elephants

4/5/11

After rising at 6.30 to continue my kitchen training We set off to the elephant camp. Upon arrival we go talking to Karen and Adam who were to be our companions for the two days we would spend with the elephants. After checking into to our accommodation which was a short boat ride away we were ready. One problem- no one told the whether. The rain was coming down by the bucket load but we persevered and boarded the motorized kayak back to the main camp. After the 4 minute journey we were all sopping wet but the joys of a tropical climate meant we were dry within 15 minutes of the rain stopping.

We amassed at the elephant induction area when the training elephant was led over to us. We were asked who wanted to go first which essentially meant climbing onto the elephant by standing on its raised front leg, pulling on its ear and clambering onto her back. Funnily no of us were forthcoming so James kindly volunteered me. I approached this huge animal with some trepidation, climbed aboard inelegantly and set off with the Mahout sitting behind me. After being told to shuffle forwards, bring my knees up to her ears and hold onto her head we set off. We got as far as the first tree and the elephant decided to have a good rub. The pictures show a terrified Luke sitting perilously atop the elephant wondering what he had signed up to for the next two days.

After surviving my initial ride James climbed aboard and in the process kicked the Mahout in the balls. Its one of the many downsides of James having long legs!. After a short interlude we climbed about another elephant and sat on a garden bench strapped to its back and set off for an hours round trip. Again it was an amazing if not scary experience. The animals are so huge and lumbering but so gental (although I would not like to be on the business end of an angry or poorly trained elephant!)

After lunch we took the elephants out to the forest for the evening. Again more riding and as our confidence had improved 3 of the 4 elephants engaged in a bit of a race. Somewhat surprisingly I was not involved as my elephant only had one speed!

We then retired to the pool for a few hours and had dinner before being transported back to our lodge. We were some what surprised when the guide jumped back on the boat and said he would be back in the morning to pick up up. Well the four of us looked at one another with some trepidation. We were alone in the middle of the forest 5 minutes by boat along a fast flowing river from civilization. It was pitch black and there was some scary sounding noises.

never wanting to wimp out and more to the point having no choice as the guide had left we ascended the steps to our accommodation and cracked open a beer. The first sound we heard was scrabbling along the roof which we attributed to rats or monkeys. Then there was the inevitable assortment of bugs and unidentified noises. at the heady time of 9.30pm James went to bed and I agreed to follow in 10 minutes. As he was leaving I had a bet with Adam that we would either hear James scream when entering the room or I would be called to deal with some bug. I won the bet as 3 minutes went by before I heard a plaintive "Luke can you come up" emerge from our room. I attended the room expecting to find a tiny spider but what greeted me was a huge spider sitting on the bed. Even I was a little worried and my first attempt to catch it was thwarted when it jumped out of the way and the next attempt to kill it was successful (i thought) but I could not find the body... After a thorougher search of the bed and a good tucking in of the mosquito net we settled in for somewhat of a fitful nights sleep.