Category: Thailand/Southeast Asia

I can’t believe how many connections you can make in just a week! Working hard with the elephants inevitably bonds you to the animals, but also brings you together with the people who show you the way. By the end of the week, it was sad to say goodbye to all the people we met!

Every mahout was welcoming and kind. I never felt like a burden, even though I’m sure I cramped their style on at least a few occasions! There are no language barriers in a splash fight between traveling students, mahouts, and elephants, and the mahouts were sure to start as many as they could!

The most profound connection by far was with our guide for the week, Dee. He has nam jai, water from the heart—a kind heart, in Thai. He taught us that phrase as we floated down the river Kwai, laughing and learning and taking in the beautiful sights. It’s a bonding experience I won’t forget, especially since we were wearing our life jackets like diapers.

Dee and the mahouts threw us a karaoke barbecue party on our last night to celebrate the end of our time at Elephants World. It was a fantastic time! We all came together to sing silly songs and eat freshly grilled pork and veggies. Many of the mahouts performed beautiful pieces of Karen music. Even Dee played one! We had no idea he could play the guitar, so seeing him perform was really special.

I can easily say that I will never forget the people at Elephants World. I am so grateful to have begun our trip here, because it makes our following exploration so much more meaningful. I am so lucky to have met all of them in such an amazing place!

As the week progressed, we began to learn more about each elephant’s personal story. Some had been at Elephants World a long time, but others were very new and still showed signs of overwork or abuse. We learned which elephants were friends, and which ones were feuding. We waited anxiously for one pregnant elephant to give birth—she didn’t, but it was exciting nonetheless! We learned about the adoptive-maternal relationship between the babies and their mother figure.

During each interaction, there is something new to discover about each elephant and their personality. They seem to communicate wordlessly—a skill that I very much admire while in a country where I don’t know the language!

Our day today was dedicated to pulling up pineapple plants for the elephants to eat. We piled into a large banana truck for an unexpectedly high-speed drive to the pineapple farm. Once there, we realized that subtle suggestions we had received about wearing long pants and shirts should have been taken very seriously—the plants were spiky! Those clever elephants beat them against their legs until they’re soft enough to eat. Thankfully, we had gloves, which made pulling up the plants doable. We made plenty of big piles in the field before taking a break for lunch.

Our lunch break was one moment that really highlighted the difference between our American work attitudes and the more laid back, Southeast Asian perspective. After we ate our packed lunches, we all expected to get right back to work. Instead, the mahouts (elephant caretakers) took naps and listened to music. Some of our group members followed suit!

While it was counterintuitive at first, I found that taking a longer, more refreshing break helped me feel more energized an efficient when we did return to pineapple picking. Although I still felt somewhat sick from travel and jetlag, I found the day of hard work to be contemplative and fulfilling. Learning to pace myself was just as valuable as working hard in the field!

After a much needed rest in Bangkok after over 20 hours of travel, we made our way to Elephants World! First, though, a spontaneous visit to the Bridge on the River Kwai. It felt surreal to stand somewhere so historic, and we were all excited to be somewhere new and different.

When we arrived at Elephants World, we got to work feeding the elephants right away. I was in shock from being so close to these gigantic animals—a shock that never really faded. We fed them yam beans, watermelons, bananas and corn. Each elephant had their own favorite and least favorite foods. The babies particularly dislike yam beans, and would pretend to eat them before dropping them on the ground.

Later, we made rice-pumpkin balls for the older elephants to eat. They can’t chew hard foods, so they get their nutrition from the rice, pumpkin, and calcium powder.

There was a distinct feeling of personal connection with these elephants—they felt human. They’re intelligent, emotional animals, and it’s apparent. When I stepped out of my room and saw elephants casually strolling by, I knew I was far from home!