Elephants on The Go
Elephant greeting
(Maya) Sawasdee (hello) greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Today I had a rigorous learning experience about elephants and their daily life at The Elephant Life Experience camp. When we arrived at the campsite there were three elephants waiting for us to feed them. The largest one was named Natalie, and alongside her, a couple two year olds, Sugar Cane and Bume. A mahout (elephant trainer) gave all four of us a straw basket of sugar cane. I would hold out a piece in front of their trunk and they would curl their trunk around the sugar cane and put it in their mouth. Quite often they got greedy and snatched up four at a time, causing a peculiar crunching sound as they ate.
Elephant bath
Elephants do not have good eyesight so they have to sniff around until they find what they’re looking for. One time I was standing next to Sugar Cane and he wrapped his trunk around my waist and gave me a hug. Perhaps he was looking for more treats in my pocket. To prepare for elephant takeoff we got changed into a fashionable denim shirt and pants. Have you ever wondered how an elephant takes a bath? Well, there happens to be a river next to the camp so a mahout rode Natalie into the river to give her a rinse then Natalie walked over to us and we got to scour her with scrub brushes. When she got out of the river she rolled around in a pile of dirt. Well I am not giving her another bath!
Halle and I feeding Natalie sugar cane
Halle and I got to ride Natalie bareback. Because of her colossal size she had to sit down so we could climb aboard. As soon as she stood up I thought I was going to fall off. I was so scared at first while the elephant was rocking back and forth while I tried to maneuver around trees and over bushes. I was lucky to ride on one of the smaller elephants as well. That was an amusing experience. But, there was still more it was time to see how intelligent these animals are.
My work of art
The mahouts gave us an example of what the elephants were going to do. The elephants painted pictures! We all got a turn to paint with the elephants. I wanted to draw a flower but, it didn’t go as planned, it ended up to be all these unkempt lines and dots. Sugar Cane was my elephant to paint with. Natalie did abstract with Halle and Jolie.
Finally, the last thing that I did with the elephants is ride them again but with a saddle on. The saddle had a bench which fit two people. Zara and I rode together. There was also a mahout in front as a driver. While we were riding with the saddle on I thought the elephant was going to collapse because they hold so much weight on them but the elephants are trained to hold a lot of weight on their backs. The elephants crossed a river to get to the path on the other side. We went uphills and downhills it was scary when the elephant went up and down and I felt like I was going to fall off the saddle. Sadly we had to leave the elephants. The elephants were taught to bow and say hello and goodbye to their visitors which I thought was pretty cool.
Sawasdee (sa-wa-d)
-Maya
Hi Maya,
Bring one of those big boys home, so nice to hear about the elephants and your adventures..love the artwork! We miss you so much! Can’t wait to see you.
Hi Maya! How exciting and what an amazing experience this must have been! Hope all is well with you and your family!
PS Mrs. Couto says “hi” too!
Sawasdee ka and Kampun crap for this amusing and scary experience girls.
you are such brave making a friend ship with the big elephant , Nathalie, oh hooo as say thai people
Trust me Liza I have already tried
What a fun experience!! It’s really neat to learn about the things that you’re seeing and Sharing via photos and videos. It’s like the world is your school!
Hi Maya, I think that Natalie’s painting, with your wonderful guidance, could rival any by Picasso! Actually, Natalie gave you a good lesson in parenting – you get your kids all cleaned up and then, oops, something happens and they are all dirty again. Wonderful writing. Love, Grandma
Maya,
That is so cool! I never knew that elephants can paint pictures!!! Natalie the elephant must really like you from that hug she gave you. My sister Natalie saw this post and she said ” Natalie the elephant?” Have you tried any Thai food yet? I miss you so much! Happy Valentine’s day! Hugs and Kisses. I am eating lots of chocolate for you Maya!
Julia
Hi Maya, This is such an unbelievable experience. I don’t know how you girls get all the courage to do these scary adventures , like riding an elephant across a river . Your writing was impeccable ( that means “no mistakes”) ( just kidding… Not about the mistakes) Anyway, you did a great job. I am enjoying every moment you are sharing with us. Tell your Mom that we are astounded ( that means “amazed”) ( just kidding again) that she was able to plan all of this. Have fun. Tony Ford
Thanks Tony for all your positive feedback!! We love to hear your comments.
I remember living at your house when we had an April 1st snowstorm – must have been in 1995. It was quite a big one (not compared to February 2015 of course), but we couldn’t get out of the house!! Hope the whole Ford family is well. Navyn
Love it maya! maybe you can convince your parents to bring one back for me!
Great write up Maya girl. Love all the detail about the elephants, especially when they get dirty right after their baths. Can’t wait to read about more adventures. You are missing another blizzard!