Golf Chiang Mai and Phuket

 

The whole gang on the first tee.  Jonathon Thain, Linn Thain, J. Massie, Mike Ackland, Jamie Chilcott, and KenTremblay.  Chiang Mai Highlands g.c.


Mike A.  tee #2





Mike 'plays in the shade all day', even if it is 8:30am.

Round 2, 1st tee.  Mike A.

Mike w/ his two caddies, Emm (l), and Gaan (r).

Linn T.  1st tee

Jonathan T.

Linn T. and Jonathan T. out for a walk on a hot day.



Phuket Golf club.  #10 tee.  Fairway follows far side of lake (l - r)



Mike A. with his two caddies.  Phuket g.c.

Jamie C. on the tee.

Mike A. and his two ladies at Phuket g.c.

Jamie C. taking the safe, advisable route on #10.

Mike A. taking a more risky line on #10.

Mike A.'s safe landing spot (except for the swan) on par 5, #10 - missed the chip for an albotross, made the eagle putt.

Jamie C. on deck as Mike A. tees off, #11.

Golf in Thailand truly is a unique experience.  Simply because of the difference it makes having Caddies.  All I was responsible for was swinging the club.  These Ladies did everything else.  From hauling the clubs, giving yardages, helping with club selection, fixing divots and ball marks, and even providing the line for putts.  They were cheerleaders whether you hit a good shot or not.  If only this level of service could be transported to the courses back home.  Of course if it was it'd probably cost a lot more than $20 we gladly paid here.

  In Chiang Mai we played at Highlands.  One of the top rated courses in all of Asia.  Very nice.  Conditions were ideal.  It's easy to see their attention to detail and cleanliness on the course.  The Caddies don't replace divots.  The fill them in with seed, and pick up the turf to place in the garbage.  The same for any trash (rare), or cigarette butts they encounterred.  I don't think I've ever putted on truer, or more consistent greens.  The scenery was beautiful, surrounded by the hills east of the city.

  On Phuket we played the Phuket Golf club, located just east over the hills from where we were staying in Patong.  Again a very nice course.  Much 'tighter' than Highland was up north. 

Phuket - Coral Island





not far from shore - but in the ocean!

Heather didn't want her painted toes confused for food

Hornbills

Heather suppressing her fear to commune with some local fish

Our beach-front abode

the island's resident goat - wanders freely



Sunset on Coral island

Two Long boats with Ko Lone across the bay



wedding





Entrance to Mike and Opal's evening 'European' ceremony

Mike and Opal arrive and pose in front of their photo backdrop

Up on stage, Nanphana is Opal's Thai name

'Lighting' the cake

Opal and Mike w/her family.  Mom and Dad in Blue behind, sister, Pat far right, neice Cookie w/ Mike

  


Heather and Mike preparing for the parade at the neighbours house



Mike and Opal sitting in front of Opal's parents



The 'matchmakers' negotiating our way into Opal's family's house



Elephants

Jon atop Mae Boon Thong

Heather atop Boon Jin



Giving Mae Boon Thong 'skin care' before our ride



Mike, Opal, Heather, Jon, Ken, Chris, Michelle losing water fight with elephants

Leading Boon Jin into river for 'skin care'

Bathing Boon Jin

swimming at waterfall

We arrived at Patara Elephant farm after a bit of a nauseating ride up into the hills south of Chiang Mai.  The elephants were waiting for us in their sleeping quarters (field, amongst some trees).  We could see two small babies born in the last month as we soon learned, with their mothers in a corrall on the far side of the clearing.  After a short orientation on the philosophy of the farm, education with their programs like we were about to undertake, and a breeding effort to grow the population, we were lead over to meet 'our' elephants.

  After being paired up and intorduced to their handlers we fed them some bananas, sugar cane, and squash.  The purpose of this was to see if the elephants would accept you as handler, at least for this day.  We then lead them over to a creek had them lay down, by saying 'nolong' and began their skin care treatment.  No we did not get out giant vats of lotion.  Instead we were given 'bouquets' of branches and leaves and basically beat the mud, rocks, and poop off of them.  It was surprising exactly how hard we had to hit them to accomplish this.  However it worked.  To have them stand back up we gave them the command 'Look'.  Then lead them into the creek by pulling them by the ear and saying, 'Ma' again and again.

  Once in the creek we doused them with water and scrubbed them with bristle brushes.  When it was all over we engaged in a 'water fight'.  We first lined them up shoulder to shoulder and threw water all over them.  Then under the pretense of having  a group photo taken we turned our backs on them and posed.  Knowing full well what was coming it was still a bit of a surprise when they retailiated by spraying us in return.

  It was now time to ride.  After a short break we were given a demonstration of three different mounting techniques.  Heather and I each chose what appeared to be the easiest.  This consisted of  having the elephant bending their front leg.  Using their 'foot' as a step stool, their ear as leverage and hoisting yourself up to straddle them just behind their head.  And we were off.  The riding position is similar to that of a thoroughbred horse.  Your knees are over the top of their knees with your bare feet behind to direct them.  We were given commands that they would theoretically listen to as well.  'Pie' - go, 'Toy' - back, 'How' - stop, 'Yanna' - don't (I used this a lot with Mae Boon Thong), and 'Dee Dee' - good girl/boy.  I said theoretically because Mae Boon Thong was either very strong willed, or easily distracted from the task at hand. which was to follow in a the others in a timely manner along the trail.  At any moment we might veer right or left to snag some vine off a bush, a root out of the ground, or investigate any leaves as potential sources of food.  I feel sorry for the others.  They didn't appear to get nearly the excitement out of their rides as I did with mine.  In retrospect I'd liken it to riding a slow moving mechanical bull.  No matter what command I gave from my cheat sheet(written on our arms for quick reference) it didn't seem to sway her from whatever had caught her attention.

  We rode up into the hills surrounding the farm through thick bamboo forests to a wonderful waterfall.  It had a large pool into which two - three elephants were lead to swim.  The handlers gave us a quick demo. of how to 'swim' with them and then invited us to join them.  Swimming with them really meant we climbed all over them as they lay on their sides.  They would periodically roll either upright or side to side and you had to move with them, or jump off.  They seemed not to mind, or maybe even enjoy, having us on them.  It was a magical experience.  Next came lunch.

  Served on a giant banana leaf was an assortment of local foods.  Mostly sweet like sticky rice w/mango in a leaf wrapper, banana with some type of  fried 'breading' around it, and chicken drumsticks.  All very delicious.  There was far more food than the group of us were going to eat.  When it appeared we had our fill the clean-up crew was called in.  Much to our amazement three of the elephants had been slowly moving towards us ( the food was so good we hadn't noticed ) and began to reach in and pluck anything within reach.  They made quick work of polishing the rest off. In fact we were all scrambling to get out of the way.

  We mounted up again and made our way back to the farm.  It was not easy to say goodbye.  When we first were introduced I was very intimidated to get too close.  Now, just a short time later, trusted them so much moe to approach, and touch. Truly amazing.  I wasn't sure we would be able to top the zip lining from the day before, however this experience had so much more emotion with it. Again absolutely incredible. 

Wednesday Zip Line

Zip Lining...WOW!! We went to 'Flight of the Gibbon' and for $100 each we got a picked up in a private(because noone else booked same time as us coincidently) "air conditoned van", private zip line (again, coincidence}, private walk to a stunning waterfall, amazing lunch ( far more food than the two of us could eat - chicken and potato curry, steamed vegetable, a pork and mint dish, a broth w/ what looked like cucumber in it,  and a heaping mound of steamed rice) with soft thai music (harp-like instrument and drum) in the back ground, a t-shirt and a ride home.  Our guides were "Boss" and "Tiger Panda", Both young (early 20's Thai).We would come to a platform that is REALLY high up and one would zip to the next platform and wait to 'catch'. The other, usually Tiger would hook us in, and when ready say simply -  "Sit Please"...at this point you had to go, he would keep saying it until you walked off the platform and almost seems confused when you hesitated.  Boss was the funny guy, you never knew if he was serious or not. He would joke that this was his first day too.  Or pretend he didn't know how to connect you to the line... At one station He announced that it was the Superman line.  Instead of hooking us in front and sitting we would be connected with a ring on the back of our harness, step off forward and 'starfish' like we were flying.  Now this took some reassuring for both Heather and I as unlike up to this point, you had to trust the line was going to catch you whn you stepped off the platform  Heather was brave and went first.  I had Boss basically push me off the platform and he went across on a parallel line.  Tiger took our picture as we came across.  Heather looks pretty jazzed in her photo.  I'm a little less enthusiastic in my expression.  When we reached the other platform, instead of landing on it, we had to catch a net hanging from it.  Not that hard.  Climbing up to the platform, another story.  The longest line was 950 metres.  That was a great ride.  Fast, but long enough to look around as you went.  Before we went across on it we were fortunate enough to see a mother Gibbon with a baby in the trees near to this platform.  She has been orphaned, raised in a sanctuary and then released in this protected area.  Her name is Lot (Loat) and will come close when called.  She was quite a ways away initially and then to see her swinging branch to branch closer and closer with her baby clutching her stomach was absolutely amazing.  Now Gibbons apparently are very territorial so we had to make sure she didn't get too close ( not up to Heather and I, Boss made all calls).  To hear her call through the forest was a little chilling.  It's a bit of a moaning whooping noise that sounds like they are in the tree above you, even if they are miles off.  Didi not expect this sighting.  The only other difficulty came at the end.  In order to finish the course you have to get back to the ground.  At this point we were about 100 feet up in the trees though.  No problem just rappel down.  Big problem, in order to do this we had to stand with our feet at the edge and lean forward while holding your harness at your chest.  Again requiring far more trust than I had.  I ended up sitting on the edge and holding another line beside me as Boss lowered me very slowly.  He and Tiger kept telling me to ease my grip on the rope as it might burn my hands.  There was no way I was letting go.  And fortunately since it had rained the night before the rope was wet, and was actually quite slick.  Back, greatfully, on terra firma we were given water and after 15 mins or so I was able to get my legs to stop shaking long enough to hike back to the van.  In all honesty it was terrifying at times, and exhilerating, and I am so happy to have had the opportunity for the whole experience.  The small village where it is based up in the hills is so different than here in Chiang Mai, it would have been a shame not to have visited.   The villagers we were told receive 10% of the fees.  They also grow organic coffee and tea, and harvest honey.  It also looked like they use the red clay from the soil there to make bricks, which are used in construction.  Beautiful surroundings, flowers, banana trees, palm trees, bamboo, a true rainforest on all sides. Fantastic.  I don't know how we might top this?  Tomorrow we go ride the elephants...

Tuesday Golf/ Errands

Opal and I did errands...kinda cool.  Her uncle drove us sround in the "taxie, a Songthaew.  This is a red truck with a top on the back and you get on and off by jumping off (or in) the back, it's communal so the driver may stop along the way and pick up more people as you go.  Since it was Opal's uncle he kept it only us.  We went to the post office, bank and exchanged money.  At all the places you take a number and wait your turn.  On our travels we stopped at a temple...I REALLY hope to get the pics loaded up soon.  I of course broke some rules and a women kept telling us what to do.  For example, I stood on a the threshold which I am not allowed to do (step over).

We met up with the guys, and headed into downtown to eat lunch (wow) and go for a foot massage. The other day I got a Thai massgae for $27 CDN (I will explain what it is like have a That massage later...think getting beaten up but a peorson half your size).  The foot massage for four people and trip was $20!  the prices are scary cheap! 


Mike took me golfing tues am to Chiang Mai Highlands GC.  It's about 30 - 45 mins east of town (depends on who's driving - Mike's fast).  Nice drive out.  Small stands all along th roadways selling all sorts of goods.  Mostly food.  Looked lika an assortment of fruit, vegetables and grilled meats.

  When we arrived we were assigned our three caddies (Emm, Gaan, and Ay), all very nice young women.  Yes three.  Mike has two - one to push his clubs and one to follow him with an umbrella.  He 'plays in the shade all day'.  Initially I thought this a little decadent.  However by the third hole my umbrella was out too (only I was holding it most of the time).  Not humid at all, just hot.  Very nice course, as the name implies pretty hilly on the back nine.  The experience though was awesome.  All my responsibility ended with swinging the club, and walking to the ball to take the next shot.  The caddies are very attentive to suggesting a club to use, reading the line of the putt on the greens, cleaning the clubs, marking the ball on the greens, repairing the ball marks...  Even encouraging you to drink water, and or eat as you went along.  They even fanned us while waiting to take the next shot.  It will be hard to go back to schlepping my own clubs back home.

Monday - first day here

We went to the wedding planner today..inside the old sity.  Mike drove which means we heard a lot of interesting words - and it was wild.  All roads rules are optional...haven't seen a stop sign yet.

Ate a great lunch.  We had three dishes, spring rolls, plus smoothies for $10 (that included tip).  In the afternoon we hung out at the hotel and Jon crashed...I mean passed out...wake with caddle prod.  When all refreshed went to the night market for shopping, dinner and a show.  Dinner was good (fast food - which means: chicken pad tahi, fried rice, chicken satay, and an oyster "pancake").  The show was kick boxing and Thai danincing...this all took place in an area that looked like a food court of a flea maket.  Only phalang (white people) watching.

Heather at hotel, Ratilanna, in Chiang Mai

Jon by the pool, Chiang mai

Heather and Mike in Tuk Tuk returning from the night market.

Opal, Mike, and Jon.  Alley in 'Old city' on way to get foot massages.

When I figure out to do the picks I will add them...would love hints!!