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30th August Bangkok to Chaing Mai
So the night train to Chaing Mai surpassed all of our expectations, after reading reviews on the Internet, we were both worried about the conditions and the safety of the train (Gemma you would have been proud of our snobbish ways!) but it turned out to be amazing. We have now decided to approach all modes of transport with an air of caution in the hope that we will be pleasantly surprised as we were during the train experience!
We were greeted on the train by a lovely English speaking Thai couple. They kept us entertained by providing us with tips on what to eat in Chaing Mai (the recommended pork with herbs was a delight!), where to visit in South East Asia and stories about James Bond movies. Apparently Piers Brosnen is more attractive than Daniel Craig? (What do you reckon Sue??)
At 9pm our bunk beds were put down by what can only be described as the speedy Gonzales of the train world. We soon realised that not booking the bunk beds was an error as they were twice the size of our tiny upper bunks! The bunk beds were secured by 2 seat belts to ensure the occupant does not fall out.....Morgane had a few near misses when reaching for the Singha beer off my bunk, is it bad I kept moving it further and further back (haha)!
31st August
The train arrived at Chaing Mai train station a mere 17 hours after we had set off the previous day and it was raining, a break from the relentless heat...for about 10 minutes anyway!
Chaing Mai is everything that we hoped it would be and more. A city filled with aromatic smells and beautiful coffee shops lining the streets. We stopped off for breakfast in the recommended Blue Diamond which is completely organic and kinda hippy place. After checking into our hostel, Kikies House, we were told to explore the Saturday night market. If you want any form of Thai shopping....this is the place to be. With food stalls a plenty and trinket shops at every stop, we were pleased we walked the distance to fully complete the market (at least 3 miles!!). During our 3 mile hike, we stopped off for a famous Thai foot massage, without a shadows of a doubt my feet needed it, I'm not sure Morgane was so pleased with the final result of bruising up her shins (she must have annoyed the lady!!).
2nd Sept Chaing Mai
Today was the day we had both been waiting for, our day at Patara Elephant Sanctuary! We were picked up bright and early (which added to Waltons morning moodiness! Ha) arriving at the sanctuary for about 10am. The morning drive took us through the mountains, allowing us to see another side of Chaing Mai. On our arrival we were greeted by what can only be described as a HUGE elephant and her 2 babies. We fed them bananas before being taken to a small hut for a talk on the work that takes place at the sanctuary. At the hut we were given special hand made clothes made by the women if the Karen tribe, i guess they must have a smell that the elephants recognise (however i was just pleased to cover up the mosquito spray smell!). Then the time finally came....the introduction to our own elephant! We were first taught how to approach our elephant and check if they are happy and well, which included checking their dung with our bare hands....nice! Next was feeding time, the command we used was 'Bon' which told the elephant to lift up their trunk before we put the mixed fruit and sugar cane into their mouths. 'Diddy' was to say good boy or girl.....so if you see us using this at school on our return, you'll know why! Once we were taught how to climb onto our elephants (see video for a laugh!) we trekked through the trees to a beautiful waterfall and elephant bath. Nerve wrecking isn't the word! However, much to my amusement, Morgane seemed to have the naughty elephant who wanted to stop and scratch herself at every opportunity causing a few wobbles and noises I haven't heard escape a humans lips before. The helpers and guides were superb, their English wasn't too great but a simple 'you ok?' put us both at ease throughout the journey. It was clear they adored the elephants and their jobs. We arrived at the waterfall and dismounted our elephants, we then changed into our swimwear so we could get in and help brush them down. The job of scooping the poo out of the plunge pool is not one either of us would volunteer for! Lunch was an amazing array of Thai dishes prepared by the local ladies of the area. Overall a fantastic day, a once in a lifetime experience. One that I will be ticking off my bucket list for sure!
3rd Sept Chaing Mai
After what was a fun filled and tiring day with the elephants yesterday, we decided to have a chilled day. We hired bikes for the day for 50 baht (a quid!! Cheaper than the New Forest ey Dad?) and explored the city. The bells on the bikes were definitely necessary due to the crazy roads and even crazier drivers! The highlight of our day was a visit to the Buddist Quote garden at the Wat Phra Singh, it was so peaceful and serene.
4th Sept Chaing Mai
Today was a new experience for us, going it alone! Morgane had decided to go on a cookery course for the day, those that know me will understand why I did not...cooking and Carly are not a good mix and I didn't want to embarrass myself by slicing a finger off or burning a spring roll! I decided to have a relaxing day, having a lie in (yes!!),wandering around the city, eating lunch in a cute little Thai cafe and reading my book (yes I read!) in a local bar with a chilled Chang in hand. Morgane was picked bright and early again and was taken to a place not too far from the hostel. You were able to choose what menu you wanted to prepare and a cookery book to take home (gift for Martin, tick!). The menu that Morgane prepared included tofu cashew stir fry, string rolls (I can vouch they were good!) hot and sour soup, green curry and mango sticky rice! This is our last day in Chaing Mai and we are both ready to leave and explore somewhere new! Onwards to Laos and Luang Probang.