Elephant riding, boa petting and rice harvesting...no big deal

When I left you last time, I had just gotten to Mai Sai and begun my week up North with Katie. I arrived in Mai Sai on a Friday. The very next day we woke early and took a bus back to Chaing Rai to meet about a dozen other YWAM Bangkok staff who were in town for a conference. One of them, a man named Neeroot (probably not spelled like that), grew up in a village about an hour’s drive up into the hills. Katie and I got off the bus on the side of the road and were soon picked up by the rest of the group in a song tau (pickup truck with benches in the bed). After a stop for coffees all around, we were off. The drive was beautiful and full of laughter. Katie knew everyone and I knew a few of them. Included in the group were Brandon and Aum, Brittany’s brother and sister-in-law. 

Our route took us up into the rolling green hills, and very soon we were driving through the jungle on curving steep roads. After about an hour we arrived in the village. It was surreal. Most of the houses are elevated and made of some combination of wood, bamboo and leaves. We went directly to Neeroot’s parent’s house. We clambered out of the truck and looked around. An old woman (Neeroot's Grandma) sat on a bamboo platform weaving a purse. Surrounding her were brightly colored scarves and purses with tassels. She smiled at us and Brandon immediately greeted her like an old friend. Soon Neeroot’s parents came out and ushered us into another elevated bamboo building. It was empty except for mats on the floor. They told us to sit down and served us hot tea, water bottles, and fresh fruit. We sat around for a while chatting and marveling at the impressively sturdy structure. Neeroot explained that his father built it. There were five buildings on the lot, each with a different function. We were sitting in what served as the living room/dining room/sleeping area for guests or family especially on really hot nights. Next to it was a more Western-looking building that housed the kitchen and I’m not sure what else. On the opposite side was another more Western style building…maybe Grandma and Grandpa’s house? Then of course, the outhouse and Grandma’s working platform. 

After we finished our snack we walked farther into the village, passing similar family compounds with pigs tied to trees in the yards, women weaving scarves and purses, and children napping in hammocks. After about a quarter mile, we came upon our destination: an elephant camp! That’s right! We rode elephants! The way I understand it, these elephants are used for actual work. I’m not sure what they do, but I don’t think this camp and these elephants are just for tourists. Either way, we all paid and piled onto our respective elephants after spending a few minutes feeding them bananas. I was riding with Katie and a Thai woman named Ooo. The ride was very slow, but thrilling at the same time. Our seat seemed to slide to one side as we went along. This worked to our advantage because about 15 minutes into our ride the driver stopped the elephant and slipped out of his perch on top of the head, offering each of us a chance to ride in his seat. Katie went first, then me, then Ooo. We situated ourselves right about the spot where the head meets the neck, with our feet hanging down just behind the ears. The breadth of the elephant helped in making us feel secure, although I found the motion of slow plodding steps very different than I expected. 

The half-hour ride went quickly and soon we were back at the camp. We thanked our driver and took some last pictures of the elephants, then clambered back into the song tau that came to pick us up. We drove back to Neeroot’s house for a homemade lunch of rice, soup, fresh vegetables, and other traditional Thai dishes. Brandon brought out pickled chicken feet he acquired on his recent trip to China and we passed them around. I must say that I’m not really a fan. Brandon explained that he found them in a convenience store right next to the other snack foods. We helped clean up after lunch then headed out for a walk around the village. Brandon gave us a tour of the houses of people he knew, and we followed like little ducklings with eyes wide open. The tour stopped at a store on the main street in which the main attraction was a gigantic boa constrictor in a cage. The owner explained that they raised the snake from birth and had trained it to only eat dead things. Apparently it was more or less harmless to people. We took turns touching it and remarking on how we would hate to see one of these in the wild. It was pretty sweet! When squeezed, its muscles would constrict, making it hard as a rock. Eventually, we moved on to a rice field that was being harvested. We learned how to cut the stalks with a curved blade and place them in bunches to dry. The process is intensely physical because although the stalks are light, you are bent over the entire time. I have a far deeper respect for farmers in Thailand after harvesting rice for about five minutes. 

Brandon and Aum

We thanked our hosts and piled back into the song tau for our ride back to the city. We were all pretty tired, so the drive back was significantly quieter than the morning’s ride. We rode all the way back to Mai Sai where they dropped Brandon, Aum, Katie and I off. Katie and I cleaned up and then headed down to the market to do some shopping and then meet Brandon and Aum for dinner. The whole day was so much fun!! It was great to experience a different side of Thailand. I realized that small towns have some things in common no matter where they are. I like the intimacy of a small town, even when that small town involves 100-pound boa constrictors!