Elephants in Chiang Mai

Hi this is Nathan! I am a guest blogger for today! My mom found a place outside of Chiang Mai for us to go and ride elephants for the day. We got suited up in our trendy denim jumpers and learned a little about the elephants first, some Thai commands the elephants understand, and a little about the preserve's conservation efforts.

I am convinced elephants are direct descendants of the dinosaurs. They are the weirdest looking animals. We fed them some sugar cane for dessert and then got acquainted with our new pets. 

Leah was a little scared at first, but finally got used to it! Claire didn't let go of her dad the entire ride. She eventually fell asleep on top of an elephant.

We used our command, "MAPLONG!" which means "get down" and then hopped on board. Ali's elephant enjoyed squirting me while we crossed the river.

The Elephant Queen

The guide's sister made us Pad Thai, and it was the best we had all trip. They wrapped it in banana leaves which are waterproof and helped keep the food warm!

Ali's elephant got a little frisky with her (an elephant kiss).

We rode our elephants to a mud spa that is supposedly loaded with minerals that are good for your skin and we gave the elephants a massage as they rolled around.

Then it was time for a bath and we washed the mud off!

After a long day, we got to do some Thai reflexology that is supposed to cure all types of ailments...but Ali's celiac didn't go away :-(

Ali said that after our wedding day, this was the best day of her life. Next up...TIGERS!!!