Elephant Ride to the Hills of Chiang Dao.

So we’ve been away from internet access for a few days (it’s slooooow when we do have it in Laos), and what a wonderful surprise to come back and see that we were featured on Freshly Pressed!  A big welcome to our new audience, and we hope you’ll keep reading!

I rode an elephant once in my life as a child at a carnival in my hometown. He was chained and led to walk in a circle. I was at the back of the line of children riding the butt, which was so wide my legs shot straight out in each direction. The experience wasn’t especially memorable and so when I heard about elephant riding in Thailand, I wasn’t as excited about it as Ben.

Perhaps setting is everything then, because riding elephants through the mountainous regions of Northern Thailand was simply breathtaking. Sitting atop the elephant means your plane of sight is several feet higher than it would be just hiking through the jungle. You can see views that would be otherwise obstructed by trees and bushes. Yet the most exhilarating part is experiencing the elephant in its natural habitat and feeling the power of this mighty beast as it heaves and breaks fallen trees in it’s path. And you are witness to the ability of man to communicate with animal as your “mahout” (trainer) grunts and rubs his feet to command the elephant to action.

We traveled through the jungle and down through rice paddies and corn fields to a small tribal village where we disembarked and the elephants played and washed themselves in a nearby spring. The villagers, anticipating our arrival, had laid out their handmade goods and were making a heavy sale. It was uncomfortable at times, but you recognize that their pushiness comes from this sale being one of their only means of making a living. We purchased a wooden slingshot, a woven coin purse and shoulder bag for family members. We continued to walk through the picturesque village, filled with flowers, butterflies, and children eager to play with us. Three more villages and a bamboo raft ride later, we were loaded with woven trinkets and ready to retire for the day. Next stop: Laos.

These elephants wanted to get close.