lauren_s_kahn

OK, guys, I have finally made it to Asia. I will be in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the Buddhist holiday of Loy Krathong. I have rented an apartment and will be based in Chiang Mai for 2 months.

You can follow my blog here:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-thailand.html

So far survived the interminable journey here and visited the Jim Thompson House.

zoso

Elephant nature park ?

lauren_s_kahn

This trip is going to last a long time. There will be elephants in due course.

LancasterLad

Don't be drawn into turning YOUR thread into yet another thread dominated by animal welfare.

Smeagol

Wow 2 months lucky you. Enjoy I loved LK in Chiang Mai.

rhkkmk

love the info and experiences, I just wish you would drop the third person approach..

Smeagol

I have to agree, I really like all the info but if you don't mind me saying I find the third person style a bit off putting....

lauren_s_kahn

The 3rd person approach is just part of my schtick on the blog.

Today's activities are lunch out and a wine and cheese party. I will try to blog at least every other day. A side trip to Siem Reap is going to be done and I haven't decided whether to take the computer on that one.

I do have a friend in Chiang Mai which is how this trip resulted. She arranged the apartment for me. We are going to have to go over to the realtor and pay the balance of the rent this week.

Please note for stays longer than 30 days Americans need a visa. I got a 60 day visa by applying at the consulate in Washington, DC. Just look on the website for what you need. I will need to leave Thailand and return before this trip is up so that I get a new 30 day visa. My stay is actually 2 1/2 months. There is a huge expat colony in Chiang Mai where my friend lives with lots of activities for retired people. I certainly will need to break loose to start seeing stuff (elephant conservation center, etc.) but it is helpful to have friends to help you when you realize that maps are of limited use. The streets have no signs here although highways are well marked in both English and Thai.

lauren_s_kahn

I will be going to Baanchange Elephant Park tomorrow for my elephant experience in Thailand. You can read about the park here: http://www2.baanchangelephantpark.com/

If you want to know how it turned out, you can read my blog. The link was provided at the top of this thread, but here it is again:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-thailand.html

Please note that, for those of you who think elephants should only be in the wild, there is very little habitat left in SE Asia. I am not going to get in a debate about the ethics of elephant tourism. The main thing is that without a way to make money off the elephants as a tourist attraction, the elephants would simply be killed. That does not mean that I endorse abuse of the animals--far from it. However, Westerners getting involved in debates about the ethics of elephant tourism need to be aware that some Thais live on a subsistence income--and right or wrong the elephant tourism places provide a way for them to earn a living. The option I chose is the most expensive elephant option available (about $160 because I will be going solo). That is why most tourists will choose the cheapest option of an elephant ride in a metal howda. Certainly it is what all the group tours do.

I do not want to get in a long discussion about elephant tourism.

lauren_s_kahn

I give up. If you are interested, there are photos of my group (and me) in the November 13, 2014,group with Vinai. The link does not work, you can check the Baan Chang facebook site for a variety of albums.

rhkkmk

I think the photos are fine.

I like what you wrote about elephants being working beasts...

lauren_s_kahn

Thanks, rhkkmk. There is not one chance in a million that the elephants in Thailand will go back to just living in the jungle because a lot of the jungle isn't there anymore. The important thing is that people simply do not abuse them while working with them. Some chains are necessary to prevent them from fighting with one another or injuring people. They are large dangerous animals. There is a huge problem with habitat removal for animals all over the world. We in the West just cannot get on our high horse (or elephant) and tell others what to do while trying to repair the damage we have done to our own habitat. You need look no further than the mass killing of buffalo in the US. It is a constant dance between allowing people to earn a living and improving the environment--and no country really does it well.

Cattail

I agree lauren. Abuse of animals sucks all over the world. It doesn't, unfortunately, justify people knowing better, yet perpetuating the suffering in Thailand.

lauren_s_kahn

One thing I will not do here is go and pet the tigers because I have been told they drug them. How else could they do it? People know and they go anyway. I went to the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Dance show and dinner last night. Tonight a food tour. I will go to the zoo to see what is there. There is supposed to be a good Aquarium. We'll see how good it is. There is plenty to do here without abusing animals.

jobin

No doubt the greatest threat to worldwide elephant survival is a chinese person with money. Unless some boffin can figure out how to convince the ele to give up his tusks, voluntarily.

lauren_s_kahn

My trip to Chiang Mai and Southeast Asia continues. If you want to know where I am during the trip, these are the outlines of the trip:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...uary-2015.html

I visited the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens today. Tomorrow I will be doing some jungle zipling. The next day will include a visit to the world's first elephant hospital near Chiang Mai. The hospital has even fitted an elephant with a prosthetic limb after the loss of a leg in Burma. I hope I get to see that elephant!

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...uary-2015.html

rhkkmk

may I suggest that in addition to the thai spices, your food choices may be causing you some problems---improperly washed salad greens, toooo much fruit that your system is not used to...buffets that do not have proper temp control and/or have sat too long..

rhkkmk

smoothies too---source of ice??

lauren_s_kahn

The places with the smoothies do not appear to be the problem. They all advertise purified water in the ice. What causes my occasional tummy upsets appears to be my propensity to want to taste everything including street food.

There is, in fact, no way to check all food for bacteria. You just take your chances.

Cattail

But it's all so yummy!