Bali Through Madé

As we shuffle through the thick, humid air of Ubud towards the large pond in the middle of the safari, we feel utter serenity. And there we see them, large and lazy, suddenly towering over the vast greenery. Some drawing on canvas for the mesmerized tourist eyes, some playing basketball or performing eurythmics, magnificent and completely isolated in their own thought. Elephants.

Image Credit: Facebook/Elephant Safari Park & Lodge

In the Balinese Elephant Safari Park Lodge of the Ubud region, the aborigine Madé sits daily on the gray wrinkled neck of Melanie, his "second wife,” representing the beauty of the corners of his homeland. He and Melanie are in line with seven other mahout—Hindi for riders—and their elephants. They receive overwhelmed tourists in pairs, from the platform above, into the small leather couches installed on their wide backs. A Russian and a Bulgarian get to ride Melanie.

We mount onto the large saddle with inappropriately delightful faces. Among the impenetrable, stuffy jungles, Melanie hobbles ahead of the whole procession, transporting us through the path of the Indonesian safari. Her massive, heavy legs are almost intertwined. The sofa-saddle on her back rocks from one side to the other. Madé, dressed in a light blue uniform, is still perched on Melanie's neck and his bare feet rest on the constantly swaying ears of an elephant.

Rain threatens to fall. “You are not very lucky with the weather today,” says Madé, starting a conversation with the students whispering behind him, excited, constantly switching the position of their selfie stick. In fluent English, Indonesian-born Madé admits he always tries to practice his English more. After eight years of tending elephants at the park, he is more than used to Melanie's gigantic head under him.

Image Credit: Facebook/Elephant Safari Park & Lodge

Madé is 28 years old, married with two children—a boy and a girl—which he chalks up as a natural phenomenon for an Indonesian couple. "Here, you cannot live with your girlfriend before you two are married," he says, "By tradition, it is considered to be unethical." Madé is Muslim alongside the majority 88% of the Indonesian population.

It is quiet in the 3.5 hectares of the national Taro forest. Outside of it, however, it is not. In very populated villages, schools of motorbikes swarm haphazardly along narrow roads, each struggling to make its way through. “Everyone has a bike,” reckons Madé with a nervous snicker after the Bulgarian complains about the sheer amount of them, “There is nothing else more efficient you can drive here.” Madé will be driving a bike back home, too.

Melanie makes an abrupt halt as she stumbles upon a pile of bamboo splinters. She stretches her trunk to shove one into her mouth and dispose of her body waste. Madé is not happy. But his eyes transmit only tenderness and he laughs at his clumsy pet. “Sometimes she wants to be independent from the schedule,” he fills the silence apologetically.

Madé is very happy working here, he says, looking around himself with nostalgia while stroking Melanie’s bald head. “I feel stability and I love tourists. I always learn so much from them, about their languages and countries."

Image Credit : Ekaterina Vorobyeva

“I always wanted to have a good enough education, go abroad, and have my own business,” he says while his smile disappears at the mention of unfulfilled dreams. His hands caress Melanie affectionately. He has never left this island, one out of the 4,000 making up Indonesia. "One day, I hope," he whispers. He quickly switches the subject to the mosquitos buzzing about; it's something he'll never get used to, he says.

The safari ride comes to an end with Melanie using her trunk to sip from a specially dedicated fountain with long, glittery orange fish rushing through it in different directions. She demonstratively sprays water with her trunk, after which she steps into a wide, already dirty pond generously filled with elephant manure. Final touch: Melanie poses for a picture right from the water, raises one of her massive legs, curls her trunk and opens her pink mouth for a cheeky smile.

Madé waves goodbye, ready to meet another lot: to share in his culture & in theirs. 

Image Credit : Ekaterina Vorobyeva