Our trip to and first day in Chiang Mai was not the most pleasant as I had contracted travellers diarrhoea and was in severe pain every time the stomach cramps took hold. This meant that as soon as we arrived I spent the next 24 hours either on the toilet or curled up in the feotal position.

On our second day I was determined to try and see something of the city so even through the cramps we went out. We also needed a new backpack for Sarah as the straps had broke on her last one in Xi'an and I wanted a decent camera. We spent half the day and got everything we went for and a book on Malaysia to boot.

That evening we went to the night market (one of the top things to do in Thailand is the night market in Chiang Mai) and bought T-shirts and other essentials that we both were short of. This wasn't the most fun ever as I was still suffering from the day before so we had stop every 50 metres or so. That evening we ate in a German restaurant which made Sarah very happy and me very bewildered. A German restaurant in the cultural centre of Thailand?!

We awoke early the next day and took a walk into the walled city as we had read that you could go to the womens prison and get a massage from one of the inmates (part of there reintegration into society as there sentence is coming to an end). Sarah wanted one so we went in search. After a long walk we gave up on finding it so Sarah had to make do with a massage in an ordinary massage parlor whilst I sat next door.

That morning we had booked tickets to go and see the Muay Thai (Thai boxing) but when we arrived at the stadium it was closed. Only back at the hotel did we find a note from the owner apologizing and offering us our money back. We did find a street with about 30 bars surrounding a boxing ring so did get to see a couple of amateur fights. This street turned out to be full of prostitutes working in the bars (one being lady boy prostitutes). The bar we decided to drink in the prostitute didn't have anything to do (pardon the pun) so ended up playing Jenga with us!

As our bus to Bangkok was over night we had a full day to waste so went back to the walled city to see if we could find anything to do. As I was still feeling a little unwell we stopped at a coffee shop and I asked Sarah to just pick a drink for me whilst I rushed to the toilet. I got back to find a BRIGHT green drink. She had got me a kiwi juice, which wasn't the best but was strangly addictive.

The rest of the day was spent in a bar reading my book and waiting for Sarah to finish yet another massage. This massage was so good that she went back for another one within 5 minutes of finishing the first! All in all I think we were both quite relaxed, even after eating watermelon soaked in chili's (and it was SPICY!), by the time we got on the bus.