I'll Finally Acknowledge the Elephant

So two weeks ago I said I would finish up my elephant experience that occurred three weeks ago,... but OBVIOUSLY someone is a little too busy living to actually have time to reflect.





Mae Rim Elephant Sanctuary: Chiang Mai
It is very very important that you 1) do not support establishments that allow you to ride elephants or watch them paint/perform tricks/ dance/ etc and 2) do your research on any "sanctuary" you consider and make sure it is rescuing distressed elephants rather than pretending to be something other than a refuge. Reading some reviews unveiled that some "sanctuaries" were actually caught hooking elephants after guests leave or seen hiding fencing and chains. These beasts should not be taken advantage of. PERIOD.

mama and her baby boy

baby booty

The baby looking for hidden treats

Eye to eye with a 4 ton beast; I was sitting on her knee

Highly highly highly recommend any package that is the longest time with the elephants. We fed, walked, scrubbed, and bathed these guys. To book a full day visit in Chiang Mai that will take you on the same kind of day I had, click here. Eye to eye with a female elephant is something I've never experienced before and I was shaking the whole time.

Last Weekend: my home and Chatuchak Market
I live in On Nut (a very local area). Look how freaking cute it is

Then I took a solo trip to a weekend market that houses over 8,000 stalls selling everything under the sun. Lets just say I spent more than I intended.

These are Mangosteens, AKA nature's sweetest candy. I could and will eat kilos of these. 

This Weekend: Kanchanaburi
Located three hours north west of Bangkok, I hopped in a minivan and prayed it went where I meant it to go. There is an incomprehensible amount of trust placed into the hands of those around you when completely barred up behind a language barrier. It is thrilling and stressing and somewhat dangerous but just about the only thing you have sometimes. Thank God Thai people are simply genuine and willing to help (when they can understand you).

Day 1: stoplight cuties, watching temples be constructed, and eating more Mangosteen

Day 2: bike tours and Erewan Waterfalls

7 Levels of falls through dense jungle

Day 3: Giant Monkey Pod Tree

I met friends in Kanchanaburi by staying at Lynn's Cafe and Hostel-- a perfect cheap setup in the heart of town that all single travellers go to. Lynn is a wonderful host, doing anything to help you enjoy your stay. I'd post a link but there isn't an official website, just Facebook and Booking.com, but seriously, stay with her. 

fini

Someone told me during my first week here that I only have six months here. Quite contrary to the mentality I had upon arrival ("gone for six months seems like a long time away from home ..."). This person furthered their advice, advising me to make the most out of every weekend as there is simply too much to do in Bangkok that I won't even succeed in seeing everything during my stay. So here I am, full time work week, fully booked weekends. It is worth the long public transit routes. It is worth the time I don't get resting in my air conditioned apartment. Sometimes I fear that I am going too far down a route of "too much adventure" while sometimes I fear its "too much work" and finding the balance is something I have and probably always will struggle with. I always seem to bite off more than I can chew, spending more time chewing than tasting, but hell if I'm going to waste a minute here! These pictures remind me of the moments I can never live in again and sometimes I fear I'll forget them and stress about getting them online, sharing them, as fast as I can so those around me can live in them forever too. Its a gross mental battle.

I shared this on Instagram but think it is important to record here as well, written on my bus ride home yesterday...

Kanchanaburi

Thailand smells like tiger balm and fire burning off in the distance. Sometimes like trash and sulfur and sometimes like a garlic roasted pork belly. The air is filled with clouds of black exhaust but also almost always framed with plumeria and banana palms hanging on every hedge. I see yellow shirts and tangled telephone lines and sweaty women yelling behind large boiling bowls. I’ve seen nothing but green plants and wet roads and I’ve seen seas of faces packed tightly into overstuffed trains. The cows here have long floppy ears like a bloodhound and I can count all of their ribs. The trees here are wrapped in colorful ribbon and let dresses and monkeys hang on them.

Shoes: forbidden

Temple: hidden

Kanchanaburi

are you kiddin?!

Monkey bites

and motor bikes

I'm covered in mud

but look at these sights!

Work task

Face mask

If this is all a dream

How long will it last?

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