See, we told you you wouldn't have to wait long...

THE HIGHLIGHT OF OURTRIP SO FAR - ITS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT

Firstly, I hope you apprecite the fact that we are in a 1m x 5m greenhouse, sat on wheelie chairs with a 20% angled sloped floor. We are fighting the force of gravity and hysterics to write this.

The mini bus picked us up early morning. We stopped at the food market on route to load 3 trucks with ele food and to our surpise, that was only for the morning feed. It got us thinking we may possibly be meeting an animal that can consume more food than Martin Morris!? As we turned off the motorway and approached the jungle, the track was getting thinner and the the drop increasing. We had flashback of Auntie Nade in Italy saying 'oooh mmmy god'.

Arrived in time to feed the eles and then had a talk by our lovely volunteer coordinator about what the week would intail. Right now our blog could easierly turn into one of Lois' essay emails, but we'll try to cut it down. (Sorry Lo)

Everyday involved getting up for koko crunch and coffee at 7. Morning chores began for an hour at 7.30. This mainly involved shuvelling s**t. Rach somehow avoided the buffalo shed which was the worse one - but Jamie didn't! After this for a couple of hours, we had a different morning project everyday. Either picking up more poo or building something for the park/eles. The barbed wire fencing with one glove between four was a mission.

The eles were fed at 11.30. These guy eat alot! It would take a good hour an half to prepare they're food. Fussy b*****s - it all had to be washed and peeled. This is where you could be really hands on and cuddle them without being trampled on. We took a liking to one ele - Medo. She has a broken back and ankle, and shakes like a 94 yr old, but is only 25. She was such a softie. We'll tell you her sad story when we get home. A bell would ring at noon, this signaled feeding time for the humans. The food here was the best we've tasted - particularly the potatoe curry. After lunch was bath time for the eles. This usually involved a stampied to the river - best not to be the first person down at the river bed for fear of your life. Here the eles would lie in the water ready for us to pamper and scrub them. However most the washing was spent on the volunteers trying to get clean after morning chores.

Afternoons would normally involve making banana balls for the eles. This was often squashing thousands of banana and then throwing them at each other. One day, one baby ele broke through the barriers and made it up onto the platform as he liked what he could smell. Was very entertaining to watch the mahoots trying to get him off again.

We would then eat around 6.30 and spend the evening drinking Chang Beer. One moring we went on a trek with a family of eles. This was amazing to experience and see them out in their natural surroundings. This was then taken to the next level the following day when we walked them up into the jungle and spent the night with them. In the morning came the problems when we had to find them again?

Our volunteer huts were basic but all good fun. We would open our window each morning to see eles walking past, and often steel banana grass when their mahoot wasn't looking from the hut opposite.

We met some really cool people and we'll tell you some more funny stories when we get back. This place is truely amazing. As well as 30 eles, there are 50 dogs and 40 odd cats. Because they are all strays, you are able to adopt them - Dad (Mark), we have some good news and bad news. The good, the quarantine is 6 months. The bad, we're not sure how Rambo and Murph will get on. Oh by the way, hes a little black dog just like him, but in proportion.