Day 2, Sunday: Elephant Ride
The morning is still young! Before 10 am we clamber back in the jeep to return to the game preserve to ride elephants.
The elephants that we will ride were rescued as babies and raised by humans. The handlers are experts on elephants, and very attached to their elephant. The elephants roam freely with wild elephants in the reserve when not being ridden. The money that tourists spend for the elephant rides helps the local economy, and we (the tourists) get an exceptional experience: close contact with these amazing animals. It a thousand times better than watching them on nature shows.
Here is a photo of the elephants and their handlers, waiting for our arrival:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-153elephantride25.jpg)
In the photo below, I'm on the elephant, holding the camera up over my head and looking down. The guide with the rifle protects us from wild animals.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-154elephantride25.jpg)
The elephant grabbed snacks off bushes as we passed.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-156elephantride25.jpg)
We passed a herd of impala:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-159elephantride25.jpg)
Here we are on our elephant:
![us on elephant us on elephant](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-160elephantride25.jpg)
![us on elephant us on elephant](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-165elephantride25.jpg)
We are now off the elephant. Ours was the one in the middle of the photo below. He has to be chained because he is the alpha elephant in the group. The scaffolding to the right is what we climbed to get onto the elephant's back.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-169elephantride25.jpg)
John feeds the elephant:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-171elephantride25.jpg)
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-174elephantride25.jpg)
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-176elephantride25.jpg)
Here we both are, sitting on the elephant's leg:
![us sitting on elephant leg us sitting on elephant leg](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-179elephantride25.jpg)
The elephant sticks out its tongue:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-186elephantride25.jpg)
Some warthogs were hanging around:
![warthogs warthogs](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-194warthogs25.jpg)
This shows how big the elephant looks from down on the ground:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-199elephantride25.jpg)
Eventually we have to leave the elephants and go off to our next adventure. Back in the jeep!
![safari jeep safari jeep](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-201safarijeep25.jpg)
Next blog entry
Navigation: first blog entry
The elephants that we will ride were rescued as babies and raised by humans. The handlers are experts on elephants, and very attached to their elephant. The elephants roam freely with wild elephants in the reserve when not being ridden. The money that tourists spend for the elephant rides helps the local economy, and we (the tourists) get an exceptional experience: close contact with these amazing animals. It a thousand times better than watching them on nature shows.
Here is a photo of the elephants and their handlers, waiting for our arrival:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-153elephantride25.jpg)
In the photo below, I'm on the elephant, holding the camera up over my head and looking down. The guide with the rifle protects us from wild animals.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-154elephantride25.jpg)
The elephant grabbed snacks off bushes as we passed.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-156elephantride25.jpg)
We passed a herd of impala:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-159elephantride25.jpg)
Here we are on our elephant:
![us on elephant us on elephant](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-160elephantride25.jpg)
![us on elephant us on elephant](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-165elephantride25.jpg)
We are now off the elephant. Ours was the one in the middle of the photo below. He has to be chained because he is the alpha elephant in the group. The scaffolding to the right is what we climbed to get onto the elephant's back.
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-169elephantride25.jpg)
John feeds the elephant:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-171elephantride25.jpg)
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-174elephantride25.jpg)
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-176elephantride25.jpg)
Here we both are, sitting on the elephant's leg:
![us sitting on elephant leg us sitting on elephant leg](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-179elephantride25.jpg)
The elephant sticks out its tongue:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-186elephantride25.jpg)
Some warthogs were hanging around:
![warthogs warthogs](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-194warthogs25.jpg)
This shows how big the elephant looks from down on the ground:
![elephant ride elephant ride](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-199elephantride25.jpg)
Eventually we have to leave the elephants and go off to our next adventure. Back in the jeep!
![safari jeep safari jeep](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20120630-201safarijeep25.jpg)
Next blog entry
Navigation: first blog entry