The kids have just had their week-long October break and our family decided to take a few days away together. Off on our first visit to the north of Thailand to Chiang Mai!
Khun Bum strongly suggested to pay a visit to Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, the Grand Palace of Chiang Mai. It was a lovely place! (I forgot about the no bare shoulders rule so I had to borrow some clothes.)
C was feeling ill for part of the trip and with a fever and rotten cough I just couldn't put him on a jungle zip line. So, we sent Daddy and D off for a father/daughter day in the treetops. They enjoyed themselves tremendously!
Boy was I jealous though when I heard they were swinging through the jungle with real, wild gibbons!! Couldn't believe my eyes when I scrolled through their photos!
On our last day, C was feeling better so we could all venture out for a day of training as mahouts, or elephant trainers. We've ridden elephants before, short treks where we all sit in a basket on their backs. Always part of the Thailand tourist experience! But this was a day learning how to "drive" them! How to be the only person on bareback, giving commands in Thai, trying our best to control the beast!
We love the beasts!
They were VERY affectionate!
In the photo below, I am getting totally slobbered on. And T is enjoying every slimy second of it!
C may have a future as a Thai mahout!
D was a little more hesitant. But you can't help smile when you are up there and these sweet, gentle giants!
Another delight was meeting the 2 babies there at the elephant camp. 1 was just months old and the other just 4 months old. They would reach out to the kids for bananas and try to scoop them closer. They were playful and so sweet!
For safety while trekking, we still had to sit in the basket with the kiddos. But no professional mahout- T is at the wheel!
Bath time!
Shower time! That's T and C getting the spray in the face! :)
C up top, T below, cuddling!
Last trick was the elephants walking around this big pond with passengers on their backs. T is visible in the photo on the right with his hands up in the air. What a thrill!
Since landing back here in Bangkok in early August, I've had a running 'to do' list that just won't end. I'm sure you've had the same! It's just another time of year that calls for many, many tasks. The kids are back in school, all the fall activities are starting up, and it's time to start planning all of our getaways for the coming school breaks. On my list for the last month as been posting to the blog. I figure that most of my readers come from facebook friends and I do update my page fairly regularly, so you all know we are alive and well. That will just have to suffice sometimes!
Our leave this summer included stops in New Jersey, New York, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. Happy reunions, cuddles with a new niece, birthday celebrations, running, big cities, and small town fun. A true whirlwind but oh so much fun! The wheels are already turning thinking about our next summer destinations.
