Chiang Mai truly offers the best of both worlds: it’s a lively city surrounded by a thriving jungle. You can play with elephants and go whitewater rafting by day, and get caught in the endless winding streets of the market by night… which is exactly what we did.
Spending half a day with a pair of elephants was a definite highlight, not just of Chiang Mai, but of our entire three weeks in Thailand. We made sure to choose one of the elephant parks that takes proper care of these magnificent creatures – no riding or circus-style shows allowed. Unfortunately many tourist attractions still offer these activities, the training for which is a horrible, torturous process for the elephants. Our guide, one of the caretakers, gave us a very passionate, if somewhat mood-dampening, speech about it. However, the rest of our day was an absolute blast!
After being suited up in elephant caretaker outfits, complete with gum boots and “fighting sticks” (which were apparently for hitting snakes in case we encountered any), we met two female Asian elephants, one named Lucky, and the other named something in Thai that I can’t even attempt to spell. To gain their trust, we started by feeding them a few coconuts, and a ton of bananas. You could either hand them a banana (or several), which they accepted by curling the end of their trunk around it, or you could feed it into their mouth directly, giving you a chance to feel their smooth, wet, and surprisingly dense tongue. Their mouths are V-shaped, and they quickly push the food from the narrow front area back towards their teeth, which are dull but strong, and can easily crush entire coconuts and thick shoots of bamboo. Occasionally, one would stick its trunk right into the other’s mouth. Our guide told us that they were smelling each other’s breath, curious to know what they’re eating. Their sense of smell is much stronger than their eyesight, and they rely on it heavily. Both of the elephants were very eager for the bananas we had to offer, and they kept reaching their trunks out for more even after we had run out. They continued eating almost the entire time we were with them; though they were partial to bananas, they seemed to be able to eat pretty much anything growing in the surrounding jungle.
The next part of our adventure was a short trek through the jungle, following our new elephant friends through the mud, in whichever direction they saw fit. My foot made up only the radius of Lucky’s footprint! The mud was thick, but the elephants didn’t seem bothered, even as they slid down steep terrain. They just kept moving, one giant foot in front of another, pulling down branches to snack on as they went. For me, however, the mud posed a much bigger challenge. The further we went, the harder it was to pull each foot from the mud, until finally I got completely stuck. I had to pull my foot right out of my boot, then use my hands to dig it out, sinking further into the mud all the while. The tour guide just laughed and said I would have to pay him for the boot if I couldn’t get it out. Luckily I did, but it was quite a struggle! The trek was well worth it, though. Inhaling the sweet, earthy smell of the jungle and listening to the melodious birds and rhythmic insects was an experience I won’t soon forget. Besides, the mud was soft and warm, and washed off easily during our next activity – bathing the elephants!
After trading our fighting sticks for buckets, we waded into the waist-deep river. Our Thai guides herded us out of the elephants’ way so that the huge mammals could sit, then lie down in the water. Lucky and her friend seemed pleased to have the chance to cool off, as were we! We were given some sort of plant matter – possibly bamboo – to use as a scrub brush. The elephants didn’t take long to wash, and our focus on scrubbing their thick, leathery hides was soon lost, as an all-out waterfight began! I haven’t mentioned this yet, but another reason that our time with the elephants was so much fun, is that we were also there with fun people. 
Besides Ellsa and I, our group included Max and Merijn – young Dutchmen we had met on our bus to Chiang Mai, Micha and Sabreena – elementary school teachers from Toronto, and Dan – a high school shop teacher from Colorado. We all ended up spending the rest of the day together: going whitewater rafting in the afternoon, and going out for burgers and drinks in the evening. I love how quickly travelers band together as friends. Great people make for great memories!
Back in the heart of Chiang Mai, a different type of jungle awaits. When the sun goes down, the market goes up! There are, in fact, multiple night markets, which pop up on different streets depending on the day of the week, but all of them are amazingly crowded and colourful! The flow of people is tremendous, and the booths – selling clothing, jewelry, carvings, weavings, and every snack known to Thailand – seem to go on forever. You can eat just about anything deep-fried (I had a banana and a ball of gooey cheese), and just about anything on a stick (our favourite was “sugar toast” – basically a small loaf of bread dipped in butter and sugar). Entertainers stand in the middle of the street and add to the atmosphere, ranging from talented guitarists and violinists, to young children who think they can sing but haven’t yet refined that ability. The darkness of the evening brings the temperature down from unbearable heat to comfortable warmth, and the city seems to wake up from the slow, sleepy day and truly live at night. It’s an amazing place to be.