The Scurry Up North

After my unconventional but still exciting start in Bangkok, I took the sleeper train north to Chiang Mai, the unofficial outdoorsy capital of Thailand. Now that I come to think of it I wouldn't call it a scurry but more of a meander up north on the hammy-down trains from Japan decades ago. This night train that covers just less than 700 kilometers took roughly 17 hrs. Initially it was only suppose to be 13 so just over a week into the trip I was getting well equipped with what many of SE Asia backpackers call “Thai-Time”. Things are generally either late to leave from said destination or late on estimated arrival of time. Knowing this beforehand I wasn't at all bothered by the tardiness.   

Surprisingly enough one of the things I will take away most from Chiang Mai is the hostel I stayed at. The atmosphere inside was like no other hostel I had experienced in my life. It was almost as if the whole place was one big family and everyone had open arms for whoever walked through the door. The name of this hostel is called Spicy Thai and actually has a few other locations throughout mainland SE Asia. To say the two main employees Rob and Tom were personable isn't even close to what they truly are, just genuinely wonderful humans. These two would arrange all sorts of events during the day for any member of the hostel to part take in, from treks just outside the city, to evening specials like the all so famous lady-boy cabaret shows in the city center (there not graphic or anything like I’m sure you’re thinking. Think of it more as a staged Las Vegas cabaret show just performed by lady-boys. Don’t hate, they’re 100% accepted in Thai culture...). Anyway here is a quick link to Spicy Thais website if anyone is interested in checking them out, highly recommended. (http://www.spicyhostels.com/STB/About-Us.html)

Here are a few pictures from one of the treks to a beautiful waterfall that Rob from Spicy Thai organized, COMPLETELY FREE! Also a few from the all so famous Chiang Mai Sunday night market.

Suave Shampoo For Men! Doi Suthep National Park  #1 (Photo credit Rob Chapman)

Doi Suthep National Park #2

Doi Suthep National Park #3

Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market

Some artist obviously prefers KFC over McDonald's 

Dale Chihuly of the East, Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market 

George Lucas and Google translate would not approve

Without question, the highlight of my time in Chiang Mai was my day-trip to Woody’s Elephant Training Camp. Yeah, I’m still mind-blown on the fact that that was the actually name of it. To be honest, I did a good amount of research on the elephant training facilities and took some advice from Rob and Tom at Spicy in all boiled down to three options with all having nearly identical itineraries and all implementing bareback elephant riding (riding without the big seat/recliner looking things that are terrible for the health and treatment of an elephant). Undoubtedly Woody (speaking in third person now) chose Woody’s Training Camp and couldn't have been happier with my decision. In short, the day consisted of learning basic elephant riding commands, feeding them (bananas, giant leafs of some sort, and even some fresh sugarcane for dessert), bathing/scrubbing them and even heading out to the sugar cane fields to round up a van full of sugar cane ripe for the picking. With a lunch break in-between it all it was quite remarkable to spend the day with such a spectacular creature.

Here are a few pictures from my time at Woody’s. 

Got the giggles a bit

Chopping some sugar-cane 

An absolutely monster foot. I wear size 11/11 and a half for some comparison...

The outdoorsy capital of Thailand lived up to its reputation and oddly enough I walked (or bused for that matter) away from the city with a hostel experience equally as impressive.