All day today was spent at the elephant sanctuary. Everyone was looking forward to this but nothing could prepare them for the first hour. In stunned silence we watched a film which showed us why there is a need for the place we were visiting. Once we had seen elephants being worked, abused, injured and even blinded by their owners in order to force them into a life of hard labour, the students were ready to show these beautiful giants their love. Feeding and petting were followed by washing the elephants in the river. This will remain one of the highlights of this expedition. Visiting a baby elephant, a spritely looking 90-year-old and an elephant with a limp, due to a leg break caused by abuse, also made quite an impression.
The evening involved a return to Chiang Mai, this time to the Walking Street, another market and another opportunity to haggle for souvenirs.
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