Wild Elephants

On Sunday morning, I took off with an eco-tourism company to potentially see the wild elephants in Ban Na, a village 82k out of Vientiane. The village is trying to capitalize on tourism, since the elephants have wreaked havoc on their farming, and it is their best option if the elephants and their habitat are to be preserved interesting that the whole thing was planned and completed by a German). Asian elephants are endangered, and number less than 40,000-60,000 worldwide. While I paid extra to be the only one on the “tour”, I realized later that it is completely possible to go it alone, and hire a local guide from the town, which is required for entry into the area.

First we (the tour guide, the driver, and the local guide) walked a steamy 4 kilometers through the jungle to a tower, which serves as an observation tower, storage and bunk house. After lunch we walked another 3 steamy hours (roundtrip) to a scary swimming hole – a dark brown deep puddle of water that looks like it could contain crocs (not the kind you wear!) The tour guide and the driver stripped to their underwear and jumped in. Why is that Asian men can gallivant around in their underwear, but women have to cover up and swim in clothes or a sarong, lest we offend the traditional sensibilities? As Helena knows, even being fully clothed does assure that you are not stared at when wet (remember the hot springs in Bhutan?)
Later in the afternoon, as I read well into dusk, the 3 Laotians cooked and drank rice whiskey. All of the information posted in the tower said that in order not to scare the elephants (who are not assured to come), turn off lights and cell phones, be quiet and don’t smoke. The 3 guys together violated all of these precepts, and I figured they didn’t care whether the beasts showed up or not. Miraculously, about 8:30, through the din of their drunken laughter (indeed, they were all drunk by this point), I heard crashing and breaking branches. After much urgent pleading, they quieted down and we killed the lights. We were rewarded by dim outlines and lots of trumpeting, hurrumphing and calling, as the magnificent creatures lapped up salt and bathed in the watering hole nearby. One of the men tried to flash a light on them, but this scared them of course (man is the only real predator of Asian elephants) but I caught a vivid glimpse of 4 adults and a baby.

Despite the thrill of being so close to the wild creatures, I was quite distressed to learn that the guides were throwing things to them in order to induce them to come for the tourists. I was indignant at this blatant violation of one of the precepts of the tower and told them to cease immediately. As they were all drunk, it became a big mess and marred an otherwise special experience. Then, since we were all to sleep on bamboo mats on the wood floor of the tower, the 3 immediately passed out, snoring loudly, with the tour company guide uncomfortably close to where I was to sleep. I couldn’t get him to move away and had to smell his sickening alcohol breath all night. Ick.

One more night in Vientiane (see next post), then on to Luang Prabang.