Sunday, October 21, 2012

Elephants!






We went to the elephant breeding center and saw many elephants - moms and dads and babies and teens.

In an education center there were posters full of information, including a list of about twenty or so commands that elephants learn. Some of them were very specific: "walk up to that elephant and stand on its left side." -- "leave it"  --- "lay down on your right side"  ---  "pick it up"  --- "go faster"  -- "stop"  I was quite impressed.


 Then we went to the bathing area where tourists could climb onto the bare backs of elephants and wade into the river and get a bath, along with the elephants. It was quite entertaining to watch!!


Later that afternoon we took a jeep ride out to the elephant docking stations and I climbed onto an elephant and rode through the jungle for two hours. 



What a thrill that was. There were four of us riding in the "carriage." Once we got into the jungle growth each driver took a different path. I was riding in the front, right behind the mahout and I got to learn a lot about elephants and their lives. I learned that elephants begin to "work" (carry riders ) at about age 10 and do so up until 60 or 70. Also, the mahout says he is always with the same elephant. "Different elephant, very dangerous," he said. Also, that it is impossible to escape from a wild elephant. "If you run, they can run faster. If you climb a tree, they can knock it down. A bigger tree you can't climb. All you can do is pray," he said.


I was mesmerized. The guide had to pull me back from the trail (but I didn't let him do so until I got this photo).