Fit Likey Fae Chiang Mai,
Arrived here off our Bangkok flight mid-afternoon with a grumpy Brigger after leaving her £1.50 Leopard Print Pete Docherty style hat at Bangkok Airport haha. Was 2Km from Airport to Central Chiang Mai so we decided to just walk... Bad Idea. The Songkran festival was still in full flow here so we were dodging every passing pick-up truck that had people chucking water out the back at everyone and all the people on the street with their hoses and water guns. Miraculously we arrived at our hostel not too wet. That afternoon we just chilled out in the beer garden infront of our hostel but Jonny being Jonny couldn't resist and hit the street with buckets of water and a Water Gun haha.
The next day we had booked a day trip through our hostel to The Chiang Mai Elephant Mahout Training Camp. A Mahout are the guys that ride on the neck of the elephant commanding it where to go. So it being a training camp we went to; we were taught how to command the elephant to lift its leg for you to climb onto its back/ go forward, reverse , right/left and stop(Yout) which we said quite alot that day. In the morning session we learned all the commands we needed and how to get up onto the elephants. The 2 ways are either asking the Elephant to raise its leg and then climb up shouting SUNG SUNG which means UP UP or... shout Gowyak and the elephant curls up its trunk and leans forward until it touches the ground then you frog jump over its head onto its neck... Jonny preferred the 2nd way haha Along with this we feed the Elephants about 8tonnes of fruit and sugar cane.
After our lunch our group of 10 were given an elephant per pair and now got to ride the elephant commanding it where to go without any help from the Professional Mahouts! Our elephants name was 'Cantona' which Jonny was ecstatic about and it behaved very well only wondering off once down a hill to a tree of plants crushing about 10 7ft Bushes - Brigger was sh*tting it incase she would have fall off at this point haha. We rid the elephants to a river where we got off and got in with the elephants to give them a wash - turned into a mini Songkran Festival, Water flying everywhere! After this we we went to a mud pool where we covered the elephants in mud to protect their skin from mosquitos and the headed back to camp. An excellent experience which am sure the pictures will reflect. 2nd to the Elephants the highlight of the day was the journey back to central Chiang Mai from the Camp. We had a dips*** of a French lady in our group who had been an arse the whole day complaing about absolutely everything and just being a stuck up twat. So on the way home she decided she was feeling a bit hot so opened the window of the bus to get some air. 2minutes later we slowed down to pass through a local village and whole pale of water was flung at the bus right at the open window. She was absolutely drenched and roaring out of her like she had been shot. Was absolutely hilarious... i think she got bit angrier seens as though Jonnys reaction was to literally roll on the floor having a laughing fit haha Good Old Froggies.
So after an excellent day with the Elephants we headed for Chiang Mai's Night Market where Brishay decided she wanted to buy a new handbag as her old one had got wrecked during all the Songkran carry on. 4 hours trapsing round the market and alot of haggling later we finally managed to buy/haggle for a fake designer bag in her budget of 13p haha!
Our last day in Chiang Mai we rented a Moped and headed for Tiger Kingdom. Tiger Sanctuary that lets you go in a pet/play with 4month old tigers right up to Fully grown Tigers. We decided to just go in with the smallest there who were 4/5months old as we had already done this last year on our trip in Bangkok. Brishay was in her element petting, lying down cuddling the wee cubs. Pretty suprised she didnt hide one in her new handbag.... lol I have to admit it was a really good as they were free to roam in a big enclosure with no chains or anything on them. After the Tigers we headed for a Mountain called Doi Suthep where we visited a Buddhist temple right at the peak which was really beautiful, almost as nice as The Grand Palace in Bangkok. I have to add Shay wasn't aloud in as she didn't have her knees or shoulders covered up so she had to rent a Thai sheet and pashmina to cover herself up lol looked like a proper little Buddha haha. We got some really good pictures of Chiang Mai from the mountain and it was a scorcher of a day.
We then headed to an 11 hole golf course where Jonny played and was joined by a member to play with. They both had caddies and i think Jonny thought he was Segrio Garcia walking up the fairway with his caddie lol pity he didn't play like him though. The guy playing name was called Po and he was 70. Was a really good player and really nice man who bought us juice at the halfway point. Good Day had Again. That night we went out for tea then went to a pub to watch the FA Cup Semi which i don't want to talk about. At halftime however a little kid no older than 6 or 7 came in trying to sell the usual roses and flower bands. He just came and sat at our table asking if he could play connect 4 with Jonny, Jonny agreed but the little boy laid some rules down : if Jonny lost he gave him 40Baht (80p), if Jonny won he would give him a rose. Jonny agreed and the game lasted about 40seconds with the boy having the biggest grin on his face. Jonny paid him up and the wee lad gave me a rose anyway, made me feel all warm inside haha Nice Kid!
As you can see by the length of the blog we have both really really enjoyed are time in Chiang Mai and def are favorite city if not place in Thailand. Right now we are waiting for our bus to show up and take us to a place called Pai which is further North almost beside the Myanmar border. Probably spend 4days between their and Chiang Rai before we head for Laos so until then....
Adios Amigos