I couldn't stop grinning. (55/100)

Yesterday we took an excursion out of our resort to an elephant camp. I had been worried about the treatment of the animals and whether we might be supporting an inhumane business. When we got there, the elephants were tied to poles with rope or loose chains. I was relieved to see that where the chain circled their ankle there was no blood or sores.

The guides brought the elephants up to the mounting platform mostly with calls and the odd tap of a bamboo rod. Then we swayingly rode through a disused tin mine and a working rubber plantation to a large lake. There the elephants were unsaddled and brought into the water. We got to swim with them for quite a while, then I rode ours bare-back over to the mounting platform so it could be re-saddled for the meander back to the shop and parking lot. Riding an elephant is more scary than riding a horse because it's significantly higher, but less scary because it wanders rather than gallops. Overall it was one of the best experiences of my life and I would jump at the chance to do it again.