| I had always wanted to ride on an elephant, so after | | | | tribe, where the women were still weaving in the |
| I had been relaxing for a couple of days after arriving | | | | traditional way passed down through the generations |
| in Chiang Mai I decided to pop to my hotels' booking | | | | for hundreds of years. It was also an opportunity for |
| desk to inquire about the trips available. | | | | the local children to mob some unsuspecting tourists |
| After spending some time looking through the many | | | | to see what money they could get out of us. |
| different combinations available I decided to go for | | | | After spending some time in the village, I loved the |
| an elephant trek, followed by a visit to a couple of hill | | | | massive pigs tethered under the houses, we walked |
| tribes before finishing off with a trip down a river on | | | | through the jungle to a beautiful waterfall, where we |
| a Bamboo raft. | | | | were all able to take a dip and cool off. Our guide |
| At 8.30am the following morning, I walked to the | | | | then hurried us along a jungle track through the most |
| hotel lobby to find my tour guide already waiting for | | | | luscious green I have ever seen in my life, before we |
| me, so pleasantries exchanged I hopped into the van. | | | | entered a White Karen village, and again were able to |
| I was the first pick up of the morning, and we picked | | | | look around and see how these people lived. It was |
| up 4 more intrepid travellers form various hotels in | | | | quite humbling to see the very basic way these |
| Chiang Mai. | | | | people still lived, and I was struck at how happy and |
| After about an hour of driving we arrived at the | | | | contented these people seemed compared to us in |
| elephant camp, we spilled out of the people carrier, | | | | the west with all our mod cons. |
| and crossed a small rope bridge to where our next | | | | The food they gave us for lunch was superb, just a |
| transport was happily munching on palm leaves. After | | | | very simple vegetable and rice dish with some |
| a brief introduction and talk from our guide, we were | | | | omelette and glasses of ice cold water, meant we |
| off. | | | | were able to relax in the shade and chat amongst |
| Getting on the elephant was no problem, with a | | | | ourselves. |
| wooden platform at the height of the elephant we | | | | After lunch we drove a short distance to the |
| literally just stepped on to the animal. | | | | Bamboo rafting, I suppose in my mind I thought they |
| The ride itself was maybe an hour through the | | | | would be like little boats, but it was basically some big |
| mountainous jungle, we didn't seem to be following a | | | | thick bamboo poles lashed together and that was it, |
| path, just crashing through the vegetation. I'd always | | | | we were going to get wet!! With 3 people on each |
| imagined an elephant ride to be a lot smoother for | | | | raft, we were spaced out evenly along the rafts |
| some reason, but it was more like a fair ground ride, | | | | length, we set off with our 'driver' standing at the |
| although this may have had something to do with the | | | | front, using a long thin pole to push us in any given |
| steepness of the incline we were going up, or maybe | | | | direction. It was a slow and very quiet drift down the |
| the fact my animal was far too interested in eating | | | | river, occasionally shattered by groups of children on |
| anything it came across than follow the instructions | | | | the banks diving in as we went passed. This was the |
| its Mahout was barking out. | | | | highlight of my day, just drifting down the river, |
| The worst moment was getting off the animal, the | | | | hearing the birdsong and insects. |
| dutch couple on the elephant in front of me was the | | | | It was great when I got a turn to stand up and use |
| first to try to dismount, again onto a wooden | | | | the pole to direct us, I felt like I was stepping back in |
| platform, but as the lady stepped onto the platform, | | | | time, although the 'poleman' on the raft behind |
| her elephant decided it was fed up standing there | | | | thought it would be highly amusing to splash his pole |
| and move away, one of the tour guides tried to hold | | | | right next to me as to try and scare me so I might |
| but to no avail and she fell maybe 10 feet to the | | | | fall in, but luckily I seemed to have my sea legs and |
| forest floor, luckily she was OK, just a few bumps | | | | was able to just laugh with him while retaining my |
| and scratches, how she didn't break anything I'll | | | | balance. |
| never know, maybe she was an acrobat in earlier life! | | | | After maybe 30 minutes we stopped and were given |
| After this incident I was understandably relieved that | | | | the opportunity to buy a photograph of us on the |
| my animal stayed where it should and I got onto the | | | | rafts, which I did. |
| platform safely. | | | | We were then driven back and dropped off at our |
| After saying good bye to the elephants, we were | | | | hotels, not before arranging to meet up for a beer |
| back in the people carrier, and we drove for 30 | | | | and a laugh later that evening. A truly magical day. |
| minutes to visit an Hmong village, an indigenous hill | | | | |
