Tuesday, May 5, 2009

MORE ELEPHANTS






















Well, I have to do one more post about elephants , I hope you will enjoy this picture post as much as I have enjoyed looking at these old pictures . Ciejay and me were doing our wine business the other day and at one of the resorts I saw these old pictures and ask if I could photograph them , and did they have a story to go with the pictures . They said I could and the story was told them by the owner of the resort.Now the man that owns the resort ,which is managed by his daughters and their husbands, is the same man that owns the Sai Yok Elephant Park that I visit often and took the pictures of the previous post of the babies learning to swim.Fifty plus years ago there was a elephant fair , held in Surin, up north in Issan country where all the elephant owners and trainers would bring their animals to show them off and to have different contest and to see whose was the strongest and smartest and best looking ,and all the other elephant stuff. these pictures were taken by his father and have been enlarged and framed and are now proudly displayed in the resort lobby.I have never seen so many elephants in one place at one time in all my life. Have you ?






I have decided to dedicate a small(maybe not so small) area on one wall in our home and frame and display my many pictures of elephants that I personaly have taken and also some given to me by friends and ,I have been told that I could include these too. I hope you enjoy them. Malcolm

5 comments:

Martin in Bulgaria said...

Hi Chaps,
Some classic shots you laid on us this time Malcolm.

Elephant are popular in Bulgaria, most homes have a figure of an decorated elephant in theri homes. It is mean to bring good luck but has to be facing the wall to do this.

Hoo Don said...

That's one lovely story and a whole load of elephants, it's a shame photos like that would not be possible nowadays. Correct me if I am wrong but Thailand has had a decline in elephant numbers over the years but they are making efforts to improve things now. Putting the photos on your wall is a good idea and will be a massive hit with Thai visitors. Best wishes.

Mike said...

Malcolm looking at the old photos made me think of WWII and your area. I wonder if local elephants were used on the Thai/Burma railway?

Can't remember seeing any shots in the museum in Kanchanaburi.

Malcolm and Ciejay Burgess said...

Martin, lots of statues of elephanys in homes for luck here in Thailand too , but the good one are the ones with the trunk raised in the air (a happy elephant) good luck trunk down (sad elephant) so so luck .
Martyn I did sooo enjoy the story , and yes according to my friend the elephants both tame and wild are making a come back , as Thailand now sees that the eyes of the world are on them . the inter-net is a wonderful BIG BROTHER .
Mike I spent a great deal of time looking and trying to find stories and pics of elephants working on the bridge , and could only find one and it was so small I could not even enlarge it to clear, but you know there may have been a shortage of man power and able bodied men to work the elephants and as you know they want just hop to for anyone . There must have been some and I will not stop till I get a answer to this question , because now my courisoty is aroused. Malcolm

Talen said...

I love the lumbering beasts but I hate to see them paraded around Bangkok by the hawkers.

The family have a few elephant statues in their house and they are very proud of them.