding bikes around the area.

Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai

Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai

Impressions of Thailand - it was the perfect place to start a trip around SE Asia. Not many people speak English (beyond a few words) yet it has been really easy to travel in. People have been friendly and helpful. The food is amazing and we have had no gastrointestinal issues (so far). It is crazy affordable, especially after being in Europe last summer. The guesthouses we have been staying in have been between $10-25 a night. Entrees at a restaurant are $3-4 but you can eat street food (choosing carefully) for even less. Transportation costs are also very low. Sometimes when we are haggling over a fare for a tuk tuk or sorngtaaou (pickup truck taxi) we realize that it is over 30 cents and just decide to pay the "tourist price". Combined we have been living off of about $50 a day. We met a few expats that are retired and living here off of nothing but their social security. That said, if you want a western lifestyle in the east, you will pay for it. It's really a matter of choice. We prefer to live simply and are able to do it so cheaply here.

Next stop: Laos (though we will be back in Thailand at the end of January to do some veterinary work).

The two of us become one

     And we are off again on World Tour though part of us feels we never stopped.  What better way to start the next phase of the journey then by having a big party on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand to celebrate us getting married.  We were blessed to have 31 members of our family and dear friends travel half way around the world to come share this day and week with us. 

      We had done most of the planning before I had left for Baja in February.  Trying to organize a wedding from the other side of the world and a year in advance was a little nerve racking.  Ann was the wedding planner at Rocky's where we had the celebration and from the very first emails she was incredibly helpful, professional, and willing to try to make any idea we had about the day a reality.  We didn't really know what we were going to get until we arrived and our expectations were blown away.  We very much wanted to make sure that our guests that traveled from afar would have a good time and be taken care of, and Rocky's delivered.
     We boarded our flight from Seattle to Thailand with Kathleen's mom and sister where we spent a few initial days in Bangkok. We then flew to the island of Koh Samui and stayed at a smaller beach town on the north end of the island.  We met some of the early arrival friends there and played in the water and kayaked. 

     My mom, brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and dad also flew out and we ended up meeting them at Rocky's several days later.  Rocky's was the perfect place to have picked for our wedding.  An incredibly charming and romantic spot on the southern coastline with tastefully designed rooms, a private beach with kayaks, tiki bars, delicious food, and the friendliest staff ever.

     We had wanted to combine Eastern (Thai) tradition with Western tradition in our wedding celebration.  The ceremony started off with a Thai drum parade playing music while chanting in Thai "Here comes the groom".  My nephew Elias (the ring bearer) and I walked behind a few Thai dancing girls who were throwing flower petals. 

We all walked down to the flower arch on the beach and then waited for Kathleen.  The drummers kept up their music and then began chanting ("Here comes the bride") while a traditional Thai fishing boat came into view around a point of land with Kathleen aboard. 

The wind and surf had been high that day so the boat was bobbing around a lot.  As it was directly off the point the engine began to sputter and guests had visions of capsizing or washing up on the rocks.  However, the crew were able to get the engine to recover and make it to the beach without soaking or drowning the bride.  The boat entrance had never been done at Rocky's before (uniquely Kathleen's vision) and the staff was very concerned that there would be a disaster, especially with the waves the way they were.   Kathleen's Mom Uta then walked Kathleen to the altar.

     Our officiant was Krissy Moehl.  She had been Kathleen's roommate when we first met and had been one of the first people to watch us as we got to know each other in the beginning including our first trip out of town together when we all went and spent New Years on Orcas Island.  Krissy had never officiated a wedding before and she turned out to be the absolute perfect person.  She's like family to us, knows us well; including our favorite things and incorporated all of this into a very personalized and meaningful ceremony.  We can't ever thank her enough for performing our ceremony.  It was incredibly thoughtful, tailored to us and just perfect!

The ceremony ended with us releasing 50 butterflies to symbolize new beginnings, good fortune, and joy as the butterflies go out to spread news of our love and commitment.  Soon they were all over the flower arch and even landing on our guests.

Champagne and canapés were served as we signed the marriage certificate and had some pictures taken.  We want to thank all our friends who took so many wonderful pictures and have shared them with us.
     The party then moved off the beach and headed to the tiki bar while dinner was prepared.  Soon it was time to move up to the room above the restaurant where dinner and dancing would occur.  I had asked my brother Tom to be the master of ceremonies since he tends to have a loud voice when he needs to.  Little did we know that when he would announce our entrance to dinner it would be in the manner of a WWF wrestling announcer (it probably didn't help that he had been at a Thai boxing match the night before). He had everyone, including us, in hysterics as we entered while "Celebrate" blared from the sound system.  Appetizers were served along with a delicious Thai buffet.  We had a guitarist play several sets during dinner.  His voice was so good that we kept thinking it was a recording until you would look in the corner and there he would be playing.

      Following dinner there was dancing with DJ Blair keeping a great mix of 70s, 80s, and modern music going that had everyone dancing (including several people who had not danced in years or decades).  Somehow (and we are still not sure how) Blurred Lines ended up being our first dance.  It wasn't really planned that way, we had opted out of a first dance when planning with DJ Blair, but we started to dance to it and everyone backed off to let us have it as "the first dance".  If you don't know this song then Google the words to see why it was so funny (and start listening to the radio because it gets played every 15 minutes).  It was perfectly inappropriate and therefore appropriate for us.

     After working up a sweat on the dance floor there was an intermission for fire dancing.  Two Thai fire dancers performed on the beach to blaring techno music.  Everyone was fired up (pun intended) and was hooting, hollering, and dancing cheering them on.  We were so appreciative and rowdy that they ended up doing a double encore for us with exploding fireworks swinging all around them.  The entire beach was alight with swirling flame and exploding sparks.  We had seen fire dancing before but never anything like this.

 Then it was back for more dancing including a "dance off" between Chelsea and I.  I consider myself lucky that I didn't end up with a knocked out tooth, broken nose, or just being head butted to the ground.  After another hour or so we went back out onto the beach to release about 25 Chinese lanterns or "Himmel's Lanterna" (Sky lanterns in German).  As the balloon takes off from the hot air inside, a wish is made.  A lantern was sent off in honor of Kathleen's dad Joe and everyone made their own wishes with their lanterns.  A few crashed into the ocean but most of them drifted off and could still be seen miles away floating down the coastline.

     We went back to one last round of dancing until we couldn't anymore.  When we finally got back to our room we found that the Rocky's staff had decked out our bed with a towel sculpture and flower petal heart.  Rocky's really knows how to throw a wedding. 

     Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all our family and friends that came and shared that day with us.  It was the people around us more than the place and activities that made it such a special and wonderful day.  The memory of that day and the days around it will be lifetime treasured memories.