Elephant park

   A week or so ago I went to an elephant sanctuary out side of Chiang Mai. Instead of riding the elephants, we fed them and washed them in the river. This park was a cruelty free place and the goal was to get the elephants back into the wild. Most elephants are treated very badly, getting beaten and tortured to make them tame
   We took a bus into the country and arrived at the 200 acre park. There, the elephants were given free range to wander. The first thing we did is see the massive food storage area. The elephants could eat a whole lot! There was also a covered walkway that the elephants could walk underneath and directly under you. Next we went to feed them, and they eat a whole lot! We broke for lunch, which was an extravagant buffet (the elephants weren't the only ones who ate well!).
   After lunch we went into the river and splashed the elephants with buckets of water. It was fun and refreshing to splash in the cool, clean water with the elephants. After that we fed the baby elephant (who ate like a toddler) and then it was time to go. Overall it was a fascinating and memorable experience.

Bug Museum

   In Chiang Mai there is a museum of bugs that has on display cases full of carefully preserved insects in glass cases. We went in and the friendly owner of the museum showed us around a bit. We were the only ones there and it was very small. The first case displayed several large tarantulas, a long centipede (about 6 inches) and a bunch of large beetles (about 3-4 inches). One of the beetles could kill you by pinching the artery in your hand, and another could cut your finger off between its head and body. (pictures) The second and third floors contained butterflies and then more bugs including a display of fighting beetles! (pictures) It was fun way to spend the afternoon

The man who ran the place was a spry 81-yr old, retired lawyer who never meant to be an entomologist (someone who studies insects). He and his wife spent a lifetime studying over 400 species of mosquitoes in an effort to study and eradicate malaria in Thailand.

What my mom really liked about the guy and museum was his respect for life. There were many displays with writing about how we must all respect nature, about love, about his own personal spiritual journey. Quite moving and touching.

Thai Cooking Class

 A couple of days ago my mom and I did a Thai cooking class at a farm. We were picked up from our hotel in a song tao, a converted pick-up truck with a cover and seats in the rear truck bed. We headed out with the rest of our group and stopped at a market, where we learned a few basic ingredients we would be using. The market was a typical Thai market, basically a large covered shelter with stalls selling fish, meat, veggies, sauces and cooking supplies.
   After that we got back into the song tao and headed out to the farm. It was quite a ways out of the main town and we got a chance to see some of the country side, filled with rice fields, farms, and a whole lot of cows. We got to the farm. There were open air buildings to cook in but first we looked at the herbs and veggies growing around. It was interesting to see all the herbs and learn what they were. Many we recognized from Thai meals we had had.
   We finished that and finally got down to the cooking. Inside each building were maybe a dozen cooking stations with a stove for everyone learning to cook. I shared a station with my mom. We started out by making a coconut milk and chicken soup (tom khar). It was delicious. Next we made a curry. We had to mash various herbs and spices together with a mortar and pestle to form the base for it. It was cooked in a pot with chicken and veggies. mmmmmmmm
   Next we made a stir fry with chicken and cashews. We fried in a big wok pot. It was perfectly done, and it was eaten quickly and eagerly. We proceeded to make spring rolls and a dessert, mango in sticky rice. They were both great but we were so full we had to bring some home.
   My conclusions: we can make anything better than a restaurant can.