the day I rode an elephant [chiang mai]

This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I've dreamt of riding an elephant for a pretty long time.  It's pretty much as awesome as it sounds. We signed up for a day that included feeding the elephants, "training" the elephants, bathing and riding. We showed up and got to wear these super trendy chambray "mahout" clothes for our riding experience. (Mahout is a person who rides an elephant according to wikipedia. Now you know.)

 Feeding them sugarcane-elephants eat 500lbs of food a day-we fed them a lot

  the process of getting up-you give a command for them to lift their leg and then you just climb right up them!

^this elephant was 15 months pregnant! (they're pregnant for 2 years-i learned a lot about elephants guys)

 dork alert^^trying to remember the commands we learned in Thai (but really an elephant only responds to one persons voice throughout life-or so we are told)

 feeding them bananas^

Bathing the elephant! We also learned how they make elephant "shampoo". They break open these thick jungle that are somewhat moist inside and when they add water it gets all sudsy. Plus it protects them from mosquitos! How crazy is that.

Do yourself a favor-go to Thailand and ride an elephant