To finish up our day of Good Mood and Good Food, we took to the streets of Chiang Mai and embraced an evening of wandering. My colleague's daughter is living in Chiang Mai, and we have an amazing list of recommendations from Mary. Thanks to her, we uncovered a secret Terracotta Garden that is filled with sculptures and greenery...a nd tucked inconspicuously on an unassuming side street. We also enjoyed dinner of massaman curry and an insanely spicy "salad" at Morning Glory Restaurant, located on another quiet side street.
On Sunday the streets fill up with a bigger walking market than Saturday night. The town shuts down and everyone takes to the streets. Our bartering skills were tested to full capacity when we encountered a cute-as-a-button young Thai girl who ran a market stall with her mother. This young girl was conversing in carefully chosen English words, and she was doing a fantastic job at it. We learned that she was 12 years old and loves math and science. She didn't know the word "engineer," but her mom quickly explained it to her in Thai. We left paying a higher price than we may have otherwise for our souvenirs, but we were satisfied with the negotiation because it included a picture with her and words of encouragement to keep up her study of math and science! I happily finished the evening at the market by finding my Thai owl. It's a bookmark made from a silk screen print.
Shopping was complete, but our evening was not quite done. Earlier in the day, we dropped off our laundry at a local shop that also offered Thai massages. Let's just say the seed was planted, and at an average of 15,000+ steps per day, our "dogs were barking" - Melissa's line, not mine. So yes, we received foot massages at the same place that did our laundry, and I'm really really okay with that. Our clothes and feet had a much needed freshening!
We were picked up early the next morning for a 60 km bus ride for another day we had been anticipating for weeks, visiting the Elephant Nature Park. This park is world renowned for rehabilitating elephants; no riding, trekking, or shows occur. A video was shown during the ride, and we learned a lot about elephant history in greater Thailand. Even though Thailand is only 75% the size of Texas, it contains 90% of all animal species. Historically, elephants worked for the logging industry or as begging for tourists' money in the city streets. Logging was banned in 1989 but it left over 3000 elephants in a dire situation. The park is now home to 44 rescued elephants, 200 cats, and 400 dogs. Many of the animals were abused or injured by the effects of war in neighboring countries like landmines.
We spent the day going on small walks across the 300-acre property to spend time with the five herds of elephants. None are related by blood, but they've created their own protective families on the land. There's a few individual elephants that haven't been adopted into a herd yet, mostly due to trust issues stemming from previous ownership. It warmed our hearts when we learned that there are two dogs that always accompany Janpeng, who is the oldest elephant and has a flower as an "earring." Typically elephants don't like any creatures lower than knees height, but these two dogs were an elephants' best friend! I bet Janpeng would get along with Sophie too.
Rules for being with the the elephants sounds a lot like the eating and traveling rituals of the Curly Girls:
1. Don't stand directly in front of one, especially if food is involved.
2. Elephants don't have peripheral vision, so they get spooked if you approach from behind.
3. Do not reach your hand into the mouth of the elephant.
4. Don't pick up dropped food; they are highly skilled at picking it up within the five second rule.
5. Do not tease one by waving food around, or you may get smacked.
6. Feed them watermelon and toss water on them on a scorching day, and their dimples will be out in full force.
7. One needs to consume 350 to 400 pounds of fruits and vegetables PER DAY in order to stay full.
8. Friendship and loyalty drive decisions throughout the day; where one goes, the others follow.
Words cannot do justice for how cool this day was for us. The elephants are truly majestic. Weighing in at over 1500 kilos, they are able to discreetly appear at your side with no audible notice. I could go on and on, but I'm going to the let the pictures speak for themselves.... Enjoy!
On Sunday the streets fill up with a bigger walking market than Saturday night. The town shuts down and everyone takes to the streets. Our bartering skills were tested to full capacity when we encountered a cute-as-a-button young Thai girl who ran a market stall with her mother. This young girl was conversing in carefully chosen English words, and she was doing a fantastic job at it. We learned that she was 12 years old and loves math and science. She didn't know the word "engineer," but her mom quickly explained it to her in Thai. We left paying a higher price than we may have otherwise for our souvenirs, but we were satisfied with the negotiation because it included a picture with her and words of encouragement to keep up her study of math and science! I happily finished the evening at the market by finding my Thai owl. It's a bookmark made from a silk screen print.
Shopping was complete, but our evening was not quite done. Earlier in the day, we dropped off our laundry at a local shop that also offered Thai massages. Let's just say the seed was planted, and at an average of 15,000+ steps per day, our "dogs were barking" - Melissa's line, not mine. So yes, we received foot massages at the same place that did our laundry, and I'm really really okay with that. Our clothes and feet had a much needed freshening!
We were picked up early the next morning for a 60 km bus ride for another day we had been anticipating for weeks, visiting the Elephant Nature Park. This park is world renowned for rehabilitating elephants; no riding, trekking, or shows occur. A video was shown during the ride, and we learned a lot about elephant history in greater Thailand. Even though Thailand is only 75% the size of Texas, it contains 90% of all animal species. Historically, elephants worked for the logging industry or as begging for tourists' money in the city streets. Logging was banned in 1989 but it left over 3000 elephants in a dire situation. The park is now home to 44 rescued elephants, 200 cats, and 400 dogs. Many of the animals were abused or injured by the effects of war in neighboring countries like landmines.
We spent the day going on small walks across the 300-acre property to spend time with the five herds of elephants. None are related by blood, but they've created their own protective families on the land. There's a few individual elephants that haven't been adopted into a herd yet, mostly due to trust issues stemming from previous ownership. It warmed our hearts when we learned that there are two dogs that always accompany Janpeng, who is the oldest elephant and has a flower as an "earring." Typically elephants don't like any creatures lower than knees height, but these two dogs were an elephants' best friend! I bet Janpeng would get along with Sophie too.
Rules for being with the the elephants sounds a lot like the eating and traveling rituals of the Curly Girls:
1. Don't stand directly in front of one, especially if food is involved.
2. Elephants don't have peripheral vision, so they get spooked if you approach from behind.
3. Do not reach your hand into the mouth of the elephant.
4. Don't pick up dropped food; they are highly skilled at picking it up within the five second rule.
5. Do not tease one by waving food around, or you may get smacked.
6. Feed them watermelon and toss water on them on a scorching day, and their dimples will be out in full force.
7. One needs to consume 350 to 400 pounds of fruits and vegetables PER DAY in order to stay full.
8. Friendship and loyalty drive decisions throughout the day; where one goes, the others follow.
Words cannot do justice for how cool this day was for us. The elephants are truly majestic. Weighing in at over 1500 kilos, they are able to discreetly appear at your side with no audible notice. I could go on and on, but I'm going to the let the pictures speak for themselves.... Enjoy!
Beyond the elephants, the volunteers and visitors at the park were especially memorable. Our tour group had the most and some of the coolest Americans we've met in SE Asia. Many were spending many months - even up to a year - traveling. We swapped some great stories and added many new destinations to our travel list based on their advice. Melissa and I also enjoyed our vegetarian-only buffet lunch (no animal products served at the park) with with two awesome Aussie women, pronounced "ozz-ies." We quickly realized we could swap places with them and not much would change except a couple of decades. These two women were at the Nature Park for a week of volunteering. They even maintain a blog of the memories they create! They were still recovering from a case of the giggles earlier in the day that was infectious; the mere thought would throw one into a fit of laughter all over again. We'll definitely be in touch when we go to Australia. I'll smell the roses for now, but it sure did feel like a glimpse into our future :-).
A quiet evening was in order after a blissful day with the elephants. We took advantage of my Mary's recommendations - again - and headed to Cooking Love. We still needed to try Kao Soi, a northern Thai specialty. Northern Thailand is known for milder flavors than the South, and let me tell you, every dish has packed a punch so far. The North Thai food is supposed to be easier on the heat but increase the tart/tangy-ness. The Kao Soi was yellow, peanut-y, and had the right bit of tang. Next to the Tom Kah soup in Bangkok, the Kao Sui is right up there for my favorite dishes. We also indulged (read: shared) in our first infamous Chang Beer. Supposedly, this beer is known for its unknown alcohol content, easy drinkability, and terrible hangovers. We only found the second to be true in that list :-)
A day filled with elephants needed to be topped with a cherry, and there's only one way to do that in Thailand: We made appointments at the number #1 Thai massage spa in Chiang Mai called Green Bamboo. Following the Vietnamese massage, I thought I knew what I was in for, but boy was I wrong. I was stretched, twisted, and hit... And it was magical. Don't worry; Melissa was too. For a Thai massage, they have you change into a different set of clothes that are like XXXL nurses scrubs. The masseuse then proceeds to twist your body into yoga positions - the ones I wish I could do but can never pull off - then she pushes them a little bit farther. There's lots of yanking and bending involved; it's considered a form of acupressure. I have a pretty good feeling there's going to be a few more of these as our next stop is in a Thai island for some real R&R!
Love,
Alysa and Melissa
A quiet evening was in order after a blissful day with the elephants. We took advantage of my Mary's recommendations - again - and headed to Cooking Love. We still needed to try Kao Soi, a northern Thai specialty. Northern Thailand is known for milder flavors than the South, and let me tell you, every dish has packed a punch so far. The North Thai food is supposed to be easier on the heat but increase the tart/tangy-ness. The Kao Soi was yellow, peanut-y, and had the right bit of tang. Next to the Tom Kah soup in Bangkok, the Kao Sui is right up there for my favorite dishes. We also indulged (read: shared) in our first infamous Chang Beer. Supposedly, this beer is known for its unknown alcohol content, easy drinkability, and terrible hangovers. We only found the second to be true in that list :-)
A day filled with elephants needed to be topped with a cherry, and there's only one way to do that in Thailand: We made appointments at the number #1 Thai massage spa in Chiang Mai called Green Bamboo. Following the Vietnamese massage, I thought I knew what I was in for, but boy was I wrong. I was stretched, twisted, and hit... And it was magical. Don't worry; Melissa was too. For a Thai massage, they have you change into a different set of clothes that are like XXXL nurses scrubs. The masseuse then proceeds to twist your body into yoga positions - the ones I wish I could do but can never pull off - then she pushes them a little bit farther. There's lots of yanking and bending involved; it's considered a form of acupressure. I have a pretty good feeling there's going to be a few more of these as our next stop is in a Thai island for some real R&R!
Love,
Alysa and Melissa
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