Luna uživala v resnični pravljici

Televizijska mega zvezdnica Karol Sevilla je na začetku tretje sezone svetovno priljubljene nadaljevanke Jaz sem Luna za nekaj dni odšla na počitnice. V prostem času sicer zelo rada tudi spi, tokrat pa ni počitnikovala sanjajoč v spanju, ampak se je podala v resnično pravljico. Obiskala je pariški Disneyland.
Nadvse navdušil jo je, ker je v resnici pravljičen in človek dobesedno vstopi v svet pravljic. Kot bi vstopil v katero od mnogih Disneyevih risank…
Tudi Karol je bila navdušena nad največjo in najbolj slavno deželo pravljic na svetu. Med obiskom se je zelo zabavala, med drugim si je izposodila tudi del videza najslavnejše miške na svetu poleg Mickeya, legendarne Minnie.

Srečala se je z nekaterimi od legendarnih Disneyevih likov, denimo s kraljično in piratom. »To je zame kot sanje, izpolnila sem si otroške želje. Vsak otrok sanja, da bi kdaj v živo doživel pravljice. Imamo se super in uživamo,« pravi navdušeno. Za pirata pravi, da je bil v resnici prijazen. »Če bi se morala odločiti med princesami in pirati, bi se 100 odstotno za pirate!« se navdušeno smeji. In uspela mu je vzeti celo njegov legendarni meč.
Popeljala se je tudi z vlakcem smrti. Nad izkušnjo je ostala brez besed, vse pa pove njen smeh in gesta rok.

Photo: Disney

Luna enjoyed in real fairytale

Mega tv star Karol Sevilla had a little hollidays at the official beginning of the third season of world famous tv series Soy Luna. She adores to sleep in her free time among other things, but this time she didn’t only dreaming, but she indeed was in real fairytale. She visited Disneyland in Paris. She enjoyed the trip very much and was absolutely excited because it is really magical and she steped into the world of fairytales in real. It was like being in one of many Disney’s cartoons.
Miss Sevilla was excited to be in the most famous and bigest fairytale land in the world. She even borrowed part of visual looks from the most famous mouse in the world beside Mickey, the legendary Minnie.

During her visit she also met some of legendary Disney’s heroes and heroines, for example princess and pirate. »This is like a dream to me, I realised my childhood wishes. Every child is dreaming to experience fairytale at least once in a life. We have a great time and we enjoy,« she said exciting. The pirate, as she said, was very nice. »If I wolud have to choose between princesses and pirates I would 100 % choose pirates!« she laughs. She even succeded to take his famous sword from him!
She also experiented driving with death train. She was speachless because of the adventure but her laugh and hand gestures told all.

Photo: Disney

Hollywoodski zvezdnik rešuje slone

Četudi je posnel tudi vrsto drugih uspešnic, ob njegovem imenu še vedno najprej pomislimo na zimzeleno romantično Modro laguno, a Christopher Atkins je aktiven tudi na drugih področjih. Je tudi scenarist, režiser, producent, nekoč, kot denimo v filmu Pirati, je tudi prepeval, je pa tudi aktivist na področju zaščite živali. Eden zadnjih projektov, pri katerih sodeluje na živalovarstvenem področju, je park slonov na Baliju.

Devet slonov za Top 10 hotel
Ustanovitelj Nigel Mason je park začel postavljati leta 1997. Izvedel je za slone, ki so v zelo slabih pogojih živeli na posušenih riževih poljih in porodila se mu je ideja, da bi izboljšal ter spremenil takšne stvari. Iskal je prostor, kjer bi lahko udejanil idejo in denarni vložek, saj je zamisel le zanj bila prevelik in nemogoč zalogaj. Za začetek je odkupil devet slonov in z ženo sta se dodobra zadolžila za izvedbo zamisli. K sreči sta naletela na razumevanje in zanimanje vlagateljev in park je začel nastajati. Danes je to po vsem svetu znana turistična točka, saj so prvotno zamisel razširili. Poleg slonjega parka imajo v ponudbi rafting, gorsko kolesarjenje, pohodništvo in druge aktivnosti, ki sodijo v okolje in podnebje. Zgradili so tudi hotel s 25 sobami, dve restavraciji in trgovini, vse v znamenju slonov. Teh je sedaj v parku preko 30, hotel pa je tudi na seznamu top 10 najbolj edinstvenih hotelov na svetu po mnenju National Geographica in Discovery travel channel. Kot pravi, je nastal po naključju, zaradi spraševanja obiskovalcev, da bi želeli ostati čez noč in več dni.
Odkar je park zaživel, ga je v množici obiskovalcev obiskalo tudi več znanih imen. Christina Aguilera, Jessica Biel, David in Victoria Beckham, že pokojni znani krokodilji lovec Steve Irwin in drugi. Park je obiskal tudi Christopher Atkins, ki je Nigela Masona spoznal preko dokumentarnega režiserja Lawrenca Blaira. Bil je na na snemanju v bližini in iskali so kakšno pustolovščino. Blair se je spomnil ideje, kontaktiral Nigela in Christopher, snemalec in koproducent Peter Taylor so obiskali park.

Znani obiskovalci
»Nigela sem srečal prvič in navdušila me je njegova izjemna zgodba reševanja in pomoči slonom. Prav tako je zanimivo in navdušujoče, kako jim je uspelo ustvariti takšen park, saj je s tem povezanega veliko dela in tudi denarnega vložka« je povedal za Slovenske novice. V zvezi z novinarskimi vprašanji, ki jih dobiva glede parka, ga zabavajo tista, če je slone videl prvič v življenju v živo na Baliju. »Slone sem videval v živalskem vrtu in na safariju v Afriki, nikoli prej pa še nisem doživel stika kot v parku. To je namreč zares osebni stik v pravem pomenu besede« pravi.
Najbolj razburljiv stik je bil prvi, ki ga je izkusil. »Nigel me je postavil na rob bazena, v katerem se sloni kopajo in igrajo. Poklical jih je iz vode in pet velikanov me je kar naenkrat obkrožilo. Zanimivo, da me ni bilo toliko strah, kot je bil razburljiv občutek vznemirljivosti« pravi o prvem stiku s sloni v parku.
Na obisku je naredil intervju z Nigelom, posneli pa so tudi dokumentarec o parku. »Park je med drugim zamišljen tudi kot točka dogodivščin. Glavna poanta je dobrobit živali, vendar tudi zabava kot oblika spoznavanja teh veličastnih živali. Sloni v parku sicer tudi delajo, vendar zabavne stvari in nič pod prisilo in nič takega, kar bi bilo nesprejemljivo. Ponesejo te, denimo, do hotela, po parku in podobno. Pri tem se, kot je videti že na pogled, tudi sami zabavajo. Vsekakor gre za destinacijo, ki je absolutno potrebno obiskati jo. To je med drugim tudi edinstveni kraj na svetu, kjer lahko spiš med več kot 30 sloni, ki so sicer predstavniki ogrožene sumatrske vrste. Obiskovalcem je na voljo sobivanje, učenje, ročno kopanje, krmljenje, pohajkovanje in osebna interakcija s trdokožci« meni o parku.

Nalašč popacan in poškropljen
Osebno ga je navdušilo tudi, kako park deluje komunalno. »Vse temelji na sistemu okolju prijazno. Odpadne vode in drugo so vklopljene v reciklažni sistem za zaščito okolja, med drugim za gnojenje uporabljajo tudi slonje iztrebke. Funkcionirati na drugačen način bi sicer verjetno na sploh bilo zelo težko, če sploh mogoče« opisuje.
Obisk ni bil le deloven, ampak si je park ogledal tudi kot klasični turist. Sloni so ga, med drugim, tudi poslikali. »Nigel je naščuval enega od njih, da me je poleg po majici nalašč popacal z barvo tudi po obrazu. Na vsem lepem in povsem nepričakovano, da človek nima časa niti glave umakniti, haha. Je pa neverjetno doživetje, kako nežni, pazljivi in spretni so sloni s čopiči« pravi. Biti platno, na katerega slikajo, je bilo poleg prvega stika najbolj zanimivo doživetje z njimi. Zato ga kasneje tudi ni več presenetilo, ko so ga do kože in pravkar preoblečenega ter povsem nepripravljenega na to poškropili še z vodo iz rilcev, kar je prav tako bilo Nigelovo maslo, ob katerem so, kot pravi, sloni pokali od slonjega smeha.
Kljub tej nagajivi potegavščini pravi, da je park zares čudovit. Bil je že v nekaj drugih podobnih, ta pa je zagotovo na njihovem vrhu. Za slone je resnično dobro poskrbljeno, kar se pozna tudi na obnašanju in odnosu teh nežnih velikanov do ljudi.
Tudi sam Christopher sodeluje z znanimi obrazi na področju zaščite živali in okolja, predvsem z avstralsko Valerie Taylor. Lotevata se problematike morskih grebenov in živali. »Živali imam rad in tudi do okolja imam odgovoren odnos. Nimam sicer hišnih ljubljencev, ker imam premalo časa in bi bilo to neodgovorno, sem pa vnuku podaril želvo, ki zanjo lepo skrbi. Na področju zaščite živali sicer nisem angažiran v obsegu, kot sta denimo Pamela Anderson ali Doris Day, se pa vključujem v različne kampanje in se javno oglašam. Pred kratkim sem bil v Indoneziji tudi prvič v direktnem stiku z morskimi jeguljami. O slonjem parku bomo naredili dokumentarec. Glede na moje delo in stvari, s katerimi se ukvarjam, lahko tudi na ta način pripomorem pri akcijah in njihovem plemenitem poslanstvu. Želim si narediti kakšen dokumentarec tudi o delfinih in orlih, ki so sicer moje najljubše divje oziroma prostoživeče živali« še pravi.

Foto: osebni arhiv

 

Hollywood star is saving elephants

Although he made many other movies in connection to Christopher Atkins we still first think of romantic evergreen classic The blue lagoon. But Christopher Atkins is very active also in other fields. He is writer, director, producer, once as in The pirate movie he also sang. Among other things he is also an activist in animal protecting field. One of the last projects he is involved in is Elephant park in Bali.

9 elephants for Top 10 hotel
Founder Nigel Mason began with park back in 1997. He found out for some elephants living in very bad condition on dry rice fields and he got an idea to make their living condition better. He searched for a place to realize his idea and also some financial donators because it was too big action just for him. He bought nine elephants and together with his wife they took a loan. They had luck because there were several interested investors and park started to became reality. Today it is world famous tourist destination with many attractions and activities. Beside elephant park they have rafting, mountain biking, hiking and other activities. They also built hotel with 25 rooms, 2 restaurants and shop center, all in connection to elephants. There are more than 30 elephants in the park today and hotel is also on the list of 10 the most unique hotels in the world by the opinion of National Geographic and Discovery travel channel. Hotel is the result of visitor’s asking to stay in the park over night or more days. Since it was open among other visitors also several celebrities visited park. Christina Aguilera, Jessica Biel, David and Victoria Beckham, late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and others. One of world famous visitors was also Christopher Atkins. He had first meet Nigel Mason thanks to documentary director Lawrence Blair. He was nearby during shooting a movie and they searched for some adventures. Blair contacted Mason and Atkins, director of photography and co producer Peter Taylor visited park.

Famous visitors
»I had meet Nigel for the first time and I was excited because of his exceptional story of elephant rescuing. I think it is also very amazing and interesting to create such a park because it also means a lot of work and money,« Atkins says for Estrada magazine. He laughs each time he gets questions such as if he saw elephants live for the first time in Mason’s park in Bali. »I have seen elephants before in Zoo and on safari in Africa, but never until now in such direct contact. This is in fact personal contact in the best meaning of the word,« he says. The most exciting contact was the first one. »Nigel put me to stand beside the pool in which elephants played and enjoyed water. He called them out of the water and suddenly 5 giants stood around me. It is very interesting that I was not scared at all, but I had very strong feeling of exciting,« he explains. He made interview with Nigel and also they made a documentary. »Park is organized as point of adventures. The main and most important thing is animal welfare but also as the way to know better these magnificent animals. Elephants in the park also work, but things they like and none of them against their will. They carry you around the place, to the hotel etc. And they enjoy and have fun themselves, too. It is absolutely destination to visit. It is also the unique place in the world where you can sleep among more than 30 elephants, who are endangered species. Visitors can live with elephants, they can bath then, feed, going around etc,« he explains.

Elephants sprayed him deliberately
Personally he was excited about the way how park operates. »It is all on the basic being nice to the environment. Waste waters are part of recycling system to protect environment, they also use elephant’s dumping for fertilization. I don’t think it could work any other way in fact,« he thinks.
Beside working he also wanted to see park as tourist. Elephants also painted him. »Nigel said secretly one of them to paint also my face, not only my shirt. It all happened in a second and I didn’t even had time to move my face away!« he laughs. But he also says it is unbelievable experience how gentle, careful and skillful are elephants doing paintings. To be their painting canvas it was the most interesting things beside first contact. So he wasn’t surprised at all later when elephants also throw water on him.
No matter to all he believes park is wonderful. He had been in some other similar but this one is with no doubt in top of the list. »They really care for elephants very well. You can tell this also on the basic of elephant’s behavior and relationships with people,« he claims.
Atkins himself also is involved in animal welfare activities and environment protection. He cooperates with some other known names, mostly with Australian Valerie Taylor. »She is fighting problems with sea reefs and animals. I love animals and can say also I have responsible attitude towards the environment. I don’t have pets because I don’t have enough time for them and it would be irresponsible. But I gave a turtle to my grandson and he is carrying for her very well. I am not involved in environment or animal welfare the same way as for example Pamela Anderson or Doris Day, but I am involved in different campaigns and I speak in public. Not long ago I was in Indonesia for the first time in direct contact with sea eel. I will produce documentary about elephant park. I can help also their actions this way. I would also like to make documentary about dolphins and eagles, they are my favorite wild animals,« he says.

Photos: Christopher Atkins archive