Chiang Mai Day 4: Rafting, Riding, Roping

So the Action packed day is about to start. Woop! Woop!
We arranged with the Travel Agency to leave out all the boring stuff and just get more of the action. So a day with ziplining, elephant riding and whitewater rafting is ahead.




Elephant family


We are sharing the Minibus with an Australian family with 2 cute kids and seems they booked quite a bit of a different itinerary. And seems we are in the their itinerary. So essentially we are getting all we booked with more thrown in, all the boring stuff we wanted to avoid, but hey, if it's a free add-on. 

Orchid Farm

The day starts with a visit to a Butterfly and Orchid Farm. There are almost no butterflies to be seen but the orchids are pretty. That's all to be said about that pitstop. Guess just a regular tourist trap that's included in all itineraries in this direction. But at least it doesn't cost extra and nobody forces you to buy anything.



Check out the unchewed banana collection in there ;)




Next up is another really exciting event. Bamboo rafting. Woohoo! Sit on a bamboo that sloooowly makes it down a river. Left and right there's

Bamboo rafting

 plenty of greenery to be seen, nice sight but the one in China was more exciting. Once down there they lift the Bamboo rafts with a truck out and deliver them back up to where it started. The road is so muddy you would easily sink in above your ankles. But we get such a 'comfy' pick-up truck to take us back. And then... a nice elephant ride. Over a swing bridge we go and jump on our elephant taxi. It's bumpy up and then and it's freaking hot but the elephants are soooo cute. There's even a baby elephant tagging along behind his 

Sturdy bridge ?!

mummy, holding the tail and carefully watching what's happening around. And the hungry ones eat small bananas out of our hands. We even get to switch from the top chairs to the neck of the elephant. Which is even hotter, sitting right on the skin but that ride is exciting, especially when it goes down a steep slope. Holding on tiiiiiight!



Double zipping

And then the waiting game starts. There's a nice buffet lunch but we need to wait and wait for other minibusses to show up and then wait some more for the Ziplining to start. Seems they are taking everyone there together, makes sense since they need a few people on the platforms to get you all across. Since we are about 20 people now ziplining it takes a long time to get everyone geared up, walked to the start and from platform to platform. The ziplining itself is great fun. The scenery is not as nice as in Belize, it's freaking hot and one of the guides accidentally totally bumped in my back, telling us how important breaking is when you are going too fast but not doing it himself. Ah well, the fun makes the pain go away. You can even do double ziplining. Rapelling is still not my favorite thing to do, but hey, they do all the work so essentially you just have to sit there. The waiting though sucks. For everyone to move around from platform to platform. Gives you plenty of time to get soaked in your own sweat. Last zipline goes over the river. Which is really sweet. I could have gone some time longer.

Really happy that Whitewater Rafting is next on the schedule. Wooohooo! To get there it takes a long, bumpy ride in a pick up truck but it's scenic and fun. And glad that after all the sweating we are getting drenched in the waters now. There's some waiting again as the rafts are just being brought by trucks as well. Seems they don't have too much equipment around. Talk about Just In Time Delivery. The life vests are mandatory, unfortunately mine is waaaaay too big and once in the boat I am barely seeing out of it. After a short introduction on what to do at which commando we take down the river on two rafts. Getting soaked within the first few seconds in the easy rapids feels fantastic. It really doesn't get much better than this. Even 

Waiting....

when the rapids get a bit stronger the guide on the boat knows exactly where to steer and when we need paddling. Easy enough. We dive underneath the rapids a few times but luckily never turn over and at one pond in the river can even get out to float alongside the boat. Sweeeeet! That is over waaaaay to quickly. I want more and more and more of the rafting. So sad it's over. We get on the pick-up again drive through beautiful scenery and get the choice. Seeing a hilltribe, walking to waterfalls or do both. Since the Australian family is tight on time, they are getting picked up that evening, and we are not keen on hilltribes we just opt for waterfalls. The Hilltribes are on the 1000 things to see before you die list but I hate the idea of going to a village and gawking at people. Kind of like a zoo, just with humans. And I did hear some sad stories about that too, so don't necessarily want to support that cause. Interaction should be minimal, well down to the exchange of money if you buy something there. If anyone's been, comments are appreciated. The waterfall is relaxing. Lots of water pressure almost throwing me over the edge so off to a quieter spot to enjoy. Bumpy ride back to the starting point and off to Chiang Mai we are. What a great day, can we do that all over again (only the exciting part that is).


Yeeha



Shower and then dinner in Chiang Mai and some more 'shopping' at the Night Market. It's more like window shopping only for me. Udo puts on a nice fashion show for us with the suits he had made there. Elegant I can say!  

3 Ladies walking home alone we are taking the shortcut, which leads us by the Chiang Mai Pub Street more or less. It's fairly quiet but disturbing nonetheless. Maybe just because it's so quiet you notice all the young Thai girls and boys waiting around for tourists to buy them a 'drink'. Sad sight actually. As soon as one white man enters the bar there's at least 5 women jumping on him hoping to get at least a drink out of it. And every one is in on the action. Little boys selling flowers etc. That's a scene we would like to leave as quickly as possible. Massage parlors and little corner bars, all practically empty line the way. But as women you are way safer than alone man walking around.


cozying up in the Pick-up truck



Back at the Guesthouse the small Iguanas are crawling all over the ceiling, somehow especially in front of our room. Just talking about the fact to be careful that one may fall down on top of your head, one actually does just a few cm of Laura's head warranting a nice scream and a laugh.

Last day in Chiang Mai tomorrow and cooking class is on the schedule. Get your hunger on coz this is gonna be deliciosoooo!