Chaing Mai

---

We had one of the most peaceful night’s sleep of the trip awaking to the elephants eating breakfast as we were being served ours. Once we were all fed we took another ride through the jungle, this time I was more at ease with riding. We rode through the jungle and over the river, stopping for a bath along the way. I noticed that while I rode the mahouts spoke with the elephants, sometimes long conversations about who knows what. I also noticed that the father of the family who is a mahout for the mother sat down next to them and spoke with both the mother and baby often. These people obviously care for and love these animals as members of their family, as they have for countless generations.

In the afternoon we linked up with another tour group and went to a local hill tribe village nearby, inhabited by the Karen people. Our Burmese hosts were also Karen, and spoke their own local language, completely dissimilar to Thai. There are numerous hill tribes in the highlands of Thailand, all with separate languages, dress and customs. Traditionally these tribes have been heavily persecuted throughout the Himalayan range throughout Asia. The Karen people are also known as the most skilled Mahouts in the world. We felt lucky to have been at a homestay with people with such a proud tradition, it was a magical and unforgettable experience.

We hiked through the jungle to Maewang waterfall and had a swim, washing off the nights grime and campfire smoke. We had another amazing lunch of curry rice and vegetables, and then went on a bamboo raft. The raft was an ingenious construction of 9 bamboo logs tied together with shredded car tire treads. We leisurely rafted down the river for over an hour, getting soaked anytime we went through small rapids, or when the oarsman decided to splash us.

Once we returned to Chaing Mai we checked into a new hotel, Thapae Gate Lodge ($11), and immediately left in search of of the best and cheapest Pad Thai and mango sticky rice as we wandering through the night bazaar area containing hundreds and hundreds of stalls.

---