Elephants in Khao Jai

For the second time, Sit, the father of my children, and I go on a motorbike to Khao Jai, the national park, where so many wild animals should live. At least that's what we hear from everyone who has been there.

Our own experience was different the first time. Some deer, wild pigs and of course monkeys, but nothing more. While we still made a special night excursion by car. Once the guide said enthusiastically that she saw the eyes of a tiger in the distance and that would be very rare. The next morning we went back to that place on foot. No footprints of cats, but of deer. In short, the guide had only said what we wanted to hear.

At two o'clock we arrive at the Motor Lodge. We walk to a waterfall and see a long-tailed squirrel on the way. Between six and eight we get some sleep and at eight we eat and drink Mekong. At half past nine we get on the motorcycle, armed with a strong battery lamp. We see several civets, lots of deer, but no elephants.

The next morning we are on the road early, half past four. On the way to Prachinburi we see elephant dung, but not the producers. We also find the quills of porcupines. We are warm, but it is not really satisfying. Black gibbons are plentiful. Very entertaining to watch them. We sleep from eight to ten and then we take a walk along the river. At one point we come across a bridge of two thin tree trunks. Sit walks over it, as if it were a paved road. I don't really dare, but I have to. I succeed. Except for beautiful butterflies, we don't see any animals. We're out of luck.

Then back on the bike in the evening. We go the same way as yesterday and sure enough, we hear creaking trees. In the distance, elephants must be busy. However, we don't see them. After a long wait we continue. At least we've heard them now, that's something. At a place, a few kilometers away, where salt has been sprinkled, there are no elephants. We get a little discouraged and turn back. And then the miracle happens. At the place where we heard them a moment ago, there is now, less than ten meters away, a colossal elephant. Further on there are still some trees to play with. Sit keeps his engine running, because he is a bit apprehensive.

I get off and watch the wind so the colossus doesn't smell me. A little further I take pictures. With flash and I shouldn't have done that. A photo was better, only with the battery lamp that was brought along, because afterwards the print turns out to be completely black. The distance was too great for a flash photo. Shame. Only when two other cars with noisy Japanese stop, do the elephants retreat. Satisfied we go to it hotels back, mainly because I don't know yet that the photos failed (this story dates from the time when photos were still printed).

The next day we go back to Pattaya. On the way we visit Khao Kieo, the open Zoo. We do see elephants there, but that doesn't count compared to what we saw in Khao Jai. I take a nice picture of an elephant with one leg on a chain, because, according to a keeper, he is dangerous for people. You can't see that chain through tall grass. I will always show this photo later when I talk enthusiastically about Khao Jai. No one notices that my story takes place at night, while the photo was taken during the day.