Took the over night train to get to chang Mai from bangkok! almost dies when we got on train as it was roasting and the fans were pants but we opened windows and once we sent on our way the speed of the train cooled down the whole carrige! it ws very noisy though and me and jnaine were cramped up into these tiny bunkbeds! i fell asleep sitting gainst mky backpack and then nearly feel off bunk when went round corner with a bump! chang mai is definately much cooler but still roasty toasty! we got a hostel called julies guesthouse on recommendation by a wee old guy we met in bangkok! he was in his 80's and travelling staying in dorms!!!! went round the sunday night market that night and it was amazing! the whoe old town was shut off and the streets were full of poeple and stalls! saom beautiful stuff! i spent a small fortune but worth it! next day we took a trip trekking into the mountins around chang mia! we trekked up a hill and went to a village tribe. it was really cool but the heat on the climb was hellish! the farmers burn the land to grow crops so there is no shade! apparently they used to grow opium but its illegal now! the kids were very cute! they were on holioday from school! we then went elephant trekkiong and that was so much fun! our elephant had a wee thing for lynsey and kept on grbbing at her! we all got covered in elephant snot! the elephant really do what they want with a bit of encouragement from the guide on their head! we went up some really steep hill and at sometimes i wish my elephant had a seat belt!!!! after lunch we went to another village where they make scrafs and stuff! it was facintaing seeing how they work! iot takes three days 8 hours a day to make some of them! i bought two! felt it only righ and it was so cheapo! worked out that they were earning about 1pound 20 for three days work!!!! scary stuff! the rest of the afternoon was spent bamboo river rafting which was great fun! it was a thai hliday as well as may day back home so everyone was out at river having picnics and getting drunks and messing about in the river! the whole journey turned out to be a two hour water fight with locals! great fun! we then went on the local bus the next day to the laos thai border! we had tried to get the mini bus but we had left it spo late it was booked out! local bus was soooo much cheapoer though and much more fun! arrived at chang kong (border) in pitch dark!!!! got a hostel no probs though for very early start top get across border to laos!! only prob with bus was there was no air con and we all looked like we had wet ourselves!!! i ahve stopped wearing those shorts as when you sweat they show it! very lady like i know!!!