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Hello All!
We have just been to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, just south of Chang Mai (still Thailand) and it was awesome! I went ready to be all critical (as I usually do with all these conservation centres we have visited) but i was really impressed at the whole arrangement. They have a huge number of elephants (orphaned/rescued/ex-working) and not only provide them with a safe home and find them the care of their own individual mahout, but also 'keep them employed' as it were. There is a huge problem with the number of now unemplyed elephants in Asia as they are no longer needed to work. Although it is very geared towards the tourists the elephants appear to be so happy being busy and in the limelight.
Anyway...sorry to go on but I am buzzing! We went on a ride on a huge bull (with a big speckledy willy!) and massive tusks! We also saw a few babies, one of which is barely 2 months old. And it is the most contact I have had with elephants...see pics (if we ever get them up!).
OK to sum up since Joe's entry.... Ali and I finished our Open Water Diving and decided to go the whole hog and do our advanced which was and extyra 5 dives and qualification to go down to 30m! We saw a huge Grouper, Blue spotted Stingrays, Bat Fish, Baracuda (which I wasnt even really sure was a real fish!). Joe did his refresh for advanced and a few of the dives with us so we are now all qualified to go dive when we get to Oz!
From Koh Tao we went to Khao Sok National Park which is possibly the oldest rainforest in the world (dont quote me). Here we went tubing down the very swolen river but due to a huge amount of rain (and a little laziness) decided against trekking! :-)
We then went back to Bangkok for a bit and had a good few days there with many a cocktail before saying bye to Ali :-( (miss you!)
So then Joe and i go the local train (no windows and wooden seats) to Kanchanaburi to check out the Bridge over the River Kwai along with the museum and memorials. Very interesting and moving. Then to Ayutthaya and the ancient ruins. Now we are up in lampang (where we saw the elephants) and moving up to Chang Mai tomorrow.
If anyone has already been and has any suggestions of what/where to go they are welcome- we have been told so much already and are really looking forward to do it!
We have also progressed onto manual motorbikes which we are very proud of (although I am limited to very quiet roads due to excessive wobbliness!)
We are spending a few weeks in the North of Thailand before heading Down to Malasia for our last week or so before flying to Oz 3 weeks tomorrow!! AGH! Then we will have been officially away 6 months and moving even further away!
We are hoping to get hold of a van within the first couple of days to a week as it would be cool to have one by my birthday (not a hint that I would like lots of messages or anything!) (its the 2nd for those who suffer from we have forgotten all about nicki memory-loss!)
Oh- Nick Woolley stop writing on your blog so often it is putting us to shame!!! (awesome pics though!) Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks......I am CRAVING a glass of wine! he he
OK hopefully some pics will be up in a few mins too! :-)
Lots of love to all xxx
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