Hello to everybody!

    So it has been about two weeks since I have left, and I am firmly settled in the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary. Today is my day off, so I have gone to the main office where an extremely slow internet connection is available, good enough for email it seems! The sanctuary here is gorgeous, and I will have pictures to send out in about 2 weeks time (I need to be in Bangkok to send pictures, elsewhere the internet is to slow).

I’ve settled in, and gone out into the jungle almost every day now for a week and a half. The jungle is hot, and full of insects that want to suck your blood, your sweat, or leave you with an unfriendly rash. However, seeing animals in their natural habitat rather than the zoo is pretty awesome. I’m pretty sure the Langurs we are studying are the ugliest monkeys I’ve ever seen, but yesterday a pair of gorgeous Yellow-Throated Martens ran across our path and that definitely made my day. The work is a little trying. It involves angling your head 45+ degrees into the air with binoculars and trying to discern whic  monkeys are doing what. Apparently it gets easier with time, but 7 hours of fighting off insects and straining my neck is not something I am yet accustomed too.  Other than that I am doing well, my coworkers and the thai rangers in the site are very friendly. They have been teaching me Takraw, a game that must be seen to be believed. It is a bit like soccer and volleyball crossed together. The rules are similar to volleyball, except the ball is small, woven, and hit only with the feet an  body (no arms allowed). The result is a spike maneuver that defies logic. Maybe there are videos on youtube, look them up!

I think I will end today with my updated contact information. I bought a satellite serviced cellphone in Chum Pae (2 hours away from our sanctuary), and it gets a bit of reception scattered throughout the main camp. I suspect calling me won’t often yield an answer, but I have a voicemail box setup, so you can certainly leave a message and I can try to call you back! To dial me I believe you have to dial 011661 first, the international code for a Thai cellphone.

My number is 0856070689
So in full add 011661-0856070689 to your phone books!

The address at which i can be written is as follows:

Kyle Tobener
Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary
PO Box 3
Amphoe Chum Phae
Khon Khaen 40130

Apparently the mail arrives here with decent speed, though my responseswill be incredibly slowed down because it seems I can only get to a post office once every 2 weeks at the most!

All my thanks to you all for the good wishes and excellent send off