DAY 3After a comfy night's sleep, we woke up to a dry morning the next day. Perhaps Markus' prayers worked since the forecast claimed 90% rain in the A.M.
A BIG day was planned ahead of us. After breakfast, we strolled down to Mai Kao Beach. Our transfer to the Island Safari Tour would pick us up at noon so we had time to spare. Zou-san (elephant, in Japanese) was so friendly
We were delighted that our first sight along the shore was a young elephant and his trainer. Markus was absolutely beside himself! He grabbed each of our hands and said, "Let's go, let's go see zou-san!" Rodney approached first and asked if it was okay for Markus to pet the elephant, and the man said, "Sure, she's very friendly". He even insisted that Rodney hop on...so Rodney did...bare-backed and all. Then of course, Markus eagerly joined him. It was so exciting! I think I took about 50 pictures of that moment. We were more than happy to tip the man out.
Following our first elephant encounter, we ventured to the pools. We had no plans of swimming so we weren't prepared. But when Markus saw more and more children getting in, he asked us if it was okay. So Rodney raced back into our hotel room, grabbed Markus' swim shorts and they took a dip while I kept dry and took more photos.
My "Babes in Thailand"
Our little guy couldn't get enough of the waterslide
Later that morning, we hurried to get ready to meet with our tour guide at the lobby to jet off on the Island Safari Tour. After already having a big morning, Markus was out cold on the ride to the location.
First on the agenda was an elephant show. We learned that most elephants on the camp were female. This is because they are more timid and easily trained than their male counterparts. These elephants are widely domesticated and often used in forestry and in ceremonial purposes. Asian elephants can age to about 90 years old and weigh between 6,500 to 11,000 pounds.
After the elephant was through with showcasing its talents, volunteers were requested for an elephant massage. "A WHAT?!" I asked. And after reconfirming with Rodney that the tour was 100% insured, I volunteered. Then and there, I got a minute massage from the elephant herself! Being in a relaxed state of mind was completely and utterly out of the question. She actually moved her big stump in slow circular motions. Not my ideal Thai massage, but interesting, nonetheless.
When the trainer said "Kiss", the elephant used its trunk like a suction to my shoulder and laid a big fat wet kiss!
Moving on, our tour guide Pim lead us over to the monkey show stage where we witnessed how monkeys picked coconuts from high atop the palm trees. Monkeys are known to be man's best friend in Thailand and are readily found throughout the islands of Thailand. They are known to be treated very well.
Next, we took an oxen cart ride around a rice field. Markus was happy to sit on a water buffalo for some photos. We then watched a demonstration on how rice is farmed and harvested using the water buffalo as its plow. Soon after, we had a short Thai cooking presentation. Papaya salad with dried shrimp was prepared using many spices including fresh Thai chilies. A bit too spicy for my palate, however Rodney liked it.
The next part of the tour was a Thai boxing demonstration known as Muay Thai. We observed pre-match rituals and training techniques, which involved a considerable amount of meditation. The two opponents battled it out in the ring for us. The demo appeared very real to me as they were giving each other some pretty tough blows. Then we were off to Markus' most anticipated portion of the tour - the safari elephant trek. It was then when it began to rain. The trek was slow-paced and lasted for about 40 minutes into hilly terrains. This experience we will never forget!
"BoPi" the elephant is 40 years old.
Just when we thought the tour was almost over, we jumped into 4x4 land rovers and rode toward a large lake and took a canoe ride in blown-up canoes.
Markus thoroughly enjoyed the ride. He spotted monkeys roaming freely on an island we paddled by. After a certain point, we then boarded onto an old wooden long-tail boat (sometimes referred to as "wooden junk") that brought us all back to the dock.
Back in the jeeps, we rode through more rugged terrain deeper into forest to a rubber tree plantation. Before then, I had no idea that rubber was made from rubber trees. Pim, showed us the method of harvesting the rubber. 
Primarily, it comes in the form of a thick white pasty liquid, (similar to sap from a tree) then collected in a bowl attached to the tree. After a specific amount of time, it is mixed with chemicals and water and compacted through rolling pin machines over and over before it is sent to manufacturers in its rare form. Each part of the procedure is meticulous and all is prepared in the forest near the plantation.
A rubber tree
Just when we were about to leave the rubber plantation, our driver somehow dropped his keys into a tight crevice between the windshield and front panel of the dashboard. All the other jeeps took off and headed for the restaurant for dinner, while we were stranded for about 20 minutes. 
Being off the beaten track in the deep forest, made me feel a bit nervous. But with the help of Rodney and another passenger, the driver managed to squeeze his fingers in the panel and got the keys...phew! Finally, we were off to join the rest of the group for dinner! A seven-course Thai meal was served at an outdoor restaurant under a large canopy, overlooking the water. By then, it was obvious that most of the participants seemed spent. The 4x4 ride was so bumpy that Markus' hands were clenched tight to Rodney's pants
Markus was a total trooper the entire day. We thought for sure he'd crash when we got into the transfer van to take us back to the hotel, but he and Rodney were chatting and laughing up a storm. I found myself apologizing to the passengers behind us of the loud chatter, but they seemed to be entertained by Markus.
To view more photos from Day 3, CLICK HERE...
