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Published: March 13th 2012
So here I am 3 months after my big trip from Thailand... I've had a lot of time to reflect and settle from what was the best time of my life :P I'm keeping my pictures up on my laptop so I have some sort of guide and try to remember all the things I got to see.
My first few hours in Thailand were very "ugh". I may have not showed it to the girls but I was completely dead to the world. Even though I was so happy I was in this gorgeous country, I was still adjusting lol. When I got to see my room I was so happy to see a big bed! I had my own little place for the next 3 weeks. It was so pretty and smelled so good. Lots of real orchids all over it 😊 The suite was by itself and over looked the busy busy streets of Phuket and faced the sun in the evening time 😊 My favorite place had to have been the patio bar where we spent lots of time just 'being' (Hey Tammy? lol)
It was so neat to see the little things like bugs ect not look like anything like what we have at home. So used to mosquitoes that make noise around you... These ones didn't make noise! And if you've ever seen me get bitten, you know I swell and get red.. fast! I gave the girls a good laugh when I looked at baby Kolton, who had 4 or 5 bites on his forehead, and said "Ohhhh so that's what they look like when you don't scratch" LOL 😉 I thought I caught something at some point after my legs were all blotchy and weird looking. NOT WEIRD BUT DIFFERENT! I would have to catch myself and remind myself that nothing here reminds me of being home. Some things reminded me of home but not a lot. I looked for my favorite drink GINGER ALE the whole time in Thailand and I finally found some the day I left lol probably a sign that its time to come home.
Going out to play in the Andaman Sea was my favorite place to be. The water was so cool and I learned what sea lice was -.- So gross lol but I did notice that they would only come out when it was cloudy! I have never ever in my life felt waves. Sure they weren't huge by Aussie standards but they were bigger than English Bay standards lol I even endangered a child too. I didn't know the force that those things truly had 😞 I read about them but never felt them!
Skipping onto Chiang Mai. The highlight of that trip was the SHOPPING AND MY ELEPHANT DAY!! Oooommmgeee! I will never ever in my life forget that part of my trip. The nightmarkets were so fun and I got so much stuff! So many things to see and eat! PS. I didn't eat any weird bugs but I did have chicken hearts on a stick... they tasted much better when Tammy made them for me when I was 9 :x
Onto the elephant day. So Tammy was feeling a little off about Zoe not doing a lot while in Chiang Mai so I offered to take her on my elephant. For about $154 CND we got a driver to pick us up, drive us 45min to the farm, the whole day with the elephants (Keep in mind... elephants walk very slow lol), feed us, given tons of bottled water, and drop us off. Pretty good price for all that I would say and very well worth it! I think that was the most money I spent there in one drop. I didn't know this prior to taking Zoe and not why I asked Tammy this but I even got a discount for having 10 year old Zoe with me.
Back to our day! They picked us all up.. sidenote* We were all so bagged from the night before! Getting lost and not having our guide Tammy to help get us back. No one had the address as to where we were staying! Almost got totally ripped off by a man who charged us 30x's what the tuk tuk ride was worth!! Sheesh!
Ok... NOW! So of course I have seen an elephant before. But never have I seen one that close and so much in its own home! Before I left for Thailand I had a almost life changing thought. It started with a documentary 'Earthlings'. This totally changed the way I think about animals. Animals being used for profit, entertainment, science ect. But Patara Elephant Farm was so much more than its "ooooo elephant owner for a day" front. It taught us a lot about these incredible animals. I don't know about the other girls but this day was life changing for me. This day taught me that I can do incredible things in my life, I can sit on an elephant with just a rope in my hand and kid in the other and be total at home with it all. It felt like I was born to do this. I was born to travel!
I told Tammy I had a moment that day, a moment with her kid. Zoe was bugging me and buggggging me to go in the water with the elephants because she was too afraid 2 years previous. At first I was all Noooo Zoe I really don't want to. And finally with all her bugging me about I thought for a second "If I don't do this now, I will regret it.. besides I didn't travel 13,000km to chicken out!!". And I had a blast. Taking pictures, slipping in the water -.-, screaming scared that the elephants were going to step on me LOL
As I end this part of the blog I am sitting here smiling... thinking about where I want to go next. And also thinking I probably beat Tams at her blog with my 1 night! hehehe
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tams
non-member comment
Finally I read this
I am really really consciously trying to not open emails until I can act on them. This is a reminder to why. I filed this in MUST DO and have not done it. I am so sorry I am just reading this now. So proud of you Leah. I love the way you explained everything. You fell in love with this place like I did. Just WAIT for India.. Now I am smiling thinking of you smiling... wondering where to go. INDIA 2013. Love you.xx