When we arrived, we were first escorted to take a river ride on a bamboo raft. We floated down the river for about 40 minutes, taking in the incredible sights of the jungle. Since it's the rainy season in Thailand, everything is lush and so green. We even saw a crocodile floating in the water! It was peaceful and quiet, and it was an amazing way to see the mountains!
After our bamboo raft ride, we were bused back up the river to the camp. We watched the elephants show off their tricks and they came to the side of the cage to meet us! It was really amazing to touch one -- they are so big and tough feeling. Their size can feel intimidating, but they are very gentle.
After the show, it was time to climb on! We were seated in two's on top of each elephant, in little baskets with ralings for safety. There was a 'driver' of sorts sitting on the elephant's head. We walked through the camp, up the mountain, an down into a valley. It started to rain, but it felt nice because it was so hot. The landscapes were breathtaking -- it seems as though the world looks that much more beautiful when you are on top of an elephant.
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| Elephants 'holding hands' |
After the elephant ride, we arrived in a small Lisu (hill-tribe) village where we had an opportunity to buy local goods. I got a deal on a beautiful silver bracelet (90 baht, just under $3). The next leg of the journey began as we mounted carts pulled by oxen. We rode in the rickety carts until we got back to the camp, where we ate a delicious buffet lunch. The whole day cost me 650 baht, just around $20. What a deal!
Last night, the whole group of Americans plus about 10 of our new Thai friends went out for one of the St. Lawrence student's birthdays. We had a great night and I didn't get home until 4:15 am! That's the latest I've ever stayed out. I slept most of today, which was okay because it rained most of the afternoon. This evening, Champ took out KK and me to a restaurant called "Riverside," which overlooked the Ping river that runs through the center of Chiang Mai. We had him order, and I was glad because he chose delicious things! We ate a spicy shrimp soup called Tom Yum Gung, an entire steamed white fish with lemongrass and garlic, some green vegetable that has no translatable English counterpart, and of course plenty of rice. It was amazing. I must say that eating is one thing I've been doing quite well here, despite my fears of getting sick. I've adjusted remarkably well!
Tomorrow morning, we leave for Mae Chaem -- a mountain village three hours outside of Chiang Mai. We'll be staying with families in the village, and we'll be learning all sorts of cool things like traditional cooking, farming, and cotton weaving. I'll be taking my Thai language class inside of a temple! As I won't have my computer or internet, I won't be able to blog until next Saturday or Sunday so stay tuned for a nice long summary of my week's adventures in the hills!
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