Before We Reached the Elephants

By Claire - 1 week intern

On our way to find the elephants, we passed the wooden Buddhist temple, where the evening before we had lit incense, knelt, and bowed to Buddha. The stony path winded its way to the rice and crop fields before we found the forested slopes.

Trekking through the undergrowth, thin cobweb strands stretched between the trees, catching my face. Most of my concentration though, went straight to my feet, searching for solid ground in the mud, still slippery from the overnight rain. Along the way, Rose, our forest guide, pointed out wild leaves, berries, and fruits; letting us forage and snack on the path just as the elephants do.

The path was full of sound; cicadas hummed, birds sung and in the background colourful butterflies fluttered past. To my right, the river moved fast, carrying freshly cut bamboo downstream; the poles to be used as support frames for passionfruit, a new crop the villagers are experimenting with.

Paying attention to these small details; the terrain, the wild fruit, the different species of beetles, damselflies, wasps and bees made me feel small in the best way. It immersed me fully in the ecosystem before we'd even reached the elephants, leaving me grounded and connected to the landscape that is home to this resilient and welcoming village community and their beautiful elephants.