Lounging by the pool in Chiang Mai
Trip Start
Oct 11, 2002
1
12
20
Trip End
Nov 04, 2002
Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Saturday, October 26, 2002
We arrived around 1 pm on Thursday and we decided to head out for the afternoon to check our emails and get a book for Nicole. We ventured through the gate in the ancient walls surrounding the old city and found Gecko Books where we each bought a book. We then went back to the hotel for a swim and rest before heading to the famed night bazaar.
We walked to the night bazaar from the hotel and I had not realised that there are two Top North Hotels (which we discovered on Friday) and we were almost lost because we weren't staying at the Top North on the map in our guidebook, but then came across the top part of the market. The market was full of small stands selling all manner of things from little figurines to tshirts to sunglasses and bags. All the vendors would stop you and say `Look' `Special price'. It was overwhelming to see so many stalls of the same things. Nicole was happy to bargain the night away and came back laden with purchases but I was too daunted to buy anything and go through the bargaining process, except for buying some DVDs.
We had booked an elephant riding tour for Friday and at 8:30am climbed aboard our mini bus which stopped at the Top North Guesthouse about 2 blocks away and picked up one other passenger. When the door slr _,,en I said to myself `hello' as the guy getting in was quite good-looking and on his own. Introductions were made and he was Craig, an Aussie from Hawthorn who was on his way home from Africa.
Our first stop for the day was at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp where we saw a baby elephant and got to pat other elephants. They were quite amazing! The baby elephant was 4 months old and with his mother who had two huge drooping breasts right behind her front legs.
We then waited while the elephants prepared for the show. The skill and agility of both the elephants and their drivers amazed me. The drivers scampered up and down the elephants and all over their heads. They dei,iunstrated how they mounted the elephant and there were other demonstrations of log pushing, dancing, standing and walking on two feet, kicking a soccer ball and then for the grand finale a little musical show. During the dancing there was one elephant who was really getting into it!!
After the show Non, our guide, herded us towards the elephants where Nicole and I scrambled atop a big elephant with a bench of sorts sitting on about 10 blankets on the elephant's back. Just in front of the bench on the elephant's back were scuff marks and dirt where previous passengers had trodden. Once seated we were strapped in by a piece of rope drawn across the front of the bench like on a show ride and tied to the arm. This was supposed to stop us falling off the front of the elephant... I felt as though I should be wearing a pith helmet to complete the picture.
We started off across the showground towards the river where the elephants plunged in to just below the rugs and trudged down the river. Whilst looking around comfortable, in the knowledge that the surefooted beast would not stumble, I saw large earth looking clods floating past. It didn't take long to realise that these cannonballs were elephant turds deposited by elephants further upstream.
We left the river and took a jungle path which emerged at a high stand were locals were selling bunches of bananas for the elephants for 20B. This was probably the cause of the river cannonballs! Nicole bought a bunch and our driver stopped for a drink of water.
Thailand Journal ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Page 26
It was amazing watching our driver, dressed in a thin long sleeved navy blue cotton shirt and tracksuit pants, moving on the giant mammoths head. He would scratch the elephant behind the ears where it was all pink and freckly with his big toe to command it in a particular direction. Many times he changes his position with such poise, grace and agility as though hE was no bigger than a fly.
We passed some villages where hilltribe people were selling their wares from special tall stands that leveled them with the elephant riding passengers. We crossed back over the river to disembark from the elephant and for a drink at the restaurant before heading down a path upstream. On our way to the bamboo raft mooring, Non showed us a small groundcover plani with palmy fernlike leaves that snap shut when it is touched.
We were rafted down the muddy river on a bamboo raft. It didn't feel as though we were even moving. We discovered rice paddy hats under the seat and put them on to complete the rural Asia picture.
After jumping off the raft at the pier we were loaded into an oxcart via stepladder to take us to a resort for lunch. In the rickety cart, that reminded me of a mediaeval film setting, we passed by children who were selling wares. They would run along beside the cart holding up their offerings hoping for a sale. There were children as young as three running beside the cart selling knick knacks.
After lunch we were given the ^ation of going to a snake farm for an extra 200B. We decided to go and arrived just in time for L..e afternoon snake show. This is probably one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen. In the centre was the snakepit with walls between 10cm and 30cm high and on three sides, less than 50cm away, were stands. Not wanting to get close to the action I elected to sit in the second row.
The first two snakes out of the bag were cobras. They mostly slid around the astroturfed pit trying to avoid the snake charmers, but the kamikaze Steve Irwin idolisers would grab at the snakes with their hooks to try and capture their attention.
They would then rotate their knees while the cobras raised their heads and puffed out their gills watching intently. The snake man would then put his knee on the ground and wait for the snake to strike and miraculously move his kneE, uuL ii- the way before being bitten. The announcer added to the tension by hissing into the microphone when the snake struck.
One poor girl sitting in the front row had a snake flung over her head and after seeing how petrified she was, the snake charmers picked on her for the rest of the show. After milking the venom from the cobra the snake man came around letting people pat it. I was glad to be the designated photographer as Nicole patted it and Craig had it slung around his neck.
After the cobra came the python which at the end of the show the snake men wanted people to kiss it. It was interesting to note that girls refused to kiss the snakes, but that boys readily agreed to. I shared this observation with Nicole and she said "All boys wish they could kiss their snake." (Which is what I was thinking only didn't dare vocalise!)
There was a blind man and his wife who we had seen earlier in Chiang Mai at the show and he was touching and kissing the snakes that were draped around his neck which I thought was brave as he had no idea where their jaws were.
After the adrenalin pumping show we wandered around the farm and saw more snakes and other animals before getting back on the bus and heading for the orchid farm. After the snake show, the orchid farm was dull by comparison. Upon entrance to the farm we were presented with an orchid to wear and were told how they grow orchids. We then passed row upon row of air orchids suspended above the ground and also saw the owner's collection of ridgeback dogs and siamese cats. We saw and had the opportunity to buy orchids dipped in copper as jewellry. They were quite beautiful and Nicole bought three.
Quite tired we went back to the hotel and got ready for the Muay Thai fight we were going to attend with Craig that evening. Craig came over to our hotel and we went to the fight in a tuk tuk. As the fight had been advertised all over the city as a special fight with a Moroccan versus a Thai guy I thought it would be quite busy so we arrived early to get our tickets. We found that there were two sides with white plastic chairs where the farang sat and another side where all the locals stood and cheered. We got front row seats and Nicole and Craig got rather drunk on a large number of Chang beers served to them by a ladyboy.
The fights were mostly between young boys who got surprisingly stuck into each other. There were a few knockouts but only one blood nose. The atmosphere during the fights was electric. Sitting up in the stands were three people with musical instruments who played a steady tempo during the fights which seemed to perform the dual purpose of energising the fighters and firing the crowd up.
When the fight was close, towards the closing rounds all the locals would yell `ooh, ahh' with the punches, escalating in volume and frequency.
The 30kg fight was announced and Nicole (after a fair number of beers) pronounced to the crowd of Westerners around her that it was a fight between her left leg and her right leg. Her comment was met by quite a few guffaws.
The main fight was quite goou. I was going for the Moroccan who was hot. I swear I had eye contact with him a couple of times between rounds. In the middle of one of the rounds his shorts ripped up the front and the referee sent him off to change. As his corner was just to my left, I got a good gawk at him in his jocks and box. Unfortunately he lost (which I didn't pick) and he disappeared after the fight.
We ended up walking home and discovered that it wasn't as far as we had initially thought and we arranged to meet Craig at his hotel the next morning to tour the wats.
