Today we started off by going to the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp, followed by rafting down the river on bamboo rafts, then visiting some Longneck Village tribes. Shelby wasn't too keen on seeing the Longneck women, and kept calling it a human zoo. But I was determined to observe this very unique hilltribe and found them to be very soft-spoken and kind. These people come mostly from neighboring Burma and settled in the hills of far northern Thailand. The young girls get their first brass rings around their necks at the age of 5, and rings are added on every couple of years. The rings push down their collarbones, giving the illusion of a very long neck. The story dates back to years ago, when the men in the village would go out hunting, that evil spirits or wild animals could not kill the women and children left behind if they had these brass rings around their necks. Interestingly enough, there were few men in the village when we visited and mostly women and lots of young children. 
Believe it or not, this is their school with a couple of benches. Notice the roofs made out of leaves!
Believe it or not, this is their school with a couple of benches. Notice the roofs made out of leaves!
Kasey with one of the longneck women who is five months pregnant
The brass rings were extremely heavy!
The women do a lot of weaving, making table runners and tablecloths and wall hangings
The children were so darn cute and always smiling and laughing
That is one long neck!
Common sights in the village were older women caring for the young babies
I called this the "bucket baby". He was so darn cute and so happy in his bucket! :) Who needs a playpen when you have a bucket anyway?
View of the village huts
This is a picture I took standing on the steps of their CHRISTIAN church at the top of the hill
This little girl was practicing her handwriting
She and her brother were tickling each other and having a great time
The women sat out in front of their one-room huts on platforms selling their handmade goods
This little girl was maybe three years old and already working the tourist crowd selling handmade bracelets at the river raft camp
We enjoyed floating down the river on the bamboo rafts (and wearing funny hats)
The Creech family floating alongside us
Yes of course we had to bribe the kids to wear the hats!
What a fashion statement!
This older gentleman was selling drinks and bananas along the river
We got a kick out of this sign on the river bank advertising "dirnks" for sale, including "spirt" :)
Huts along the river
Everyone has something to sell! This girl was just standing in the water waiting for the rafts to come along
This boy was enjoying the cool water
These boys were letting their ox cool off in the water
This little boy was having a great time with a lizard until it bit him on the finger
Shelby and I with Nora and Dennis riding an oxen cart
Just some of the scenery along the river banks
Shelby and Wes feeding their elephant some sugarcane
The elephant ride was very bumpy and uncomfortable, especially going downhill
When we arrived at the elephant camp, the mahouts (trainers) were bathing the elephants in the river. This is a daily occurence and the elephants really enjoy their baths.
The elephants are each allowed one hour at the "spa" every day where they roll around in the mud
The elephants have been trained to paint pictures by holding paintbrushes in their trunks. The mahouts dip the paintbrushes in the paint and then put it in the elephants' trunk. The pictures are for sale.
Painting requires a lot of concentration for the elephants
The elephants put on a show and played soccer, basketball, and showed off their logging skills. The gift shops sell paper made out of elephant dung!