Unemployed Elephants and Brokedown ATVs

(Two Days Ago in Chiang Mai)

Elephant riding turns out to be another moral quandary. Elephants, once used in the calvary in Thailand, as well as in the construction industry, are not suffering from unemployment.

They are weened at 3 years and trained until they are about sixteen by the same person that follows them into their career. They retire at 50 or 60, depending of course upon whether they contributed diligently to their 401K, to an elephant sanctuary.

However, with the advent of fossil fuel powered trunk machines (such as cranes and tractors) they lost thier jobs.

So, while we provide them with work, thy avoid being abandoned or hunted. And, we chose an elephant trekking place about an hour out of town, in the hills and jungle, along a stream (not immediately off the highway in Chiang Mai).

But, it is still hard to know whether it was the lesser of the two evils.

On a more selfish note, I go to hug an elephant. While riding on its neck (yes, I said riding on its neck) I made up songs for him (like I do for the Big Pig) and sang to him while he walked. I felt a bond.

We then went ATVing (my generation turns all nouns into verbs and gerands to save time and money. Okay, maybe not money.)

Our guide was a young Chiang Mai native, Tuk, that was recently awarded a scholarship from the Thai government to study in Louisianna at a University. His scholarship lasted six months, during which he studies English.

He was another extraordinary person that we got to spend a day with. He wants to move back to the states, so W and I have been brainstorming about getting him a visa.

Anyway, the ATVs were less extraordinary. While I try to be a driver and not a passenger while on this Earth, I deferred to my husband's greater ATV experience and chose to latch on behind him while traversing through mountainous roads. (And, last time I drove an ATV--in Costa Rica--I nearly killed us. It was embarassing.)

Nora's ATV as not only a manual, it was a half-broken manual. So after we arrived at a hilltop village (that grew and sold opium until five years ago when the King provided rural farmers with government subsidies and training to grow vegetables -- they were growing mountains of soft green cauliflower) we switched and I started to drive Nora down the mountain. Well we stalled at the bottom of a hill and no one could get the machine working again. It was interesting.

Anyway, we showed up in the Chiang Mai airport yesterday morning with high hopes but no plans, and now we are in beautiful Phuket.

The water is warm and clear on this beach, Hot Noi Thon -- or something like that -- and I am so relieved to feel the salt and the sand.

Airline tickets are more expensive than anticipated, so we are unsure where the rest of the trip will take us.

Lorna, I am writing this from an internet cafe with a Pomeranian at my feet, named Pom-ae, who attacked William last night -- funny.

Anyway, I miss my dogs but am happy to be in this beautiful place on Christmas.