Thailand Take Two Part Two: Chiang Mai with Dad

After my dad finished up his meetings in Bangkok, we went north up to Chiang Mai.

On our first night in Chiang Mai, we went to the Night Bazaar. (I can't seem to stop going to night markets.) On our way back to the hotel, we stopped into a tour agency and booked a half day elephant mahout training. Although I already rode an elephant in Kanchanaburi, I wanted my animal lover dad to experience it. I'm glad we went because it was much more hands on than sitting in the safety of a seat.

At the beginning of the day, the guide laid down the rules and gave some background information. He told us that we would get to feed the elephants bananas.

Guide: "They love bananas. Important. When you feed them bananas, don't put your camera and the bananas in the same hand. They don't know the difference. If you put your camera in the same hand as the bananas, bye bye camera. There is nothing we can do."

I wonder which poor tourist had his or her camera eaten by a hungry elephant so now they have to give that warning. At least I'm sure it makes a good story. "This one time I was at an elephant training camp in Chiang Mai and I was hand feeding my elephant bananas... and now they have to warn all the tourists." HIMYM anyone?

The guide told us elephants are like dogs. Five ton dogs. We learned how to use tactile and verbal commands to control their movements.

Next, we practiced different ways to get on and off the elephant. The basic instructions were, "hold onto the ears and jump.

My dad and I were each paired with an elephant and the elephant's mahout. We used Thai commands to communicate with the elephants but they didn't always like to listen. My hungry 35-year old pregnant elephant had a mind of her own and gave her mahout a whole lot of sass. When we went on a walk, she kept stopping for snacks along the way. I can relate. Her mahout got frustrated because he could not control her.

We walked to the river to bathe our elephants. My dad was scrubbing his elephant when he felt a fish brush against his leg. Only it wasn't a fish like he originally thought. It was his elephant's poop that was the size of a turkey you serve up for Thanksgiving dinner with extended family. He looked up and realized five other turds were already floating downstream past me.

Afterwards my dad said, "not to slight your company, Kat, but that was the most memorable part of our whole trip."

So, elephant tour. Yes, it is only for tourists but we had fun. I would recommend it if you can ride bareback. There are many elephant centers in Chiang Mai so it requires some research. I didn't want to see elephants painting pictures or playing fútbol. That is too depressing.

After returning from the elephant camp, we went for Thai massages. Neither of us tried Thai massages before. The masseuse pulled my limbs and arranged then in strange positions. I felt like I was getting stretched by a trainer in preparation for a sports competition. Some describe it as lazy man yoga.

The next day we went on a hike. It had rained the night before and it continued to rain during the hour long drive to the park. The ground was pretty darn slippery. There is nothing like a five hour muddy hike (and slipping on your butt three times) to break in a new pair of shoes. Someone in our group was hiking in Toms. Why?! At least it isn't as bad as people in China hiking in stilettos. Oh China, you kill me.
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picnic lunch

This hike was advertised as "off the beaten path" in a "less touristic area." Most day trips include elephant riding, bamboo rafting, or white water rafting. We picked this tour because it was walking only. I am one of those tourists that hates tourists. Hates touristy things. Yes, we booked this through a travel agency. Many things I did in Thailand were extremely touristy. It's a struggle to balance convenience with "authenticity." 

The next day, we did another touristy tour. We went ziplining in the jungle. The view is incredible. I also went abseiling for the first time. Man, I want to go skydiving again.

Afterwards, we went to get foot massages. The masseuse thought I was 12. The other masseuse thought I was 15. Thanks? Forever young?

Our last day in Chiang Mai, we rented bikes. That's my absolute favorite thing to do in any city I visit. At first my dad was worried that Chiang Mai wasn't bike friendly. Eh, after biking in China, nothing seems that bad.

We rode around aimlessly just exploring further reaches than we were able to access on foot. We ended the day with one last round of Thai massages. They are about 10 USD (or less) an hour.

When I was traveling on my own in Thailand, I was bouncing from city to city. It was nice to be in one place for a few days. I knew where the dessert trucks were at night and got familiar with the streets.

I think my dad enjoyed traveling with me. It was fun and I hope we have more chances for trips like that in the future.

Three things I'm grateful for:

1. My dad willing to go along with whatever I planned

2. Inexpensive massages
I used to get foot massages in Nanjing with one of my classmates. It was 60 RMB (9.78 USD) an hour. The foot massages in Chiang Mai on average were 150 baht (5 USD).

3. Elephant rides
Riding on top of an elephant is amazing. They are beautiful creatures and it was neat to be up close to them. Now I understand why one of my friends is so eager to volunteer at an elephant camp. Take me with you!