Elephant memories

In the heat of Cambodia and being busy every day as we are I have become the slowest blog writer ever, because as I keep working on my post I just fall asleep every time. So although I am completely worn out at four oclock in the afternoon I want to dedicate this blogpost to one single day of our trip.

We are in Sen Monorom near the Vietnamese border in the mountains. Here the air is cooler than around the  flat areas we visited before.

We started our day with a 30 minute trek into the forest past cashew nut trees until we could here them. Huge creatures ripping on branches and leaves, flapping their big ears. We turned around the corner and there they were. Two big, grey, wrinkly giants with gentle eyes and a great appetite. The mahouts and our guide didn't hesitate much so while being completely mesmerized feeding my bull Ramken with bananas they already asked him to lay down. The elephant I would be riding was blind on one eye and so sometimes aimlessly searched for the small bananas in my hand or holding out his trunk for me to place them in his grip. The. Mr Torn our guide provided his knee for my to climb up onto the strong animal's neck. Papa was busy getting accquainted with his female elephant Jitet. She turned out to be a little calmer than Ramken, who kept leaving the path and forgetting that all the branches where hitting me in the head. While Papa was riding alone Ramken's mahout sat on his back, giving loud directions and killing vicious flies on our grey friend's head. He sometimes poked a stick with a rounded end against the thick skin on Ramken's back but I was very happy to see that the elephants were guided by voice rather than hitting. We also rode without saddled which is easier on the elephant's back, just not on the rider's legs I have to say. Though I prefered this way after a certain time keeping my legs up above the elephant's ears became very difficult and painful and I am sure I will be very sore tomorrow.

Elephants are very hungry elephants and they ate basically the whole day. While walking Ramken often left the path to yank down long bamboo branches (sometimes hitting my head) and pulling off the leaves and slowly shoving them in his mouth. If it didn't hurt so much riding an elephant would feel like rhythmic flying, so high above the world and moving forward so far with just one of their steps. Most of the time Ramken was leading the way and so often I didn't even see Papa. My mahout told me about the bunong people living in those mountains, who are not Khmer people like in the rest of Cambodia. He taught me some of his language and gave me small round fruit with a large core to eat. They were very tasty.

We reached the river where we took a break to have some lunch ( fruit, fried rice and maniok) and a nap. I would never expected in which way riding an elephant could tire you out. Papa already had a dip into the water between the many small waterfalls, whose steady murmur accompanied our lunch break, before we went to wash the elephants.

This really was the best part of the experience. Our new buddies lay down in a spot where the water reached our chest and we splashed water on them and rubbed the dirt off their thick skin. Jitets mahout hieved me on her back in such a quick movement that my lovely Khmer pants rippes open completely in my crotch. I had to laugh about it and I dont think any of the guys really noticed. I was wearing my bikini underneath but usually I dont show it due to respect to their conservative culture so after leaving the water I quickly changed into my black and white - now brown - leggings. At first I thought this would make riding back easier too, but about halfway to the village my legs didn't like their position again. It was always lovely when Ramken pushed his ears back. They are so strong and made me feel like I am sitting in a saddle regardless. Naturally he kept flapping them around though, I mean humans never keep their ears still either.

Beside de-leafing the bamboo Ramken also kept blowing air and dust against his belly and sides (saying "wash me again, wash me again") and while climbing uphill delightet us with what my mahout called a "part concert" though I think he meant to say fart. 

It really is an amazing experience to be so close to these animals and I think Ramken and Jitet are rather small ones still. Their skin is soft around their neck and even much more wrinkly than I expected. Their eyes seem to vanish in the big faces and their trunk could so much more than they know. It is very strong, but if they want to it can be extremely gentle and precise. They use the roughest trees to itch themselves where we would rub our skin off! Its hard to believe that a small fly cansting through the grey skin and make these beauties bleed. Their whole body is covered with thick dark hairs. Especially on the head they appear more like wire than hair and poked through my pants uncomfortably into my legs. 

Just as I thought my legs would give in we reached the village where I was greater by a Bunong with "Hello, is it me you are looking for?". I eas much more interested in the piglets and baby chickens being guarded by their mums. It was after I got off Ramken and said goodbye to the beautiful animal that I realized Papa, Jitet and our guide had vanished behind me. Patiently i waited for there unnaturally slow arrival as I thought they had just walked slowly. The man "I had been searching for" talked my ear off until Papa and Mr Torn arrived by car as they had taken a different route leading directly to the car. And that was the end of our elephant experience. I will keep the encounter with my favorite animals dear in my now very tired heart.

The blogpost about the past days will follow when I was alive enough to finish it :) overall we are well of course and enjoying our time here.

Lie hai,

Skipper and tiger