After Vang Vieng we went upto Luang Prabang for 3 nights, it was another small town but every night the main street transforms into a massive night market, all the traffic is cut off and the sellers lay their goods across the road. We visited the waterfall which is the highest in Loas and although in the pictures it may have looked like an exotic lagoon the water was actually bloody freezing. The best part of Luang Prabang for us was discovering the cinema it was amazing they had every dvd you could ever think of with private rooms with big screen TV's, surround sound speakers and lots of cushions. We all watched Platoon and motorcycle diaries for a bit of history on where we are travelling now and have decided Peru is definately on our plan for after Oz.

We heard a rumour that your only a hardcore traveller if you fly with Lao Airlines, they don't release their yearly statistics as they are so bad and westerners are advised not to work for the company. I know what our families are probably thinking now but it was either a 2 hour flight or another 24 hour bus journey. We made it in one piece to Chiang Mai with our hearts racing, it was the bumpiest take off and landing we ever experienced. Chiang Mai is ok but too much of a busy city we really getting used to the laid back hippy village thing. We did go to an amazing restaurant next to the river which has bands on every night and me and Beth did a cookery course. We were up at 9am and straight to the food market with our baskets to buy the ingredients then over the day we made 5 courses of Thai cuisine, the Green curry was yum. We got to bag it all up at the end and take it back home to reheat later on for Burts and Jim to try, my spring rolls got a big thumbs up from Burts. The next day we took a mini bus 3 hours north to a small town called Pai, it was a really nice place full of dreadlocked hippies who have been living there for years. Burts says he's really sorry mum that we hired a bike he said you would have been so worried if you knew. It cost us 2 quid to hire one for the day we cruised all round the place all day with no accidents, the closest we came to danger was when we were driving on the road out of the town we spotted something laying in the middle of the road which looked like a branch but when we got closer and realised it was moving and that it was a snake there was no time to swurve round it we actually drove over it. We lifted our legs up as we drove past but it went for the bike missing us by inches then dissapeared into the grass. That night we had our first experience of Thai whiskey, its leathal and only costs 2 pound a bottle. We drank all night with 2 english couples and 2 Americans, 1 guy was from Leamington Spa, he didn't know who Coxy was, how cheeky i was like everyone knows Gemma Hancocks!!! Had such a good night but we paid for it big time the next day we were supposed to get the mini bus back to Chiang Mai at 2pm but Burts couldn't physically get out of bed til 6pm. Anyway we fully recovered now and got the bus back this morning instead. Got a mega early one tomorrow, 7am flight to Bangkok where we will be staying for a few days to celebrate Burts Big Birthday. Not sure what we doing yet but they sell Guiness so Burts happy already!!

Mam hope you had fun in France, Lins and Lrain was good to speak to you both last night, miss ya loads!!!

Mum and Dad hope Edinburgh was good will call you Friday so you can sing Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Love to everyone xxxx