Hi,

We arrived in Chiang Mai to a nice hotel, not very backpackery at all quite late. So the next day we were up at off to book our day with the elephants only to be told they were full and we could only go Saturday which is the day we were leaving. Very disappointed. Also I had been bitten in Phuket while we were waiting to leave and my leg had swollen up and was very painful.
After a bit of indecision we decided to change our flight to Bangkok and book our day at the Elephant Nature Park. We spent a couple of days by the pool as I couldn't walk very far but we did venture out in the evenings to the night market, which was massive. We could have bought so much stuff if only we had the room to carry it!!! Dan loved it and got right into the haggling for things, you could buy anything from souvenirs to clothes, beautiful soaps shaped like flowers, designer bags. There was so much choice but we were quite good and only got a couple of bits.

On Saturday we were picked up at 8 and taken to the Elephant park which is a rescue centre for abused elephants they currently have 37 all with different stories. We got to feed them and walk around meeting loads, they are so big but you don't hear them moving around it's really strange. Some elephants were rescued from the logging industry, some the circus others from street begging. It's really sad but they seem happy now. We got to go in the river and bath the elephants ours was called lucky and she was completely blind but quite happy to lie down in the river for her bath. She was from the circus and the spot lights had cause her to lose her sight.

We met a couple of the babies which had been born at the park one was 10months old the other 6 and they were so tiny compared to the adults, but had no fear of the mahouts (trainers) and most would do anything for food. It was a great day.

We were straight off to the airport though to fly to Bangkok for the night ready for our flight to Beijing early on Sunday morning.