Day 24 – 26.10.2016
I woke up to the lights coming on at about 5 am thinking that it was already bright outside. You see, the top bunks dont have any windows. We sort of watched the sunrise – it was more of a getting light and watched the landscape that had changed in comparison to the South. More lucious greens, more trees and more of a rainforest / jungle vibe I felt.
We reached Chiang Mai and were eager to get to the hotel to get some rest, a shower or just breakfast.
After a nice little break of shower, breakfast and blog writing, we headed out for lunch. We went to eat at a place that makes a traditional dish called Khao Soi from Thailands North. It is a delicious curry noodle dish that is synonymous with the region. Here are some impressions from Chiang Mai on our way there.
The dish, topped with fried egg noodles as garnish on top. (Not 100% my favourite dish of the trip...)
Really easy snack – deep fried nori algae strips with a pinch of salt. Would probably go well with sesame seeds too!
After lunch some of us decided to take a drive to Lampang where there is the World’s first elephant hospital. After witnessing an elephant that had it’s foot blown off by a landmine and running around with a gashing wound for several kilometres, the owner Saraya decided it was time to build a place where elephants could be helped, that was free of cost for the owners.
Another speciality they have is the production of prothestics for those elephants that have lost limbs from landmines. They are made of carbon fibre filled with a lining of silicon. These prothetics have to be very light as to not irritate the elephant, but strong enough to hold the weight of the elephant.
These prothetics were made for one of the elephants that was brought in as a young elephant that had stepped on a landmine when she was walking around with her logging mother on the border to Bhurma. She was brought in when she was very little and so now her prothetic needs to be adpated regularly as the elephant too has her growth spurts. Mosha
Very lively and playful! The elephants get to walk around freely every once in a while to practice their muscles and their weight application onto their prothetics whenever there are no visitors around. These elephants are domesticated but the hospital wants them to heal in peace, especially since some elephants become agitated when there are too many people around them.
This elephant is one of the most famous elephants in the world. Motala is the first elephant that the hospital was founded for and also the first elephant ro receive prothetics. Her entire stable is covered in foamed bars where she can rest a leg, her head to support her weight or to readjust. Even though she has been with the hospital for several years now, the wounds are still healing and her foot is still sore. (Just like for any amputee!)
This little fellow is actually not a baby. (Even though he is that small...) Dante is a dwarfed elephant, and even had problems reaching his mothers tits for milk when he was born. He since is has grown a little, but compared to the other elephant Mosha who is about 2 years younger than him, she is already taller and bigger than him. (He also doesn’t really like people around apart from his mahout, and so we were quick in walking further)
The place were they make the prothetics.
We saw an overly pregnant elephant – 19 months pregnant! (They usually carry for 22 months)
An elephant that stepped on a landmine but was still able to keep her foot. Only parts of the foot are full of scar tissue and when she walks it still is sore for her since the wounds are still healing. However Boonmee is doing well without the prothetics. Unfortunately she cannot work anymore and so is no longer of value for her owner. Which is why she will forever stay a resident at the hospital.
Another temporary resident at the hospital.
We also got to experience something really cool! The elephant, Boonmee, was taking a stroll around outside her pen on foam mattresses as a type of physical therapy.
Trying no to put weight on her foot.
We returned back to Chiang Mai and for dinner we went to a type of Korean barbeque. It was quite lovely! You would pick the ingredients from a buffet and then throw them onto the barbeque. There was also a pot in the middle where you would put vegetables, herbs and meat to turn into a soup.
Later on that night we went to the most amazing cabaret! A lady boy show!
So flashy! Some of these ladyboys were beautiful and quite sexy!
They also got the audience involved. The person who blow up the largest condom balloon won a bucket of whisky and coke. Thankfully our Valerie did the best job! The bucket was great :)
And then some more audience involvment – this time from the intern ladyboys of the show! Including Lawrence who did a wonderful job as „Lisa“...
And so because this fishy spa was right next door and the others had never tried it so we hopped back into the fish aquarium and let our feet be tortured through tickles!
