So I'm still hanging out in Chiang Mai, taking Thai classes. Last
Wednesday was National Thai Elephant Day and we talked our teacher
into letting us make a field trip out of it. So we all piled into two
cars and drove to the neighbouring town of Mae Sai where there's an
elephant camp that was boasting all manner of elephant-related fun.
I took several pictures of the activities, but there were a few that I
missed. In one they got about 15 volunteers to come out into this
field and play tug-of-war with a baby elephant (about 6-ft high).
When everybody was ready one of the elephant trainers blew a whistle
and that elephant surged forward like he was in a damn hurry to get
somewhere. The group of people were dragged forward about 5 feet and
then this elephant let out a deafening roar of frustration at being
held back. It sounded pissed. I've never actually heard an elephant
roar before, and apparently these people hadn't either because they
all just simultaneously let go of the rope and dropped on their asses
when they heard it. It was quite impressive.
Perhaps even more amusing was when they gave five elephants little
clubs to hold in their trunks and tried to make them break clay jars
that were on the ground in front of them. The youngest elephant
trotted right past the jar and up to a group of people watching
nearby. It handed it's club to one person and then turned to another
and swiped their hat. Another one tapped it's jar gently about 5 times
and then just lifted up a leg and stomped on it before tossing it's
club to the side and returning happily to its mahout to claim a
reward.
The elephant buffet
It's around 37 degrees here most afternoons and folks tell me
it'll get up to about 41 by April. I find myself fantasizing about
snow.
I try to remind myself of the importance of being here, in a
place where there is an abundance of life-sustaining mangos readily
available. I'm eating a lot of mangos. I'm also eating a lot of
these sausages they make here that are half meat and half sticky
rice with a crunchy outer skin. Thai people are culinary geniuses.
Scott
