“ an Elephant named Lady Boy”

---

Up early again this morning and on a bus, this time to the jungle. Probably took us about half an hour to get to the place we were heading. A rural rubber tree farm out the back of Ao Nang.

It looks much like the rest of Ao Nang beach, without the water. This whole provence was under water once upon a time, and the limestone cliffs that still tower above the jungle have the most incredible shapes carved out of them from where the water once was. The biggest, lightly coloured calcium stalectites and stalecmites I have ever seen are growing and dropping from the huge cliff faces… with thick forrest trying to grow amongst it all. It seriously looks like something out of a fairy tale.

And in fact it seems like I’m not the first person to think so… another big film, ‘Mystery Island’ was filmed in the same cliff face Sian and I got to explore this morning.

The cliff faces were nowhere near as good as meeting Lady Boy though. One of five elephants they have on the farm. Lady Boy was the biggest of all, and appropriately named because of his lack of tusks. Generally male elephants have tusks, and the females do not. Lady Boy was very very male… no tusks. Lady Boy was also the biggest of all the elephants, and after “shotgunning” him, Sian and I got to climb aboard.

I have wanted to go Elephant trekking ever since we decided to come to Thailand, so this morning was pretty special for me. I love them… totally placid, gentle and leisurely. Lady Boy took us for a tour around the farm for about an hour, and at the end was treated to a shower.

They take really good care of the elephants by the looks… which is good because it was something Sian and I were both worried about. They are taken out to the deeper forest at night where they can sleep and feed on whatever they choose… they have a shower in the morning and at night… and have the chairs taken off their backs at 4.30 every afternoon - hehehe.

After Lady Boy dropped us off, we went and had a swim in the rock pool on the farm, which was the deepest turqoise from all the calcium and minerals flowing from the rocks. Much like our trip to Phi Phi, it wasn’t hard to jump into a pool like that in 36 degrees, and we finished the half day off with lunch.

All in all a wicked day. Sian and I are both starting to think about London more and more… and so we should… it is only 4 days away… ARGH! We’re both excited, but a bit aprehensive about what is waiting for us. It’s going to be fantastic… but it always takes that little while to find your feet.

Not only can we do it, we’ll do it with style.

(This place makes me feel like listening to: “Noah’s Ark (Deep Amok Remix)” - OB)

---

Photos

Cheeky Dan
A Candid shot taken by Ms Hazevoet

Calcium a Plenty
This photo doesn't show them too well, but if you look closely you can see the caves that have been created by the calcium stalectites and mites created after thousands of years of ocean being washed against them... they look awesome!

Ridin' a Lady Boy
Isn't she beautiful?

Peace!
I was bit hesitant to move of the chair and onto his head... surely having 70kilos on your head would give you a head ache... not matter how big you are?

Luuuuuuush...
Yeah... it was as cool as it looks too... made our skin all nice and clean too... = )

Shower Time...
and this is how elephants cool off = )

Comments

[neen]

wow
Daniel and Sian, you are giving us the Wow factor. Soooo beautiful.xx