Pictures too small.? Click on any picture for a
larger view.
On
the way to Phuket, Thailand, we stopped in a number of islands 
on
the way north and did some diving. We really enjoyed Phi Phi Don, a
touristy resort island. Thai massages for $5 US, good food and some decent
diving. Then, on to Phuket to get the boat settled quickly so we could fly to
Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Chiang
Mai is second largest city in Thailand and is in the north western corner of the
country. We enjoyed touring the city - more temples - but the main reason
for heading to Chiang Mai was to ride the elephants.
One of the popular modes of transportation in SE Asia is the Tuk Tuk.
While the exact incarnation varies, most of these are some form of 3 wheel
vehicle. In Chiang Mai, Tuk Tuks 
were
LPG powered motorcycle engines with motorcycle handlebars and throttles but a
stick shift and classic automobile clutch. We enjoyed traveling around the
town in the Tuk Tuk and Jeff managed to convince one of the drivers to let him
take it for a spin.
While
visiting one of the temples, both of us were blessed by a monk.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite work because Gail came down with Dengue Fever a
couple days later. She spent 3 days in a Bangkok hospital. But, in
keeping with SE Asian tradition, she traveled home from the hospital in a Tuk
Tuk.
We've seen many different dance forms since 
we've
left the US. The local cultural center put on a 2 hour dance presentation
and served traditional food. Many of the hill tribes presented their quite
unique dances.
We had heard about the elephants from other cruisers and were really
looking forward to it. It rained for the first two days while we were in
Chiang Mai so we put off the trip a couple of days. The weather cleared
and we headed north to the elephant reserve.
The adventure started with a ride down the river on a bamboo raft.
Then, a ride in an ox cart over a deeply rutted and muddy track. Then,
some lunch and on to the elephants.
Elephants
are a major part of Thailand's history. They were the primary work horse
capable of moving large logs and transporting people and cargo.
While machines have replaced much of the work done by elephants, they still are
a key part of Thailand's heritage. Elephants decorate clothing, 
pillows,
curtains - statues of elephants are everywhere.
The elephants are intelligent and highly trained. We attended a
demonstration of their skills. They moved logs, balanced on their front
legs standing on a log, walked on top of barrels, sat up and even walked
erect. Then, it was on to the elephant rides.
In a lot of ways, the ride reminded us of Disneyland. There were a lot
of people in line 
waiting
to board the elephants. A raised platform is used to allow us to easily
sit on the seat. The driver sits up on the next of the elephant and gives
commands by touch. We rode across the river, through the jungle, up and
down hills and back to where we started.
While the day was more touristy than we expected, we had a fantastic
time. There is definitely something magical about elephants. We had
the opportunity to hand feed them. To get to know you, they stick their
trunk in your face and sniff. They would reach out with their trunks, 
wrap
them around our wrists and gently take the bananas from us. We could have
spent days there.
