I must write a little blurb about my favorite adventure during our post-Christmas holiday to the northwest corner of Thailand.  We got to ride on elephants! Three friends rode in a basket-type seat on one elephant. We others opted for bareback, and it was so much fun. We all laughed a lot - couldn't quite believe that we were actually riding elephants -- and not just a short little circuit, but over an hour across open countryside. Then we had the fun of playing in the river with the elephants! The gentle giants waded in and then lowered themselves into the water and put their heads under, gently shaking us off their backs. Then we would scrabble up their back leg and reposition ourselves for a repeat dunking. Sometimes the elephant would just sit down, creating a waterslide down its back. Really fun! On the return route, I got to sit in the front, basically propped on the elephant's head with my knees nestled behind the ears for balance. After this special experience,  I think I will always look at elephants just a little bit differently.