Tuesday 15th June Elephant Nature Park

Julian feeling the baby elephant move inside its mother.

This is officially the first day of our holidays as yesterday was a public holiday at home. We really feel that we have done so much. Another early start as today we are off to Elephant Nature Park.
Picked up at hotel at 8am. On the trip we are shown a dvd about the park. Had tears in my eyes when they showed a baby elephant begging on the street in Bangkok. He was rocking back and forth and they commentator told us that elephants have very sensitive feet and feel the vibrations through them. The traffic and people were all around him and he looked so sad
When we arrived we were shown the correct way to feed the elephant, then feeding time came and a lot of the elephants came up to the feeding platform for us to feed. We were told a bit about each elephant. The elephants have all been rescued by a lady called Lek who has done an enormous amount of work to put a ban on elephants being used to attract tourists while working in the streets in Bangkok. She was a tiny little lady that obviously had a heart as big as her elephants. There were about 30 elephants on the property and they had made about 5 herds. They all had very sad stories. One had half its hind foot blown off by a landmine, another had been drugged so that it would work around the clock. It came to the park addicted.
One had lost its baby giving birth while working and the baby rolled down the hill and died. When the elephant refused to work the mahout stabbed it in its eyes and blinded it.
My favourite one was 65 years old named Kuhn Pan and she had only been in the park for a year, she had not made any friends and except her mahout who she followed around like a puppy. If he fell asleep in the grass he would awake to find her with her trunk wrapped around his body. All of the other mahouts followed their elephants .
The one with the foot that was damaged by a landmine was due to have her baby any day. You could see it moving inside her and we all put our hands on her stomach and felt it.
It was unbelievable how quietly the elephants moved. We would be standing looking at them when all of a sudden you felt something behind you and looked over your shoulder and there was an enormous elephant just about a meter away.
The 2 baby elephants were about a year old and such happy little things they were in the same herd and played just like brothers and sisters jumping all over each other in the water and in the mud. At one stage one of the babies got scared and all of the adult elephants charged to make a circle around them. They stayed like this until the baby had settled.
We got to go down to the river with the elephants and throw water over them. It was a bit daunting being in the water with this huge animal and not knowing which way it was about to move.
The park is manned by lots of volunteers and some of the people there had been there for months. The volunteers worked in groups doing different jobs but seemed to have a lot of time to just go out and enjoy being with the elephants.
Watched another DVD on the way they break elephants. The cruelty involved in this was horrifying.This time tears were streaming down my face. Never again will I ride on an elephant.
We had dinner tonight at a seafood restaurant in Anusarn restaurant really yummy with 12 beers and a large entre to share and 4 mains altogether $52.
We then went to the fish spa and internet café. This was a unbelievable feeling having tiny fish nibble on your feet and clean off the dead skin. Our feet came out really clean. We then did a bit of shopping before going back for bed. This was our latest night so far as each night we have been so exhausted. Back to the hotel by 11.30.

Monday 14th June Flight of the Gibbon

We were up early and waiting for our tour bus for this days adventure. With mixed feelings Judy and Julian were excited Al and I were apprehensive. After picking up 4 other passengers we had about an hours drive to our destination.
Up into the mountains the temperature getting cooler as we went.
Upon arrival we were given safety instructions and signed our life away. Then we were suited up, headband and helmet and harness. Back to the bus to be driven a short distance to our first platform.
This didn’t look too scary. We were given safety instructions and soon it was time to be clipped (cripped) in and zip from the platform to another that wasn’t too far away. Julian was videoing most of our attempts. Our first zip was only a short one. Hey I like this!!
We had a lot of different ones fast, long, short, 2people together, repelling 3 times each time getting a bigger distance until the last time we were a very long way from the ground. On one of the ziplines we had to jump off the platform and drop about 3 meters before the line took up the slack and we started to fly through the air. We then ended up flying into a rope net, where we had to climb up to the platform. We also had three swing bridges to cross. This was not a frightening as I thought it would be though.
We all really enjoyed this day. I did not feel frightened of the height at all even though I usually get scared of heights. I think the reason for this is that the canopy of trees gives you a feeling that you aren’t up very high.

Dinner tonight was at Deck 1 and was really lovely cost of dinner for 4 people was 3400bt including 4 cocktails and 6 beers.

A bit of shopping and then a foot massage completed the night
Foot massage 2 people 300b 45 minutes

Chiang Mai 12th June 2010

Having a drink at Gekkos

Arrived at airport at 2pm. It had been an extremely long day with a 6 hour wait at Bangkok airport after our flight from Melbourne.
We were asked as we departed if we wanted a taxi by a nice man called Somboon. He explained that he had a 10 seater bus that he could take us and all of our luggage. We were travelling with our friends Jude and Al and had quite a bit of luggage between us.
He gave me his lanyard with his name on it and disappeared. We waited outside and after 10 minutes he arrived with a nice new mini bus. His English was good and he told us that we could have a day tour for 1000bt. Day tour being 8am to 5pm.
We drove through the street with us all being swivel necks taking in our new surroundings.
Our check in to Centara Duangtawan was easy with a lovely receptionist who gave us prices of different tours that were very reasonable. Jude and Al were excited to hear that they could have a smoking room and were upgraded. We had a requested room overlooking the mountain and they told us that that wasn’t a problem and that we had a nice room.
It was after we got to the room that I was able to look in my luggage for the folder that I had for months been preparing with all of our notes about the places that we were going. It also had all of our bookings made over the internet. It wasn’t there. I was nearly in tears. I did have a back up of notes on my netbook and Jude and Al had a copy of all of the bookings of rooms but we were the only ones that had a copy of Elephant Nature Parks booking.

We were just so tired that I couldn’t even be sure what day we had booked it. It also had our Nancy Chandler map and maps of the other places and hand drawn maps from friends of different restaurants and massage places in Bangkok that they recommended.

After a quick shower we met in the lobby to explore. We needed to book Flight of the Gibbon so we walked across the road and started to barter with the tour operators that were there. They all wanted 1700bt and we ended up paying 1610. The boys had a beer and Jude and I had a Mango smoothie at Café de Siam just down from the hotel. We then decided that we would walk to Pantip Plaza but hadn’t gone very far when we saw Gekkos so we had to stop for another beer and a Daquiri and a few spring rolls to keep us going. This place sure has atmosphere. On to Pantip to see same same but different. Then back to hotel before we ventured out for dinner. We walked along the markets on the way to Kalare food court and kept hearing all of this cheering when we got across the road we realised that nearly every vendor had some sort of tv and were watching the World cup.
The Kalare food court was nearly empty but we had a decent meal we were getting so tired after our long day that we decided to make it a night and get a good nights sleep.
When walking back we looked at the artists drawings and I fell in love with one of a hilltribe girl we really wished that we had a photo that they could copy as their drawings were fantastic.

Long Wait at Bangkok Airport 12th June 2010

We arrived at Bangkok Airport at about 6am. Our flight had been cancelled to Chiang Mai and we had a wait of 7 hours till the next flight.

We sat in the food court and waited and waited.

Sampled most of their food and admired the gardens outside the window.

Six days to go

I am writing this in the early hours of the morning. My daughter has just left for her holiday in Vietnam and Laos

Julian and I leave on Friday night. It has been really cold here today and we will be glad to get to a warmer climate.

All of our jobs have been completed and we just have to wait now and get through another week at work. We also have to try to get rid of horrible colds. Taking all sorts of medication and herbal remedies.

All Good in Bangkok

Well things have settled down in Bangkok. They still have a curfew, that will be reviewed this weekend. Hopefully by the time we arrive on the 4th July things will be totally back to normal.
We only have 12 more days until we leave. The weather here is getting colder and lots of rain, so looking forward to the heat.
I have started to get all of my clothes ready but Julian will probably pack the night before.
Guy has left for Europe, Dad has left for Bali and Sheridyn leaves next Saturday for Vietnam. Seeing them all go has had mixed feelings. Lucky them, but it means our time is getting closer.

Our trip to Thailand

It's only 3 weeks to go until we leave for Thailand.
Our Itinerery:
Chiang Mai 5 nights
Koh Samui 7 nights
Phuket 10 nights
Bangkok 4 nights.
Starting to get excited but still unsure if we will be able to do the Bangkok leg due to the unrest. Hopefully things will be normal by the time we arrive.