Chiang Mai: 6-10 Dec 2013

Playing cards at our very own private table

Rach says:

After a very fast and wobbly 5.5 hour bus ride from Sukhothai, we flew into the forecourt of our guesthouse Naruncha Green on one wheel of our tuk-tuk, almost overturning in the entrance. We are used to these Asian drivers keeping you on your toes, but even so... At least we were greeted with a beer and a Pad Thai each - thanks Marije and Evelien!

Whilst I was still at home planning the trip, spending a day with elephants in Chiang Mai was one of the experiences I was looking forward to the most. When we last visited the country in 2010, we rode an elephant seated on a bench strapped to the elephant's back, only later finding out that this can cause them spinal damage. Since then, I had seen photos of other travellers riding elephants bareback, which looked such an amazing and natural experience. Pete's main concern at this point was the thought of being on an unpredictable animal 3 metres off the ground without a crash helmet - he was less than keen!

However, the more I looked into it, the more I discovered that supporting elephant tourism was not a responsible choice at all. I learnt about the horrors of the phajaan or 'elephant crush', whereby young elephants are torn from their mothers (traumatic in itself), chained in a tiny enclosure and then ritualistically abused whilst being deprived of food and sleep. This crushes the elephant's spirits so that it becomes forever submissive to humans. ANY elephant in Asia that works for humans, performs tricks or that you are able to ride, bareback or otherwise, has been through this appalling process.

Too late, I found out about the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for elephants rescued from the logging and tourism industries. Many have suffered abuses such as blinding and addiction to amphethamines to make them more submissive and work harder. These elephants now live a free and peaceful life roaming the parkland. The sanctuary allows a limited number of visitors per day (so booking well in advance is essential) and the staff aim to educate tourists about the treatment of elephants in Thailand, as well as offering opportunities to feed and bathe the elephants, but no riding. Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary near Sukhothai (another missed opportunity!) is also an ethical choice.

Chiang Mai Night Market

By this stage of our travels, I felt that we were losing our way. We had passed up opportunities in Bangkok, now we were drifting around Chiang Mai (which was pleasant enough - lots of inviting bars, restaurants and shops - but there's not much 'about it') and I was feeling a sense of disappointment with Northern Thailand. I was so tired that I slept for a good 20 minutes with my head balanced on Pete's shoulder in McDonald's in the middle of the day. We had also binned off our plans for Laos - needing to travel more slowly and not wishing to travel either on Lao roads or on Lao Airlines. (Ditto the reasons for binning off Nepal, plus they are due a major earthquake.) We would make just a short visit to refresh our Thai visas, travelling in by boat and out by Bangkok Airways.

Muay Thai match

Our best and funniest memories of Chiang Mai are playing cards with Marije and Evelien, eating enchiladas almost daily at the Saloon Bar, watching Muay Thai and Marije's unfortunately slightly 'dodgy' massage... Still, we don't learn and off three of us toddled to get a Thai head, neck and shoulder massage (Evelien was intelligent enough to opt for a nap instead). Whilst not 'dodgy', it did turn out to be something of an ordeal, when the masseuses started climbing on top of us, warning "don't worry" (?!) and then counterbalancing us into positions that a gymnast would be proud of. The walk home was spent comparing the new pains we had developed...