We had such an enjoyable morning at the Elephant training center. The only excitement was getting on and off of the elephant for our ride and also going up and down the hills was just a bit hair raising at times. Now we can totally relax for this nice floating trip down the Ping River, or so we thought. We made our way down a path towards the river to get on our bamboo raft. The rafts held 4 people plus the boatman. There were wooden benches we sat on that were a few inches above the raft itself. We were all set and ready to shove off We are on our way It was smooth sailing and nice to listen to the sounds of nature as we floating downstream with the assistance of our boatman and his bamboo pole. It was very peaceful and calm The happy couple relaxing and enjoying being one with nature It was smooth waters ahead, or so we thought Once we got into the current the boatman was guiding us around the gentle curves as we approached them and occasionally a shallow area with some rocks visible. Things were going too smoothly and we were just enjoying the scenery. Maneuvering around this shallow area Finally we came upon some faster moving water due to shallow areas with rocks and we were moving a good bit faster now. A curve came up and our boatman moved to the starboard side and was pushing us around the curve when all of a sudden we hit bottom and the boatman's forward momentum put him right in to the water. The raft shifted right and slightly angled down to the right. Barbara fell off the bench and her feet got a little wet but some water splashed onto her camera. Some water got into the lens. Our boatman was alright and he quickly got back on board and got us going again. The current was moving just a little faster than he was able to push us around the shallow area. Oh well no real harm thank goodness except to Barbara's camera. Some of the hazards we had to maneuver around This is the point we ran aground Once we were past this point the water pretty much settled back down to smooth again for the rest of our journey. When our ride had finished we noticed there was a small crane that was lifting the rafts out of the river and stacked them on a flatbed truck to take them back upstream to the starting point. We regrouped and got onto our bus to go to lunch. After lunch we will have the rest of the day on our own back at our hotel. We decided to take a leisurely stroll around the hotels grounds. We left our camera with the lens open hoping it would dry out. Our bungalow had this very comfortable covered veranda The outside of one of the Hotel's restaurants A nice croquet field Beautiful gardens and fountains This Alligator pointed the way to the Lobby The larger of the 2 outdoor pools The other pool Walking around the outdoor pool deck A pond and working rice paddy just beyond the pool A scare crow guarding the rice paddies A waterwheel in the pond to transfer water to the rice paddies We came upon these water buffalo's taking an afternoon stroll Our group was scheduled to go to a local restaurant for dinner but Barbara and I had scheduled massages in the early evening. We both decided to have Thai massages. This would be our first massage of this kind. We were picked up at our bungalow and taken to the Spa in a vehicle like a golf cart only larger and covered. Being driven to the Spa Just outside the Spa we removed our shoes and put on these flip flops We were led back to the room and introduced to our massage therapists. They were both female and very petite. My limited understanding of a Thai massage is that it is more pressure and stretching than traditional massage. We were shown the changing area. We both undressed and were given linen pants and tops to wear during our massages. Our outfits worn during our Thai massages Thai massage does not use any oil or lotion. First we sat and put our feet in rose water and they exfoliated our feet with a type of bath salt. Next we got on the massage tables and laid face down. For such petite women they were very strong. They applied great pressure to our various pressure points and performed yoga like stretching on us both for about 90 minutes. We both felt very relaxed afterwards. We were given ginger tea and cookies after we dressed and went back into the lounge area. Our tea and cookies following our massages We were driven back to our bungalow. We decided to go back to the Italian restaurant for dinner. I had seafood gnocchi and Barbara had mushroom fettuccine. YUM. I decided to try their smoking Caramela for dessert that our server recommended. It was ice cream with whipped cream and small cookies in a bowl on top of another bowl with mist coming from it. The Smoking Caramela, both interesting see and tasted very good Next time we learn how Thai Farmers grow rice , Visit Doi Suthep temple
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