Seeing The Elephants in Thailand
Yes, couldn’t avoid it – the kids HAD to go
Elephant park in Thailand
Mike’s blog 200
A nice way to enter into our two hundredth video blog here at Mike’s Blog – getting kicked (if you call it that) in the private parts by an elephant.
Upon returning from Yiwu, China sourcing trip late on Saturday – we had a day at the Elephant park in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sunday afternoon (squeezed in some work in the morning).
It has been something the kids have wanted to do since arriving – I think my family on Chinese side has been really getting them so excited about seeing the elephants – it is all I hear every weekend.
Wendy bought a package from Dian Ping (Chinese ordering app) and wow- yes – the whole tour was for Chinese tourists. I felt as if I didn’t leave China – everything in Chinese – the print materials, signs, even the Thai tour guides spoke in Mandarin Chinese. There was another white guy along for the ride – I think a boyfriend of one of them (traveling with her mom too – impressive!)
It was an afternoon of giving the elephants a bath, feeding them, watching a show, and then riding them (is that cool or not?).
During the show, I was scrambling to upload video blog footage from the Yiwu trip (been hard to get online lately) and then Wendy poked me to get up on front stage. I hadn’t been paying too much attention as it was all in Chinese and watching dancing elephants is not high on my bucket let (sorry!).
But hey, when the boss tells you to do something – and convincing you it will be good for the video blog – you go. A Chinese woman had just gone and it didn’t look so bad- she got a back massage with the elephant’s trunk. But then the commentator / MC said that this elephant likes woman but doesn’t like men – I laid on my stomach – but they said I need to flip over and lay on my back.
Hmmm…
The lady before me had gotten a nice back massage – a bit hard one – but – would I get a stomach massage ? I go along with it.
The elephant kissed me – multiple times – and the spit drooled off his short tusk and into my eye. I washed it off with the dirty blanket they placed on me and then the elephant started walking me in the chest and stomach.
Then the MC said – the elephant really doesn’t like men – and whacked me in between the legs.
All of… caught on video in today’s video blog. Wendy couldn’t stop laughing – and once it was all done I rushed to the bathroom to wash out the gritty spit from my mouth, face, neck, etc.
Then we drove to ride the elephants. This seemed a bit more – sad -and I wonder if it is approved or not? Wendy and her dad didn’t go – so I took the 2 kids on 1 elephant and we took about a 20 minute ride around a river and up a pretty steep hill. The driver was prodding the elephant to get him to go – and my heart kind of sank – am I supporting the right cause here? I wonder if this is a safe environment for the elephants?
Ended with a nice portrait and Miles and Maggie were so happy.
Also – to add to the changes – Wendy’s dad – their grandfather – will be leaving Thailand. He really has wanted to return to his hometown in China and did this all as a temporary solution as Wendy and I deal with visas, etc. So seems things are about set – and he will be heading back.
But is willing and able to come back in a month or two – will keep everyone posted on upcoming videos. We had a nice final meal and he is heading out now (as I type this the next day).
Life is short – do it now!