I knew I couldn't be anywhere near an elephant and NOT ride it, and since Koh Phangan actually had an elephant safari in Chaloklum town I had to make sure I'd get in on it. At first I thought it'd be possible to just head out to there on my own via public transportation and then get an elephant ride and an elephant ride alone. Eventually I realized that it wasn't gonna be easy NOR was it gonna be cheap to do it that way. I tried getting on a half-day tour, the one that bundles the elephant ride with snorkeling in Mae Haad Bay, but they said noone was booking the half-day tours. They did mention that the whole-day tour still had some slots available. It may have been a ploy to get more money out of me, but I'm glad I ended up booking a slot as it turned out to be one of the most pleasant experiences I have ever had in my life.
April 5
This was my last "real" day in Koh Phangan 'coz the next day was all about heading back to Bangkok. Was at the resort's restaurant by 8:15am, hoping to get a quick breakfast before my scheduled pick-up at 8:30. The ride came in a bit earlier than expected and my pancakes were running late (haha!), so I had to head out to a safari on an empty stomach. Had to run back to my bungalow to get my sneakers 'coz the tour guides said I'd definitely be better off with them as we go through the jungle. Finally hopped onto the jeep where 4 other guests were already seated. One girl smiled at me and I smiled back with a quick "hello." They started chatting in a different language and I didn't quite bother picking up what it was as I was deep in my thoughts about how the day would be like. All of a sudden, I felt a tap on my knee. Apparently, the guide has been talking to me and I hadn't been minding him. Hehehe... As expected, he'd been speaking to me in Thai. I apologized for not responding as I didn't understand anything he said. Had a quick chat about where I'm from, how long I've been in Koh Phangan, the usual stuff you get from small talk. Got to another resort to pick up the last members of our tour group. I asked where they're from. Hungary, they said. Then I turned to the other bunch and asked the same question. They all smiled and said, "Barcelona!" Haha... I was just too amused and eventually blurted out "aaah, español!"
"C'mon elephant!"
First stop was the elephant safari. I hadn't known we were there until I saw a couple of elephants crossing the road. That was the first time I saw an elephant outside the zoo, and my jaw just dropped at the sight! There's seriously something majestic about them... The elephants weren't outrageously big, but they were still very much larger than life. A smile was plastered on my face the entire time I was there. I tried to pay attention to whatever instructions were given us, though, 'coz the animals were seriously distracting me. Soon enough, I was already on my elephant, and we were heading up the hill.
The trip would only be 30 mins long, just enough time for the elephant to bring you up to the view spot to take pictures before heading back down the same trail. At certain points we had to stall 'coz the other elephants ahead of us still wouldn't make a move on. Each time we were free to go on I'd tap the elephant's head while saying, "c'mon, elephant!" Later on, my elephant's caretaker would also shout, "c'mon, elephant!" as my ride slowly trekked down the hill. Hahaha! ;P
Back down at the receiving area, we were allowed to play with the two "display" elephants - an elder and a baby. The baby elephant was real cute, making noises and raising his trunk as if to say thanks each time he's given a banana! Hehe... The elder elephant was real gracious and friendly, letting us pat him as much as we wanted.
To my surprise, we were given drinks by our guide. He said we could get as many drinks as we wanted during the trip. The elephant ride and the complimentary drinks were already enough to make me say the trip was well worth it, but the rest of the safari just gave more value for the money I let go of for the slot.
Back to my good old Lakbay TV days
Next on the list was the jungle trek. Okay, a jungle is a jungle is a jungle, so I was ready with my mosquito repellant, bottled water, and yes, my sneakers. What I wasn't ready for was the CLIMB.
Halfway up the mountain was a waterfall. Well, it was more like a spring amidst a dried up river than a waterfall 'coz it was the peak of summer and the rivers and waterfalls were definitely a bit dried up. Before long we headed straight up to the summit/viewing point. Just like my treks back when I was in Lakbay TV, I didn't notice that I was already at the top until the view opened up in front of me. The paths/trails leading up would always be covered with trees and plants. The summits would always have flat grass or huge, round rocks. When I got up there, I looked back down at the steep trail thinking I'd have to go through there on my way back down again. Hahahaha! For the first time, though, I didn't really care. I had climbed yet again, and it felt good. :)
To be continued...
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