We love Chiang Mai!

Chiang Mai, I have fallen for you. I have fallen in love with your stunning mountains, vivid colours, and fresh fruit. I have also fallen into your water, crashed into your rocks, and am now lying here in pain after a whirlwind tour. But, it could not be more worth it. After taking advantage of the cheap oil massages and pedicures in the city of Chiang Mai, we headed for the jungle and mountains. We spent the past few days at the spicy villas in northern Thailand. It was an experience out of the movies; I felt like I was dreaming the entire time.
The villas are in the mountainous area of the country, nestled among banana trees and lush greens. On the first day we went bamboo rafting. Though stressful at first, once I worked out how to properly use the bamboo stick to push and steer I could enjoy the scenery. Young boys jumped from raft to raft, being sure to splash us along their way. When it was my turn to be captain I got us stuck on a rock and managed to fall over, surprise surprise. I also managed to flash our whole group, and a number of locals. It wouldn't be a true vacation without me being oblivious to friends trying to warn me. We also bathed at a waterfall, clinging on to rocks to avoid being pulled by the current while washing out the shampoo. A highlight of the day was stopping to pick a passion fruit right from the tree. In the evening we had a Thai cooking class. Well, mostly we stirred the pot while the leaders poured in the ingredients. It was great to experience some truly authentic Thai food and see how it is all made. We sat on a bamboo mat in a circle, lit by candles. Just as I was sighing happily and thinking about what a lovely experience it was, I heard a thud. I looked down, and the scariest looking bug I had ever seen was hanging out right next to my knee. This was my first run in with an elephant beetle, and it was terrifying. If you haven’t seen one, google it for a real treat.
The next day we went for a hike. We walked through a Karen village, with the raised bamboo huts, stray dogs everywhere, pigs tied up to houses, and mothers sitting outside with their babies. We stopped at another waterfall, this time stopping for lunch. We watched the leaders make us a meal cooked in bamboo in the fire. We peeled the bamboo off of the sticky rice cooked inside, and dipped it in the various sauces. In the evening we helped to cook again, and chatted with the others staying at the villas over banana shakes and mojitos, Throughout the day we were sure to fit in some quality hammock time.
The following morning we had to be up at 6 to go ride elephants. We each got to ride our own elephant, sometimes with a trainer with us, and sometimes it was just us and the elephant. We were lucky to get to ride them bareback. My elephant had a baby that followed it around the whole time. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen and I still squeal when I think about it. We rode the elephants through the trees and down to the river where we got to bathe them. They are truly beautiful creatures. Turning around to see my friends smiling on top of the freckled, beautiful creatures was a truly special moment. We also had some important chats about how elephants are treated in the country and the business of it all.
Next, we were off to go tubing. We thought we had signed up for a relaxing ride downstream. After we were given helmets and life jackets, however, we realized we were in for a much more intense ride. We rode down small waterfalls and crashed into countless rocks. We were all pretty terrified, but it was certainly memorable.
During the three days we were with the owner of the villas, as he drove us form place to place and lead the activities. He kept us laughing and full of delicious food the whole time. As a former Buddhist monk, he gave us some interesting insight into the country. We will not forget our favorite spicy Thai man!
Now we are back in Chiang Mai, catching up on sleep and dealing with how sore we are from all of the activities. I am also nursing my first sunburn here. I’m surprised I made it this long without getting one!
Tomorrow we are taking a plane to the Thai Islands to experience our first Thai beaches.
I hope everyone has fun getting dressed up this weekend! We are sad to not be participating in Halloween festivities, though we can’t complain as the Full Moon Party is on the 30th.
I hope you are all eating lots of Halloween treats!
Much love,
Brig xo