Elephant Trek Chiang Dao

On the banks of the Ping River we had an amazing experience that words cannot do justice. We began with entertainment provided by elephants and their handlers. It was refreshing to see that these mammoth creatures were treated with some dignity. We witnessed how elephants were used for logging in the villages of the past. Photo number three shows a very talented elephant painting a masterpiece - which also sells for 500 Baht (OK - maybe not too much dignity). Last photo is of us taking our 90 minute trek through the jungle riding on the back of an elephant. We rode to a village of the Lisu hilltribe people, and then returned to camp for traditional Thai cuisine prepared by our guide. Soup with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and lemongrass (and some mystery items not easily identified) was served with fresh fruit and sticky rice which is like we eat at home. Yes, I actually ate some of the soup! I was surprised that it actually tasted pretty good.
I included a picture of the suspension bridge we had to cross to reach the camp. No more than 10 people at a time are allowed to cross at one time. I'm thinking the limit should have been no more than three people. Not much support with missing planks and rotting wood. We had genuine concern that we were being suckered into doing something really stupid.