Koh Chang/Chanthanburi: Monkeys & Elephants, White Sand, and The Dechuay Family

One of my favorite comedians to listen to is Brian Reagan. In one of his stand up routines he talks about astronauts who have landed on the moon having the one-up-story to end all one-up-stories. “Daddy, I made all ‘A’s.’” “Oh yeah? Well, I walked on the moon.” “Sir, you just had a heart attack and almost died…I saved your life.” *cough* *cough* “Well I’ve driven the lunar rover…on the moon.” Since I have never been to the moon, or space for that matter, my one-up-stories have always been lacking…until the day I swam with elephants.

Monday morning, John Mark and I wake up early, get dressed, load up the car, and leave with Dui, Gift, Dift, Apple, and Sky for Kon Chang (Elephant Island). We drive for forty minutes before we come to a shoreline and drive onto a ferryboat that will take us from the mainland to the island shape like an elephant’s head. As we float towards the Island the view is Spielburgesque. As the ocean, mountains, clouds, and mist all combine to make a beautiful panoramic view, I half expect a John Williams overture to begin playing in the background while pterodactyls fly overhead. We arrive and begin driving into the resort community that is filled with European vacationers.

After driving for a few minutes we arrive at our destination, an elephant tour business. We get out and begin to explore, looking at the many different elephants while Sky goes to purchase our tickets, (they charge Thai people half the price of tourists). After taking a few pictures of elephants I notice Dift playing with a monkey. I walk over to the monkey that is chained to a support beam. While I pass my camera off to a man who offered to take pictures for me, I try to get the monkey to climb on my arm, he has different ideas. As the monkey attempts to steal my camera bag and rip it out of my hands, I attempt to pull him off so I can set the bag on a table close by. After I pry the bag away from him and put it down I accept my camera back and begin taking pictures of him. I think he must have gotten mad at me for taking the camera bag away because when I turn my back to him he jumps onto the back of my head. I pull him off and play with him for a few more minutes, but have to leave because it is our tour is about to begin

Out of the group John Mark, Dift, and I are the only ones who will be riding elephants. John Mark rides with Dift and I ride by myself on a fourteen year old female elephant named Pang. As our elephants walk into the jungle I take several pictures of John Mark, Dift, and the elephants. When our path ends and runs into a shallow river with descending rapids, I assume we are going to be turning around and walking back, instead our elephants climb up the river’s rapids (the tour guide called the rapids a waterfall). We climb the river and wind our way back towards the office, souvenir shop, and elephant stalls. When we arrive instead of stopping and getting off the elephants, we continue past the tour headquarters, cross a road, a river (twice) and stop at an elevated platform that hangs over the river. We are told to take off anything we don’t want getting wet. The elephant guides take the seats off the elephants and set them on the platform. When we have discarded our stay-dry items we are told to climb on the bare backs of the elephants. As our elephants walk into the deep part of the river they dip under the water. While John Mark’s elephant just goes up and down in the water, Pang likes to duck under the water and role, making it impossible to stay on. As we climb on and jump off our elephants, the only regret I have is not being able to photograph the moment.

After returning to the our point of origin, we climb off our elephants, look through a few of the souvenirs, and leave in search of a restaurant to provide us lunch. After eating we walk the short distance to a beach we are told has white sand. When we arrive I find it gray sand humors but say nothing. I spend our time sitting in the sand, swimming in the ocean, and practicing English with Apple. In the distance I can see a storm making its way towards the island. We make the decision to leave a little early as to avoid the storm. What we did not anticipate was the line that had formed to the ferryboat. Three hours later everyone except Dui, who has driving responsibilities, has napped, snacked, and finally boarded the ferryboat.

We arrive back at the Dechuay family home at 6:00pm to share another dinner together; I am even given the opportunity to help cook (I grill shrimp on a grill made from half of a metal garbage can a refrigerator coil). We all sit on the floor around a table that is similar to a large coffee table, and enjoy another delicious meal. Two hours later, with our stomachs filled and a little sad that we have to leave our new friends, we climb into Dui and Gift’s car and begin the three-hour drive back to Bangkla. When we arrive at our apartment at 11:00pm our grandfather has already fall asleep. We drag ourselves into our bedroom and fall into our beds with no more energy to spend on the day.

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