Hey everyone,

we have had a dead busy few days so not had chance to write! the last time we updated we headed to the zoo for the day before heading to north thailand on the sleeper train. The zoo was so much fun except when we hired a peddle boat and i saw what i thought was a crocodile next to the boat and ash started peddling towards it, turned out to be some kind of reptile but not a croc. i also had a parrot on the shoulder which given my mild phobia of birds was quite brave of me. We caught the train which was an experience in itself, it was like a sauna and because we didnt get the tickets till we got there there was only one bed, one chair left, in different carriages, so ash had to sneak to my bed to get some sleep and it was approx the size of a bed for a 5 year old girl. we had been prewarned that the train feels like it is going to derail quite a bit but it exceeded our expectations! we thought we were gonna die at least seven times.

we met some more friends on the train, one was called dexter, we think? i had to cough when saying his name incase it was wrong and ash called him mate. We got the tuk tuk to the hotel which mike and mel had suggested, it was pretty nice but we knew we were only staying over night. We went for some food and the motorbikes across the way caught our eye. We thought they would be pretty expensive to rent but turned out to be just 3 pound for the day including 2 helmets. We knew the parents wouldnt be happy but ash drove very sensibly. He was like my new cool boyfriend who wears a leather jacket and rides a motorbike. i was a cool biker chick girlfriend who clung on to him. It was so much fun, i even did no hands for a second but ash told me off. We were the only ones on the road wearing helmets, people were laughing and pointing! we filled up to the top for just over a pound, but it didnt go down even after driving for ages so we needed only put 20p in.

we then went and booked the treck we were going on, it was meant to be 2000b but we haggled for 1400b, we are gettin good at it now (approx 20pound). we went to the market but then there was a thunder storm which we thought might be a cyclone so we headed back. We went out for tea and whilst i watched the leeds match online, ash made a mate to play pool with. it pretty poor result so we went home to get an early night for the treck. in the morning ash had to take the motorbike back first, but we had left the lights on overnight so the battery had gone, oops. he had to wheel it to the place then run off before anyone noticed. We got picked up at 9am for the treck, in a pick up truck. we had had a small tiff prior to this so there was some silent treatment in the truck. Ash had asked me 'where his passport was', even though he had had it a minute earlier, i snapped as i was fed up with his being so dopey. He told me to shut up in a very aggressive manner so i said 'excuse me' and he didnt dare repeat. he was soon grovelling so we made friends with each other and the others in the truck. there was a mother and daughter who we nicknamed the marbella belles, the daughter was in the army and had just been to iraq, we couldnt work out whether she was a dyke or not. the mother used to be in a topless band called the ladybirds!! she was very permatanned and when i asked her what she did for a living she replied 'i socialise'! loser!! she also went to the gym 5 times a week and had a better body than anyone there! i think ash fancied her, he denied it but wouldnt swear on my life. We got to the jungle after a very bumpy ride then met up with another group, there was about 15 of us altogether and luckily there was 2 other couples our age who we got on with really well. The first day we walked for miles, it was up so many hills, it was really tough and i wanted to cry a couple of times but felt like a loser. this really fat thai guy was one of the guides, we were near the back chatting and kind of lost the keen hikers at the front so he directed us. we went down this massive hill for about a mile but couldnt see anyone, then the dude told us we had gone the wrong way, and we had to go back the other way, up the massive hill!! i was so angry with him, but also worried that he was coughing up blood because he was so fat. i asked him how long he had bee the guide for and he replied 10 years, openly not i told him as a)he would know the route by now and b) he wouldnt be that chunks. Once we had caught the others up we were dripping in sweat, my face was bright red and i looked so ugly i didnt dare look in a mirror. We troopered on and after a few hours found the camp. the only thing that kept us going was our walking boots (thankyou linda) and the fact that we didnt really have a choice as we didnt have a clue where the hell we were.

The camp was tiny with just a few wooden huts in the middle of the jungle. There was some long necked women and young girls, they had about 8 rings each around their necks. i tried to make friends with some of the girls but their english was very bad as they didnt go to school. (dont know what my excuse is) i had some photos taken with them and bought them a can of coke each. we had a meal around the table, it was okish but had loads of flys.i even tried some octopus, and given how fussy i am regarding food i thought this was very hardcore of me!! the toilet was a hole in the floor, and squatting isnt my thing so i had to hold in aslong as possible. We all stayed up chatting by the campfire then went into the huts to go to sleep. There was 6 in out hut, we slept on the floor with mosquito nets, but there was no lights to check for spiders, not for the light hearted!! we got up about 7.30 to have breakfast, then headed off on another walk. once again very challenging and this time the fat dude looked as if he was about to have a heart attack!! we eventually got to the elephant camp, the highlight of the day. Me and ash rode one called Timod, we nicknamed it Vic (Jeet). It was so cool except we kept nearly falling off which was pretty scary and the guy who was leading him had what looked like a small axe to tame him, it was a bit cruel but ash said that their skins are so thick vic wouldnt be able to feel it. there was also a tiny baby elephant following us, he was sooooo cute, i got lots of piccies with him! (plus one of fat dude if anyone is wondering what he looks like). At this point the friends we had made were leaving as they had only booked for 2 days, it was sad to say goodbye as we had got on very well.

We headed on to the next camp we were going to be staying in, which was smaller than the last but ended up more fun. I really needed to shower at this point as there hadnt been one at the last camp. i asked if there was one and he poined at the stream, without hesitation i stripped to my bikini and got in. It was so nice to be able to wash my hair, even though it was a stream in a jungle. We had our tea then got the campfire on the go again. There was a tiny baby (one month old) in this tribe, she had her ears pierced with pieces of cotton. i held her for ages but once again ash wouldnt hold, i think he is getting worried about me and babies haha!! The tribe did some dancing around the fire for us, one danced like a peadophile and was a bit uncomfortable but a good laugh. He got us all up one by one and made us do a solo dance. Ash was second and was sooo funny, got some more pics of him trying to freestyle the dodgy moves. Then we all danced around the fire, i played the bongos and then gave them to ash whilst i played the symbols. After a really funny night we headed into the hut, once again to sleep on the floor. By this time i was dying for a wee so i made ash come with me to the hole. I couldnt squat because i was too nervous about falling into the hole and catching a disease so in the end i stood up and just weed there and then (my shorts were down), i felt disgusted with myself, but relieved at the same time to be free from the wee. We went to sleep about midnight. The next morning we had breakfast then headed to this big waterfall. it was so cool and you could slide down the side of a massive rock. it looked proper dangerous but being the big man ash did it, so i knew i couldnt wimp out without him not letting me live it down. I also slid down, it was scary but brill, we got some good videos which we will put up. then we headed to the river to do some white water rafting, we all wore life jackets and helmets, it was really good going down the rafts, but we nearly fell out quite alot. Once we were on the calmer bit of water i faked a fall into the river, ash knew i was faking so didnt jump in to save me, so i just swam next to the boat for a bit until the current got faster in which case i was being pulled into the boat but looked like a baby elephant as i couldnt get in! We had some dinner, then went down the rest of the river on a bamboo raft! All good fun on a day which was boiling too so got some tans now at last!! We got the sleeper train back to Bangkok last night, got here at approx 7am. Its now 12 and we are flying to Malaysia at 6pm. We are staying overnight there and heading to an island just off the coast called Penang. Not sure how long we are staying or where we are going next but just having the time of our lives being free spirits! We are spending quite alot of money with all the travelling and adventures but it is all worth it. I will update soon with more news. Miss everyone at home, im sure ash does too but i wouldnt know as he has gone off shopping again!! (Linda, i have told him to calm down buying clothes but he wont listen, i also told him to phone you but he forgot, sorry you had to ring my mum). Mum, i have sent Grans card but will phone her tomorrow. Make sure victoria and loz are phoning her regularly xxxxxxxxxxx