The LONG Road to Chantaburi

We left Ratchaburi and headed across Thailand through Bangkok to Chantaburi this morning and about 10 hours later we arrived at the hotel. (This is part of the Bangkok Skyline.)Everytime we drive somewhere the estimated drive time is only half of what the real drive time has been. The first trip was 3 hours=actual time 7 hours. Today was supposed to be 3 or 4 and ended up beign 10. Now today we did take a 2 hour break in Pattaya. The drives during the day is brutal. The "air conditioning" is grossly inadequate for the heat along with the sun beating through the windows. (Except for a couple of the vans, one person even had a blanket on as they drove by us!!!) Even our Thai interpreter is struggling with the heat!

I was quite glad to leave the Golden City Hotel in Ratchaburi. It housed all the smells of Thailand in one place. The rooms smelt bad (as we checked into the rooms a maid was running around spraying air freshener into all the rooms.), and then the hallways had their own aroma as did the lobby. Then all that was compounded by the agriculture smells from outside. The previous motel at the resort was less smelly but we shared rooms and the beds were the hardest substance known to man. This is all meant to lead up to the resort at which we are staying for the last 3 days of our trip. It is nice. There was a lady waiting with glasses of juice as we approached the reception desk and another with cool towels to refresh ourselves. Instead of the film and feathers in the pool at the last place, this pool is perfectly warm and refreshing. The rooms are nice and best of all there are no unpleasant smells so far.

Those 2 hours mentioned above were great hours. We stopped at a Garden Park where you can see different Thai culture shows, elephant shows and rides and the grounds are covered in beautiful plants. My friends and I headed straight for the elephant rides. I'm not sure what our interpreter told the elephants drivers, but we got hooked up. Instead of the quick ride the other tourist had, the drivers took us farther away and then let us get down from the seat and onto the neck of the elephant where the driver had been sitting! It was great and actually a lot more comfortable then the padded bench seat. It was great riding ON the elephant as it lumbered back and forth with its large ears whipping my ears.We followed this awesome experience with an equally awesome meal at one of the restaurants. Then we headed back to the elephants and feed them some bananas. As we gathered for a group photo we jumped at the chance to take one with one of the elephants that came walking by. I asked the driver guy if he would let the elephant lift me up onto its back. Next thing I know he is having the elephant wrap me up in its trunck and hefting me up in the air. It was so fun!!! And look at how cute this little guy is!! This is my disgust after she blew elephant snot all over me. It was worth it though. We had a great great time.