Back to vacation mode in Khao Lak

We said goodbye to the Aussies yesterday and went to Khao Lak, which is the city where the boat from the Similans trip (in January) was departing from, North of Phuket. We spoiled ourselves with a little stay at a five-star hotel. The next day, still in hyperactive mode from racing, PV and I went elephant-trekking in the nearby Ko Sok National park. Our elephant was a 34 year old female named Thandee; she used to be a wood-logging elephant somewhere in the North of Thailand; there were still scars on her forehead from when her old trainers used to hit her (with spears and knives!) to make her work more. Thank God she is here now at an elephant-trekking facility!

We learned a few things from the little guide who accompanied us in the Songthaew to the elephant trek site. Back in 2004, they had 8 elephants at the time; the morning of Dec 26 2004, at 5 o'clock in the morning, 2 elephants started crying, which was very unusual. Then 10 minutes before the first tsunami waves hit, some elephants managed to get out of their chains and climb up the hill. Business has been bad ever since so they had to rent out the rest of their elephants, but it is slowly picking up. They are acquiring new elephants slowly - only 2 right now. Each elephant usually has his own 'mahood' or trainer to whom he responds best. Thandee's trainer was out of town so there was another guy who was doing it, but we could certainly feel how passive-aggressive she was - she was really lagging behind going uphill.

thandeecorrected, originally uploaded by Galadryel.

This is the end of my stay in Thailand this time and I am saying goodbye to RP, Vini and PV to head off to Malaysia with other diving friends in my other favourite playing ground: Sipadan. My housing disappeared in the fifth dimension in my new apartment so you will have to put up with pictures taken with the old camera which will hopefully still work.