Chiang Mai and its secrets

On 04/03/18, we were lazy. We slept in very late and only left the hostel to get some food. It was nice to take a break! :D The only exciting thing that happened that day was my Thai massage. In our super hostel, it is possible to take massage courses or simply get a massage. I naturally did that and will do it again tomorrow because she is really good at it. It was the best Thai massage I have ever had and it only cost 6.45 €. :D Here are the two links. If you ever come to Chiang Mai, you must visit here! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293917-d13354706-Reviews-Tip_Hat_Taa-Chiang_Mai.html

http://tip-hat-taa-professional-thai-massage-treatments.business.site/

On 05/03/18, we had to go out and do something! So we went to the mysterious Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai. Of course, the canyon is not as big as the real one and it is not a natural formation, but it was still impressive. The canyon contains a large amount of water inside, so the Thais have turned it into a water park. You can float in the water with inflatable tubes or surfboards, jump into the water from the canyon, or simply enjoy a cool cola on the canyon. It was a fun and successful change of pace! We spent some time in the water, then ate an ice cream and enjoyed the view for a bit before heading back. We briefly stopped at the nearby second-hand store, where I bought a new top. Two of my t-shirts are definitely ready for the trash! :D In the evening, I went to the night market while Tim stayed at the hostel. I got a new t-shirt, a magnet, and an aloe vera cream. I just love strolling through markets like these. It's so much fun! We sat outside in the evening and chatted until we fell asleep.

Yesterday, on 06/03/18, we wanted to go to the Elephant Nature Park. In Chiang Mai, there are many camps where elephants that have been used for tourism purposes are rehabilitated. We had done some research beforehand, and the lady at the travel agency told us that we had to buy the ticket in Chiang Mai. But we were sure that we could get it cheaper on-site. So we drove the 60 km. As we got farther away from the highway, the area became more beautiful. There were mountains all around us and we already saw the first elephants and oxen. When we drove over a hill, a huge meadow with a river, stones, and trees opened up in front of us, and elephants were everywhere. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, thin ones. Some were sleeping, some were eating, and some were bathing in the river. It was like paradise and so beautiful. The anticipation grew. But when we arrived at the entrance gate and drove in, the volunteer on-site asked us if we had booked a ticket. Of course, we didn't have one, and he told us that we couldn't enter and that we should have bought the ticket beforehand. We were sad, angry, and disappointed. Later, we found out at the ticket office that they can only allow a maximum of 200 people into the park each day, and it is booked out every day until mid-April. But we have booked another tour for Friday. Feeding, bathing, and playing. I'm so excited! Anyway, back to yesterday. After we got over the shock, we decided to continue driving through the mountains. We stopped at the next gas station somewhere in the middle of nowhere and let a local help us refuel our scooter. Then we continued to the café in Wild. It was super cool. There was a beautiful café right by the river. We had a delicious meal and a coffee and then drove through the mountains for about 2 hours. It was breathtakingly beautiful! At one point, we stopped to see where we were. A Thai person in a pick-up truck immediately stopped and asked if everything was okay with our scooter or if we needed help. That was very nice! We meandered through the mountains and back to the hostel. Before that, we bought a ticket for the elephant tour and went to the supermarket to get things for breakfast. The day was really nice, even though we experienced something completely different from what we had planned. But as they say, 1. Things never go as planned and 2. Life is full of surprises.

So far today, we haven't done anything, but that might change.