My son Joseph is a fine young man, and I’m very proud of him. He has a sweet, sensitive spirit with an an ever-present, easy smile. He’s an Eagle Scout who makes good grades, and at almost eighteen years of age, has no problem giving his old daddy a hug and a kiss and saying, “I love you.” So, as any other proud and loving dad would do with a son like that, I plunked down some Thai baht so I could watch him walk into a cage containing three huge, unrestrained tigers. Ever since we’ve been in Thailand, he’s wanted to see tigers up close, so upon settling in Chiang Mai, we investigated how to accomplish such a feat. The answer lay with Tiger Kingdom, a preserve located in the Mae Rim district about thirty kilometers west of our village. The cats living there are grouped into sizes like giant, really big, kinda big, and so on, and visitors pay according to the size of tigers with which they choose to interact. They have cubs there too, and they command the largest price due to the cuteness factor, but Joseph chose the big ones. There once were tigers all over Thailand through the centuries, but due to poaching and shrinking habitat, they’re almost extinct in the wild. The animals at Tiger Kingdom are born and raised in the preserve, where they are trained to mix with humans. The sanctuary also has the reputation of treating the tigers well. I’m thankful these magnificent creatures are protected in the preserve where there’s no chance they’ll end up as a rug on some poacher’s den floor.
We stood at the village crossroads for a while trying to summon an Uber to no avail until a friendly guy in a tuk tuk sensed our growing desperation and pulled over ready to negotiate. After a little back and forth, he agreed to take us to Tiger Kingdom and hang out during our visit so he could transport us back home all for a reasonable fee. We hadn’t traveled in a tuk tuk since Bangkok, and it was great fun to view the countryside of the San Sai district riding in an untethered roller-coaster car piloted by an insane human. Upon arrival at the preserve, we negotiated our admission based on Joseph’s choice of maneater size, and Deveny and I purchased “walk around” tickets, which allowed unlimited viewing with no interaction with the animals—fine with me. Deena chose to hang out in the reception bungalow under the cooling blades of the plantation fans rather than see her son approach a massive, toothy, orange-and-black striped beast.
We entered the preserve, which was cool and shady under a canopy of trees with broad, glossy leaves, and quickly found the cage containing the three tigers which would soon be very close to my son. The docent slid the door open and Joseph boldly walked in and was greeted by one of the handlers who are present during the encounter to make sure no one gets chewed. I had to sign a waiver when I bought Joseph's ticket stating that he was able to get up under his own power and move very quickly if necessary, and I hoped my signature bore witness to the truth. We chose to visit the preserve later in the afternoon when the brochure said the tigers were most active, and they were certainly ready for sport as they lumbered about the enclosure on paws the size of throw pillows with muscles rippling under their colorful hides. Joseph had no problem approaching these beautiful animals, and he walked with them, stroked their backs, and posed for numerous pictures until his time in the cage expired, and he walked out with a huge grin on his face. We spent some time walking the paths of the preserve to view the rest of the tigers that were as playful as housecats and seemed to enjoy showing off to the fascinated visitors. I presented Joseph to his mother in one piece, and after enjoying some delicious frozen beverages, we took another wild tuk tuk ride back to our village just in time for dinner.
We’ve made several meals at home to practice the skills we learned in the Thai cooking class, and we’ve been extremely pleased with the results. The stir-fried morning glories were particularly good, and the chicken and rice with coconut milk and hot peppers was restaurant-quality fare. We’re on more familiar terms with the villagers who greet us with pleasant smiles, and we’ve enjoyed buying vegetables and herbs in the market from the no-nonsense vendors. Both Deena and Deveny both had their hair done at the local beauty shop, and the coffee guy on the corner has my order memorized, “Americano hot, two sugar, ok!” We’ve continued to dine at the small restaurant we found on our first day in the village, and the proprietor makes a big fuss over us when we come to eat his delicious food. Our entire meals cost four dollars there, and I’ve tried to tip him several times, but he won’t take the extra money. Our house is roomy and comfortable and a welcome sanctuary for study and rest after days spent exploring. The next door neighbors are friendly people, and they love bringing their little grandchildren to the door to wave at us as we strike out every day, and their snaggle-toothed dog acts less and less like he wants to kill us.
As is our custom on Sundays, we like to locate a local church in which to worship, and we had discovered the Chiang Mai Community Church just outside the Old City across from the Nawarat Bridge. The worship service was listed to start at 4:20 PM, a curious time, but one that appealed mightily to my long-slumbering crew, and we spent a lazy Sunday morning and afternoon before successfully securing an Uber to take us into the city. The church was located at the corner of a major intersection, but we could barely see it from the road because it was set back in the midst of thick stands of live oaks, bamboo, and banana trees. The modern triangle-shaped building was elevated slightly from the surrounding gardens, and there were people everywhere greeting each other and making their way inside.
The sanctuary was bright and breezy with large fans placed strategically around the pews to compliment the natural zephyrs blowing in from the glass doors which were opened around the entire perimeter of the building. It felt like we were gathered at an outdoor pavilion in the jungle, and the mood was cheerful in anticipation of the time of worship, which was being led by the youth of the church that day. I always enjoy seeing the young people in a church take part in worship, and I’m thankful for congregations that are willing to allow the youth to use their gifts in the services. There were several hundred people in attendance that afternoon, and we had an opportunity to stand with the other visitors and introduce ourselves along with folks from New Zealand, The Netherlands, Canada, China, and the United States. The youth worship team led us in a lively time of singing and praise, and the youth pastor preached a compelling sermon about the numerous covenants in the Bible. After the service, we stayed for a while and talked with a couple in their seventies from Iowa who have relocated to Thailand for mission work and to teach English, and they wanted to hear all about our trip. They had spent a lot of time traveling in some of the former communist countries we had visited earlier in our journey, and we enjoyed talking about our shared experiences. We have one more Sunday to spend in the Chiang Mai area, and I have a feeling we’ll be back at the Chiang Mai Community Church.
Chiang Mai Community Church
My daughter Deveny is a breathtakingly beautiful young lady inside and out who also makes good grades and has a sly sense of humor and an understanding of life and human behavior that belies her young age—not that I'm prejudiced. All she has to do is look at me with her blue-green eyes framed by impossibly long lashes, and she can have just about anything she wants, including a day spent with elephants in the Thai jungle. Her mother, of whom I’m also very fond, was keen for this activity as well, so its occurrence was a surety in our itinerary. Elephants have been linked with with the history of Thailand deep into antiquity, and they remain a royal symbol to this day. On the extremely rare occasion of a white elephant discovery, the animal is typically donated immediately to the royal family. Elephants in Thailand have been used for war, work, and royal transport, and their likenesses grace currency, crests, and seals everywhere in modern Thai culture. They are fascinating animals, and to the uninitiated like us, big and scary.
We booked a half-day excursion with an elephant camp about one hundred kilometers out of Chiang Mai, and we had to be waiting at a McDonalds outside a large mall thirty minutes from our village at 8:30 in the morning for pickup. After an early wake up, we started with the transportation process and flagged down a songthaew after a search for an Uber yielded no results. I did my best to describe our destination to the songthaew driver, and he gave me a smile and a thumbs-up, but I could see in his eyes he had no clue where we wanted to go. His truck was pointed in the right direction, so we squeezed in with ten other people in the back and held on as we joined the morning rush. I monitored Google Maps as we drove, and once I determined the driver was going a different way, we signaled to stop and bailed out. We were a little more than halfway to our destination, but it still meant a thirty-minute walk, and the clock was ticking; so we tried Uber again and got a hit. Our driver dropped us off at the McDonalds at 8:40, and our ride to the elephant camp pulled in a few minutes later—whew!
We shared the large van with a young French couple, the driver in his twenties, a young female guide in her twenties, and another guide named Charlie who was in his fifties and a real character. While we navigated the busy streets of the Mae Rim district on our way out of town, Charlie showed us the sights of the city and suggested many things to do while we were still in Chiang Mai. He talked about the elephants and the jungle, and he showed us the tattoos on his arms and hands that were applied by monks who used the old bamboo needle method and guaranteed protection against snakes and crocodiles and even gave him the ability to pick up scorpions with no fear of a sting. Given my strong fear of snakes, I may look up those monks before we leave Thailand.
The terrain changed dramatically after we left the city limits. Patches of rice paddies already green with fresh growth stretched several hundred yards from the road and ended in a long row of tall coconut palms in front of the blue silhouetted mountains in the distance. The blocks of rice paddies were edged by muddy irrigation channels, and we could see water buffalo wallowing in the murky water seeking relief from the sun that was already hot even in the early morning. Rice is grass seed cultivated from the oryza sativa species of grass which grows well in steamy climates with plenty of rainfall like Thailand, and here’s a fun fact that I know to be true because I found it on the internet: genetic evidence shows that rice can be traced to a single cultivation in the Pearl River Valley in China as far back as thirteen-thousand years ago. I sincerely hope all the research it took to trace grass seed DNA through the millennia resulted in a few master's degrees for some smart people and that they are currently gainfully employed.
As we neared the edge of the jungle, we had to stop as a large pack of wild dogs crossed the road, and Charlie made the comment, “Hmmm, many dogs, make good barbecue.” He waited a split second as we all glanced at each other then broke out in maniacal laughter. We asked him if he had really eaten dog, and he said, “Yes, one time, is ok taste for me. Monkey much better. Monkey brain very good, very good.” Another split second and more maniacal laughter. We weren’t sure whether to believe him or not, but at least he was entertaining. A few minutes later, Charlie asked if we wanted to see a picture of his wife, and of course we said we surely would. He held up a big picture of a smiling, extremely well-endowed young woman who had forgotten to put on a shirt before the picture was snapped. “Every night I sleep, no need pillow!” exclaimed our merry trickster as he melted down into more crazy laughter, and we smiled and laughed politely. We’ve learned that Thai humor generally borders on the bawdy side, and the locals go for the punchline no matter if grandma, little kids, or the King of Thailand might be in the audience—all part of the kids’ education, I suppose.
We drove deeper into the jungle and the road became narrow with sharp curves as we began to traverse the hills. The tree canopy closed in, and huge stands of bamboo and banana trees full of fruit blocked our view of the mountains for a while. As we passed openings in the bamboo, we could see small huts with roofs thatched with bark and teams of oxen pulling wagons overloaded with sugar cane up steep trails from the farmland below. The jungle canopy opened up to hazy blue sky as we entered the river valley, and we could see small herds of elephants in the distance crossing the water, and the excitement level in the van ramped up a notch or two. A few kilometers later, Charlie got out with the French couple as they prepared to spend the day rafting on the river, and we drove on to the elephant camp, where our guide helped us store our bags and change into the heavy denim clothing of the mahout, the word ascribed to one who tends to elephants.
Learning to speak elephant
We hopped back into the van and drove a little farther down river to an area shaded by huge flowering trees and then walked downhill to become acquainted with our elephants that were happily munching stalks of sugarcane while we were educated in their commands. After elephant grammar school, we spent a delightful half hour feeding the elephants chunks of pumpkin and mango and receiving gentle hugs and wet kisses from these sweet, playful pachyderms. We took turns individually climbing on the elephants and riding them around the compound, getting used to commanding them and to the way they lumbered along. We all loved this relaxed fun time with these huge animals, and after a short while, we were completely comfortable with them. It came time for our jungle trek, and Deveny joined me, and Deena and Joseph rode the elephant behind us as we crossed the river and followed a narrow path into the thick foliage. Every so often, our guide tossed us pieces of fruit to reward our elephants, and they lifted their trunks high to snatch it from our hands. The elephant’s thick, dry skin felt rough and warm on our bare feet and I steadied myself by placing my hands on top of her head which bristled with wiry black hair. We spent the better part of an hour walking through the jungle and finished by splashing in the cool water of the river as we gave our trusty mounts a refreshing bath. Sitting on top of an elephant in the middle of a river in Thailand looking out to the jungle and mountains beyond was an incredible thrill.
We returned to the camp where we changed clothes and joined some other groups under a large pavilion that was draped with a huge vine covered with bright orange blossoms that looked like melting wax. A buffet lunch was served, and we talked about the fun time we had with the elephants as we relaxed and enjoyed plates of fresh fruit and fried rice. The French couple was still out on the river; so our guide took us to a nearby waterfall which had a natural rock slide into a deep pool that was very popular with the young people there, and Joseph was brave enough to slide down a few times and loved it. On the hike back to the van, our guide pointed out some coffee plants and then plucked a few beans for us to check out. I enjoyed seeing the source of my daily moments of pleasure in its natural habitat. The ride back to Chiang Mai was quiet since everyone was worn out from all of the fun activity, and even Charlie skipped the jokes and nodded off a few times. Two hours and another Uber later, we were back at the house ready for showers and another home-cooked Thai meal still in a state of unbelief that we actually got to ride elephants through the jungle in Thailand. I silently figured that if I could coax a stubborn elephant to climb a steep, muddy riverbank, then surely I can do a better job persuading a sleepy, stubborn teenager to get out of bed to do school work.
No comments:
Post a Comment