Elephant trek

We went on an elephant trek from tuesday til wednesday.  It started with a trip to an orchid and butterfly farm then we trekked for 3 hours in the jungle.  It was pretty heavy going made worse by the rain - we don't have waterproofs! There were some amazing views but unfortunately not much wildlife other than insects apparently all the big animals have been hunted. 

After the trek we arrived a the elephant park.  There were about 8 elephants working there.  We went for a swim in what we later found out was the elephant drinking water! It was bliss as it was sooo hot and humid.  Then we got to ride on the elephants on a seat on their backs.  We went up through the jungle up some really muddy steep terrain.  Our elephant was hungry and kept stopping for snacks! There was a big bull elephant who wandered off into the jungle - with two argentinian girls on his back!  He got angry and trumpeted when the guy made him come back!

We had a campfire that night had a few beers and a jenga tornament with the other trekkers that evening then slept in a bamboo hut on the hillside.  We were woken up by the noisy bull elephant in the morning. He didn't like his breakfast so made a fuss - very noisy!  We washed the elephants in the morning by getting in the pool with them and scrubbing them.  Then I was allowed to ride the elephant back on his neck!  It was fantastic!

Tim ripped his shorts doing this!

Later that day we went swimming in a waterfall in the mountains then whitewater rafting down the river.  It was a really great couple of days and we made some good freinds on the trek.