Good Bye Chiang Mai - April 2012

Its our last day here, so we took a last walk through the streets getting a bit lost.
We watched a truck being unloaded, pineapples for the market.

This is a part of the old city wall with the moat. Most of the wall has gone now, sections have been rebuilt and the moat has been preserved. 

We will say our goodbyes to the pleasant owner and staff of Libra Guest House and fly 

home to Cape Town tonight.

Chiang Mai streets

This is a typical Thai street, lots of street cables, lots of motor bikes and the mandatory Soi (street) dog lying in the street.

 This is a Yamaha bike service shop. Straight off the street onto the ramp.

 This was Saturday 3pm. Still open.

Sorry about the bad photo but you can get the jist of it, I took this in a market, the lady has a pigs head boiling in that wok!

There are 300 Buddhist temples here so you dont have to walk far to find one. This is the oldest and has a huge bronze statue inside. Wat (temple) Phrasingha Woramahawiharn.

Thats Rob sitting on the steps putting his shoes back on. Its not only at temples that you remove your shoes but at most small shops. Even the guesthouse we are in asks that you remove shoes as you walk in. Helps to have slip on shoes.

  

Fresh fruit shakes at 25 Bht each are the best in the markets. Made while you wait.

Baan Thai Cooking class

Today I did a morning cooking class. The school is only a few blocks away and I was transported on the back of a bike! Cool. We started by walking to the market and had all the various unfamiliar products explained.

We were given a sheet of 12 meals and could choose 4 to make ourselves. Each of the group made their choices and we spent the next 3 hours cooking and eating our meals.
My first was Fried Cashew nut with Chicken.

Then fried fish cakes. All cooking was done in a wok on gas. So quick and easy.

Next, hot and sour prawn soup. Loverly flavors of lime juice and lemon grass.  

Lastly a good traditional Green Curry with Chicken. No photo.

All the meals were so tasty made with fresh veges and curry paste. Our teachers spoke good english and could answer all questions. So, armed with a cookery book I am ready to experiment!

Rice paddies and Maewang waterfall

We then moved on to walk through the rice paddies and down to the Maewang Waterfall. This was wonderful to swim in. The current from the water coming over the rocks was very strong but Rob helped me get close to the drop area. It was cool and only 1m deep, a great swim in these 35C temperatures.
Its the dry season now, but in the rainy season the guides told us that you cant get into the water.

Me in the rice fields

Karen Hill Tribe

Our tour then stopped at a place where one of the Karen hill tribes sell their home made goods. These communities are part of the hill tribes and are mostly from Myanmar (Burma). We made this old man's day when we boat his wind chimes.

We also bought scarves woven by this lady, 120 Baht each. Some of the pieces for sale are brightly coloured and involve delicate patchwork, like this apron.

The people live in barn like structures with leaves as roofing. They are huge leaves folded over a stick and packed like thatching onto the roof. This needs to be replaced each year before the rainy season.

Chiang Mai Elephants

On Sat we took an adventure tour into the mountains. It started with a hour long drive in the back of an open-sided pickup with the last bit almost a 4x4 route. The Elephant Camp has 4 Elephants ranging in age from 5 to 48 years. We were given clothes of a Mohout (elephant trainer) and then taught the commands to tell the Elephant when you wish to go back, forward or left/right.  'Toy' means go back, and you need to push back with your body, pining your legs around its neck.

Getting a kiss!















He then opened up to show me his teeth. Note the banana about to land in his mouth.
(coming from the right)

 Rob feeding the old lady!


Once the 4 of us had mastered this we took the Elephants for a ride up into the forrest. We sat on their necks with legs behind the ears. It was wonderful being up to high on these magnificent animals. Staying on was a bit tricky, both hands had to be on its head to steady yourself.  60 min later we ended up washing them in the river. They lay down and we were able to brush the mud off them. The young one loved rolling in the water. Rob and I cleaned the old female and she blew bubbles under the water with her trunk. The Elephants then walked off with their Mohouts 'trainers' into the woods to eat.

 Being so close to the old lady and looking into her eye, I felt sad. Where was her family, her herd? In Africa we are used to seeing them in herds, here that is not the case and they are used to earn money, they are working animals.

Although it was magic being with these animals I cant help feeling its wrong. They are kept for the entertainment of the tourists, and only perform for food and attention. They need to eat a huge amount every day so are always willing to 'work' for food. We saw no abuse to the animals and no marks on them. This camp was treating them well but there are many terrible stories of Elephant abuse in Thailand.
Would I do it again, no!

 Rob and I washing the old lady.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

We lifted SeaWolff onto the hard in Phuket and have closed her up for a season.

Today we flew inland to Chiang Mai, which is a 2 hour flight from Phuket to the North of Thailand. It was founded in the 13th century and is located in a fertile valley.

We were collected from the airport in a open cab.
Then this weird car passed us.

 Next we walked around the old city streets and went for a wonderful 1 hour oil massage for 200 baht (R50).
There are 300 Budist Temples here and we passed this one with its huge elephant statues around the base.

Outside the walls of the temple was a lady selling fish, they where being dried on a fire. I think they were covered with salt.

We are with-in the old walled section of the city. Most of the wall has gone but the moat is still there.
This is a really charming place. We had supper on a river boat on the Mae Ping River which is wide and runs through the city. The river has many restaurants and walks along its banks, very romantic.