Electric & Acoustic Cellist, Vocalist and Composer
CURRENT PROJECTS
Asian Elephant Project | Poetry Concerts and Workshops | Being with Dying Workshops
THE ASIAN ELEPHANT PROJECT
A great gift was given to Agu and I. In appreciation of my playing for the Princess a week ago, Prassop, one of the leaders at the Elephant Center, offered us another Homestay opportunity. This one would hold the added bonus of two days and one night out in the forest with three elephants, four mahouts, an elephant expert who had been a mahout for 20 years, two women who helped in the organizing of the trip, and one man who went with us as our translator. It was all organized in less than 24 hours; we were picked up at our hotel, brought in to meet our elephants and mahouts, and prepare for the trip.
My elephant this time was JunDang (Red Moon), the daughter of 58-year-old PangYom, the elephant that Agu was traveling with. JunDang is 30 years old and might possibly be pregnant for the first time. It was wonderful traveling with a mother and daughter elephant team. They were communicating so much of the time as we walked; JunDang with low rumbles and PangYom responding with short trumpets. I loved their interaction. The first day, before we left for the forest, we rode the elephants an hour out from the center and set up for lunch. Whichever elephant was in the lead seemed to always have a head turned back, making sure the other was there and within reach. The mother-daughter connection was intense.
We arrived at a covered hut in a clearing in the jungle. PangYom and JunDang were tethered across the road from us, close to one another, where they could forage. While we ate, there was a constant conversation going on between the elephants. Even the mahouts were laughing at their chatter: Loud bursts of trumpeting and chirps, followed by low rumbles and more chirps. I kidded with Agu that, knowing we were all heading into the forest the next day, the elephants were plotting their escape. After lunch, we packed up to head back to the mahout training school where we hung out with the elephants for a couple of hours, feeding them sugar cane and spraying them with a hose. It was such a joy being with them in this relaxed atmosphere. The mahouts just sat, while Agu and I were as close as we could get to our elephants. We were getting exactly what we wanted: time to just be with them. We barely slept that night, anticipating the adventure that awaited us.
The next morning at 6:30am we again headed out with the mahouts to get the elephants. This time, rather than walking back with the elephants to the training center, we were asked to ride. I guess it was time to get our riding legs in shape. I was pleased to find out that I wasn't as sore as I was on the first Homestay. I spoke with JunDang on the way in, singing to her and telling her of my excitement about going into a place that she loved: the forest. This was her home and it was also the mahouts' home. I learned that mahouts are taught early on how to survive in the forest, and it became instantly clear to us as soon as we arrived at our camping spot that they thrived on this relationship with nature. It was a 2 1/2 hour journey to our destination, through bamboo and teak forests, over streams and across open fields. We had howdahs (a type of luggage rack that carries humans or gear) on the backs of the elephants that were filled with camping gear. Agu and I each rode up on the neck of our elephant. It was challenging, guiding the elephants through the forest so that the howdah would not get caught in the trees. We became pretty good at it and our mahouts and elephants seemed to trust us more and more as we ventured forward.
As soon as we got to our campsite, SiMoon, the elephant expert and elder of the group, went to the spirit house and gave an offering to the spirits for getting us there safely and for allowing us to be there overnight. Spirit houses are miniature houses built whenever there are homes or large structures placed on a piece of land. It is built for the spirits of the land; to give them their own house where offerings are then placed daily. You see them all over Thailand--in the city and in the country.
While SiMoon made offerings, everyone else found their own tasks. We, along with our mahouts, took our elephants to their place in the woods. Others swept the grounds, some started collecting firewood and bamboo, and some started fixing lunch. It was amazing to us how organized and at home everyone was in this setting. There were constant activities and learning opportunities. One moment they were carving bamboo drinking cups, and then they were cutting and weaving bamboo pieces to create elaborate poles to cook sticky rice in. Someone built a bathing area in the creek using bamboo to set up a little waterfall. Later, we went up the creek to catch fresh river crabs for cooking that night. We set up camp and moved the elephants to a different place (they had already cleared the other area of food). By the time we got back to camp, it had started to rain. Again, we were experiencing a storm in the forest during the dry season, and the downpour took us all by surprise. It was beautiful as the last rays of sun poked through the clouds just in time before it sank behind the mountain.
After much food, homemade rice whiskey, and singing around the campfire, we laid down for the night. The mahouts were still hanging out, but Agu and I were ready for the quiet of night, which didn't end up coming for hours. We could hear the elephants, ripping trees up in the process of eating. At one point, there was such a loud crash that I thought an elephant was going to come falling down the mountain on top of our camp. Even the mahouts began yelling for the elephants to quiet down. The elephants are such graceful beings as they walk through the forest, but they really can tear it up when they intend to. I loved knowing they were out there, much deeper into the forest than where they are usually kept overnight. I kept waking up and most of the night I could hear them eating. There seemed to be only a short time when all was quiet.
By 6:00am, the fires were going again and there was activity around the site. By 7:00am, we were walking up the mountain to get JunDang. I loved seeing her surrounded by brush. Her ears were wildly flapping back and forth as we approached. She was covered in dirt and brush that she had thrown on her back. Sticky rice was her morning treat since we had no sugar cane. After her snack, she laid down while we brushed her off with branches. We then led her down to the creek where all the mahouts had bathed earlier, and she drank her fill and we threw buckets of water over her. By 9:00am, the campsite was clean and everything packed, and we started on our way back to the center. We were completely covered in dirt and I felt fully satisfied riding on the neck of JunDang. She was trusting me and letting me be a part of her world.
I am now back in the comfort of my hotel room and am so full from those days. I miss the elephants and the mahouts, and am very much aware that I am leaving Thailand in another week. I realize that this is not only my journey, but also one that so many others are experiencing in different ways. You are helping me to reach deeper insight and understanding, so please keep writing.