Great day for all

We went to the city area for breakfast and were there too early, and also too early for the public toilet.

we all had some hot chocolate/muffin.

The hotel had a monkey show brochure so we asked a mini bus driver to take us there.. which was well out of town and near many other attractions. So first it was another elephant place.. and don't ask how many 20 baht bunches of bananas and sugar cane mummy bought for the girls.. and Lotus kept saying more, more more,... ladies who were selling her were on to her and laughing.

Many tourist buses turned up in the end. so many elephants it was great. and this is the show where they kick the big soccer ball around. the paintings at this place started at 1,000 baht,, that is the elephant paintings and they wanted 800 baht for riding the elephant which actually might have been Ok given they took you down a creek etc and these were also well trained elephants.

Mummy gave a mamout a tip and the elephant put his hat on my heat and then knocked my head with his trunk.. very funny. charlotte was too scared for that.

Then we visited a minority group/housing area where they have different minorities living in traditional houses.. big tourist buses would not fit down the road for that one. It was great. We bought quite a number of over priced things from traditional ladies and also gave 3 old ladies with red teeth 100 baht for the sake of it... that really put a smile on their faces... and more red teeth flashing.

At the end we saw some Karen people - the ones with long necks and big brass like necklesses to stretch their necks. Some seemed sad but other OK. Last lady had crossed eyes very badly but was the most friendly and asked where we were from. didn't have much change but bought Niamh a bracelet from her.. wish I could find a way for some western doc flying through to give her the eye surgery she needs.. very bad crossed eyes.

Then we did a butterfly place (like 1 butterfly in the caged area) but with pretty orchids.

Then we went to a monkey show place with lots of monkeys that were trained, but 2 did a show. very funny riding bike etc. Then we went to tiger place but with youn
g children they would only let you see the baby ones and it was over 1000 baht... and sign that you wouldn't sue them for injury etc etc. that was too expensive given we had been so close to oodles of tigers in CHina before getting Lotus and not at that cost - so now back at hotel, with visit to pharmacy just done.

All in all great fun - wonder what we can come up with for tomorrow.