Mae Taeng Elephant Park

Sometimes It's Fun to Be a Tourist

We aren't big tour group kinds

of travelers.  We find our way

around on local transit, eat the

local foods, wander through

lonely streets, etc.  But every

once in a while taking a tour

is a fun thing.  We planned to

head up into the mountains

outside Chiang Mai and our

local truck taxi driver suggested

 a visit to the Elephant Park.

We had a great time!

First the elephants took

 a bath in the river.

Okay, this is where it did

get rather touristy with the

feeding of the elephants and

the elephants dancing...

...but then, the elephants

painted.  It was amazing.  If

 I had not seen it with my own

eyes I wouldn't have believed it.

Later that night we were showing

some new friends the photos of

the paintings and 3 of us in the

group had Fine Art degrees and

we couldn't get over how well

that darn elephant could paint.

Next it was the highlight of the

day ~ we got to ride the elephants.

I could go on a long journey by

elephant, it was wonderful to

ride atop this majestic animal.

Next we took an oxcart

ride.  That was not so nice,

it hurt to bump along the dirt paths.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch

beside a beautiful garden.

And then it was time for

the bamboo raft ride down the

river, which should have been

fun.  But in typical Murphy's Law

fashion, the monsoon rain started as

soon as we set off.  It was a long

ride down that river.

Even our sweet, kind taxi

driver had to laugh when he

saw us, we were drenched!

I was very glad he was there

to drive us back to the Villa.