Sunday, July 28, 2013

Day 15 Phuket Part 4 Elephant Trekking

Everyone was excited about our next stop.....  just as we have Macdonalds  on every corner, Phuket has elephants....  pull over, grab a drink, ride an elephant... what more would you want.

To get up unto the elephants you climb a platform that is high enough for you hop onto an elephant just as you would climb into a car.  In order maximise video footage, Garry strapped his new Go Pro to my head.  So now complete with Head cam we all headed off in convoy for our 30 minute walk...  You know it is high up there ... and you sway alot as the handlers steer the elephants at what seemed like huge undulating hills.  Did I mention that this establishment is perched in the side of a mountain and if an elephant decides it would like something to eat there is no stopping it.  Unfortunately the leaves that caught our elephants eye were on a plant that was growing down on the edge of the embankment .  Thing is when the elephant leans forward down hill to get to his food you are thrust forward looking straight down and whilst your life flashes before your eyes you try to figure out when you start tumbling down the hill which way should you got to maximise your chances of survival, knowing full well there is none....  With every gasp our handler turn and said “Madam, don’t worry, it ok, elephants eat alot”  but it was that smile that I found unnerving.  He finally decided he had enough fun with us and took us a little further along.... well until all the handlers decided to grab our cameras jump off the elephants and start taking  photos...  We smiled we waved, but hang on who is steering the elephants.....  Our elephants new their routine by heart, they turned and started heading back on their own.....  Feeling like we were in our own version of Taking Phelam 123 we were heading back at elephant speed to the cliff that grew our elephants food. Without a driver to remind the elephant he shouldn’t lean over any further to get that juicy leaf had us once again in fear of our lifes...  After the handlers picked themselves up from ROFLOL they came to our rescue and led us back to safety...

Group consensus scary but fun!!

 

No comments:

Post a Comment