Elephants

The second day in Chiang Mai We went on an elephant excursion.  We rode in a van for about an hour out to an elephant camp.  They had about 15 elephants there.  

They gave us denim clothes to wear then proceeded to let us feed the elephants, ride them and swim with them.  

To get up in the elephants’ back  you would stand by their front right leg.  They’d lift their leg and you would step in the leg, grab his ear, and hoist yourself onto his back as he lifted his leg a little more. Then once on his back we were able to tell him to turn left, right, go forward, reverse, and stop.  I thought I wouldn’t be too scared getting on its back, but it was quite terrifying!  It had a really hard time getting up on his back from his foot… It took me two laborious tries.  Once I got up there I realized how high it was.  I slipped slightly when I turned left and that gave me quite a fright! 

After that we ate lunch then got to ride them for an hour and play in the water with them.  Lunch was divine!  It was a yellow curry, sweat and sour tofu, and spring rolls.  [I feel like here at the school they feed us the same dozen dishes that all have the same flavor.  They switch the veggies and occasionally the meat (we eat a LOT of pork), but it feels like the same thing every day].  It was really nice to eat something that tasted different!  A really good different.  As I type this my mouth is watering!  

After we ate they had us go upstairs and onto a roof-like patio.  We got on the elephants from there.  I was quite happy that I didn’t have to climb up his leg again!  Each elephant had a trainer/worker to lead the elephant.  We rode for quite a while.  We went through the jungly landscape then up and down the river.  At the end of the river there was a pond where the elephants would lay down and we got to swim with them.  We splashed them, washed them, and had a grand time!  Once again I felt a bit sad for the elephants, but I could tell they were well taken care of.  

After that they took us back to the main area and we showered and got changed.  We hung out a little while we got pictures from them of the riding and swimming.  There was a baby elephant up front who we hung out with while we waited.  He was a fancy little guy!  We played the harmonica, picked up a hat off the ground and put it on the trainer’s head, and gave baby elephant kisses!  To give a kiss he would suck air in his trunk and suction to people’s cheeks.  I really like elephants!  They are such fun animals!