On Anderson Cooper 360° last week, there was a brief video of a elephant painting a picture in Thailand as part of a show geared towards tourists. I wonder if this is a new trick? When I was in Chiang Mai a few years back, we went to Mae Taeng Elephant Park on a tour that included elephant, ox-cart and raft rides. I don’t recall the painting demo. I do recall one elephant putting a foot on a tourist who was face down on the ground and thought, “That’s brave.” The painting looks quite tame in comparison. This video was shot at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, also near Chiang Mai.
Photo of the Day (03.18.08)
In my travels, I’ve discovered something about small towns — they each have something that is uniquely theirs, something they’re know for, a claim to fame if you will. In the town of Vegreville, Alberta, for instance, it’s the giant easter egg in the center of town that commemorates the Ukranian heritage. In the town of Hoi An, Vietnam, it’s the abundance of tailor shops, each ready to make you a custom suit at a bargain rate. And in Borsang, Thailand, it’s the handmade umbrellas that are their claim to fame. In fact, the town even holds an annual umbrella festival each year in January. Gadling reader Lady Expat was there, and luckily for us, she took this excellent photo.
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That Market in Thailand That the Train Moves Through
The market in Justin’s post that the train moves through, literally–you really need to see it to understand the intricacies of the situation–could be in Bangkok. Or it could be near Bangkok. Bangkok is a city after all that sprawls and sprawls and sprawls.
I’ve taken a train to Bangkok twice, both times from Chiang Mai. Once it was the night train where we passed into Bangkok early in the morning. Along the tracks, even before the sun was barely up, life was bustling. There is a section that looks like the one in the video, although, I don’t think it’s the same track. The second train I took was the day train and a chance to see how the countryside gradually becomes dense with buildings and people.
Richard Barrow on his Web site, Richard Barrow: Promoting Thai Culture and Life to the World, details a train trip that sounds like it passes through the very market in the video. It sure looks like it to me. Plus, his description in the post “Market on the Railway Tracks” sounds identical. Here’s the description. Go to the post for more.
“I knew that during the last 100 metres or so the train would pass through a market. Literally. I know it sounds strange but this was my planned highlight of the trip. I wanted to get pictures of the market stallholders pulling back their produce as we passed through the market. “
Plus, look at the picture. Look at the first shot of the video. See? According to him, this market is along the Maeklong Railway at the outskirts of Maeklong. His post also explains how you can take this train trip to see the market for yourself and provides other photos. If you want info about Thailand, his blog is a wonderful mix of details.