Turns out I'm allergic to tigers...

So I lost my camera.  This has thrown a wrench into my blogging plans.  I initially intended to share a bunch of photos, write a few captions and a brief paragraph, and leave it at that.  But as James Lipton says*, "The Show Must Go On"!

On Thursday evening Kate, Kristina, Marsh, Will and I flew to Chiang Mai. It was significantly colder up north, only in the 80s for the high :)

Friday: Headed off to the Tiger Kingdom. Got to pet, pose and play with real life tigers.  In my opinion the large ones were lazy (arguably drugged), the medium size ones were playful (which can be a bit scary when you are standing 3 inches away from them), and the baby tigers are the most adorable.  Also discovered that, like house cats, I am allergic to tigers.  After the tiger kingdom we visited a temple on top of a mountain and ate some delicious Burmese food before locating a night market that severely tested my Mod-2-acquired negotiation skills.

Saturday: Since a full-grown Indochinese tiger can only get to be around 450 pounds, we figured we needed to find some larger animals to play with.  About 80 minutes outside of town we visited some Asian Elephants.  After changing into some fashionable blue shirt and blue/purple pants, we learned some commands, fed the elephants some bananas (ok, actually a lot of bananas) and then went for about an hour ride that culminated in us washing them in a river. 

Not to brag, but our elephant was pretty much the Usain Bolt of the group

Shortly after bathing our elephant.  Not a bad business plan, they get the customers to buy bananas at a market, feed the animals and then bath them, all as part of the "experience"

Sunday: Took a Thai cooking course, meaning I have now cooked approximately as much in Thailand as I have in 18 months in Chapel Hill.  When all the pre-work is done, and people clean all your dishes for you, cooking isn't bad.  I made Pad See Ew, Panang Curry, and a coconut soup. Didn't get sick, and the rest of the gang that tried my dishes at least appeared to enjoy it.  After lunch it was time to head to prison.  As part of a rehabilitation program for women prisoner's, you can get an hour massage for about  8 dollars.

*James Lipton may have never said this