Changmai

Chang mai is a great place in the north of Thailand. The hostel is super cheap because they make there money on adventures and tours so I was really excited to do a lot of crazy fun stuff. Yesterday I spent the day at a elephant sanctuary. First we had to go to the market and shop for food for the elephants, then when we got to the sanctuary we change into traditional mahu clothes (mahu are the people who take care and live with elephants)and learn the basic commands. We first feed the elephants bananas and its kind of scary because they are kind of HUGE animals but after feeding them we fo a bit of a bond. We take turns getting on an elephant and walking around on them, they key like all animals is not to show fear or the animals can sense it. After a few commands and rides we had lunch and just hung with the mahu..Then the ride. I climbed on top of my elephant who was a 12 baby who really loved to dance. (She kept doing this two step!) and with a firm hand gave her the order to go. We walked for about 45 minutes with all the handlers through streams and valleys and then we got to the side of the hill..The handlers walked away and let us climb the side of the hill alone, it was just me and meddi (my elephant) it was an incredible experience..Going up a steep hill on a two ton elephant alone and trusting her to know what to do and knowing the commands to communicate with her. She would veer off and eat a branch of see leaves she wanted and it was up to me to guide her down the path. It was awesome and scary because if she fell I would die instantly. We made it down and got to the water where it was time to give her a bath. It was like washing a playful baby and she kept spraying me and the handlers. It was one of the best experiences of my life and just so much fun