Chiang Mai and ELEPHANTS!

After much debate, I decided to do a weekend trip to Chiang Mai for a second time. I really should have stayed home to work on two final projects, but whatever. I’m on exchange and I only have so many trips left to take before I return to dreaded Canada and cold temperatures.

We arrived Saturday morning and had a chill first day. We took a cooking class Saturday afternoon and I learned to make chicken satay with curry dipping sauce, traditional Chiang Mai noodles with red curry paste, and Pad Thai. It was actually really fun and our teachers were so nice. We got Thai cookbooks to bring home so hopefully I can actually make some of this when I get home. After that we went for massages and beer, and then headed to the Saturday Night Market. It was extremely crowded but I got super cute elephant shorts and tank top. And I love markets regardless of how crowded they are. We thought a Muay Thai fight would be a fun activity for that night. And it was pretty fun, until we realized most of the fights were fake. We were betting on them before we realized that, however, and I won a solid 20 Baht (about 85 cents lol).

Sunday morning was a slow start, and we basically wasted the whole morning. That afternoon, two of the guys went off for a river boat tour that I did on my last trip here. So me and one other guy found an insect museum we wanted to check out. It was very interested, as they had bugs from all over the world along with several other types of artifacts. We had the entire place to ourselves to explore which was an added bonus. We then met up with the others at the Royal Park Gardens where we rented bicycles and drove around the gardens to a few hours. We got there in the late afternoon so it wasn’t crowded at all and we were free to ride wherever we wanted. They had different garden areas for certain countries, and I found the Canadian Gardens, which consisted of Totem Poles and a giant Inuksuk, but unfortunately no maple trees. The whole garden is absolutely beautiful and huge. I would highly recommend going for an afternoon. It was relaxing and great to see. I also enjoy riding bikes whenever I can, so it was so much fun for me.

Sunday night we headed for Chiang Mai’s famous Sunday Night Market, where I got a shirt that I had originally wanted from my last trip here but never actually bought. Everybody came home with a few souvenirs that night. We then went back to the same bar we hung out from our last trip here for a beer and to watch some of UFC 193. We watched Canada fight Poland in the women’s division, and ironically, one of the guys I was with is from Poland. We also noticed that the fighters’ last names ended in the same suffixes as both of our surnames! So of course we had to out money on the fight and cheer on our home countries. Canada unfortunately lost, and I lost 100 Baht (~$4). But it was a fun night regardless.

Monday was undoubtedly my favourite day of this trip and probably my favourite day of my entire 4 months in Asia. I finally got to see the elephants! We went to Dumbo Elephant Spa about an hour outside of Chiang Mai where we, along with 4 other people, got to spend the day interacting and playing with 4 elephants, one of which was 3 months old. In the morning we learnt a little about their history and lifestyle, and then we fed them and led them through the jungle. After lunch, however, is when the real fun began. We had a mud fight with elephants! We brought them to this huge mud pit to cool them down, and we were covered head to toe in mud. The only area of our bodies that wasn’t covered was our eyes. I’ve never been dirty like that before but it was so much fun. Our guides loved every minute of it too, as they kept pushing us in so that we were fully covered. Even after the elephants were cooled down, we stayed in and had our own little mud fight. After the dirtiness, we headed to the river to bathe the elephants. We were all given a bucket and were simply instructed to throw as much water as possible on the elephants. They loved it. They were lying right down in that river with us as we scrubbed them clean. Of course, the mature adults that we all are, we couldn’t resist our own water fight as we tried to clean the mud off ourselves. I fully felt like a child again in those moments, and it was some of the most fun I’ve truly ever had.

We then fed them some more after bath time, and of course played with the baby (his name is Dumbo). He is adorable, and so playful. He likes to charge at you, and loves to get on his belly so you can rub him tummy and legs. Even though he’s 3 months old, he still weighs 250 Kg and can easily take you down. The guys particularly enjoyed trying to hold him back as he charged at them. He’s a tough guy for sure. But he would never hurt a fly. None of them would. They were happy as clams all day. I was actually so sad to say goodbye to them. It was truly one of the happiest days of my life. I highly recommend Dumbo Elephant Spa to anyone looking to do an elephant trip in Chiang Mai. They don’t allow riding there, and they use no hooks whatsoever. They understand that elephants aren’t meant to do tricks and shows and provide entertainment for humans. They are so humane with the elephants here; it was magical to see how they interact with them and how the elephants interact with complete strangers. They are truly loving creatures.

Our guides for the day were also so amazing and helpful. We were supposed to go back to Chiang Mai in the tuk tuk with the other 4 people, but one guide was driving his truck back into the city and asked if we wanted to join him. So we sat in the bed of his truck for half the ride, and enjoyed the wind blowing through our hair as we raced down the mountain. Halfway through he stopped and invited us to eat with him at this small local restaurant. I’ve never experienced such hospitality in Thailand before, it was incredible and he was so kind to us.

Tuesday we awoke early at 5:30 to try and catch a 7am bus to Chiang Rai. The bus was already full when we arrived so we waited around and took the bus at 8:30am instead. As soon as we arrived in Chiang Rai, we caught a mininvan to head to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar all meet in the river. It wasn’t as cool as I originally thought it would be, but still cool to see all three countries, especially since I’ve visited all three of them already. The coolest part was definitely where you can clearly see the rivers mix in front of you. You see the brown water from the Mekong River run into the blue water of the Kok River. We didn’t have much time to stay as we had to catch the minivan back to Chiang Rai and head straight for the airport to get back to Bangkok.

All in all, it was another great weekend and another great trip I’ve had whilst here in SE Asia. It’s finally starting to hit me that my time is almost up as I get back to Bangkok to finish final projects and start studying for final exams. It’s a sad thought, as I might never be ready to leave my life here in Thailand behind. 

~Ally 

Myanmar

Yesterday I got back from six days in Myanmar. It was an incredible trip and beautiful country. I originally didn't plan on going to Myanmar, mostly because I did no research on the country so I didn't know what to do or see or what to expect from it. When a few friends invited me to go with them and their dates fit perfectly into my travel schedule, I decided to book tickets and join them. I am so glad I made that decisions. Myanmar might even be my favourite country that I have visited here so far also.

We flew into Yangon last Wednesday night after class. My very first impression of the city was that it was a bit dirty. There were also bugs everywhere, and I mean everywhere. In our dorm rooms, in the showers, on the food, etc. We wandered the streets that night looking for food and met these three older Burmese men who invited us to sit and have a beer with them. They then proceeded to order dishes upon dishes of food just for us! And they refused to let us pay for any of it. They were so kind, and it was really great to talk with them about their country and especially their upcoming election for over an hour. This was the first time we would notice just how kind Burmese people are, especially towards farangs.

Thursday was spent exploring the streets of Yangon, which was very cool. There are shops everywhere, and you can purchase almost anything imaginable on the streets. That night we took an overnight bus to Inle Lake, where we spent the following two days. Our first day there, Friday, we took a boat tour around the lake and through many villages on the lake. We got to see jewellery being made from silver; cotton, silk, and lotus tree weaving; traditional umbrellas being made; how longboats are made; homemade cigars being made; and many others. It was a very cool experience to see how these people live. The scenery on the water was also unbelievable. There are mountains all around and the waters are so calm. Watching the sun go down over the mountains was beautiful.

Our second day in Inle Lake we went to a local market called Heyo about an hour drive away in another small town. This is a traditional local market where people buy vegetables, meat, clothing, toiletries, etc. They don't sell the stuff we are used to seeing at markets because they rarely see farangs in these types of markets. We very easily stuck out like sore thumbs, but again, people welcomed us so kindly and offered us to try lots of foods for free even. It was a real look into their lives, and I'm so happy we had the opportunity to see that. That night, we went to a vineyard in the mountains for a wine tasting and to again watch the sunset. It was beautiful too. It was so calm and relaxing. We then took another night bus to Bagan on Friday night.

Sunday we did a tour of Bagan and visited several of the 2200+ Pagodas that the city has to offer. We visited mostly just the big touristy ones, and they were all very different and all very cool. Most of them were built in the 11th century, and a lot have done well to remain standing today. Although we did learn that quite a few of the smaller ones have been mostly rebuilt after they were damaged in storms in 1975. But the original architecture is still there, and they are so magnificent. They are so detailed, I can't imagine how long it took to build them all. We also watched our third sunset sitting atop one of the pagodas with the mountains and the sunset on one side of us, and hundreds more pagodas in our view on all other sides. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen myself.

While the sunset was amazing in Bagan, we couldn't skip the sunrise, as it was even better. So we got up at 5am on Monday morning to drive to a different pagoda and again climbed atop it to watch the sun come up from behind the mountains. It was breathtaking, and 150% worth it to get up at that ungodly hour. Even more stunning than the sunrise itself, were when the hot air balloons went up over the pagodas. I wish that I could have been in one of those balloons, it would have been the most amazing experience with the best views of Bagan. Maybe on my next trip to Myanmar...

Monday was our last official day so after the sunrise (and after a late morning nap), we rented bicycles and drove around to visit the smaller, less-known pagodas of Old Bagan. This was my favourite part of the entire trip, because everywhere we went we were the only tourists, so we got to really explore whatever we wanted. We also got to see lots of areas that most people don't take the time to visit. I also just love riding bikes, mostly because it reminds me of my childhood.

Overall, this was an incredible trip and an even more incredible country. I highly recommend it to anyone. I'm almost ashamed that I had no interest in visiting it beforehand, but so grateful that my friends changed my mind.

P.S. If you are in Inle Lake, you have to eat at the Sun Flower. It had the best food, and the best service ever. You also should get the fried chicken and fried mashed potatoes. Seriously, that was easily one of the best meals I've eaten in SE Asia.

~Ally