My guest house is comfy, warm, and quiet. The village is quaint, and today I rode bikes and hung out with elephants!! What’s not to love!!

My guide Phao picked me up at 8:30 sharp. We drove to the start of our ride where the bikes were waiting. After a few miles, our boat awaited us to cross the river.

Phao’s story is amazing. He was born in a Hmong village and was lucky enough to go to school. It meant leaving his family for 16 years. He made it through University. His knowledge of the culture helped me piece together all I have seen in the past week. It was so informative and fascinating.

We rode through villages, farms and rubber tree groves. After some fun, flowy single track, we were back to the river and another boat ride.

Soon, the elephants showed up. The organization I rode with is sponsoring an elephant rescue and preservation program. It’s currently small, but is allowing the elephants space to live, graze and be safe. The elephants deserve the best life possible.

I did get to bathe, brush, and swim with the gentle giants. After the bath, we went to a corral where the elephants devoured bamboo tree trunks, leaves and I got to feed them bananas, which they loved! Their trucks are so dextrous! It’s like they have thumbs.

I’ve never been so intimate with an elephant. Touching it, feeding it, brushing it, talking to it. I was in awe.

Mountain biking + washing an elephant + learning from Phao made for a very special day for me in Laos.