Goodbye Chiang Mai
People in Chiang Mai are very friendly. Everyone says hello and good morning. It has been raining for 3 days and its cold! Only a few temples here; one is old and pretty. I have been staying in my room mostly reading. I bought a belt for myself today to hold up the pants I bought. Leather. I don't really want to buy leather products but it was on impulse. She made it. Planning to do jungle flight tomorrow. A zipline through the jungle. Also, I want to go to see elephants but its very expensive and I can't ride them at the elephant nature park. Others use torture methods on baby elephants to get them submissive to their trainers. Beat them with sticks with nails on end locked in cage, beaten and starved. I'm not happy about that but confused whether or not I should go to a place where I can ride if I know that's what they did to make their elephants obey them. But I want to ride on it and I hope that some places don't do that but I'm not sure. But that's how they have trained elephants for thousands of years so who am I to say its wrong and they shouldn't do it and I wont give my money to them if they do. But there isn't much forest left for them to be wild and carrying a couple of people on their back is better than carrying a bunch of wood. And if I pay then they will have more money to treat the elephants better right?
Monks are allowed to smoke? I'm on the bus again. Leaving wonderful Chiang Mai. I haven't been updating every day because I've been staying out busy and late. Went ziplining through the jungle. Drove up a windy road that was very pretty. It is cooler higher up in the mountains with Antonia. They picked us up 2 hours late so I thought they had forgotten me. She was furious but it was better because we got a private tour with our own 2 guides instead of 12 people per 2 giudes and we got to go at a faster pace not waiting around for everyone to finish. Two funny guys John and Jeremy were the guides. We ate a good lunch then went out for Mexican food and had a few margaritas and a gross burrito with red chili. I just realized the seat I'm sitting in has a massager! Next day we went to the elephant park. First we fed them lots of sugar cane then practiced commands like lay down, straight, forward, stop and got up on them. Then a short ride, then bathing. They go in a little pond then pee and poop then we jump in and throw buckets of water on them and scrub. Mahouts (the trainers) threw water and poop on me then the baby elephant filled his trunk with water and sprayed us all. We took a shower then went home. It was an amazing experience and I'm so happy that I could be so close with the elephants. The mahouts did carry hooks they said they have to just in case but they have 16 elephants they are with every day I think they like them and they were super nice to their own elephant. Riding was not comfortable so their butts must be calloused. Next day I went to the highest point in Thailand in Doi Inthanon National Park. Rode a motorbike for 2 hours-my butt was horribly sore. Pretty mountains and waterfall up there and temple on the top. Nice nature walk. So tired and numb butt I went home to rest. Oh and burned! My hands feet and legs were exposed to the sun on the way up so I have an ugly bike burn. It happened before in Korea, I should have learned to cover up especially since its 10 degrees hotter here. Next, I went to waterfall 10. It was really pretty. I think I saw leaches in the standing water. Went to Doi Suthep at night and saw the view of Chiang Mai city with so many lights then a red full moon appeared. Amazing. At temple bright gold pagoda walked around hundreds of buddha statues with monks chanting some sutra I remember chanting once long ago. Beautiful sound. Next Antonia was leaving for Pai with a biker gang of scooters and she got lucky with a chopper the head of the gang. I'm glad her butt wont be as sore as mine for her 4-6 hour drive! I drove around on a scooter a bit then ate some food at the market then went to leke bar (regae) There were good live bands but I had a few too many margaritas. Now on the bus I am really thirsty but not able to down a bunch of water in fear of having to pee during my 9 hour ride with 1 stop because their is a toilet on the bus but I ain't going in there! Its hard enough to pee in the toilets they are the most difficult of all country toilets I think especially when you are wearing fisherman pants which tie around your waist and there is no hook to hang your purse on. Sleeping in Bangkok one night then to Vietnam early next morning. What do the different color monk robes mean? Orange and light brownish and what is the thing they are carrying in the large bags?
Monks are allowed to smoke? I'm on the bus again. Leaving wonderful Chiang Mai. I haven't been updating every day because I've been staying out busy and late. Went ziplining through the jungle. Drove up a windy road that was very pretty. It is cooler higher up in the mountains with Antonia. They picked us up 2 hours late so I thought they had forgotten me. She was furious but it was better because we got a private tour with our own 2 guides instead of 12 people per 2 giudes and we got to go at a faster pace not waiting around for everyone to finish. Two funny guys John and Jeremy were the guides. We ate a good lunch then went out for Mexican food and had a few margaritas and a gross burrito with red chili. I just realized the seat I'm sitting in has a massager! Next day we went to the elephant park. First we fed them lots of sugar cane then practiced commands like lay down, straight, forward, stop and got up on them. Then a short ride, then bathing. They go in a little pond then pee and poop then we jump in and throw buckets of water on them and scrub. Mahouts (the trainers) threw water and poop on me then the baby elephant filled his trunk with water and sprayed us all. We took a shower then went home. It was an amazing experience and I'm so happy that I could be so close with the elephants. The mahouts did carry hooks they said they have to just in case but they have 16 elephants they are with every day I think they like them and they were super nice to their own elephant. Riding was not comfortable so their butts must be calloused. Next day I went to the highest point in Thailand in Doi Inthanon National Park. Rode a motorbike for 2 hours-my butt was horribly sore. Pretty mountains and waterfall up there and temple on the top. Nice nature walk. So tired and numb butt I went home to rest. Oh and burned! My hands feet and legs were exposed to the sun on the way up so I have an ugly bike burn. It happened before in Korea, I should have learned to cover up especially since its 10 degrees hotter here. Next, I went to waterfall 10. It was really pretty. I think I saw leaches in the standing water. Went to Doi Suthep at night and saw the view of Chiang Mai city with so many lights then a red full moon appeared. Amazing. At temple bright gold pagoda walked around hundreds of buddha statues with monks chanting some sutra I remember chanting once long ago. Beautiful sound. Next Antonia was leaving for Pai with a biker gang of scooters and she got lucky with a chopper the head of the gang. I'm glad her butt wont be as sore as mine for her 4-6 hour drive! I drove around on a scooter a bit then ate some food at the market then went to leke bar (regae) There were good live bands but I had a few too many margaritas. Now on the bus I am really thirsty but not able to down a bunch of water in fear of having to pee during my 9 hour ride with 1 stop because their is a toilet on the bus but I ain't going in there! Its hard enough to pee in the toilets they are the most difficult of all country toilets I think especially when you are wearing fisherman pants which tie around your waist and there is no hook to hang your purse on. Sleeping in Bangkok one night then to Vietnam early next morning. What do the different color monk robes mean? Orange and light brownish and what is the thing they are carrying in the large bags?
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