The Songkran Parade - the Anantara legions march on Chiang Saen
Well, Songkran didn't end with the battle of the front gate, or even the pick-up skirmishes. In Chiang Saen there is always another celebration to attend. At the Elephant Camps here at Anantara and Four Seasons we spend all year introducing foreign folks to the ways of Thai elephants - that's our job - but one thing that always strikes me when I see eles on the streets is that is quite often the only way Thai people get to see eles.
For a couple of days each year let's take the eles out in a controlled(ish) - plenty of cold water, plenty of green grass and plenty of rest between showing off - environment and let our local folks meet our biggest residents.
I love the way the kids spontaneously break into the Chang song (see a few blogs ago 'multi-media mahouts'); the elderly walk up and 'wai' to bless the eles and ask for their blessing; the way scared children, lead by their parents, and the mahouts lose their fear on touching the grey skin; the way everyone considers it a blessing to be sprayed by the elephant and turn out in numbers to spray them back; even the way everyone sticks 20 baht notes into the elephant trunk to pass to the mahouts as a way of gaining merit (even if this practice may be the original idea that drove mahouts to try to make a living on the streets).
In short I love to see the enjoyment Thai people get from being in close quarters with the elephants that are, after all, their birth right and the reverence they show both to the beasts and their mahouts. There are a million impressions from the last couple of days but before I send you all to sleep let's look at some photographs (bit photo heavy this one - after all the eles are far more beautiful than my usual blather)...
...we camped down by the Mekong on a sacchuram covered sand bank. The locals set up restaurants in the river every year selling local food (beat the heat and the chili by dining with water lapping up to your knees), but they left us a bathing area - something in this heat that all the elephants took advantage of, in this case Yuki who got a few days off from her Four Seasons duties to join in the fun...
...she is, after all, the consummate performer...
...Boun Na takes things rather more easily, as does K. Kek, with Laos in the background and facing the crowd, who wouldn't!?.
...a spot of polo practice (or just posing?) before getting dressed for the parade - the make-up artist has been to work (well, you've got to let 'em know where you come from!). Then it was onto the parade...
...the view from up here is not bad - a thumbs up for the new howdahs...
...my claim of owning the world's biggest Songkran water pistol is trumped - but another example of the local effort to make the girls comfortable, even the local fire crew turned out to keep us cool (as if there wasn't enough blessing from the crowd)...
...K. Adool, who is usually found at the security booth at our Front Gate directs the larger than usual traffic - you'll note that the standard bearers forgot to stop for the red light - while K. Kiew, our Spa manager, waves benevolently to her public and that was it for the parade.
Day two was just really relaxing on our, grass to our necks, sand bank though a few small rides were given to nervous children and just-as-nervous adults it was mainly about eating and being looked at...
...Chiang Saen Regatta happening in the background but we're not sure about Yuki's choice of hat, been a while since I have taken in the fashions at Henley, perhaps she'd fit right in?..
... I just like photos of my girls and the big river...
...Yui watches the river traffic, a Laos taxi!
For a couple of days each year let's take the eles out in a controlled(ish) - plenty of cold water, plenty of green grass and plenty of rest between showing off - environment and let our local folks meet our biggest residents.
I love the way the kids spontaneously break into the Chang song (see a few blogs ago 'multi-media mahouts'); the elderly walk up and 'wai' to bless the eles and ask for their blessing; the way scared children, lead by their parents, and the mahouts lose their fear on touching the grey skin; the way everyone considers it a blessing to be sprayed by the elephant and turn out in numbers to spray them back; even the way everyone sticks 20 baht notes into the elephant trunk to pass to the mahouts as a way of gaining merit (even if this practice may be the original idea that drove mahouts to try to make a living on the streets).
In short I love to see the enjoyment Thai people get from being in close quarters with the elephants that are, after all, their birth right and the reverence they show both to the beasts and their mahouts. There are a million impressions from the last couple of days but before I send you all to sleep let's look at some photographs (bit photo heavy this one - after all the eles are far more beautiful than my usual blather)...
...we camped down by the Mekong on a sacchuram covered sand bank. The locals set up restaurants in the river every year selling local food (beat the heat and the chili by dining with water lapping up to your knees), but they left us a bathing area - something in this heat that all the elephants took advantage of, in this case Yuki who got a few days off from her Four Seasons duties to join in the fun...
...she is, after all, the consummate performer...
...Boun Na takes things rather more easily, as does K. Kek, with Laos in the background and facing the crowd, who wouldn't!?.
...a spot of polo practice (or just posing?) before getting dressed for the parade - the make-up artist has been to work (well, you've got to let 'em know where you come from!). Then it was onto the parade...
...the view from up here is not bad - a thumbs up for the new howdahs...
...my claim of owning the world's biggest Songkran water pistol is trumped - but another example of the local effort to make the girls comfortable, even the local fire crew turned out to keep us cool (as if there wasn't enough blessing from the crowd)...
...K. Adool, who is usually found at the security booth at our Front Gate directs the larger than usual traffic - you'll note that the standard bearers forgot to stop for the red light - while K. Kiew, our Spa manager, waves benevolently to her public and that was it for the parade.
Day two was just really relaxing on our, grass to our necks, sand bank though a few small rides were given to nervous children and just-as-nervous adults it was mainly about eating and being looked at...
...Chiang Saen Regatta happening in the background but we're not sure about Yuki's choice of hat, been a while since I have taken in the fashions at Henley, perhaps she'd fit right in?..
... I just like photos of my girls and the big river...
...Yui watches the river traffic, a Laos taxi!
John,
I am laughing (i-herd, too good) and have just wasted a whole hour when all meant to do was find out how to say "follow me" in ele-speak.
Thanks for the wonderful fun,
kate
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...well, I'm glad someone got the joke!
Did you find 'pae'? It is one of the commands downloadable from http://www.woodcottage.clara.net/AnantaraElephantFoundation/commands.htm, I think you can even convert it for your mobile phone if you would like.
Interestingly the Surin mahouts don't use it, it is a purely Northern command, elsewhere they use the Thai 'ma' as you would a human.
Thanks
John
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