Hi Everyone,
From the first time I heard that you could sign up for training as a “mahout,” I wanted to do it.
Okay, it’s a touristy kind of thing; it’s not “real” as in you’re not really becoming an elephant trainer. But still, the chance to get in the water with an elephant and give it a bath was too intriguing to not do.
I had practically given up on it though since I didn’t know when it would fit into my itinerary.
Once I arrived in Luang Prabang and realized that this was the place to do it, I was so jazzed and thankful that I had the opportunity.
The following are my “selects” from the experience.
And the main thing I want to tell you? They’re much softer than I expected. *Squooshy, even. I talked to my elephants (both of them). Could they understand me? I have no idea, but their ears were flapping! : )
May you too have a wonderful elephant experience some day (if you so desire).
Aloha mon amis,
-sj
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| The Elephant Village was on very pretty grounds; some people stayed several nights. |
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| Our guide demonstrated how to get onto the elephant (and the oral command). |
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| And then we each got a turn to practice! |
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| This is when our elephant ride began. |
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| It was very muddy due to monsoon rains. |
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| Yep, I jumped at the chance to ride on the elephant’s neck! |
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| C’est moi. Je suis très contente. (i.e. happy!) |
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| We went through what I believe is a teak forest. |
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| There were some water buffalo to spy along the way. |
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| We went down a very steep hill. |
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| That nice couple is from Belgium; they’re traveling for 13-months via bicycle! They plan to ride back to Belgium! First, they flew to China to begin their trip. |
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| Then we were back where we started. |
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| Almost, but not quite, an hour. |
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| We could feed the elephants if we wanted. |
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| They eat a lot! |
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| After we had lunch, it was time to bathe the elephants; the young lady on the left is from Germany. I had so much fun talking with her, her husband, and another couple who just happened to also be from Karlsruhe (where the first couple lives). |
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This nice gal is from England.
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| And then it was my turn . . . |
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| My guy loved to go underwater! |
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| He/she did this several times! |
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| And then I accepted the challenge to try and stand on the elephant’s head. |
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| One. |
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| Two. |
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| Three. |
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| I made it!!!! |
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| Yikes! What’s that guy doing?!? |
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| And then it was time to dip under again. |
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| Waz up? |
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| Takin’ a bath! That’s what! |
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| The mahout helped us all get out of the water safely. |
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| Next, we took a boat ride down (up?) the Mekong River. Monks like the river too. |
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| Whatchyoulookingat? |
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| A little fun gal pal time. |
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| Then back down the river. |
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| Someone shared. : ) |
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| It was pretty flat and calm. |
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| There was a **gaggle of these critters! |
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| We got over half an hour to hang in this pool; by golly if it wasn’t one of the nicest pools I’ve been in–ever! |
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| Aloha Elephant Village! |
Bye for now everyone!
-sj
*This is how my dictionary spells it. Me, I say, “Squooshy.”
squashy |ˈskwä sh ē; ˈskwô sh ē|
adjective ( squashier , squashiest )
easily crushed or squeezed into a different shape; having a soft consistency : a big, squashy leather chair.
DERIVATIVES
squashily |ˈskwä sh əlē; ˈskwô sh əlē| adverb
squashiness noun
**Same dictionary:
gaggle |ˈgagəl|
noun
a flock of geese.
• informal a disorderly or noisy group of people : the gaggle of reporters and photographers that dogged his every step. (i.e. a disorderly bunch of crickets)
ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb): imitative of the noise that a goose makes; compare with Dutch gaggelen and German gackern.
