In addition to the events Amy described, our visit to Luang Prabang also included an elephant ride.  The corny and uncomfortable first half hour sitting on a platform seat strapped to an Asiatic elephant riding through degraded forest was followed by a much more exciting barebacked ride into the Mekong River for an afternoon bath.  Coco’s mahout (elephant wrangler) got a big kick out of getting her elephant to fully submerge itself starting with its head in an attempt to throw Coco off the front into the muddy Mekong.  The scene reminded me of a mechanical bull riding contest in the middle of a very large river.  Her core strength and sense of balance along with a firm determination to keep her hair dry allowed Coco to stay seated throughout.  Amy’s elephant refused to engage in such antics, instead preferring to spray her through its trunk.  Unfortunately, the spraying behavior started before they reached the river resulting in a dust and elephant saliva bath, later to be rinsed with sprays of Mekong murk.  The boys’ elephant was well behaved on all fronts much to their disappointment.  Dad was happy to record the events from the bank.