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Published: December 2nd 2010
Friday. March 21st, 2008
While we really enjoyed our Elephant ride (mostly because Lucas was killing himself laughing the entire time) we weren’t too keen on the ‘performances’ that the poor elephants had to endure. Kicking soccer balls, ‘painting’ and pulling logs around. We checked out the baby elephants getting fed, while we sipped on ice cold coconut juice before devouring the entire coconut!
Wandered through the grounds which had very nice gardens and waterfalls, took lots of photos and said goodbye to the cute baby elephants.
Back to the car and our driver – Dang – was trying to convince us to go to the Monkey or Snake farms. NO THANKYOU. So instead we settled for the Quad bikes for an hour, through bumpy jungle tracks, which the boys loved and I could have easily missed!
Next stop, Sai Nam Phung Orchid Nursery & Butterfly Farm complete with Buffet Lunch where we met a bunch of Canadian school girls. This place was really lovely and we had a good walk around after lunch checking out the gorgeous orchids and butterflies.
After some more negotiations with our driver, she agreed to take us up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.
This is a sacred temple containing a holy relic of the Lord Buddha, built high above Chiang Mai with views (well, there would be stunning panoramic views if there wasn’t so much low cloud / smog).
This was WOW and one of those places where you could stay for hours. But it was getting late in the day, and it was at least an hour’s drive back to our accommodation so we headed back for a refreshing swim before heading out again to the Night Markets.
The Chiang Mai Night Markets in Chang Khlan Road are absolutely massive, and in the centre of them is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar Building, which has 3 storeys of shopping under a Thai temple-styled roof.
The Markets start about 7pm and go through til 11pm. There is absolutely nothing you cannot buy. It is also the place for the famous ‘portrait painters’. They will do your portrait on the spot, or you can leave them with a family photo and they’ll replicate it for you in a day or two.
Because it is so narrow and crowded, with shop keepers screaming at you to ‘buy something’ it can be a bit wearing.
And then there’s the frogs. Well, the little annoying ladies who follow you around with the blasted wooden frogs that make a noise when you rub the back of them. I swear I was going to go mad and shove one down their throats or up their ‘you know what’.
Needless to say, we DID NOT purchase a frog.
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