We have now been in Thailand for about two weeks, and we have traveled to two very different cities - Chiang Mai in the north and Bangkok, the capital of the country with a population of over 8 million. The people of Thailand are incredibly nice and we have felt so welcomed. The food is also amazing here and we love the variety of curries, noodles, vegetables and fruits. However, the heat is killing us! Most days, the temperature is a consistent 34-36 degrees Celsius, but with the humidity, it is more like 40-42 degrees. It makes walking very tiresome, and we often find ourselves popping into a 7-11 just to cool off in the air conditioning. That being said, we have seen and done some really amazing things here.
We really wanted to see elephants in Thailand, and we did a lot of research until we found Patara Elephant Farms. What makes this organization special is they focus on visitors spending the day caring for, feeding, bathing, and getting to know these incredible creatures. The population of wild elephants has declined dramatically (as much as 50% over the last few decades) and much of this decline is due to loss of their natural habitat from things like deforestation and agricultural practices that include slash and burn tactics. Sadly, illegal capture and poaching is also contributing to this loss, and Patara Elephant Farms have rescued many of these animals from terrible conditions. Their goal is to get the elephants healthy again and reintegrate them back into the wild. The farm also works towards natural breeding management, and in the past decade, they have had 14 births.
Our day began with an introduction to our elephants (mine was a 14-year-old female named Man-We and her baby Tara) and instruction on how we can check to see that our elephants are healthy and happy (this included checking their poop, but they are vegetarians so it wasn't as bad as one would think). We were responsible for cleaning our elephants, feeding them (they eat a lot!), riding them, and bathing them in a river. By the end of the day, I felt very connected to my elephant and almost forget how big and powerful she was. They are very gentle creatures and it was definitely a highlight for us to spend such a special day with them.
Our day began with an introduction to our elephants (mine was a 14-year-old female named Man-We and her baby Tara) and instruction on how we can check to see that our elephants are healthy and happy (this included checking their poop, but they are vegetarians so it wasn't as bad as one would think). We were responsible for cleaning our elephants, feeding them (they eat a lot!), riding them, and bathing them in a river. By the end of the day, I felt very connected to my elephant and almost forget how big and powerful she was. They are very gentle creatures and it was definitely a highlight for us to spend such a special day with them.
Our stay in Chiang Mai included a half-day cooking course, also another highlight. We were picked up at our hotel in a truck/open bus (these are everywhere in the city and are a very cheap and efficient way to get around - basically two bench seats are placed in the bed of a truck with a cover over top and open windows). Once we arrived at the large open-air kitchen, we chose the dishes we wanted to make (Pad Thai, Chicken with Cashews, Panang Curry, and a green curry) and then headed off to a bustling market to purchase our ingredients. Our class included making our own curry pastes (lots of ingredients and pounding in a mortar and pestle), however the market was full of stalls with mounds of ready made curry pastes. This is a real time saver for busy Thai people, and the end results are just as good as making the paste from scratch. There wasn't much they could teach Pierre (he is an amazing cook) but I learned a few techniques and the end result was partaking in a delicious Thai lunch that we had made ourselves.
There are many forms of transportation in Thailand, and another very economical way to get around is using tuk-tuks. These efficient little three-wheeled motorbikes are everywhere, and for less than 100 Baht (about $3.00), we were able to travel all over Chiang Mai.
Bangkok is a whole different story when it comes to transportation. This enormous city includes an extensive metro system, a sky train, various boats of all sizes, buses (both air-conditioned and not), taxis, tuk-tuks, and even motorcycle taxis with or without helmets for passengers.
Bangkok is a whole different story when it comes to transportation. This enormous city includes an extensive metro system, a sky train, various boats of all sizes, buses (both air-conditioned and not), taxis, tuk-tuks, and even motorcycle taxis with or without helmets for passengers.
The easiest way to see some of the best tourist sites in Bangkok is to use the very reasonably priced boats that travel up and down the Chao Phraya River. Forty Baht is all it costs for a one-way ticket and it allows for departure at any of the various docks, depending on what a person wants to see. It does get fairly congested on the river at times, and it was fascinating to see all of the different sizes of boats navigating through this with apparent ease.
As you can see from the skyline, there are many modern buildings in the city, and in the area where we are staying, there are a lot of new condos and shopping malls. One of them, Siam Paragon, has the most amazing high-end market featuring every food item you could ever want from all over the world. There is also a massive food court in which a person can sample almost any cuisine. As in every big city that we have traveled to, there are numerous restaurants that cater to every taste and budget. In addition, there are hundreds of food vendors on the street selling very inexpensive dishes. Often when we pass by these vendors, the food smells very good, however seeing the dishes sitting outside all day in the heat doesn't inspire us to want to dine this way (although I'm sure it is perfectly fine).
As you can see from the skyline, there are many modern buildings in the city, and in the area where we are staying, there are a lot of new condos and shopping malls. One of them, Siam Paragon, has the most amazing high-end market featuring every food item you could ever want from all over the world. There is also a massive food court in which a person can sample almost any cuisine. As in every big city that we have traveled to, there are numerous restaurants that cater to every taste and budget. In addition, there are hundreds of food vendors on the street selling very inexpensive dishes. Often when we pass by these vendors, the food smells very good, however seeing the dishes sitting outside all day in the heat doesn't inspire us to want to dine this way (although I'm sure it is perfectly fine).
In contrast to all of the modernity of the city are the ancient Buddhist temples and the Grand Palace. Wat Pho (also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) was amazing to see. As we walked into this enormous building it was hard not to just stand in awe and feel dwarfed by the size of this beautifully crafted statue (15 m high and 43 m long). The temple complex was amazing to walk through and is one of the oldest and largest in Bangkok. There are over 1000 Buddha images, 91 stupas (also called chedis), a monastery, and even a massage school.
On the other side of the river is the fantastic Wat Arun, a Buddhist temple with a very tall central tower (estimates vary from 66-86 m high, depending on the source) covered in colorful porcelain pieces, and four smaller towers. There are very steep stairs that a person can climb to a balcony half-way up the tower, and the view is supposed to be quite amazing. I tried walking up the first set of steps, but my fear of heights kicked in, so I was quite content to just take pictures from the bottom.
Although we have really enjoyed all that we have seen here, Bangkok is still an enormous city, and one thing that we have found is that it often feels as though we only see street life from the windows of the sky train. It is sometimes difficult to just walk on the streets in neighborhoods as we have done in other places. Part of that is due to the stifling heat that saps our energy after only a few blocks of walking, and part of it is due to its vastness. We will be leaving for our next destination, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday, but it has been quite an experience to see two very different places in Thailand.
On the other side of the river is the fantastic Wat Arun, a Buddhist temple with a very tall central tower (estimates vary from 66-86 m high, depending on the source) covered in colorful porcelain pieces, and four smaller towers. There are very steep stairs that a person can climb to a balcony half-way up the tower, and the view is supposed to be quite amazing. I tried walking up the first set of steps, but my fear of heights kicked in, so I was quite content to just take pictures from the bottom.
Although we have really enjoyed all that we have seen here, Bangkok is still an enormous city, and one thing that we have found is that it often feels as though we only see street life from the windows of the sky train. It is sometimes difficult to just walk on the streets in neighborhoods as we have done in other places. Part of that is due to the stifling heat that saps our energy after only a few blocks of walking, and part of it is due to its vastness. We will be leaving for our next destination, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday, but it has been quite an experience to see two very different places in Thailand.