Dropped off by our parents like it was the first day of school rather than the independent 15year olds we thought we were, our adventure had begun. You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air on the drive to the airport. After the usual hustle and bustle in the terminal, last minute shopping for sweets and snacks and being kept waiting by the teachers! We were off. The flight was pretty uneventful and we arrived at our first stop tired but happy. The airport was amazing. Beautifully decorated with carpets everywhere, Intricate wall hangings and fairly quiet which was a surprise. On to the next flight and a pretty bumpy ride but we landed safely and were greeted by a whoosh of hot air. Mosquito spray was applied and we were off again.
We drove to MEF the elephant foundation. The sight and sounds of the jungle and the elephants were amazing. We quickly dropped off our bags and we were on our way to the Primary School. Here we were met by the sight of excited children hanging out of the windows to get a glimpse of their visitors. We spent the next few hours playing games and teaching them English, the alphabet and answering their questions about our names, age country and religion. Their favourite game was Simon says! All to soon it was time to leave. The children followed us holding on to our arms and asking for our autographs!
Back at the Elephant foundation we entered another world. We had a brief tour of the foundation and a talk about its history. The elephants there are working animals and the Foundation was set up to give the elephants a better life. The elephant Mahouts (carers) love their animals and have a special bond with them. It was incredible to be up close and personal with these amazing creatures. We washed and fed the elephants, we also cleaned out their beds, which was disgusting but also strangely fun. Surprisingly enough we had curry for lunch and supper, before getting some well-earned sleep.
