Elephant camp


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May 4th 2015
Published: May 9th 2015
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Elephants get to take a bath before they start work
A one-hour flight took us from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and it was a pleasure to be in a smaller city with a population of about 200,000. From the airport we were driven to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoravihara “the jewel of Chiang Mai.” According to our guide book, in the 14th century, while installing a relic of the Buddha in a temple in the old city, the holy relic split in two, with one part equalling the original size. A new wat (temple) was needed to honour this miracle. King Ku Na placed the new relic on a sacred white elephant and let it wander freely. It climbed to a promontary on Doi Suthep, trumpeted three times, made three counter-clockwise circles, and knelt down, thus choosing the site for this new temple and the sacred relic. Our guide told us a lot about Buddhism and explained that not all temples have a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, of course. Some have to fall back on a relic from a favourite monk or other revered individual.

For families that can't afford to buy the books and other requirements for their sons to attend the free schools, sending them
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Took the elephant about 5 minutes to paint this picture.
to a monastery is an alternative way for them to acquire an education. Also, young men who have spent time studying in a monastery and who have served 2 years in the army are also number one candidates for any job they apply for. Serving in the army, however, it something of a lottery. Young men who have finished school draw papers and those who draw a red one go to serve their two years. Those who draw black papers continue with civilian life.

Today was a non-temple day that began with a visit to the Maetamann Rafting Elephant Camp. For many years elephants were used in the Thai logging industry but with Teak forests rapidly disappearing a law was passed, in 1989, forbidding people to cut down the trees. This left the families that owned the elephants out of a job and with very large animals to feed. Hence the springing up of elephant camps where they are trained to entertain visitors. While it is a shame to see such lovely beasts reduced to performing tricks and giving rides, it does enable them to pay for their keep. And yes, Claire, I did go for an elephant ride.
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It just had to be done!
It was okay on the flat and uphill but going downhill I sometimes felt as though I was going to slide off the seat and over the elephant's head. We returned from the elephant ride on a cart pulled by two oxen. Ours tried to make a break for it while their driver was taking our photo but luckily two other drivers (whose oxen stood placidly waiting) came to our assistance. Wood is now imported into Thailand from Myanmar and our guide didn't think the anti-logging law would ever be reversed because of the increasing need for agricultural land.

This excitement was followed by a more relaxing float down a tributary of the Ping River on a bamboo raft poled by two petite Thai men. Without hippos or poisonous snakes to worry about (as in the Zambezi) and accompanied only by floating elephant turds and turquoise butterflies, it was very pleasant. I had hoped to see some birds along the riverbanks but our guide said that, despite the fact that it is against the law, the locals catch them and, presumably, eat them.



Our outing for the day ended with a visit to an orchid farm
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The elephant drops you off in the village tourist market and you take an ox cart back to camp.
where we were surprised to see the un-potted orchids, with splendid heads of huge flowers, suspended in the air, their bare roots and stems being sprayed with water (and sometimes fertilizer) briefly two or three times a day. Now I understand why my indoor orchid's roots rotted. The farm also had a butterfly garden that had some huge, brown 'butterflies', about as large as my two hands, that our guide knew only as night moths.


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Orchids

What does Frances have so much trouble growing them?


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