The return of the elephant trekkers!

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In the last couple of days I think we have been on every mode of transport possible, apart from as Phil said a cat, we started in a car, followed by: Plane, taxi, tuk tuk, train, songthaew, elephant, river raft and an ox. Im sure Ive missed something out but cant think of it at the moment!!

We (when I say 'we' I mean I - Toria) got up at 6:30am today to get ready for the days events.

Phil later joined me, after just about getting out of our room, theres a little black puppy that lives here and he was biting Phils ankles and wouldnt let him go!

Anyway, got up at 6:30, came outside to the bar/restaraunt area at about 7:30 to get some brekkie and wake up a bit before our tour guide came to pick us up.

Had some Tha' sausage and some stuff that was called bacon, even though it was about half a centimetre wide and was so crispy I nearly cut myself on it.

We were picked up at around 8:45am, there were another 6 people on our trip which included a young English couple (bit like us) a French couple and a German man with a Thai wife. We set out on a 45 minute air conditioned (thank god) small bus type thing ride (suppose thats a mini bus!! Duh - sorry the sun has frazzled my brain!!).

We arrived at the elephant camp, where shown down some rickety wooden steps and in front of us were about 5-6 baby elephants, one with bunches in her hair, and about 10-15 big elephants, including 2 bull (male) ones.

It was so amaxing to actually get right up close to them, when they make a noise they sound like dinosaurs!! Its so cool. I bought a bunch of bananas off of one of the Mahouts (who look after them) and started to give a medium size elephant some. She was really greedy, and nearly yanked my arm off along with the babanas (they were tied to my arm, stupid I know!). The mahout saved me, which I was very greatful for, so luckily for me, I still have 2 arms.

Phil was really pleased that he could take some really good pictures of them bathing in the river (Mae Ping river) and got some brilliant shots of them squirting water, and then afterwards when they came out they did a little performance. We werent really looking forward to this as you hear about elephants 'performing' and it sounds quite cruel. But is wasnt at all, they are trated really well and you can tell the Mahouts who look after them obviously treat them as we treat our dogs.

Then one elephant did a little painting of some flowers, which me and Phil were a bit sceptical that he actually did it!! But it was so good, that I cant imagine an elephant could do that!!

So then it was onto the elephant trekking, which was really scary at first. I kept thinking, if I fall off of this then Im going to at least break an arm, but at least I can say I did it falling from an elephant!! haha.

We went across the river, and then proceeded to make our way up a rather steep muddy hill and through the jungle for about an hour. The mahout (who was sitting on the elephants head) kept our elephant away from the others, they were all female and ours was a male (with massive tusks) so he might of tried to jump on one of them or something!

We definately got the best elephant, and I named him Fred.

Fred went a completely different way to the other elephants, and it was so much better.

The other people could see us and they kept taking pictures of what Fred was doing.

We then got off the elephants, and got on a river raft. Which I thought was going to sink with 5 people on. Suprisingly it didnt, and we started to make our way down stream, the 4 of us Englishers, a Thai man and about 100000 ants that kept on attaching themselves to our feet! BIG RED ONES!!!!

We sailed down stream for about half an hour, wearing silly Thai hats, and the jumped off (I say jumped, I clambered ungracefully) onto a muddy bank and then went on a Ox cart ride. There were the 4 of us again, an 2 ox(en?) pulling us along, with a Thai woman on the front wipping them slightly with a piece of grass.

We spent about 20 minutes on this cart, thankfully got off (numb bum!) and then went to a really really nice hotel in the mountains, with a lovely swimming pool, and we had the best buffet ever!

Really suprising as ususually on these tour things they dont take you anywhere nice!

After lunch, we were told that we could either go to a snake show, monkey show, or a tiger place.

Really didnt fancy the monkey show as Ive heard horrible things about them, and I was right. When we pulled up there was a Thai woman out the front with a poor old monkey on a chain with a big metal collar around its neck, making it bow to us and put its hands together like the Thai people do to greet you. Very sad.

We're off on another trip tomorrow to go up to the Burma/Laos border and to see some hill tribes, which I can wait to see. One of them is the Karen Hill tribe who put the rings round their necks, should be weird!

Cant put any pics up yet, as they havent got a USB thing here were we're staying. But internet is free so I dont mind! Will try and find somewhere when I can be bothered (hehe) and put some pics up!!!


Lots of Love.

The Elephant people!!! (Mum tell Peter to clear hes shed, I'll be sending Fred over by courier tomorrow).

xxxx

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Photos

Crazy
One of the ladies selling things by standing in the middle of the river