"Every morning the elephants march single file through the gate. They enter the old walled town the same as they did in days past. There are perhaps a dozen or so, their Karen mahouts sitting astride their wide generous backs, urging the great beasts forward. Huge as they are, they seemingly walk on cushioned feet, stirring up dust as they wobble along. This is what is so exciting about Chiang Mai. The past is the present.