As I walked by this enormous “tusker,” he extended his trunk to me as though he was extending his hand to say good-bye. I took his trunk and blew into it, an expression of affection among elephants.

The elephants at the center display great affection for each other, manifested by putting their trunks in their friends’ mouths, anus, ears, and any other orifice. They love to be near each other. They make a variety of sounds to communicate. When they’re close together, they make a high-pitched sound like a dog whimpering. When they’re farther apart, they make loud trumpeting sounds to their friends. We were told that elephants produce infra-sounds that travel over long distances, not audible to humans.

Oh, my dear Princess Prathida, I can’t bear the thought this might be the last time I ride behind your ears. I feel your ears pinning my legs in place. Thank you.

The elephants can make even the most reserved or afflicted person feel joyful and free of woes. They can crack wide open even the hardest of hearts. Actually, that last statement is not accurate. Many of these elephants have been rescued from abusive people whose hearts remained shut tight due to extreme circumstances, like poverty, unemployment, and alcoholism. But, for us, it was pure joy being with these magnificent and loving creatures of great intelligence and sensitivity.

Shall we just go off and live in the forest with your second wife, Princess Prathida?

Glenna looked so natural on her elephant, I had the impression she was part elephant herself.

Beth soaks in every last minute of her time on her elephant.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The dung is washed in a vat and then squeezed into balls the size of large oranges. The balls are then spread over screens that are in containers of water. With our hands, the soaked dung is spread evenly over the screens. When the screens are slowly removed, the water falls through the screen, leaving the fibers behind.

The screens are bleached with hydrogen peroxide and then dried in the sun.

Jami, our fearless leader, standing in the doorway of the dung paper gift shop for those who want to buy an unusual Christmas present for their friends. If you eat the paper, maybe you’ll get a fecal transplant since the elephants have such enviable poop. Even though I’m just kidding, I did get a type of elephant-to-human fecal transplant when Prathida rolled her body in the water on the first day and tossed me into the lake. I got a mouthful of diluted dung water. You might want to observe me over the next few weeks to see if you see any resemblance with elephant characteristics. I’ve noticed that I move more slowly lately.

We’re all moving more slowly towards the end of our magical trip.

Our last time to bathe our elephants.

This baby followed her adopted mom into the water but suddenly got scared and wanted to get out immediately.

Time for our very last performance on the show grounds.

I reluctantly head back.

Prathida, let’s just stay here and take a nap together. The audience won’t mind.

Graduation Ceremony which includes a certificate, proof for my resume in case I want to come back as a mahout.

I will never forget you, My Princess Prathida. My heart bursts with joy when I’m with you. I’ll see you in my dreams.

I dressed up to honor Her Royal Highness, Princess Prathida—not the elephant statue I’m standing next to. The clothes are made by the hill tribe people who live in the mountains. I admire their colorful clothing. Notice I’m even wearing shoes (flip flops) for the special occasion.

Prathida extends her trunk to me. One last good-bye.

The mother of Khak, our driver throughout most of our trip, made beautiful flower creations for offerings.

Glenna in a prayer-like state, ready to give her offering to the river.

Lily with her offering.

The river accepts the offerings and carries them downstream.

Our lodging, called “The Nest,” is made up of gorgeous bungalows located in lush vegetation at the base of mountainous cliffs in Chiang Dao (City of Stars).

Jami invites us to join her in the early morning to climb the 500 steps up the mountain to a temple monastery in the clouds.

As we get higher, we can see the gilded stupa of one of the temples.

Along the path, we see green signs written in both Thai and English, giving us advice from the Buddha on how to live peaceful and harmonious lives.

The monks are delivering food to the monastery.

The temples and monastery are built into the rock outcroppings in the mountainous cliffs.

There’s a cave-like feeling to the monastery.

We arrive right as the monks are preparing to eat their breakfast. We were invited to eat breakfast at the monastery.

The monastery has a mystical feel, being right in the clouds up high on the mountainside.

Stairs to nowhere.

The long walk down the mountain to our “nest.”