Have you ever ridden an elephant?

I mean, really ridden an elephant.

When we signed up for the day trek, I knew that along with the elephant show, rafting, and hill tribes, we would also get to ride an elephant. Having ridden an elephant when I was in Thailand in 2006, I thought I knew what to expect:

(Elephant riding - January 2006)

And it started out like that. Lauren and I seated in the chair strapped to the elephant, the “driver” sitting on the elephant’s neck, guiding the elephant in the right direction. But next thing you know, the “driver” is no longer on the elephant. He’s on the ground, walking around, just chillin’. And who’s driving? That would be me.