Chiang Mai


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November 4th 2010
Published: January 13th 2011
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After a 15 hour journey from Sihanoukville to Bangkok (in 2 minivans, 2 buses and a very confusing border crossing), 2 days stuck in Bangkok due to the trains being sold out, then an overnight train journey...we finally made it to Chiang Mai!

Another 'must do' for our trip was to see ELEPHANTS!!! We visited the Elephant Nature Foundation, an amazing place founded by one lovely Thai women who rescues orphaned and ill treated elephants as well as educating others to abolish cruel practices used to domesticate wild elephants. During the day we heard all about the stories of the current inhabitants and how they came to be there as we helped out with feeding and washing them. During the 3 feeding sessions we even got to feed an elephant all by ourselves, they eat washing baskets filled to the brim with food and they polish it off pretty quickly! We headed down to the river to wash them which was a wonderful experience, with wonderful company (elephants! :p) in beautiful surroundings.

We also got together with our Finnish friend, Nina, we first met in Laos. Nina took us to the student district for a night out where the bars made the most trendy London bars look shabby, every table had its own bottle of whisky and bucket of ice. We also all attended a massage...in prison! Well not in a prison as such, but the massage is given by soon-to-released inmates (most of whom were girls convicted of drug crimes) earning a trade to help them rehabilitate.

Almost everyday Jim ran around the moat which surrounds Chiang Mai, for some extra exercise/punishment he attended one of his 'must do's'...a Thai boxing class in Thailand. He was driven in the back of a pickup truck for 30 minutes out of the city to the boxing school...and so the punishment began...first a 40 minute warm up run (along a motorway at one point) in 40 degree heat, punching next...he was told off for having rubbish technique (despite attending classes in England!) and not following commands very well. Then came the kicking of punch bags...after being told that he had only done 49 of 50 kicks Jim put too much effort in the last kick and promptly fell on his arse, much to the amusement of the school! Finally he got to go into the boxing ring, only to sit on the floor doing sit-ups and stretching until the heat and exertion was too much and he had to sneak away to throw up! Shockingly he actually paid for this privilege! 😊 Mean while poor little Carla spent a couple of days tucked up in bed as she fell over in the shower, thankfully Boots has arrived in Chiang Mai and after a few pain killers, falafals and fruit shakes she was up on her feet again.

Much less effort for us both was Thai cooking in Thailand. We spent the day learning about the ingredients, going to the market to buy them, how to prepare and cook them properly, but most importantly at the end eat them! The food tasted great and it was lots of fun cooking with huge woks, if not a little hot and sweaty!

Asia almost over, just an uneventful last stop in Singapore, or so we thought...

Love Jim and Carla
xxx


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Wok time!Wok time!
Wok time!

Hot and moving!
So proudSo proud
So proud

Carla's spring rolls


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