Chiang Mai: Elephants and Ziplining

Day two in Chiang Mai started pretty early again. We had a pickup at our hostel at 8:00AM to go to Baanchang Elephant Park. Rick had booked this for us before we got to Thailand. It wasn't our first choice actually but we ended up being very happy with it.

If you don't know me very well, elephants are my favourite animal, ever. Seriously. When I go the zoo, it is all for the elephants. And when we first talked about going to Thailand, this was always something we knew we would do. Safe to say, I was excited about this for awhile.

Right when we got there, we were introduced to our guide for the day, Tom. He gave us a rundown for the day and instructed us to change into our new outfits. Everyone had to wear what Tom told us is traditional mahout clothing. A mahout is an elephant trainer, they have their own elephant that they take care of 24/7.

So we were all in our new clothes and we set off to feed the elephants their daily snack of bananas and sugarcane. I still think that feeding them was one of the highlights. Most of the elephants just wanted you to put the food near their trunks and then they would feed themselves. But a select few let us put the bananas right in their mouth, it was unreal.

Once the elephants were finished their snack, we were taught the basic commands for riding an elephant. First, we were taught how to tell them to lay down so that we can get on top of them to ride them. Then we were taught how to tell them to turn right or left, go straight and stop. This was all in preparation for our hour long jungle ride on the elephants.

Learning to ride

We took a break for lunch and the food they made us was actually pretty good. I always assume that a free lunch means a bad lunch but this wasn't the case. Next it was time to ride our elephants.

Rick and I had paid for an elephant each rather than riding one together. I was a little scared at the idea of riding this huge elephant by myself but still excited. The mahouts started bringing the elephants over and they brought over the cutest little baby. I said to Rick, "Oooooh!!! I really want the baby!!!" He assured me that it wouldn't happen, that there was no way they would let anyone ride the baby. And then it was like they called my name on the price is right; the baby was mine!!!! I was elated and less scared at the idea of riding a 10 foot tall elephant as opposed to a 25 foot tall one.

Once we started riding, it was clear that teaching us the commands was just a technicality. The mahouts walked beside us and our elephants the whole time, leading the way and giving them directions. Rick says that his elephant did listen to his directions some times but who knows if I believe him.... Regardless, it was an amazing experience. While Rick was riding his, he got to feed him on the way. Both of our elephants decided to shoot water at us and we led our whole group.

If the day had ended there, I would have been more than content but it wasn't over. The final part of our day with elephants was bathing them. We all got into a lake and swam, played with, scrubbed, and washed our elephants. It was surreal. At the end of it, the mahouts showed us a little trick where the elephants spray us with their trunk.

I would recommend Baanchang Elephant Park to anyone visiting Chiang Mai. Not only was it a great experience but they do treat the elephants humanely there. Another bonus is that throughout the day, our guide was constantly taking pictures of us when we were in situations where we can't. For example, Tom got some great pictures of Rick and I riding our elephants, and bathing the elephants. The pictures were put on Facebook by the next day, free of charge for us to download.

Our next day was fully planned with ziplining. We booked with Flight of the Gibbon; which was the most expensive option but the entire experience was fantastic. They picked us up from our hostel which was convenient and they drive us back after we were finished. After our day riding elephants, our legs were in a lot of pain. We were both worried that our ziplining adventure wouldn't be as enjoyable but that wasn't the case. However, the day after ziplining, our legs felt even worse. 

Our group was small and we made a good friend named Laura. She was supposed to do the trip with her boyfriend but he had food poisoning, we had a lot of fun with her. It was a lot of fun and they don't really give you a chance to be nervous which was good for me. Our guide, Cash, was awesome. He was very funny and made the experience even better. We ziplined for about two and a half hours and then they provide you with a free lunch. After, your group heads to a beautiful waterfall and a hike to take pictures. It was breathtaking but I was tired so I sent Rick off on his lonesome while I relaxed.

The only negative about ziplining is they take all these beautiful photos for you, and tell you they are free throughout the trip. Then, when you finish, we are told that only ONE photo is free and we can pay for them to upload them to a dropbox. We ended up buying it but I felt it was just a money grab. The ziplining is already pretty expensive, why not just offer the photos for free on their Facebook page like the Elephant Park? Regardless, the photos were nice. Maybe not worth the money we paid however since we also got our own photos. Here are some samples.

Gibbon!

Hanging out in the jungle

Our guide Cash

  

After we decided to explore Chiang Mai a little more on our last night there. We headed to the night market and stopped a few times at some restaurants for a drink. The night market was nice but I think we would've been more impressed if we hadn't have been to so many night markets in Taiwan.

While in Chiang Mai, we stayed at Your House Guest House. The location was great, the price was amazing, and the rooms were good too, especially for what we paid. Not to mention, the staff there was amazing. So helpful. On our last day, our flight was at 7AM so we had to be there an hour early. They couldn't find us a taxi so one of their staff members woke up at 5AM to drive us. I would recommend anyone to stay there.

Chiang Mai: Exploring

Next stop: Chiang Mai. We flew to Chiang Mai from Bangkok at 10AM and arrived by 11:30, we were at our hostel by 12. It was a really quick journey and easy process. We flew with Bangkok Airways; their price was relatively cheap and after having flown with them, I have no complaints. Everyone was friendly and helpful; exactly what you want out of an airline.

Being a weirdo at the airport in Chiang Mai

Once we had checked into our hostel, we set out to explore. We had a total of about 2 and a half days in Chiang Mai. And our next two days were already planned with elephants and zip lining so our first day was spent exploring.

First, we headed to Somphet Market. It was around the corner from our hostel so we figured why not. I think this market would have been much more impressive if we hadn't already been living in Taiwan for 11 months. Somphet Market sold fruit, spices, meat, and vegetables; the same stuff that 3 markets within walking distance of our apartment sell. We saw a lot of other tourists there who seemed to be super impressed so I think its worth a visit but to us, it wasn't anything special.

Next we set out to eat. We saw a sign for a burrito place and headed over to Diablos. The atmosphere was really interesting. There were a lot of posters with quotes about anarchy and breaking through the mold. Plus, the food was amazing. We both decided on chicken burritos and we loved every second of them. Pina Coladas on top of that definitely made it one of my favourite meals so far.

If you like pina coladaaaaaaas

Our next stop was a temple; Wat Lamchang. We found it by accident while we were looking for the bigger temple but it was a happy accident. While there, we read some cool history about the two temples and the war. Also there was a beautiful statue of an elephant but it made us sad when we saw he was chained. Upon reading the explanation, Lamchang in Thai means tethered elephant. So it is literally the Temple to Tethered Elephants; hence the chained elephant. After some admiring, we were off to find the temple we were actually looking for in the first place. 

Wat Lamchang

A little bit of back home!

We ended up finding the back entrance to Wat Chiang Mun and because of that, I was convinced it actually wasn't it. Before this temple, I had come prepared with my own clothes to cover up. I changed and then we explored the grounds. Wat Chiang Mun's grounds were more extensive which meant a lot more to look at. Again, the history we learned was insightful. I find that I have a much more enjoyable time at Temples if I know some more about them.

Wat Chiang Mun

Wat Chiang Mun

Wat Chiang Mun

Next we headed to the Night Bazaar. Here we found some cool finds for ourselves as well as for some friends and family back home. Most of the stalls were selling the same stuff every 10 stalls or so but I still believe it was worth it to go. Some of the items that were being sold were so cool, I wish I could go back to buy them.

We couldn't handle the misspelling of bazaar all over the city...

Along the back of the night market, Rick saw a restaurant he wanted to go to called "So Be It." The decor was pretty and the staff were super excited for us to come and sit down. They checked on us probably 10 times throughout the meal, were constantly staring and after we had finished eating, they asked us of we thought we would ever come back. We thought it was a little odd but didn't think too much of it. Then when Rick was paying, he saw a magazine called "Come out!" with a very fabulous man on the cover. Upon looking around, we saw rainbows everywhere and only men customers and staff. That's when we realized we were in a gay bar/restaurant. Regardless, the food was great and it definitely provided us with a good laugh.

Our fabulous restaurant

He is so fabulous

Bangkok: Part One

Our first day and a half in Thailand was spent in Bangkok. We got off the plane and headed right to our hostel on flt he legendary Khao Sf them had to be spent there. We were both really glad once we got there.

From what I had read online, I was a little apprehensive but it turned out to be a really cool atmosphere. Khao San Road is considered a haven for backpackers. Hostels lining the streets along with food stalls, sketchy travel agencies, and cheap goods for sale. The perfect place to start our Thailand vacation.

Perusing the goods

Our first night was spent walking the street since we got there pretty late we didn't want to go too far. So we enjoyed some food, did some shopping, and enjoyed some buckets. We have noticed in Thailand that it is super popular to, instead of buying a drink normally, to get a super size of it on a bucker. So that is what we did. Nothing is better than a super sized Pina Colada.

For our second day in Bangkok, we had planned to do the floating market. Our hostel sets it up for people staying there so when we asked about it the night before, the worker said to ask his boss in the morning. We woke up at 9 to find out they leave for the floating market at 7. Considering the change of plans, we decided to go to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. It was only a 15 minute walk and off we went.

We thought it was hot in Taiwan but the heat in Bangkok was on another level. On our walk, we ran into a lovely Thai woman who told us all about her British husband and a private boat tour we can take that will bring us to the Grand Palace. We had heard so many things about people getting scammed in Thailand so we were very apprehensive but we ended up taking her advice. She hailed a tuk tuk for us, negotiated the price down and told him "no shopping, no stopping!" Another scam in Bangkok is that a tuk tuk driver promises you a cheap and fast ride, then he stops at 20 little stores along the way that he gets a commission from. The woman told us if he stops, we should go right to the police. Lucky for US, he didn't stop. Brought us right to our destination and soon enough, we were on our own private boat tour.

Our first tuk-tuk ride

  

Personal boat tour

Our driver took us on an hour long boat ride. It was a really cool way to see the city of Bangkok. We went through some locks with other boats when I didn't think that any of us would fit but they always made it work. We stopped at a beautiful temple called Wat Khun Chan. Took lots of pictures. Then we were finally at the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace was beautiful and I thought that before we even went inside. When we got there, there were recordings playing warning visitors about the scams that occur around the area. Apparently an important looking person will approach you, tell you that the Grand Palace is not open today and you should do some other ridiculously priced tourist thing instead. Luckily, we had no one try to convince us of this. I personally feel like I would have been easily convinced.

Once inside, you had to be wearing the proper clothes to go in. We thought with my long dress that I would be okay but that wasn't the case. No shoulders allowed so we headed back to the entrance and borrowed some clothes for me to wear over my dress. For $200 Baht (around $6 CAD) you can borrow clothes and when you return the clothes, you get your money back. It was 500 Baht ($16-18 CAD), a little expensive from what we are used to in Taiwan, to get in but we think it was worth it.

Every building was so beautiful. Words really can't explain. Even the grounds were breathtaking. We both found it really humbling to be there. I think both of our favourite part was surrounding most of the buildings was a covered walkway with a massive, continual Buddhist painting lining it. There were so many different scenes and none of them were the same. We had a lot of fun talking about the paintings and making up our own stories about what was happening. Under each one was an explanation in Thai, so we will never know the real explanation. Like I said, words can't explain the beauty so I will post pictures here once we get back to Taiwan.

All I will say for now is if you have the chance to go there, you should 100% take it.

Our next destination was Wat Pho. I was very excited to go there because I had read it was a little more low key than the Grand Palace which I liked to hear. We decided to walk there, we both seem to have a huge distrust in tuk tuk drivers as well as taxi drivers. We are so scared of getting ripped off so we have been avoiding them at all costs.

The walk didn't take too long and it was pretty straightforward. We had arrived. To enter the main temple, I had to again borrow some clothes. This time it was a large bath robe, kind of amusing. Then we took off our shoes and saw the Reclining Buddha. It was so massive and so surreal to see right in front of our eyes. Seeing something so big that people believe so much in can really make a person feel small.

After finishing our time with the Reclining Buddha we spent some time walking around the beautiful grounds and admiring the other buildings and structures. One of my favorite things about Rick is he can have fun where ever he is.

Reclining Buddha

Before finishing our time in Bangkok, we decided we had to see a Muay Thai match. Having heard, read and watched so much about it, we didn't want to miss our chance. Off we went to the Ratchadamnoen Stadium. It was actually pretty expensive and we bought the cheapest section but it was definitely a night to remember. Our third level was full of local Thais who were drinking and gambling on who they believed would be the winner. It was very cool to be there and while it was expensive, I would still recommend it to anyone visiting Bangkok.

We spent the rest of our night figuring out how we would get to the airport the next day as we were headed to Chiang Mai at 10AM. After that was figured out, we ate, rested, shopped on Khao San Road and said goodbye to Bangkok until four days later when we returned for a day.

While in Bangkok we stayed at Charaondee Boutique Hostel on Khao San Road. I would recommend this hostel to anyone who wants to stay in this area. Free breakfast of coffee or tea and toast. They also offer more choices for breakfast if you want to pay a small amount. There is free WiFi along with a computer for anyone to use which I found really helpful. It can really be a pain always using your phone to access the  internet. Regardless of what you may read about Khao San Road, I always felt safe at the hostel. Rick, braver than myself, even left his passport and electronics in the room during the day and nothing was taken. Very affordable price.

Thailand... Six Hours till Takeoff

I just finished packing our suitcase and decided to take a break before I pack my carry-on. Our flight to Bangkok takes off at 4:30 and arrives at 7:20. We will be staying in Bangkok for one night before heading to Chiang Mai for three days for elephants, ziplining and more. Then we are headed to Koh Phangan for the Half Moon Party. After that, Ko Phi Phi for four days of relaxation, beaches, scuba diving (for Rick), and monkeys! Then back to Bangkok for a few more days before we come back to Taiwan.

Getting super excited! All of our confirmations are printed out and ready to go. Suitcase is packed. It was really hard fitting two weeks into one little suitcase (FOR TWO PEOPLE) but I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself.  We didn't want to bring too big of a suitcase because of all the travelling we are doing so one little one it is.

Atlas is staying at a friend's house. It is kind of sad how much I am going to miss him.... :(

ANYWAY

Thailand. Two Weeks. I'll try to update as we go whenever I have time and/or WiFi. We both really needed this vacation to recharge us for working six days a week. By the time we get back, only two and a half months to go on our contract!!!!!!!!!!

Off we go, gooooood bye!

Happy Birthday to the Best Woman Around

Today is my mom's birthday. It also happens to be Halloween. When I was younger, I imagine my mother was often sad on her birthday because it was pushed to the side for the best holiday (according to children, who doesn't love free candy?) But as I get older, I see the importance of her birthday.

My mother and I often haven't seen eye to eye. During my teenage years, I really gave her a run for her money. It is a wonder how all of her hair didn't fall out with worry. I guess that was left to my father. If you know my dad, you would know that the top of his head is looking mighty shiny these days, but I digress. Back to my mom. I really believe that everything I put her through made our relationship into what it is today. (Or that's what I like to tell myself so I feel better...)

I can safely say, without an hesitation or questioning that my mother is one of my best friends. Looking back, I feel very awful about when I didn't appreciate her as much as I should have. A lot of people think that we skype every day solely for her benefit but I don't think I could've gotten through this part year without waking up her to face every morning. My mother is the kindest, strongest, humblest, and most passionate person that I know. If I end up being a quarter of the woman that she is, I will consider that to be an amazing accomplishment. No matter what happens, my mother can always forgive and keep on going on. She is so precious to me and I have no idea where I would be without her. I love her so much. Whenever she is upset, I get just as upset because I hate to see such a kind and amazing woman feel anything but awesome.

Happy Birthday to my Mother.
Mom, I love you, and I will see you in three months.