Valentines Day in Chaing Mai

We arrived in Chaing Mai around 7:30am, a little late, but we were told that the train is always late. We left the train and went to our hotel downtown Chaing Mai.

Chaing Mai is one of the oldest cities in Thailand. It is home to a lot of historical temples. It also has a city wall that is over a thousand years old. It is a much smaller city compared to Bangkok and it has an old laid back feel. We could tell the difference instantly. Chaing Mai doesn't have the river of cars, tuktuks, and scooters like Bangkok.

After checking in, I went with the Australian sisters and the UK girls to the Elephant Sanctuary. The Elephant Sanctuary was about an hour outside of the city. It is home to over 100 retired or rescued elephants.

One of the interesting things I learned while in Thailand is how much the Thai people have depended on elephants over their history. In Thai history, elephants were used by rural farmers and loggers to help with the work. Elephants were better fit for this work in the northern regions because they are sure footed, powerful animals that could carry heavy loads over rugged terrain. Elephants also form a familial bond with its owner, they will remain loyal to its master. For many families, a father and son would purchase an elephant together, because elephants can live for over eighty years. The elephant would get passed from one generation to the next. Raising the elephant together, they could share that bond with the elephant.

Sadly, when logging was restricted by the Thai government in the past century, many families were unable to continue their work. With a family and an elephant to feed, they were forced to either: 1. Abandon the elephant 2. Sell the elephant 3. Move to the city to try to make some money on the street with their elephant. One hundred years ago, there were over 70,000 elephants in Thailand. Now there are less than 5,000.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Chaing Mai is owned by the government to rescue abandoned elephants. They also house the only elephant hospital in Thailand, where farmers can bring their elephants to receive care. It is home to over 200 retired elephants.

It was so much fun to go to such a unique place and learn about these gentle giants. We watched an elephant show where they demonstrated some of the different jobs elephants would have working with farmers. We also got to feed a baby elephant (which thought I was a giant banana or something, so it tried to wrap its trunk around my waist) and we also went to the elephant hospital.

When we got back from the Elephant Sanctuary to Chaing Mai, we met up with the rest of our group to spend the evening together. We first went to the night bazaar, which was filled with all sorts of trinkets, spices, and souvenirs. After looking around, we had dinner on the roof of the tallest building in Chaing Mai. Being Valentines Day, we thought it would be crowded, but it was quite empty. I had some delicious Pad Thai, and we were eating dinner just as a fireworks show began in the city. It was a great way to kick off our three day trek, which would begin the next day.

It was a great way to spend Valentines Day: Visiting an Elephant Sanctuary, getting attacked by a baby elephant, and having dinner overlooking one of Thailand's oldest cities.