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Published: February 24th 2013
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Our carriage awaits!
"Where's my banana!" Having consumed lunch we made our way back to the car and then it was off to the Elephant Sanctuary. This took about 30 minutes and the journey took us ever deeper into the rural backwaters of Thailand. We were now climbing above the plains and into the mountains that border Thailand & Myanmar (Burma) which made it so difficult to build the railway and cause so much suffering.
When we arrived we were the only tourists there so without any waiting (apart from the opportunity to purchase some ripe Thai bananas - 20 Baht - approx 50p) the Mahout arrived atop the Elephant we were to ride. On her back was, what can only be described as, a garden seat sitting precariously on her shoulders. Luckily the park had provided platforms which we climbed so that getting on the elephant was relatively easy. They say elephants never forget and I'm more inclined to believe this as our elephant immediatley sort out a banana, but they were to be used later.
We started at a sedate pace but it took some time to get used to the rolling gait of our pachyderm. They look very graceful when David Attenborough
The Mensahib and I
Ho, the aim of our patrol
Is a question rather droll is talking about them but sat atop it felt like we were on a largish boat in a sou'westerley force 8!
Eventually I learnt to 'roll with the rythmn' and we proceeded through the forest. We made our way down to the river Kwai and having been over it on the bridge we were now in it on the back of an elephant! Luckily for us she was very well behaved and didn't give us an impromptu shower. We clamboured out onto the river bank at which point the mahout jumped off and asked for my camera so he could take some pictures. Next he asked me if I'd like to take his place and I jumped (well, slid ungracefully actually) at the chance. The mahout then proceeded to command the elephant from the ground as we strolled along with me feeding her the occasional banana - a brilliant experience not to be missed!
We arrived back at the camp and I found getting back up the elephants head and onto the seat a damn site more difficult than sliding down. We thanked her with a couple more bananas and alighted onto the platform.
The final part
Mahout Guy
...and his lady of the day was spend drifting down the river Kwai on a bamboo raft. Suitable decked out in life jackets we slowly made our way down the river with the current and a young oarsman who guided us around the scary bits! More photos were taken of us pretending to steer the boat, which, if I can work it out, will appear on here soon so check back later.
All in all a superb day and, despite the traffic, we were back in the hotel by 19:30, knackered but nothing a swift G&T before dinner couldn't fix.
Tomorrow we fly down to Krabi and then onto the resort, but for now I hear a Thai curry calling my name.
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