Elements of Thai culture

Our first full day in Chiang Mai was probably the busiest day we have had on this trip thus far.  We started out at an orchid and butterfly farm.

Then it was off to the highlight of the trip to Chiang Mai, we met Kayan Lahwi women.  They are refugees from Myanmar.

While the woman sell things they make, the husbands work with Indian elephants.  We had a lot of fun riding them around the park.

We don't have a picture of us on an elephant to post, but this is one with Laurie's parents.  Tomorrow we will have to get one of their photos with us in it.

After riding the elephants, we took a bamboo raft ride down river and an oxen cart ride.  Then our guide brought us to a waterfall before driving back to Chiang Mai.  We had the taxi driver drop is off at the old part of the city. Formerly there had been a wall and moat around this part of the city.  Although the water is still there, only a few pieces of the original wall is still there.  They have rebuilt this portion of one of the wall and one of the gates.