ELEPHANTS

On saturday, I was hugged by an elephant.
Yes, this was probably the best thing I have ever felt!
Two elephants came from behind me and wrapped their trunks right around.
I stood there amazed at what was happening.

Rewind...
On Saturday, we went to 2 elephant camps and a rafting site.
The "Expedition" team was joined by staff members and a missionary family.
We all had a great day together.

First, we went to an elephant camp where we watched a live show.
We watched the trainers give their elephants a bath in the river.
So cute!
The elephants then played soccer and painted pictures.
It was very fun to watch the elephants interact with their trainers.
At the end of the show, the elephants walked up to the stands.
Like usual, I stood back to allow others a chance to get close.
While I was watching, an elephant trainer called me over.
I stood beside the elephant for a quick picture.
Before long, there were three elephants behind me.
I was hugged by two elephants and one put a hat on me.
This was so fun.
I was going to move out of the way when the trainer called me back.
The elephants continued to wrap their trunks around me.
It is hard to explain what I felt.
I was blessed with this opportunity to stand with these beautiful creatures.

Next, we went to another elephant camp.
2 by 2 we climbed on the backs of elephants.
Some trainers walked beside the elephants, some sat with us.
The elephants walked around the jungle for a bit and then into the river.
While I was hoping for a bath, we only got a shower.
The elephants did not lay down in the water but they did put their trunks to use.
While this experience was great, I still enjoyed the hug much more!
I felt more connected to the animals at the first camp.

I final adventure of the day was rafting.
Upon our arrival at the site, we took off our shoes.
One guide reminded us that no one would leave dry.
We had no idea of what to expect.
After a slippery walk down to the water, we say our rafts.
7 bamboo logs tied together with a rope!
We had 5 people on our raft, including the guide.
This ride was amazing.
At first, I tried to sit like a frog so that my shorts would not get wet but...
Someone decided the splash me!
The guide from the raft behind us, splashed me!
From that point on, I decided to go all out.
I was all over that raft getting soaked.

Like most things, I can't explain the entire experience.
I will say that it was nice to spend a day with this group of people.
We had a lot of fun and did things that we will never forget.

Here are a few pictures of the elephants:
    *I didn't take my camera on the bamboo raft... (SORRY)