{"id":25203,"date":"2020-03-21T19:45:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-21T12:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phangngaelephantpark.com\/?p=25203"},"modified":"2020-03-21T20:43:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-21T13:43:24","slug":"special-volunteers-blog-march-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phangngaelephantpark.com\/special-volunteers-blog-march-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"SPECIAL VOLUNTEER’S BLOG – March 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"
COVID-19 ENDS MY DREAM POSTING – FOR NOW<\/strong><\/p>\n by\u00a0Volunteer<\/a> Alexandra Chiarella\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n <\/a>On the afternoon of 17 March 2020, my parents called and advised me \u201cthe Australian government is strongly urging all Australians to return from overseas\u201d. My mother, father and step-father pleaded me to fly home as soon as possible as they were concerned a travel ban was imminent. I had recently organised a visa run to Malaysia and changed my flight to 16 June (I had planned to extend my stay from 3 to 6 months), so to say I was shocked and upset is an understatement. I thought I would share a few final thoughts.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The day before I left my Thai home in Phang Nga Elephant Park I went to Krabi to visit P\u2019Ben (one of the Park\u2019s wonderful former employees). I felt very emotional. As I left the drive into the Park I saw P’Lek’s daughter Prow return to the Park with young Kacha who had been in hospital for the previous few days, thankfully not with COVID-19, and was now fully recovered. I am so glad I got to see him again before I left.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a>You see, although I came to the Park to work with elephants, I think I will miss my friends even more than the wonderful animals I have come to know and love.\u00a0 So many of the people here have become just like family. I have been looked after so well by the Park’s ladies and the Kwan-changs. They have all been so welcoming, generous and loving and I hope to bring that spirit back to Australia at a time when we really<\/i>\u00a0need it.<\/span><\/p>\n