Well we finally arrived in Bangkok after an 11 hour flight. We flew on the biggest plane I have ever seen - it had two floors and everything, but unfortunately our budget meant we were in peasant class on the bottom standard floor! It wasn't all bad though, I managed to watch Bridesmaids (hilarious), Hanna (OK, bit weird) and 4 episodes of Angry Boys (preparing myself for Oz). Bangkok airport isn't what I was expecting - it was pretty new with flowers EVERYWHERE! It was a pleasant surprise after a long trip.

We landed at 4.30pm to boiling heat, and after picking up our bags wandered down to the rail station. Joe would be proud I managed to navigate us to Makkasan station and through the metro to get to Hua Lamphong, the main station of Bangkok and where we were staying that night.

After settling into our dorm room, and a much needed shower, we went over to the station to book our train tickets for Chiang Mai the next day. This didn't go so well as the train we needed to get was full - definitely learnt to pre-book haha. Instead we booked an overnight 'VIP' bus which got us to Chiang Mai faster, but was more expensive.

Anyway from here we got a tuk tuk to the city centre, although he tried to take us to a crazy fish restaurant before, which we promptly walked out of and made him take us to Khaosan! We managed to barter him down a little but still ended up paying too much.

Khaosan is mental, and possibly not the best place for a tired and jetlagged traveller fresh from the plane, haha. It wasn't as big as i expected and to be honest was a bit of a let down. Yes it was busy, and there was some kind of dance show in the street, and we got pad thai for 40B (about 80p), but it was a bit too much like Magaluf for my liking! Must be getting old!! There were a couple of quieter streets around that we will probably stay on when we get back to Bangkok, since we're a bit out of the way where we were.

We did stop for a drink, unfortunately for me beer is the cheapest option, but I went for a margarita which I couldn't taste after my cold had hit with a vengeance after the plane journey!

After nearly getting run over several times on the, quite frankly, insane roads, we managed to get back to the hostel for a well needed sleep!

The next day was relatively quiet as we were getting the overnight bus at 7pm. We got the metro up to Chatuchak weekend market which is the biggest thing I've ever seen! Over 15,000 stalls, with a map needed to get round. Total madness! We got lost several times and had to just wander around trying to find a map, haha. Somehow we ended up in the pet area, where fish were being sold in bags, as well as terrapins, shrimp and lobsters! Very bizarre indeed. You could buy your own chickens and ducks and stuff to cook, but they were in tiny cages squawking with no sense for their welfare - it doesn't seem to be a big thing over here! There were also shops and shops of puppies, the cutest things you've ever seen, but I don't see how they'll sell them all!

Anyway a few hours traipsing through the stalls was enough for us, and after spotting a photo of Jared Followill on a stall with a particularly legendary owner, we found an exit and got a metro to Lumphini Park for a wander round.

We got back to the hostel around 3 and looked up a few hostels in Chiang Mai. After a comedy of errors inclucding running out of change and general can't be arsed-ness we got a couple of names and left it to chance. Then we pretty much slept in the common room for 2.5 hours!!

7pm found us off to the train station for our bus, which apparently included dinner, intriguing! It wasn't particularly restful, even with the lights forcibly turned off, forcing you to either sleep or find a torch...mine was in the hold, d'oh. Dinner turned out to be at 2am in some roadside cafe place in the middle of nowhere, very very bizarre! At least it was a busy bus we didn't feel too unsafe.

By 6am i was fully awake and could see outside as the sun was rising. The North West is totally different from Bangkok, very very beautiful, with tree covered mountains, mist hovering over the fields and fruit sellers along the side of the road.

We were dropped off at 8.30, glad to be in Chiang Mai at last, and almost time for the elephants! we found a hostel which was a bit of a dive but our own fault as we hadn't prebooked anywhere! Will we ever learn?! To be fair though it was about 1.50 GBP (can't find the pound sign on this Thai keyboard...) each.

The rest of the day was spent marching around Chiang Mai, going to see the various temples (it has the highest density of temples in Thailand), or 'wats'. They are all unequivocably beautiful, lots of gold and carving and teak, and monks scurrying about in their orange robes. they do start to look a little samey after you've seen seven or so though..

In the evening we went out to the night market which is only held on a Sunday (good timing!) I could have spent a fortune there was so many gorgeous trinkets. We did however bite the bullet and get some proper hippy pants! Nina got some Mark-style with the super low crotch - she can no longe mock his trousers! Mine are a bit more normal, if a bit genie-esque! I am totally in love with them though, comfiest things ever! EVER!

We had a couple of super strong cocktails at a bar with the campest barman ever then mosied home pretty early ready to be at the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) office at 8am.

That, however, is another story....

Becca xx