Elephant Camp

We were picked up at our hotel and taken by bus to the Siam Safari elephant camp on Chalong Highlands. Along the way we stopped at a coffee shop for refreshments…

…and a potty stop!

In Thailand spirit worship goes back to the ancient days. A Spirit House (above) can be seen in a prominent place outside every business establishment in the country. It can be seen on a pedestal in front of every hotel. It dresses the corner garden area of a restaurant, the front of a bar, disco or at outdoor food markets. They are built on the grounds of Buddhist temples, outside caves in the mountains, near fishing ponds in the valleys, and occasionally in the middle of an otherwise uninhabited forest. Most importantly, however, the Thai Spirit House is placed in the yard of every home.

The purpose of a Spirit House is to provide an appealing shelter for the spirits, or celestial beings, who would otherwise reside in the heavens. According to folklore, the spirits themselves are either good or evil, but most are just finicky and mischievous, demanding respect from humans and capable of disastrous interferences if they don't get their way.

The spirit of the land, for example, expects to be informed when a human intends to start a business or engage in improvements to an existing business. If the spirit is not informed, and if the human does not respectfully request permission, the spirit can indeed cause the venture to fail.

The Chamorro people of Guam hold similar beliefs regarding the spirits of their dead ancestors.

Siam Safari is part of an elephant conservation project. The elephant camp and training facility is located on top of a mountain in a phenomenally beautiful setting.

Part of the tour includes meeting young elephants and leaning about their training.

Meet Ha Ha—just 3 months old!

The bond between man and beast is evident already!