Day 5 - Thursday
Safari
Day 5 found us on a Safari in the hills of Phuket. It wasn't so much a safari as an elephant ride and education on Phuket culture
and food.
Elephant Ride
We rode elephants, I rode "Old One" and Andrea rode "Song One" through a narrow trails on the side of hill. The elephant moves
as expected, very slow. For it size the elephants seeem like gentle giants. Elephants were primary used to
help farm teak. Teak is no longer allow the export, so elephants had to be repurposed. The elephants play a significant role in the
culture. The elephants only ever have one handler, our tour guide called it, "one heart, one mind". So if a captive elephant is
sold it includes its handler. The elephants can work providing tours till they're 45 years old. Elephants live to around 100
years old.
Elephant Feeding
After you ride the elephants you get to feed them. They sell baskets of fruit and veggies for 100 or 200 Baht. We picked
the bigger basket and fed both our elephants. Elephants eat 400 pounds of food per day.
Tour Guide
Baby Elephant
Baby elephants are in genstation for two years. After they are born, they can't be seperated from the mother till they are
three years old. The baby elephant here is 3 1/2 years old, and has just began training.
Rubber Tree
Latex is the number 3 export from Thailand. It is produced by the rubber tree. The rubber is collected in little cups, the
cups are collected at 4 or 5 in the morning. The rubber hardens and is pressed into long sheets.
Curry
Currry is made from many ingredients, pepper, ginger, lemon grass, garlic and more.
Coconut Collectors
In Thailand, monkeys are trained to collect coconuts. Below are examples of the training monkeys go through.
Water Buffalo
Water Buffalo were the main source of transpartation in Thailand. Strong animals they can pull carts full of people or supplies.
Scenic Views
Fruit of the Day
Each day the Banyan Tree provides a fresh fruit in the villa. Today's fruit of the day Mango.
