Day 32: Elephant Nature Park to Bangkok, Thailand
We had a relaxing travel day with lots of downtime – including 5 hours at the Chiang Mai airport – that is just how the transfers worked out. Gave us enough time to read, post a blog, and take quite the time to check our bags since I had forgotten to remove the extra power bank. Luckily I had put my clothes into cubes for the first time, so I didn’t have my underwear and dirty clothes splayed all over the place as they rummaged through my pack. No worries, we have lots of time.
We start off each day watching the sunrise and now know some of the typical schedules. The kitchen is already working to get breakfast served at 7 am, then the staff arrive by scooter or walk (many live near or in the park), and then our favorite part is we seem to be the only ones who realize that two elephants start their day walking across the river. It has become sort of a ritual to sit and wait for them and welcome them. This morning, Darrick is on this side to welcome them along with their mahouts. We find out one of them, Saree, was reunited with her mother at the park after being rescued. Quite the story.
After breakfast, we find Darrick being ‘tackled’ by some other elephants and he sits down and takes off his boots. “She doesn’t like me wearing shoes,” he explains. Which seems true as she is using her trunk to inspect his toes. “Guess she is telling us that we need to be more connected directly to the earth.” Note to self, watch your shoes around this elephant. 🙂
We get to have one final walk today to say goodbye to the herd. I still can’t remember all their names, but I am recognizing them as we pass by. That is the two babies, that is the one that was just rescued last year, that is one of the grannies, and that is the nanny… They have come to feel like family in just a week.
Then it is off to walk a few more dogs, finish packing, exchange WhatsApp and instagram contacts, have one last tasty vegetarian meal while watching elephants go by, and then jump back into the vans that brought us here. We arrive at the airport and we instantly notice it for the first time in a week – Air Conditioning. Ahh, we are back in the ‘city.’ I am sure Bangkok with its 17.4 million people will be quite the shock when we arrive late tonight.
Siri and David Adventures 