2014-12-27-Day38: Chiang Mai

Took it easy by the pool most of the day. Went to the night market in the evening and shopped some more.

Matthew had been bugging us about doing a "fish spa", where you immerse your feet in a tank of fish that eat the dead skin off them. Alisa was concerned about hygiene, but after looking it up, finally relented. Well, we couldn't let him do it alone! In for a penny, in for a pound!

Matthew in first. TICKLES!

And the whole gang. Tom couldn't hack the fish-tickling!

2014-12-26-Day37: Chiang Mai

Explored some of Chiang Mai today, checking out some temples and local shops, getting lunch, and then taking a tuk tuk back to our hotel to sit by the pool. In the evening we went to the night market, shopped, got ice cream.

Highlight of the day: While we were walking the streets in the afternoon, a boisterous Irish man ran up to us and asked if we spoke English. We said we did, and he introduced himself as a school teacher and asked if we'd come in and speak to his class of twelve-year-olds. They were separated into boys and girls, so Jenny and Alisa went and spoke to one group, the boys and I to the other. It was a lot of fun.

2014-12-25-Day36: Christmas Day at Elephant Nature Park

With Tom feeling somewhat better (but not 100%), he and I took a bus up to the Elephant Nature Park and joined the rest of the family. We got introduced to many elephants, getting to feed them by hand (they eat A LOT!), and got to wade into the river and help bath them. They need bathing every day, but some of them are blind, disabled or traumatized from mistreatment, and so won't do so of their own accord, so they need to be helped. It was really amazing.

In the evening we returned to Chang Mai, checked into a nicer hotel, had a quick swim, then Christmas dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Bath time for elephants!

(more pix coming later today)

2014-12-24-Day35: Christmas Eve at Elephant Nature Park

With Tom under the weather, we split up. Alisa took Matthew and Jenny to the Elephant Nature Park, while I extended our stay at the mediocre hotel in Chang Mai and stayed behind with Tom.

Tom slept most of the day, so I finished two books, watched some TV, and by evening time he was OK to go out for Pizza at the pub next door.

The elephant park was amazing. It's a conservation center that has rescued a TON of animals (30+ elephants, a large number of water buffalo, 437(!) dogs, and countless cats). They give a lot of background on how the elephants are treated (very well) versus how they are traditionally treated elsewhere in Thailand (cruelly). Alisa, Matthew and Jenny stayed overnight and the accomodations were nice.

Matthew relaxing under mosquito netting

Jenny making friends with one of the many dogs

One of the local residents

Matthew and Jenny making a friend

Jenny with another friend

Matthew shaking hands, kind of

2014-12-23-Day34: Travel from Krabi to Chang Mai

Travelled from Krabi to Chang Mai today. Our flight time was changed to 8pm, so we got another day of some beach time. Then a van trip to the airport, mediocre dinner at the airport, 90 minute flight, then a cab to the hotel, which was another 30 minutes.

The plan was just to stay in the hotel one night and then head to the elephant park in the morning, where we were to stay overnight. So, we booked a very cheap and barely-adequate hotel. However, Tom got ill with some kind of bug and was not up to travel, so we decided if he wasn't better by morning, we'd split up...

2014-12-22-Day33: Last full day in Krabi

More beach time, more monkeys (this time they stole our bug spray, and I think they may have headed off with my headphones!). Japanese grill in the evening for dinner

2014-12-21-Day32: Krabi

Took it easy on the beach in the morning. Rained in the afternoon, so took it easy with some reading and playing pool and foosball in the hotel bar. Went to a BBQ the hotel was having in the evening.