elephants continued...

5/5/11

We awoke at 6am after a very fitful nights sleep. Bugs bugs bugs may be lurking! We then set off to collect the elephants from the overnight resting place. All of them we dirty but Adam's was covered from head to toe in wet mud. The Mahout would not ride it but Adam gamely climbed aboard. Upon arriving at the water the elephants waded into the the middle with us sitting atop. We there scrubbed, brushed and cleaned the elephants who would obligingly sink under the water upon request (well the Mahouts request anyway). We discovered that washing an elephant is a mammoth task as they are rather big. You would think they were clean and then it would stand up a little bit and there would be a whole unwashed expanse still to be tended to!

After a thoroughly fab time washing the elephants we then got to feed them bananas. Some opened there moths and you put a banana on its tong, Some waited for you to put a food on there trunk and two in particular just waved there trunks around seeking out food from any passer buy. It was again amazing and there were plenty of laughs, shrieks and photos.

After breakfast we set off on our kayaks back to town. After successfully negotiating the rapids and eating lunch on the kayak pout of banana leafs we arrived home somewhat hot and sweaty. After a brief shower we set about reviving further instruction from peter before retiring to bed before our first day as hostel managers!