Post from Mathijs

We've had a great couple of days in the elephant camp. We rode elephants bareback and learned commands to control them. We rode them two hours and then we gave them a bath. They pooped in the water and I fell in. After that we had to take a shower and change clothes. After that, I layed in the hammock with some new friends. They were fun Australians and I couldn't stop talking to them! That night we ate dinner and played pool. Afterwards, we sat around the camp fire listening to the local mahouts play on their guitars and sing songs. We ate rice that was boiled on the campfire inside bamboo with coconut milk. It was so good! I ate a lot! There was also a big paper bag shaped like a square, it had a metal circular bottom with a candle type thing that you set on fire. Then we waited for a little bit and hot air fills it and it starts to go up. Then you grab it and make a wish and then let it go. It goes so high that it looks like a star in the sky. We did a bunch of those! We had a great time! The next day, we went white water rafting. We had to wear helmets and life jackets. It was very exciting. We also went on a hike to a waterfall. We had to jump over streams, rocks, and balance on logs. Sometimes the path was too small for two people to fit on. It was like an obstacle course! When we finally got to the waterfall, we went swimming. I'll write more in a few days!