Free Range Kids: Thailand Adventures- Part 8 Elephants

DRIVE SOUTH (Day 2)

March 3

No luck with soft bed. Hotel nice grounds, but not so nice rooms/shacks, at least some A/C. Rachel choke on tangerine and vomit lots. Luckily, not in car. Fun rope bridge.

Elephant conservation awesome! More posing for pictures for Thai. Trying to interact with elephants and Thai just tug us into position for photos. Had to say no more so we could actually do what we wanted. Trainer wanted to put Rachel on elephant with him for show, but she was too scared. Feed bananas and bamboo. Watch bathe and get sprayed. Watch them paint. Elephant ride and baby elephants. Fun day.

Another highlight--actually found cake and bonus it was chocolate. Usually when ask about dessert they say yes and tell me what fruit they have or show me a rice ball. Finally, 12 days into our trip I found a real dessert. I felt hopeful, because server was the plumpest I've seen so far. Cake normally wouldn't pass my standards, but 12 days without makes me less picky. ;) May not have sweet treats, but plethora of roasted shrimp sticks--ugh.

Now on to Sukhothai. Given up hope of soft bed. Just hopeful will have room for us, because reservation site wouldn't let me add children. Hotel thinks 2 adults coming...5 kids might be shock.

Decent lodging was hard to find in this area, so we had to back-track 30 minutes the next day to go to the Elephant Conservation in Lampang.

Entrance to Lampang River Lodge

Waterfall

Bald Tree

Children watching fowl at the Lampang River Lodge

Rope Bridge to breakfast pavilion

Rope Bridge

View from breakfast pavilion--smoky & dry

On our way back from breakfast
During breakfast we lost several silverware through the rickety slatted floor.
Thankfully, we didn't lose a child through the barely-there-fence around the breakfast area.

Eva started getting cranky in the car the day before, so in an effort to keep her happy, Isaac recorded us singing one of her favorite songs on the iPod for her to watch during the long drive ahead of us.

THAI ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTRE

Hopefully Interesting Elephant Facts:

• Elephants are the largest living land animals on earth
• Typical life span is 50-70 years (oldest recorded is 86 yrs)
• Average weight of Asian bull elephants is ~12,000 lbs and females ~9,000 lbs
• Height to shoulder is around 8-10 ft
• Known for their memory & intelligence (believed to be comparable to dolphins or apes)
• Pregnant for 18-22 months (YIKES)--longest of any land animal
• Elephant calf weight at birth is ~250 lbs and nurses for 2-5 years
• Can communicate up to 10 km through infrasound (low-frequency)
• A symbol of wisdom in Asia
• Can suck 15 quarts of water up their trunk at a time

Elephant Wood Carvings

Taking shuttle through large park

Eva's first view of the elephants

The Elephant Show Begins

~3-year-old Jenny with her Mahout (trainer & caretaker)

Each elephant individually introduced

Holding Tails

Elephant Show Part I--Fetch Stick

Elephant Show Part II--Follows Voice Commands,
Returns Hat, & Carries Mahout On Trunk

Elephant Show Part III--Logs

Enjoying the show

Walking on a log

Turning on the log

Walking other way on the log

Carrying logs

Rachel & Caleb during elephant show

Rachel mesmerized

Definitely Male

Trumpeting & Peeing

Stacking Logs

Elephants Painting

It appears the mahout guides the trunk somewhat, but if the elephant didn't know what he was doing the mahout wouldn't be able to manipulate that hefty, powerful trunk, especially with the delicate moves required to paint.

Jenny's painting

Anxious for the sugar cane

Kids feeding elephants sugar cane

Paying our dues...the primates' turn to be photographed

Starting the elephant ride

Josiah (6), Caleb (9), Rachel (4), Isaac (12)
Elephant Ride

Amazing such a large animal can make such a narrow path.

Peter & Eva (1) sharing an elephant ride with me

Taking a water break (~5 minutes)

Finally done drinking

Waiting at the dismount tower

Waiting for their bath

Trunks Entwine

Rachel sees a lapdog

Getting in the water

Bath Time

Blowing bubbles

Elephant Bath

Clinging to Peter while elephants leave the water

Get ready...

Spray

Taking Cover

Handy Tusk

Elephant Procession

The mahout at the front wanted to carry Rachel on the elephant with him. He had the elephant kneel down so I could hand her up, but she wasn't willing.