Hi all,

We arrived here in Lampang on Tuesday and are leaving for Chang Mai today. Here is a probably very long run down of what we got up to.

Wednesday mornng we woke up and went to the nearby elephant conservation park (not the conversation park as we kept saying), we caught a local bus en route to Chang Mai and met one of the friendliest and outgoing people so far, his English was very good as he had spent time travelling in America with a friend, he told us all about the park and other local sights, told us when we were nearly there, helped us with tickets and even pushed the bell for us when it was time to get off the bus, we arrived 27km north of Lampang outside the conservation park. We got a ticket for 75 baht each and hopped on the shuttle bus to take us down to the main centre of the park. We arrived just in time for the second show of the day, so we bought a drink and sat down. There werent that many people there so we all got front row seats.

The show was really educational as well as entertaining. It wasn't circus tricks and exploitation but based on the age old methods used when elephant and man worked side by side in the forests of asia. They showed us logging techniques and ways the elephants help the mahouts get on and off them, as well as showing the intelligence of these animals e.g. turning on the tap whenever they want a drink and playing a song on bamboo instruments (showing how well they work together). It was truly excellent and very respectful. (see all the pictures and videos, especially the one of them painting). The camera died after the show  so we couldnt take any more photos but that was the main attraction anyway. One part of the show which we didnt get to catch on film but was really special, was when they were making a pile of logs and one of the younger elephants had to put the last little log on which on a previous show had rolled off and hurt/hit her foot. She put that log on so slowly and carefully so as not to let it happen again bless her. An elephant never forgets! It was also nice to see that when one elephant clearly didnt want to do something they were taken off and given a break, never forced. I guess their size dictates the need for respect but it was very nice to see.

After the show all the elephants rushed over to get their well earned sugar cane and bananas from the public who could buy them from the stalls. For 20 baht you could have your picture taken close to the elephant which you gave to the elephant who graciously handed it up to the mahout. It was cute to see how they new the difference and you could almost see the disapointment on their face that it was one of those green things again and not food! This is when i got my pictures taken!  the camera died just after.

After taking a walk around the elephant gallery of all the pictures they had previosuly painted, we walked up to see the elephant hospital. At this park they give free medical care to all elephants in Thailand whether privately owned or from other zoos etc. They had about 15-20 elephants admitted at that time and the board stated that only two were residents of the park. One poor soul had had his foot blown off by a landmine on the Burma border left from the Japenese in WW2. They use traditional herbal medicines as well as drugs to cure them, and most were there just to recuperate and gain strength again, especially the one with depression and anorexia.

You could get elephant rides around the park but we are still waiting for the right time, (maybe on a jungle trek), so we had some lunch and walked around the souvenir shops instead. There were lots of wooden carved elephants for sale.

As we waited for the bus back up to the entrance we notcied that there was another show about to start so we decided to go and watch it again! I'm so glad we did because we decided to buy a painting. We tried to get one of the two that were painted in that show but they were napped up very quicky, however we managed to get one from the first show that morning. We are very pleased with it. It was painted by the oldest lady eleflump there. Her name is Prachaub and she is 27 years old (still a little wippersnapper as they live to around 60/70) and is a very talented artist. (we will be sending it home shortly so as not to damage it on our travels so you can have a look!). We also bought the photo of her painting it too and they will both be proudly framed when we get back.

Aunty Hilary, i was thinking of you the whole day, you would have loved it there! and if the paintings had been cheaper i would have bought you one! (having said that if you really want one let me know coz we may pass through again on our way back.) And that goes for everyone, if there is something specific from Thailand that anyone wants let us know.

They also did 1,3,6,10 day mahout courses there where you learn how to ride and train the elephants and go bathing with them etc but they were a bit pricey. Two girls had chosen to do it and were in the second show! it looked liked good fun.

As we were leaving the bus zoomed buy and we just managed to flag it down. It stopped ages down the road and reversed back for us (on a dual carriageway!).The buses here work very hard to get you on which i love coz in England they seem to work hard not to stop! That whole priceless day cost us 2 pound 10 each!

That evening we got talking to a dutch guy called Jelle who was staying at the same guest house, and we went out for a drink. Some how we got onto the subject of Karma. He beleived in it becuase when he was younger he had a lot of illnesses like asthma and such and that he cured himself by being nice to people and doing nice things and being positive. And what he said next nearly blew me away coz... confession i forgot the Book 'The Secret' due to a chaotic  last couple of hours before we left. I have been on the search for it ever since and then he said 'If you really want to understand what i mean you should read the book 'the Secret'! We laughed coz that was the secret at work there and then at that moment. Funny. He had read it 2 weeks before in Lop buri. I'm sure i'll find it in Chiang Mai though.

The rest of the night we debated stuff together and listened to a live band by the river front. Needless to say we might have had too much alcohol although i put it down to the heat! The next day we were a bit hungover so we had a loungy day watching films in the guest house where the owner kindly set up a little cinema complex for us with comfy seats and dimmed the lights.

Friday (the day after) we went off to Chae Sorn National Park to see some waterfalls and hot springs. It is about 70km north of Lampang. there is no bus to it from the bus station so we had to get a Saemthaew from a back lane. These things dont leave untl they're full so we waited an hour and a half for enough people to turn up. The locals were sitting under the trees chatting and eating sticky rice and meats out of banana leaves and sharing the full carrier bags of fruit they had bought. When it was time to leave they pointed us to one of the vehicles (a pick-up with a roof welded on) and we all climbed in. and hour and half, a bumpy ride, a few stops for the lcoals to buy some more carrier bags of fruit and 2 numb arses later we got off at the park. A hefty 400 baht each to get in! The driver gave us a piece of paper with a phone number on it to ring when we wanted to go back (We were aware that there was no set way of getting back, so we  were grateful for a glimmer of hope that she might take us!).

First we walked up to see Chaesorn Waterfall (the nearest of 4) as it was very hot. When we got to the top the sweat was pouring off us. The steps up the side of the fall were very steep and as Hayley already experienced all too much so far this trip, she and heights are still not buddies. It took her ages to get down them all. (see the cringeworthy video if i let Dan put it on!) After that we had a well earned drink. The food shops there had griddles with chicken legs and racks of ribs and parcels of banana leaves with something delicious in them no doubt. I was dying to try some but didnt for fear of food poisoning, (lack of fridges and chicken dont mix as far as i'm concerned). shame.

We then headed over to the hot springs, which were pools connected by little streams of 75 degree water coming out of 4 bore holes. The delightful smell of eggy sulphur filled the air. We payed 50 baht each to get our own private hot spring bath (a posh shed with a thai bath inside and a shower). there were no robes or towels supplied so we thought sod it and got in starkers. It was bloody hot! but lovely and the cold shower afterwards was heavenly. We stood around for 10 minutes having a conversation while we drip dried!

We walked out glowing and feeling a million times better. It was so refreshing we didnt sweat for hours after (and that's something!). It did wanders for the bites on our legs that appeared overnight as some little blighter decided to have a damn good feast.

When we got back to the car park we asked the girls in the tourist centre to ring the number for us (seemed like a more productive idea). Turned out we had to get a Saemthaew to the nearest town of Baan paniang, where we swapped to another saemthaew heading for Lampang. Again we had to wait for enough people to board before we could leave, and it got so busy in the end with picking people up on the way as well that they were riding on the outside of this thing, just hanging on as we zoomed round mountain roads and overtaking lorries etc without a care in the world! I (Hayley) had bubbles around them trying to keep them safe. Crazyness.

We got off again with an extremely numb arse and went back to the guest house to change into trousers (defensive clothing from the biters!) before braving the riverside for dinner. We then chilled out at the guest house and chatted with a nice american bloke for a while about everywhere he'd travelled then went to bed. We payed the extra 100 baht for air con as we were truly fed up of heat and bity things.

We are off to Chiang Mai now- Woo! Another big read coming soon.

P.s. Thanks for all the messages warning us about the quake in indonesia. The tsunami warning was quickly cancelled afterwards but they are understandably not going to risk anything again. There was no damage or fatalities thankfully. Has put us a bit on edge for when we are over there but its been a lesson to keep on eye on the news.

Lots of love,  speak to you soon. xxxx