My Day at Dante Elephant Camp

Today we learned how to be a mahout! This guy named Mr. Big (yes, like the chocolate bar) came to pick us up and another traveller Richard from Holland was also in our group.  Mr. Big drove us to an elephant camp in the mountains and the place was amazing. They had elephants grazing in a field, eating corn stalks. Farmers who had picked the corn usually just burned the rest of the plant, but the "mahouts" bought it and fed it to their elephants. They are all Indian elephants so they have different shaped ears than African elephants and they are also a different colour, with tanned patches on their trunks and ears. We went to the sorta 'base camp' and they lent us mahout uniforms. They were lose and comfortable, perfect for riding an elephant. After we changed they took us and and a HUGE pile of bananas to a little hut, where an elephant was waiting.  Her name is Pa Toon, and she is pregnant. Elephants stay pregnant for 22 months! To my surprise . . .

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we fed her ALL the bananas and Mr. Big, seeing me shocked, informed me that elephants eat about 200 kg's a day and drink 100 litres of water. Wow-wie! That IS a lot. So the bananas were more like a snack before lunch time. We pet her
trunk, and I can still imagine the leathery feel! It was like scaly, wrinkled leather, only on an elephant, which makes it WAY cooler. So, as I was saying, after she ate all the bananas and then we got to RIDE her. Mr. Big and another Mahout showed us the basic commands;

- Song = let person step on leg     motion; pat front leg
- Soon = lift leg with person on it (pull yourself up too)
- Jetlong  = repeat same proceedure as 'song' and 'soon' but by the trunk
- Matlong = lie down     motion; pat bum

    Now that you would be on the elephant, hook your feet between their earlobe and their neck. Don't worry, the next commands won't hurt their ears;

- Bai = forward     motion; push up and forward with your feet
- Que = turn     motion; push the oposite ear to where you're going, diagonally
- Toy = backward     motion; scoot your bum back while staying in the sane place
-How = stop     motion; press knees against neck
- Gid-bye = pick up the food and move

    I took off my sandals and got on the first time using the command 'Song'. It was so cool! Pa Toon's bristly hairs poked through my clothes and her skin was soft. At first I wobbled, but after a while I got the hang of it. I felt safe because the guide was there, but I was still in control!

All the elephants were somewhat stubborn, but that just made an enjoyable challenge. We walked around the field once, then went back to the others. Mom, Dad and Richard (Birch had been first) all took their turn, and then we went around again, this time using 'jetlong'. When Mom tried it she, being afraid to hurt the elephants ears, almost twisted her ankle so that's when 'matlong' came. I like to get up by 'jetlong' the best because it's funner. After everyone had taken their second turn we went back to the little 'base camp'. The yellow curry and stir fry were delicious, and we learned all about Richards travels and told him about ours. After we were finished lunch they brought us out to four waiting elephants. Dad and I shared one named Ba Dien, Mom's was Wasana, Birch's was Mae Dee and Richard's was Pa Toon. We became friends with our ellies by feeding each of them a bunch of bananas, then we got on. I was in command and Ba Dien kept lifting up her trunk for more bananas. I still had two in my pocket, I was gonna save them for after the ride, but it was obvious she could smell them. I fed her them both and we walked on. We entered the lush green forest and started on a scenic walk. Everything was so beautiful, especially Ba Dien, whom I love. I was surprised at how
easily they walked on the uneven ground and muddy hills!

After about an hour we came out at a river and Ba Dien was the first to reach the water, and the last to go in. It took and fifteen minutes of coaxing, but finally she was in. We spashed her with water and I scrubed her, hoping I was not hurting her. Mae Dee was only 10 years old and still considered young, and kept rolling around in the water. It was the most Birch could do to not get stepped on and Mae kept squirting everyone with water. After a while we got out and made the journey home.

Saying "good-bye" to Ba Dien, I gave her another bunch of bananas. We got changed and showered, then got a DVD of all the pictures Mr. Big had taken. Something like 365! Ouch! They're all good, and we also got a printed photo with a frame to support the mahouts.
"They're poor in money, but rich with life." - Me
     It was so much fun to be with the elephants, and afterward, right before we left, I visited the little 1 year old baby and fed it some bananas. After we were all out the baby elephant searched me for more, and curled his trunk around me as if a were a jumbo size! I loved it and thought that if I ever came back to Thailand I'd volunteer there.
Allie