An unforgettable encounter

The heat rash on my fingers had intensified when I woke this morning. However, it could not damper my excitement. Today I would get up close with elephants.

Our van was a bit late in collecting us and I was getting worried they wouldn't show. However, it wasn't much longer before a man wearing a distinctive ranger outfit appeared in our lobby. Arriving at Siam Safari camp, we were greeted by Took Took, our guide for the day. There were several other groups at the camp, identifiable by the colour and type of sticker they wore. Our group started off at the coconut station, where we learnt how coconut milk and oil were made. Took Took was an excellent guide with a wicked sense of humor.

At the rice station I was the only adult to try the old method of de-husking the rice. Afterwards we took a short walk up a steep path to the thai jungle curry demonstration. Made using orange curry paste, the curry was delicious with just the right hint of spice. After curry we headed back down to a station next to the rice field.

As we drank thai coffee or tea and ate coconut pancakes, a water buffalo ploughed the field in the traditional method now only seen in the rural areas. After our coffee we were offered the opportunity to climb aboard a wooden cart and be pulled behind the buffalo. Once everyone had had a ride the children were allowed to climb onto the buffalo's back. Unfortunately being an adult I had to settle for standing next to Handsome stroking his face.

Finally it was time for our elephant rides. I strategically sat on the seat closest to the mounting tower so we got on the first elephant. Riding an elephant is a bit like riding a roller coaster as you lurch up and down and side to side. Our mahout pointed out things along the way and kindly took our photo a few times. It was amazing. Once our ride was over we posed for a few pictures with our new friend before feeding her an assortment of fruits. It was time for the baby elephant show. These magnificent creatures displayed their intelligence when it came to feeding them. I had fed half my fruit basket to the larger elephant and wanted to give the smaller one the other half.

However, knowing there was more to be had Hatchu used her trunk to grab my basket and then proceeded to eat the majority of the contents. It was an amazing experience. Afterwards we went round the corner to learn how the rubber trees were tapped and see how they made rubber mats.
This last station meant it was time to head to Cha-Long Bay for lunch on a Junk. Two options were available for transport to the pier - land rover or air conditioned van. I chose the land rover for the full safari experience.

Aboard the junk lunch was served. It was delicious. Due to strong winds we didn't go too far, but it was still enjoyable. Back on dry land we were transported back to our hotel. With so much packed into a half day tour, it was truly and unforgettable encounter.