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Ellie and Mia in the big wide world
Hello!
So we arrived in Chiang Mai on the 6th April, the difference in weather was remarkable, still very hot but much more humid than India and as soon as you stepped outisde you were instantly sweating! We got a bus from the aiport and then a taxi and arrived at our little guesthouse. It was nice, very small room with a shared bathroom along the hallway, originally we thought it was very small but as we stayed there for a few days it was much nicer beacuase it was very family run, the family had a little girl and the main part of the guesthouse was full of children's toys, the family were really friendly and very accomodating to us. The only downside is that it had one single fan that just blew the already hot air around the room a bit more, made for very uncomfortable nights but for the price was worth it! We went and adventured round chiang Mai the next day, we were on the edge of a huge main square which had a river flowing round the outside, we decided that we wanted to do something on the weekend before the elephants so went into a tourist shop. He offered us a trek, we were a little apprehensive to start off with but we decided that we wanted to give ourselves a challenge so we signed up for it for the next day, the taxi would pick us up at 8am.
We also arranged to go to a Thai boxing match the same evening. We got picked up by a tuk tuk, we were quite excited as there was a big fight on and it was meant to be very busy. When we got there we were taken to our seats by a rather obvious lady boy and settled down to watch the match, we ordered a drink which was ridiculously over priced and we had to order from that paticular bar, i'm guessing as the bars have their own designated seats so they get the profit. The match started (quite disturbingly) with 2 boys aged around 10 fighting, byt the end of it Mia and I had picked our winner and was glad he won! It got older and older and the fights at some points were brutal. We then sat waiting for the main fight to come on and wondered why everyone was clearing the tables away, we found out that the fights had been 'canclelled' but apparently its just a scam to get customers (stupid westeners). Awesome. Oh yeah I forgot to say that my flip flops broke as I was climbing in the ring to have photos so we had to walk back to the tuk tuk, annoyed, ripped off and me shoeless. Not a great start!
The next morning at 7am we woke up and decided that we were far too tired and Mia still felt a little unwell so we rang and changed it for Sunday. The rest of the day we went exploring, we went to a shopping mall so Mia could buy a mobile phone. The shopping mall was huge and very expensive, much the same as England prices! We didn't stay there for that long, it was a bit of a mission to get there, we walked for what felt like miles in the stiffling heat and were thankful when a shared taxi took us the rest of the way! Needless to say we got one back the whole way!
The next morning we woke up bright and early and waitied for a taxi outside to take us for the trek. It eventually turned up (Thailand time and all, have to allow at least half hour either side!) It was about an hour and half away from Chiang Mai, we were surrounded by loads of very fit looking people (very used to trekking) and were a little bit worried after hearing that there were some very big hills! Our trek guy was amazing though, so funny and kept our sprits up when Mia and I thought we might die, and enjoyed a joke at our expense when we asked how many more hills....'one more hill, one more'...went up the hill, 'one more...one more hahahaha only joking!' We hated him ever so slightly at that point. After 4 hours and apparently 5 miles (I reckon it was about 20 but apparently not) we got back to our destination. We had an a amazing time though, we had lunch at a beautiful waterfall and then went swimming in it, was incredible and the mountains were stunning, all lush green trees. Looking back I would do it all again.
In the evening we met up with Jodie (a friend of Mias from back home) at Chiang Mai's infamous Night market. We shopped for a whole 3 hours stopping for drinks along the way which was fun, the market is huge and has everything you could possibly want from souvenirs to leather bags to fake nike trainers, was amazing and buzzing with people.
So the next day we got up albeit very achey and met everyone at the Elephant Nature Park office. We signed in and then got a minibus to the Park. We had to watch a sad film about the elephants on the way there and how they are treated when they are domesticated, not nice and not really a way out as your travelling at 90km down the highway! We arrived and got shown our accommodation. Very basic rooms with 2 beds with mosquito nets (ours only had one single so we had to ask for another!) and a shared bathroom, bit concerned about the bugs but oh well what can you do!
We found out that there was no meat at all served at the park (I think I adapted rather well considering I can't go a day without eating meat!) There is around 50 of us working at the park for the week so we were split into 4 groups of around 16 people. We had a really nice group and a massive variety of people which was nice. Our jobs during the week were as follows:
Corn Cutting - We went to a huge corn field and given machettes (this was AMAZING) and very theraputic!! We had to do a field and a half and took us from 10am until 2pm with lots of breaks, we then travelled back on top of all the corn on top of the truck, fun but very risky!! One of the women got taken out by a tree branch, Not cool. However this was finished by tubing, basically getting a huge rubber ring and floating down the river, so much fun!
Mud Pit - We had to empty the elephants mud pit and then re fill it with a huge power hose....they say fill and refill we say MUD FIGHT!!!!!
Building fences - Probably the most useless task ever but it was basically one of the workers would come over to a fence, shake it and say 'its wobbly, take it out and dig it in again' and we had to take the barbed wire off it as well.
Painting - Painting the walls outside with green paint, or as I ended up painting myself green!
Unloading Food - We unloaded about a ton of fruit from the trucks, very tedious work but a big accomplishment once we finished!
Washing the elephants - Getting lots of buckets and literally chucking it over them (I think we got soaked more than the elephants!)
Food Kitchen - Preparing the food for the elephants (got to use a machette again!) washing, cutting and then sorting through the bad and good ones.
Picking up poo - Yep, its all in the name!
Then there was the best day when Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver) from Neighbours came to the park! He gave me and Mia a cuddle, and then we all sang Happy Birthday to the elephant that he has sponsered, We met a celebrity!
The week with the elephants was the most ispiring and incredible week of our travels so far. Lek the woman who runs it is so passionate about the projects and when she speaks it makes you want to help in any way possible. Watching the videos was heartbreaking and anyone who is considering riding an elephant please go to this link and take 10 minutes out of your time to watch the videos and read the stories of some of the elephants. It is heartbreaking and a real eye opener. Unfortunatly it isn't just elephants that go through this pain and suffering it is all animals that are used to entertain tourists and it needs to be stoppped.
http://www.saveelephant.org/elephant_nature_park.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVckvi_gWVo
Also at the elephant park where we spent most of our evenings was a dog shelter that rescued over 400 dogs from the floods in Bangkok, the illegal meat trade and the unwanted dogs and strays of Thailand. It was lovely there, all the dogs were so friendly, we loved it so much we decided to go back there for a week at the end of our trip. It is free food and accommodation so we are helping them while they massivley help us!!
We had 2 favourite dogs at the park, mine was called Jai Dee, a beautiful dog that looked like a beagle cross with really long legs, we came across her and she was very quiet sitting in a bed and sturggled to get up when went over.
We asked some of the other volunteers is she was ok, they got the vet to look at her and apparently she had broken her leg a few years ago and it wasn't fixed properly so she is a bit sensitive about it. It then came about that she was getting bullied in that pen and it got too much that week so luckily she was moved to the 'scared dog run' bless her!
Mia's favoutie was White, a tiny little terrier who was also getting picked on, he apparently had to go to the clinic for a while so when he was ready to go back to one of the pens they weren't sure which one he belonged to so put him in one of the other 'scared dog runs'. Unfortunatly now he is being picked on by a one legged blind alsation!
We are both looking forward to going back and giving them both massive cuddles and protecting them for the week!
On our last day of the elephant park the plan for the day on the board was 'Water fight'! It is Songkran festival which is Thai New Year where basically everyone gets each other wet by throwing copious amounts of water on each other. In Chiang Mai it can last up to 6 days!
It was so much fun, we armed ourselves with buckets and went on to the main road, as soon as cars and motorbikes came past 30 of us had our buckets full and got the cars and people in the back of trucks completly soaked! Others that passed were also armed but by that point everyone was wet! Was a very good afternoon, little did we realise that this was not the first day of Sonkran nor the last......
Mia will fill you in!
Lots of love
Ellie xxxxx
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Jodie Yes! I made it into your blog!!! Xx