2003-09-20 - 3:04 p.m.

Hua Hin, Thailand

I'm learning an awful lot out here covering the elephant polo championships. Mostly, that there really are no limits to the lengths that the terminally posh will go to in pursuit of recreation. Elephant polo is one of those things where you think, why THOSE two things? Why not lemming basketball or penguin darts? The crowd is international jettrash, mostly corporate yobbos, young rich kids to bored to play real polo and a weirdly attendant team of ladyboys. The ladyboys are actually pretty good and have scared the less secure heterosexuals by almost beating them at competitive sport. The only cool thing is the actual elephants, who must wonder what the flip is going on, ferrying round these ridiculous hoo-rays weilding their sticks. As with all the best sporting events, it's pretty much just an excuse for heavyweight commercial sponsorship and insane amounts of drinking. Thailand is beautiful as ever, but for once, I can't wait to get home.