An Elephant Tale
Oh well, the enjoyment of the meal was beginning to wane. A loud child’s shrill cry broke the evening air in this open restaurant. It came again from across the buffet tables above the steam of the dry ice. This was not gonna be a pleasant meal after all.We were in this suki restaurant in Chon Buri near our hotel. It was late on Friday evening. Mr. Kwan had returned from his holiday and joined my driver and I to teach me how to cook in a hot pot. This is popular in Thailand, and not so indifferent from the recent lamb pot I had in China.
But the shrill cry sounded above the dim of the restaurant crowd. I started thinking this was an unusual kid’s cry. It was sharp and crisp, and very consistent from the previous two. I didn’t really care to see an argument between the kid and parents, but I looked on across the room in interests to see why the cry was being repeated so consistently. What I found was totally unexpected.
It was no child. It was an elephant!! Yes, an elephant! It was not quite inside the restaurant area, but just beyond the half wall along the exterior. Patrons were feeding it treats sold by vendors in the room. I guess the elephant’s cries were cheers or requests for more! It didn’t sound at all like the elephants you hear on movies!
One never knows what to expect in Thailand. I guess elephants are a little more common here though. Can’t believe I didn’t have my camera. Next time, I’ll remember it.
posted by A Bryson (formerly) in China @ 12:27 PM
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