Part I: We Ride at Dawn

Waking up early is a non-issue here. By 5:30 AM, the mounting heat, early light sun, and my bladder ensure I miss no alarms. My body woke up completely exhausted and profoundly sore today. My spine was tender to the touch and my legs screamed bloody murder after yesterday's manual labor.


I stumbled toward the coffee shop for my 7:00 AM photography session, arriving a few minutes late. My phone had been locked in Do Not Disturb mode, causing me to miss a 6:55 AM coordination call from my guide. Luckily, he tracked down Typhoon, the sanctuary's resident photographer.


Typhoon is a sharp young guy fresh out of college who has spent three years as the park’s designated photographer. He immediately marched me to a dirt road to catch an incoming herd bathed in soft morning backlighting. He gave me a quick warning to be ready to sprint to our next vantage point the second we bagged the initial frames, as they’d be turning a corner and coming down another dirt path.


Within twenty minutes, my camera gear was tracking beautifully, but my shirt was completely soaked through and my hair was dripping sweat. The cardio was entirely worth it, as I have to imagine these will easily be some of the best frames I capture all week. Typhoon generously extended our session for nearly two hours, taking me deep into the morning light.


Part II: Shoveling, Shit, Survival

An hour past my scheduled volunteer slot, guilt finally caught up with me, and I left Typhoon to reunite with my group. Today’s morning assignment was clearing elephant manure from the fields. By the time I caught up with the team, they looked wiped.


I jumped into the rotation for the final hour, trying my absolute best to mask my own escalating fatigue. It is incredibly difficult to hide the early markers of dehydration and heat exhaustion when the ambient temperature is redlining. I was not a massive help to the operation, but seeing a pair of seventy-year-old women in our cohort outworking me provided a psychological kick to keep my shovel moving.


After a brief detour to visit one of the rescued dog facilities on the property, I trudged back to my room, famished. Having skipped breakfast and coffee entirely, I aggressively refueled at the lunch buffet, crushing two bowls of traditional noodle soup and a heavy plate of stir-fry and rice.


Part III: The Elephant Cake Battle Royale

Our afternoon task shifted to food preparation, specifically assembling a massive elephant cake. We mixed sticky rice with bananas, watermelons, mangoes, cucumbers, and deseeded pumpkins. The volunteers prepare this dense nutritional block a couple times a week to present to a rotating herd in the open fields (the staff have the other days covered).


Watching the elephants consume the cake quickly devolved into a fascinating battle royale. Some animals were remarkably collaborative, sharing sections of the spread, while others bullied in attempt to monopolize the food. Once the main course vanished, our guide detailed the strict metrics required of the mahouts, who maintain a 1:2 or 1:3 caretaker ratio with the elephants. Many of them actually come to the sanctuary from the very riding camps and operations the elephants are rescued from, complete with the abusive behaviors engrained. The sanctuary offers better pay and attempts to rehabilitate both mammals.


While the info was fascinating, the afternoon lesson took place under a rather direct and  unyielding glare of the sun. We wrapped up by 3:30 PM, leaving a quiet two-and-a-half-hour window before dinner. Back to my room, where large insects fall out of my shaken pants, and my staging area is in disarray.


Part IV: Laundry

The environmental reality has caught up. I sweat continuously, forcing me to shower three times a day and rotate through three distinct sets of clothing: a morning work set, a midday and evening free-time set, and an afternoon labor set.  I can squeeze roughly two uses per item before they are pungently unwearable.


The saving grace is the on-site laundry service. Drop off occurs between 5:00-5:30 PM, with pick up the next day. The cost is almost hilariously cheap, sitting at 40 THB/kg, -  roughly $2.75 for my 2 kg bundle. Bet it would have been half that, dry…


Right now, a pounding headache is setting in, and I can barely keep my eyes open to finish this entry. It is only 8:20 PM. After one final cold shower, a hydration refill, and a quick tooth brushing, I will be ready to surrender to lights out by 9:00 PM. In a life previously defined by hyperproductivity and constant evening screen time, lying horizontal before 9 is pure bliss.


The idea of “rest” is complex and multifaceted. It does not always mean lounging and sleeping. Rest for the mind can paradoxically be grueling, sweaty work of pushing through physical exhaustion to the body. And somehow, I still feel motivated to do it all again tomorrow.