Today is Thomas’ last day in Chiang Mai. He has booked a late afternoon flight back to Bangkok to begin his trip back to Ireland and the working world 🙁
Fortunately, his flight out leaves late enough in the afternoon that we are able to squeeze in one more day trip and will then drop him off at the airport on our return to the city. We have talked about seeing the elephants, and it turns out that Riam says she can get us up to Mae Tang and back in time for his flight. We have been to Mae Tang Elephant Park a couple of times and we quite enjoy the area, and the elephants in the jungle (vs a small space on the beach or a road in Bangkok), so the scenery combined with the company are the makings of a good day.
Thomas signs up for the full package, but we have done this all before so Mrs. Columbus and I opt for just the bamboo raft bit at the end. After Thomas finishes his ox cart and elephant ride we meet back up for the elephant show and lunch. The place is very busy, much more than we have seen in previous years, and they have trained 2 more elephants to paint so now Suda has some competition!
After the show and lunch it is time for the bamboo raft trip down the river. I really like the rafting because it is so peaceful and relaxing. The drivers steer the raft and the current carries you along while you take in the scenery with only the jungle all around. I wish I could float the raft all the way back to Chiang Mai, but sadly that is not possible due to rapids in a number of places between here and the city 🙁
Before long it is all over and Riam reminds us that we need to make our way back to the city in time for Thomas’ flight. It is not far, but apparently the Prince of Thailand is in Chiang Mai today for a graduation ceremony at the university, and the traffic is expected to be quite bad as many of the main routes will be closed as he passes through.
We get to the airport in good time and have a few moments to say goodbye to our new friend. It has been very enjoyable for us to travel together and we have learned a lot from him about Ireland and his travels, hobbies, etc. It has been one of the highlights of our trip so far to meet up with a fellow traveler that has so many common interests. We have exchanged open invitations to visit each other in the future, so we look forward to perhaps one day being able to show him around Washington, or maybe discovering Ireland with the help of a local.
As is becoming habit, a late dinner with Tee and Ian finishes out the day, and we sit for a while after dinner visiting. The next thing we know it too late to get a massage, but it is just as well and an early night seems like a proper end to the day.