MUThaiger: Jungle Fever

Tiger on an Elephant

King of the jungle, but only for a day! And one day was enough for me. Elephant riding is far more difficult than you think, still sore. I don't see how the trainers do it. Makes me glad I have a desk job.

Gentile Giants

It was a great day in Chiang Mai. One of the best tourism experiences I've had in a long time. There are numerous elephant 'camps' deep in the jungles of Northern Thailand where you can interact with these massive creatures in a variety of ways - feeding, bathing, riding, etc. Some have better reputations than others, often fueled by news reporters who feel compelled to write everything from a PC perspective to make the story more controversial than it really is. The only thing I didn't like at my camp was the stupid animal tricks, giving the elephant a paintbrush and teaching it how to create some artwork. But it's no different than what one would see at Sea World or many zoos, nationwide.

Beast of Burden

Other than elephant riding, I found the log rolling, pulling, and stacking demonstration to be culturally significant. It helped me understand the interdependence between animals and people in a work-related context. Today, it's within a tourism context, thanks to modern machinery which has replaced many of our traditional customs and practices. This is one of the main reasons I like visiting Asia so much, especially the developing countries. You get to see first-hand what life was like long ago. Rapid advancements in Western society foster the idea that new is good and old is bad. Technologically savvy and culturally insensitive we all rush to ruin.