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Published: December 4th 2005
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The baby
Adorable baby elephant. They are covered in hairs that feel as stiff as wire. This was a fantastic day. I pet the tongue of a 3-month old elephant and rode on an older elephant's trunk! We got up close and personal with Asian elephants at the Mae Ping elephant camp. I have the t-shirt to prove it. The elephant is the most revered animal in Thailand and although its numbers have dwindled in the past 50 years, aggressive conservation efforts are making a difference. These camps provide a sanctuary for the elephants, who otherwise would not have enough forest land to roam.
After feeding bananas and bamboo to the elephants, we watched as the mahoots (elephant drivers) bathed the elephants in the river, then led them through a series of tricks. One of the tricks was to have two elephants entwine their trunks. A volunteer - that would be me - rode on the entwined trunks. It was like sitting on a bench! I couldn't believe I was really riding between two elephants. I doubt if I'll ever get the chance to do that again.
After the show, we went for a trail ride, two riders per elephant, plus the mahoot. It was a beautiful walk through the hilly terrain. I loved every
minute. Or mahoot was a wonderful singer and seranaded us while we trekked. Nancy and I shared the few songs we both knew, such as "Home on the Range" and "There is No Place Like Nebraska."
When our time with the elephants ended, we then rode on bamboo rafts down the river. A particularly industrious young Thai woman waded out to the boats with hats and postcards for sale. If I'd brought any money, I would have bought something to reward her efforts.
On our way to lunch, we stopped by an orchid farm. It was like walking through a dream, surrounded by the brightly colored blossoms. They are by far my favorite flowers.
Lunch was at a beautiful riverside home that is also a restaurant. We enjoyed some Thai fried fish and the usual half dozen other side dishes. The fish was delicious. I could eat fish and rice every day and be content. Fish and rice and coconut ice cream! Yum.
In the afternoon we visited a silk factory and saw how the silkworms do their thing. The cocoon of one silkworm produces about 400 meters of silk thread. It looks like a time
The baby 3
This little guy was really small compared to his mother. consuming process to pull the threads by hand, but I am sure there are machines that can can do it in a fraction of the time. The silk products in Thailand come in a wonderful variety - all types of silk grades, textures and vibrant colors. I will likely have a few silk things to bring home.
Dinner was at another riverside restaurant. This one had live music - someone playing classical guitar. After dinner, we hit the famous Chiang Mai night market where literally hundreds of little market stalls line the streets. It was a lot of fun to look at all of the items and bargain on the prices. With a smile and gentle negotiating, the prices drop dramatically.
I went for a walk after we returned to the hotel for the night. I wanted to get a phone card at one of the ubiquitous 7-11s. Along the way, I saw "bar girls" waiting for patrons outside a night club. They were so pretty and looked very young, but then again, all the Thais look very young. Ole said prostitution is illegal, but the law is rarely enforced. Village girls find they can make better money
coming into the city and working as "bar girls" on the weekend, then they ever could at legitimate jobs in their villages. Ole said families have sort of a "don't ask, don't tell" philosophy about it all.
I also discovered banana roti! This is food of the gods. It's a paper-thin crepe filled with condensed milk and mashed bananas, then grilled in a wok. I'm sure it's about a hundred calories a bite, but well worth it.
And I finally made my way to the 7-11, got my phone card, and found out that things in Lincoln are just fine - only about 50 degrees colder 😊
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joe
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where's Molly?
No football to watch tonight so what shall I do? Take a look at Molly on the elephant... what? No picture!?! How do we know she REALLY rode on the elephants?