Exploring...

I didn't think I'd post so much so soon after arriving, but the atmosphere is very relaxed and it's a nice way to journal the adventure and wind down after a long day. Today was a fantastic introduction to Thailand as we set out on a private day tour that included elephant riding, tiger temple, river rafting, and an orchid and butterfly farm.

I was so excited about the elephants, but found it really challenging to watch them perform on demand in a show for the tourists. Most of the keepers were very gentle, but one kept using a hook implement to hit his elephant on the head, leaving large wounds. I wonder what the poor creatures were thinking as we all clapped and fed them bamboo shoots. They seem to enjoy performing but it's hard to tell.

The elephant riding was less demanding on the elephants and was a wonderful opportunity to explore some Thai forest. I loved the way local people would stand on their balconies along the path and try to sell us food for the elephants which they would have picked from the banana tree right next door. Tara and I had a very friendly guide who sang songs to us, chanted Aussie Aussie Aussie, and took lots of photos. Ricky and Hayley weren't so enthused by their guide who wore his leather jacket accompanied by a rather rock star attitude.

After a lovely buffet lunch we hopped on bamboo river rafts and took a 40 minute journey downstream. It was pretty relaxing and lots of fun to wear traditional bamboo hats for the trip.

Tiger temple was the next stop and I was tossing up whether to go in with the cubs or fully grown, but both had a 1 hr wait and I honestly didn't trust the big ones to refrain from eating me! (Hayley was more brave than I). Ricky and I opted for the juniors who were about 8 months old and fairly playful, though it was early afternoon and aparently siesta time. I felt sorry for them as the keepers kept trying to make them lie down for photos when all they wanted to do was walk around and be left alone - must be a strange life. We basically got our photos and left them to it.

Orchid and butterfly farm was a bit of a non-event and I'm sure our tour operators only took us there under some agreement they have with the local businesses. The butterflies were pretty but there weren't many as apparently it isn't the season.

Before dinner some of us went to the local massage parlour and enjoyed a 1 hr oil massage - so relaxing, though a little more confronting than a western massage (apparently no part of the body is off limits!). When we were walking to the massage we notice lots of people with bags of stuff lined along the footpath and we assumed it was people waiting to be picked up and travel somewhere for new years, but when we came out the street was closed an hundreds of market stalls had sprung up!

I ate from market stalls for the first time tonight - authentic Pad Tahi and I'm sorry Sings, but you've got nothing on the real deal. And at 30 baht it's a bargain (AUD$1).

I had a great time with Joelle and Tara exploring the newly established markets and learning to barter with my few Thai words. I can't believe how cheap everything is over here ($9 for a Mombasa style dress, 75c for fabric earrings, 65c for fresh OJ). I'm also becoming more confident in negotiating song tao rides which means not only saving money, but getting to my destination surprisingly faster.

New Years Eve tomorrow is supposed to be a fireworks extravaganza ith all of the hotels doing their own display, though I've booked myself in for babysitting duties so mightbe watching from the Brewer's apartment balcony.