Having a Dung Good Time with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Emmett's words from Chiang Rai ("we just hold on and hope we don't die") were also applicable on the bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai.  Inter-city Thai busses are notorious for fast and reckless drivers.  As we sped down twisty mountain roads, swerving into the opposing lane to pass other cars on curves, Bob and I tried not to think of the bus accident that we'd seen on the news during breakfast that very morning.  The 3 hour ride to Chiang Mai felt pretty long and we all felt a bit queasy by the time we arrived (fortunately, safely).

The next day we headed into the city of Chiang Mai.  Since any exploration of SE Asian cities includes a temple stop, we headed to Wat Chedi Luang in the middle of the old city.

I love seeing monks walking around in their saffron colored robes.  This monk even had a coordinating umbrella.

This is the second temple in which we've seen remarkably lifelike wax/resin models of monks.  The first time the monk was "sitting" on the floor a a temple, in the open air.  From 10 meters away we were convinced he was a living person.  It was only when we got about 2 meters away and scrutinized his chest (for signs of breathing) that we realized he was not real.  This wax monk was enclosed in glass so it was more obvious.  The detail in these wax/resin figures is unbelievable.

After the temple, Bob and Emmett got haircuts while Colin and I hung out in a coffee shop and waited for them.  Since it was Thanksgiving Day in America, I tried to find a place to eat a proper turkey dinner.  Unfortunately, the restaurant serving Thanksgiving dinner was already fully booked so, instead, we had big American burgers with macaroni & cheese and root beer.  It might not have been turkey, but it was a classic American meal for our Thanksgiving in Thailand.

After lunch we explored the Elephant PooPooPaper Park, where we had LOADS of fun (warning:  lots of poo puns ahead).

The PooPooPaper park is "number one at number two".  Here, the POOSibilty of recycling elephant poo into odorless paper is cheerfully demonstrated.  While poo from different animals can be turned into paper, elephant poo is particularly well suited for the process because of the undigested fibers it contains.

After the poo is collected and dried, the next step is to boil it (to remove any bacteria) and rinse it twice.  This is where they take the "eww" out of the poo so it no longer stinks.

The boys had a dung good time stirring pots of boiling elephant poo.

The next step is to strengthen the poo fiber by mixing the new material with (re)recycled poo paper.

This results in very colorful balls of poo fiber.  Because, you know...brown is the new green!

Then each ball is put in a screened tray in water so it can be spread thin and evenly.  At this stage there's even the POOSibility to combine poo balls to make multi-colored sheets.

The screen trays are then lifted out of the water and set to dry.  The paper can be used as is or put through a press to make paper that is more suitable for writing.

We all gave the Elephant PooPooPaper Park "two bums up"!!!  (OK, poo puns are over.)

On the way back to the city, Colin rode up front with the tuk-tuk driver as we sped along on everything from small roads to part of a highway.  Probably one of the most exciting (for him, anyways) and dangerous rides so far, but he loved it.

The next day we headed to the "Grand Canyon" of Thailand, which is an old quarry outside Chiang Mai that has filled with rainwater and been turned into a swimming site.

Most people come to the Grand Canyon to jump/dive off a ledge about 30 meters (98 feet) above the water.

The boys were excited to watch Bob jump!  (Pardon the shaky videography, I was filming while bobbing in the water.)

Emmett was really upset that you had to be 18+ to jump, but we found a shorter height from which both boys did their own cliff jumping.

Other than the cliff jumping, we enjoyed floating and swimming in the water, which is about 40 meters (131 feet) deep.

After a few days closer to Chiang Mai, we moved a bit further out to Chai Lai Orchid for some up close time with elephants!

First, a bit about Chai Lai Orchid.  The property was opened as a refuge for ethnic Karen (ka-REN) women as a place where they can be safe while learning English and valuable skills.  The situation of the Karen people is quite complicated, but the basics are that many Karen have fled violence in Burma and are refugees in Thailand.  However, Thailand does not recognize them as refugees and considers them to be illegal immigrants, so their legal protections and opportunities are extremely limited.  Because of this, many Karen women fall victim to human trafficking, including sex trafficking.  The beautiful, serene setting of Chai Lai Orchid is a stark contrast to the ugly realities that many Karen women are subject to.

Chai Lai Orchid is near an elephant tourism site where elephants are used (unfortunately) for chair rides.  Elephants have been ridden in this part of the world for hundreds of years, but mahouts (elephant handlers) traditionally ride bareback on the elephants' necks.  The chair used in elephant rides is quite heavy, and that plus people is too much for an elephant to carry.  About a year ago, Chai Lai Orchid began offering ethical elephant encounters with the goal of replacing the chair-riding income so that the elephants would have easier, happier days.  At this point Chai Lai Orchid is able to do this for half the day.  Their goal is to raise enough money to rent the elephants for the entire day (which would mean no more chair rides for them at all).

Elephant tourism in Thailand is hugely popular, and elephant encounters range from places with utterly horrifying conditions to incredible "luxury elephant retirement parks".  Bob, in particular, spent a lot of time searching for a place where we could interact with elephants while feeling good about the way the animals are treated.  It's not a perfect situation for these elephants right now, but at Chai Lai Orchid we enjoyed being up close with the elephants while we (hopefully) contributed to a better overall future for these gentle giants.

On the day we arrived at Chai Lai Orchid, we were able to feed the elephants a special treat.  They eat bamboo most of the day but particularly love sugar cane.  Our second day, when we did our entire "elephant encounter", we started off by feeding them this same treat.

Then we rode the elephants in pairs (one parent, one child), completely bareback!

Riding the elephants was both thrilling and a bit scary.  For one, I've never ridden anything bareback, especially not with a child clinging to my back.  Second, the entire ride took a lot of arm strength (particularly when we went downhill) in order to hold myself and Emmett upright.  By the end, my arms were shaking from a long time in a modified pushup position.  Third, I was well aware that if one of us fell off, the other was likely going to follow and the neck of an elephant is high off the (very hard and rocky) ground.

Nonetheless, the opportunity to ride an elephant bareback was extremely cool!

After walking through the jungle, we crossed the river one more time.

When we got back to the elephants' feeding area, we thanked both "our" elephants and all the others by giving them bamboo to eat before eating our own lunch (not bamboo).

After lunch, we went on a bamboo raft ride that was quite different from our one in Yangshou, China.  Instead of sitting in chairs, this time we were pretty much sitting in the water!  Not surprisingly, the ride turned into a water fight with beautiful scenery along the way.

When we got back to Chai Lai Orchid, we had a chance to give one of the elephants, DeeDee, a bit of a bath.

We even got some elephant kisses (mine came earlier in the day, and the look on my face is pretty funny).

With our official elephant activities over, we spent the rest of our time at Chai Lai Orchid relaxing and enjoying watching the elephants.  The two baby elephants were some of our favorites.  One was 2 years old and the other was 11 months old.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the elephants, and we left Chai Lai Orchid and Chiang Mai with fantastic, POOsitive (ha, one more pun!) memories and great respect for these strong, gentle animals.