Chiang Mai

November 10, 2016 MovinnGrovin 6 comments

Chiang Mai, Thailand

 

From Myanmar we made our way to Chiang Mai, a quick pit stop to the city in the mountainous Northern Thailand.  Chiang Mai is known in Southeast Asia for having some of the best local street food and markets.  As a result, we ate and shopped our way through the city, Sean ate grasshopper and meal worms and Laura nearly doubled her backpack with cloths and items bought from local street vendors!

 

However our primary objective in Chiang Mai: elephants.  Chiang Mai is home to numerous elephant parks including the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants considered to be one of the most animal and eco friendly in the country and very important for their future survival and wellbeing as elephants are used not only for circus and street acts in Thailand, but also for numerous forms of dangerous and even deadly labor.  We spent a day at the park learning about, feeding, and bathing elephants.  It was the highlight of our quick visit to Northern Thailand!

 

From the street markets, to the elephants and even attending a rowdy Muay Thai event for date night, a quick update on our pit stop in the Northern Thai city...

night markets and street food, let the eating commence!
night markets and street food, let the eating commence!
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local monks in prayer
local monks in prayer

Our day visit to the Elephant Nature Park...

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Sean offers some watermelon
Sean offers some watermelon
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Laura hanging with the heard
Laura hanging with the heard
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taking a stroll
taking a stroll
Laura pets...
Laura pets...
... and Sean attempts an elle hug
... and Sean attempts an elle hug

Bath time.

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After an awesome day with the elephants, we head back to the city and gamble with more exotic street food.  Sean eats (and really enjoys) worms, crickets, and grasshoppers... said the grasshopper tasted like a french fry!

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The following evening we attended a Muay Thai event.  Muay Thai is a world renown combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking.  It was a packed house filled with many locals and foreigners, an interesting experience...

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The food was incredible and elephants a blast to play with.  Chiang Mai was a perfect place for us to hang for a few nights before departing for our next destination... a 10 day excursion through Vietnam!

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