Vietnam and Thailand '08 day 12

Vietnam and Thailand '08 day12

Another trip today, first to orchid nursery, very nice, they seem to grow out of thin air, suspended with roots dangling down, beautiful blooms of all colours sprouting out of the tops. Just given plenty of water.

Then on to the the main objective, the Maesa Elephant Camp. It was founded in 1976 by Mr Choochart Kalmapijit starting with 5 elephants. 'With high concern for healthcare and breeding for captive elephants' there is now over 70 happy elephants living in the camp. The camp even has accreditation for iso 9001:2000.

They were a real bunch of characters. Our guide informed us that they work in the mornings and are free to roam in the afternoons and evenings until needed for the next morning, when each mahout has to find his elephant. They call their elephant and some come to their 'master'. Each elephant has his own bell so if they don't come, the mahout can hear his elephant's bell and track him or her down. But apparently some elephants don't want to be found. So they hide behind trees, standing very still or even holding their bell with their trunk so that the mahout cannot see or hear them.

First introduction is to about 10 of them all in a line ready to accept bunches of bananas handily available for tourists to buy as you walk into the camp. With Mahouts on their backs, they will place a hat on your head and pose for photos before taking it off ready for the next customer who still has some bananas.

(You girls will be interested to learn that gestation for elephants is 22 months. Expectant mothers develop a close friendship during pregnancy with another female who then helps at the birth including cutting? the umbilical chord. Like a sort of midwife).

Next four of them went for a lazy soak in the nearby creek - more photo opportunities.

Then we were taken to the seating around a huge arena. Dozens of elephants with their mahouts began to congregate in one corner. Then they put on a show. Well it's worth travelling to Thailand just to see this. They paraded, danced, did some gymnastics, played football including taking a penalty after one of them committed a foul (he obviously played for Yeovil in an earlier life), threw darts at balloons in competition with one of the spectators, painted pictures (yes pictures, I have a photo to prove it). They bowed to the audience and wiggled their bums when applauded. Great stuff, and as far as I as a layman can tell, they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it all.

Finally the elephant ride. Sitting on a wooden seat fitted right on the highest point of his back, with the mahout astride his neck, this bloody huge elephant took me for a one hour trek along a narrow path through the jungle. He stopped regularly along the way to grab grass and foliage within his reach - must have consumed a skip-full just in that hour. (They eat 200 kilos and drink 60 gallons daily). Up and down steep, sometimes wet and slippery, slopes, he picked his footings with great care and didn't fall over once.

Another memorable day, I will never forget the elephants.
All the Best to everyone,
John