Elephant Crossing Signs Needed!
I would like to draw attention to a fact that everyone already is aware of: I am not a good driver, thus I am not a good cyclist. This is a fact I am aware of and try to work on. Because of this fact, and because I am required by Peace Corps to ride a bicycle, and because I live in a city with busy streets I like to keep my eyes directly on whats in front of me. So like I said, today I was riding my bike home from aerobics and out of the corner of my eye I see something huge. I quickly turned my head, and in what seemed to be slow motion a large adult female elephant was heading straight at me. The roads here are not that wide and the traffic was rather busy so it was doing a good gallop towards me. As I hear the trainer riding on it yell something at me in Thai, my years worth of building up my leg muscles from having to ride a bike kick into action and I rode my bike like never before, almost riding into a motorcycle that didn't see me as it was trying to get around the elephant as well. Luckily, I am still alive to write this story, I am not kidding, this has literally been one of the scariest moments of my life. Thus, I have decided to try and install elephant crossing signs into the streets of Kampangphet. This has been a true story of when elephants go wild.
Yours,
Wesley
PS...If anyone could find the statistics of how many people are killed by elephants or how many elephants are killed in accidents a year in Thailand, I would be most interested. Thanks!
posted by Wesley @ 8:24 PM
8 Comments:
Holy crap I literally had to get up and pee in the middle of this story! I am glad you are alright...but from our perspective this is just the craziest thing that could possible happen to a human! It is quite surreal.
PS...The need to pee was a result of laughing so hard.
PS...The need to pee was a result of laughing so hard.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The only thing I can say about your episode with the unwerily elephant is "Very interesting but not very funny" as they used to say on the old TV show Laugh-In. However, you have shown your ability to handle every unexpected situation with great skill. You have whacked scorpions with deadly aim using the most advanced weapon of mass distruction...a bathroom plunger. Giant centipedes are no match for your ability to eradicate them. Now the potential confortation with Thailand's largest animal and in this case the "run away" elephant. I must say that once you saw that elephant running your way you were quick to react. You were able to whip through those ten speeds on your peace corps given bike and peddled at speeds that Lance Armstrong would be impressed. I was glad that you chose to cut tail and exit this beasts path as I am sure you did not have an elephant gun handy. In any event it just goes to show that you never know what to expect next. Hang in there it is obvious that you are doing a good job of handling any adverse situation that comes your way.
I would like to comment on Shannons entry....I read that report and it says that elephants have been taken off the street of Bangkok. That is totally false as everytime I go to Bangkok I see elephants pan-handling. I do believe those statistics as I have heard several elephants are killed every year from traffic related accidents...which is so true considering what happened to me... also I will be going to India in October, most likely, so if I see elephants I will make sure to hike it in the other direction;)
Ooooh India, I am jealous. Also, I think your Dad thnks I am mean for laughing at your predicament. If you had been hurt it would not have been funny. But since you are ok, I can't help but laugh.
No, Amber he had even read your comments as he wrote it while I was gone last night so I typed it on after I came home and your comments were there but he didn't read the other comments until after I posted his....hope you and Shannon are doing well, we'll have to have a dinner date soon although we're waiting for the baby to come at anytime so we'll be heading to NC whenever that happens but call me.
Post a Comment
<< Home