We got up early to get to the local Elephant Village and show. I was crossing my fingers to get the opportunity to ride an elephant, regardless of the book I had just finished called The Elephant Suite……people getting stomped to death by angry elephants.
This is how Nee and Cookie make things happen: as we get closer to the village, we start passing men and boys riding elephants alongside the road on their way to participate in the show. We were thrilled just to see these massively huge creatures so close. Nee pulls over the car, a lot of Thai is spoken and she tells us the men will give us rides into the village. Wow. I throw Cookie the camera, grab my hat and we are ready to go.
Zach is first. The elephant sits in the soil, then goes down on his front feet and Zach manages to climb aboard. Noel seems to get on easy, until the elephant lurches up and I can see the look of panic in this face momentarily, until he settles in. Molly is a bit chicken at first, but she also knows she might not get another chance, so she gracefully straddles the beast and takes a couple model photo shots in between little screams. I struggle to get on my elephant……Nee pushes, the owner pulls, I climb on the elephants legs, I try to throw my leg over the top. I am laughing so hard I almost wet my pants. Cookie is documenting the whole humbling moment. I finally get on, but I am pretty sure I pulled a muscle in my thigh.
So, riding a horse stretches your leg muscles. Riding an elephant really stretches your legs. It was so exciting….imagine, being in Thailand, riding an elephant! Zach has added elephants to the list of things he is allergic to. His poor legs immediately broke out in hives.
The elephant show was great. We were the only white people in the crowd, it was mostly Thai school children from neighboring provinces. The elephants did tricks; balanced on stools, painted pictures, played soccer, stood on their hind legs and did the hula hoop. Noel and I were picked to lay on the ground and get back massages by the elephants. Molly got lifted up by an elephant trunk and carried around the arena. The school kids thought we were silly. We thought we were silly. Nee and Cookies surely thought we were silly.
That night we all went out to a restaurant for dinner and Cookies extended family joined us along with a couple cousins. We went to a Chinese festival and met more cousins…..everywhere we go, we meet more cousins. I wanted another massage, to heal my poor pulled thigh muscle. Zach refused, as his elephant hives were too gross.
