My pictures are in the reverse order again. Here are some fans we found at the paper umbrella factory.
Here's the border between Thailand and Burma. Burma is right across that bridge.
It was a very busy little township.
Didn't ride this through the jungle. This was a 3 year old calf. The ones through the jungle took 2 chairs/people each and were much bigger. [More photos on facebook]
Yes. I know you are all jealous. But I rode an elephant. Bare back. It was pretty darn cool.
Spent the last 4 days in Chiang Mai. The north of Thailand. Altogether it was a very pleasant trip and much shopping and sightseeing was done, but if you ask me the trip was long enough. There wasn't much to do at night other than the night bazaar and the day trip to Chiang Rai was something of a disappointment to my dad. Admittedly we didn't do much considering the 3.5 hour drive (which was mind and butt-numbing) other than appreciate the novelty of being at the border of Laos, Burma and Thailand all at once- The Golden Triangle, known for its opium and corpse-filled Mekong river (in the 70s anyway).
Standing at the northernmost tip of Thailand did strike me with a kind of awe. I didn't realise how far north we actually were until I saw the mountains and people of Burma just across the bridge.
Another awe but more whimsical in nature was in riding the elephant! I love elephants. They're quite intelligent and you can't help but empathise with them. The elephant tamers- called mahouts- forge a genuine relationship with their elephant and made me reconsider my career choice in physics. Ha.
Riding an elephant fulfilled a childhood dream I never realised I actually had. It was hardly a smooth ride but there is a certain peace you can only experience by riding an elephant through the jungle. Unforgettable.
There were admittedly less memorable events the rest of the trip- mostly consisting of walking, eating and shopping but it was great to experience Thai culture firsthand. Chiang Mai is quite different to Bangkok. More laid back and less of a big city. We hardly encountered a beggar (except further north. Children beggars are a depressing sight, but they smile eventually with their unique child's resilience and your heart lifts) and the air was quite cooling.
Did a lot of thinking during travel. It hurt my brain but it was essential. My ipod died on the plane anyway and this left me quite distraught. Hence the thinking.
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