January 12th was a rough day for fellow Minnesoooootans. A brutal five inches of snow and temperatures plunging below zero (Fahrenheit) made it a tough for everyone to travel. During the time of North Pole like conditions in Minnesota, we were able to make our way through a calm twenty five degrees (Celsius) with slight clouds in the sky.
We started off the day like anyone else: had a quick breakfast, before driving for about a half hour. The only difference was our destination a quaint field nestled in between two hills with about 25 elephants roaming the grounds. This little slice called heaven can be better known by the name Ran-Tong Elephant Sanctuary. Here they rescue elephants from poor areas and give them a proper home where they can train and get proper nutrients (200-300kg of food a day) needed to stay healthy. The tough part about keeping these elephants is knowing that they can not go back into the wild because they are domesticated from previous owners and in Thailand about sixty percent of elephants are in camps. While we were at the camp we had the opportunity to feed elephants from our hands and ride the elephants for about forty five minutes, which included a swim with the beasts. It was two people per elephant and a lifetime of memories.
After the experience we drove back for a shower and then got ready for dinner at a local outdoor Thai restaurant where you are practically in a canopy eating with rice patties and hills around you and a pond with fish behind you. While we enjoyed the afternoon meal we were about to watch the sun set slowly behind the hills and begin to see the night begin.
The meal itself was amazing on its own. We had twenty of us split fried fish that was done to perfection, fried shrimp that still had their heads attached, and a fish soup that I skipped on but heard was equally as delicious. As dinner proceeded we all just talked with different people in the group that we don't normally have the opportunity to, and learn new interests about everyone. It was the first time I could really see bonding from every single person in the group all at once. That was definitely one of the best highlights to my trip so far and I hope others felt the same. This whole day seemed to "Thai" everyone closer together in the group and make experiences and memories for all of us.
