Elephants and Cider!

Trip Start Sep 03, 2005
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Trip End Ongoing


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Friday, April 14, 2006

Having met up with my new travel buddies for the next month we all headed north through the Thai countryside on the night train to Chaing Mai. Although we had beds the movement of the train was similar to a washing machine on a spin cycle so very little sleep was had by all. I was thrown immediately into the hectic schedule of the trip, just having time to shower before heading out to go elephant riding in the countryside. It was fiercely hot but a great experience sitting on top of these gentle giants, the elephant would gracefully raise its trunk to where you were sat on its back and delicately take a banana from your hand, continue until it had eaten the whole bunch then blow elephant 'snot' all over you in displeasure of having no more food!
The next stop was river rafting, floating down a shallow stream on a few poles of bamboo, you stood on one end to punt your way along. We were lucky to be there to celebrate their New Year festivities, year 2549 of the Buddha. This entailed what seemed to be the whole population of the area, congregating around the river bank to throw water at each other and the people on the rafts, it was obviously especially lucky to throw as much water at the foreign visitors because within minutes we were soaked (a blessing in the heat) but after nearly two hours of it the tradition started to wear a little thin, by now I must be the luckiest person in the world!
That evening we enjoyed the fabulous night market, selling beautiful handicrafts made by the local people. Over a delicious meal we watched Thai children of about 4yrs old dressed in traditional costume dancing on an outdoor stage, one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Just when I thought this jam packed, activity filled cultural experience of a day couldn't get any better I went into the obligatory Irish pub to find that they sold Strongbow!!! Not the Aussie imitation that I had enjoyed in Sydney, but the real thing....I was in Thai heaven! I even bought a few bottles to take away, this place just gets better!
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