Thailand Travels- Chiang Mai

So before our trip to Thailand becomes a year ago, I am determined to blog more of our personal photos. Here are my favorites from our trip to Chiang Mai, which is in the northern part of the country.

Seeing the elephants was one of our "must do" activities. We spent the better part of the day going to an Elephant Camp and riding the elephants. Now, riding the elephants, this sounds really fun. Joe and I were really excited. We talked about it for weeks. Really. Riding Elephants. It will be a blast! Sounds great! That is, until the elephant you are riding totally doesn't care that you are on his back, insists on climbing down a mountain while you are sitting on his hump to devour rain forest, leaving you at a 90 degree downward angle, 12 ft off the ground, and your new-years-eve-hung-over elephant guide cannot control your elephant and at one point jumps off your elephant and leaves you going down the mountain on your elephant with your fancy camera equipment. All the while, drunk elephant driver beats your elephant with a little pointed stick trying to get it to listen...to no avail. The elephant does what it wants. I'm just saying. Joe and I were both mcguivering ways to "loft" off the cameras and jump down, except that we were on the side of a mountain. It was a pretty intense 2 hours ( I think it was suppose to be 45 minutes). And on top of that both of us super super white people got burnt. So, all that to say: Elephants= Amazing. Riding Elephants= Scary.

Enjoy these photos!

Oh- one more thing! I had a lot of people ask about my Italy photos and if they were for sale. They are, and so are these. Email if there is one you are interested in.

Pre-elephant ride. Still super stoked about elephants.

LOVE this eye shot below that Joe took.

The long-necks of Chiang Mai.

Photos of the King and Queen of Thialand. These are everywhere you go in the country. On billboards, on highways, bridges, even in the smallest of towns there are photos of the K and Q.

Elephant painting a painting! This was truly amazing. Some of the elephants painted ACTUAL photos. Seriously, one painted a bunny. That was not by accident!

One of my favorite shots of the day. Taken by Joe. He is pretty great.