Clouds of dust dance in the early morning light filtering through the canopy as our pick-up races to conquer the hill. Jolted in the back of the truck, I'm finding it hard to believe that less than 24 hours earlier my transport had been so much more sedate. Perched on an elephant's head, I had unwittingly ended up a star in the mahout training school event at the Laos Elephant Festival.
This year's Elephant Festival takes place from February 18 to 20 in Pak Lai (also spelled Pak Lay), a small, scenic community on the Mekong River that comprises a mix of French colonial homes and traditional wooden Laotian buildings. Organised by the charity ElefantAsia in conjunction with the Sainyabuli (Sayabouri) provincial government, the inaugural event took place in 2007. Sainyabuli is home to about three-quarters of Laos' 500 domesticated elephants and a good deal of the estimated 1,000 remaining in the wild.
The festival is an opportunity for travellers in Laos to divert from the usual destinations in the central and northern parts of the country to visit far more remote areas and get into closer contact with real Laotian life. Reaching the festival involves a boat trip up the Mekong River to Tha Souang. Swallows dart over the waters as we pass small settlements sandwiched between the banks and the steep, forested slopes. The boat struggles with low water levels, which Laos blames on damming by the Chinese upriver. At Tha Souang, we transfer to a songthaew (literally 'two benches') truck for the ride over the hills to Hongsa district.
Arriving in the village of Viengkeo on a Friday evening, it becomes clear that although the festival is a tourist draw card, for the locals it is as if the circus has come to town, and the party is well under way. We are billeted in homestays while the locals enjoy the food stalls and try to win prizes at the fun fair by shooting targets and throwing hoops.
The next morning, we wake to the rhythmic clanging of wooden bells as the elephants plod past our window. The opening ceremony is about to begin. The ceremony is attended not only by 40 or so pachyderms from the surrounding districts, but also ethnic minorities in their traditional costumes.
At the elephant of the year contest the stakes are high, with the prize of a new motorbike up for grabs. Judging takes place on Saturday morning, with the presentation on Sunday afternoon. Selection is based on the elephant's condition, rewarding the mahout who best looks after his animal.
