So after another long bus journey of 23 hours, on a seater bus we finally arrived in chaing mai Thailand!! First thing first was food and we had mcdoanlds:)) and then we went off to find a tuk tuk to take us to our guesthouse! Arriving there and instantly liking it, just far enough away from the centre on a quiet street with really nice owners! This evening just consisted of getting food and going to sleep due to both being tired after our long journey!

The next day we had a lie in which is something we don't have too often and cereal for breakfast!!!!!! Then went out to wonder the streets of chaing mai and get to know our surroundings for the next 5 days! In the afternoon we had so much fun visiting a 3d museum which is paintings on the wall all in 3d! we ran around like kids posing with all the different photos and had such a laugh! Then off to dinner before heading to night bazzar a massive market(biggest we been too) that takes place every night in the centre of town and of course we ended up buying a few bits!

The next day was our most favourite day of the whole trip and probably will be one of the best things we ever get to do in our lives, ELEPHANTS!!!! We chose happy elephant home where you don't ride the elephants you just spend the day playing and enjoying being with them, with no harm involved! Everyone that worked there was so nice and could see they all had such a good bond with the 4 elephants that were there, one being a 4 month old baby who is so funny and pushes everyone out the way!!
On the way to the elephants we stopped off to get big bunches of bananas for us to feed them! Arriving at the home we all had to get changed into different clothes so that the elephants know the smell and do not get confused! Then it was time to be introduced to the elephants and it was so amazing!! Instantly they come towards you smelling the bananas and reach for them out of your hand with their trunk! After spending sometime feeding them and getting used to being with these massive elephants so much bigger than I ever imagined!!! It was time for them to have a mud bath, well and a mud bath for us too!! So other we went to this pool in the ground full of mud and poo the elephants went in a rolled around covering themselves in mud and then we joined in splashing them and playing! Of course I (Emma) was the first one for the elephant to fill up his trunk and spray mud all over me which resulted in everyone else laughing, was very funny! After this was lunch to let the elephants rest staying in our muddy clothes we had lunch which also turned into a game of bingo with the winner having to do a huge shot of rum which was me and dom :((

Then we headed down to the village to cut some sugar cane for the elephants to eat and we then met up with the elephants for a walk along to the river for a swim!!! This also was so much fun watching the elephants play and being so close to them is the most amazing feeling!! Splashing them and them splashing us back with their trunks it was incredible and we both for sure would do anything to be able to live that day again!! Walking back with our new elephant friends (which is something I will never forget, they are so massive and we were so small)to the elephant home sadly our day was over with them:(( but we didn't want the day to be over at all! Heading back to Chaing mai we could not stop talking and thinking about the day that we were so lucky to have!! We attempted the market again but we're both just too tired so settled for food and sleep!!

The next day we were up early again for our cooking class!! This was also an exciting day firstly visiting the local morning food market when all the locals are going around collecting all their foods together! Was very interesting to see! Then we were off to the farm where we spent the rest of the day cooking 6 Thai dishes me and dom chose them same so we could compare who's was better (dom gets very competitive). Dom insisted that all of his dishes were better but I beg to differ however he did roll his spring rolls very neat which he was proud to have done better than mine!! We will for sure be cooking a Thai meal when we come home!!!

After our class which took up the whole day we were very tired after our three busy days so had naps before going out to get some food and go to sleep!!

We had a lie in the next day and with it now being our last day in Chang mai we wanted to make sure we spent it seeing something else so in the afternoon we went to visit some massive gardens just out of town where we only had a couple hours till it shut so didn't get to make our way around the whole gardens but we had fun!! Before heading home and going to the Saturday night market which was so cramped you could hardly move and neither of us enjoyed it so opted to go to night bazzar market again which was a lot lot nicer! And that was our time up in chaing mai and it was so so much fun! Now into the north of Thailand, pai!