Sorry I haven't written in a while, I know Mum for one questioned whether I was still alive, yes I am!

So Lauren left me in Bangkok and I checked into a great hostel called NapPark just of Koh San Road, it was a bit pricey (12 pound a night) but had A/C, lockers and a room with a floor covered in mattresses that everyone just lay on when hungover and watched TV/went online/read. I met some new friends and went for a night out on Koh San Road with buckets in hand. The next day most of my new friends left for various palces but the few of us that remained recruited some new people (after a day spent lying on the mattresses watching DVDs) and went out again. One girl Issie I got on with really well, she's 22, from Canada and has just finished Uni doing Psychology too. We decided to travel up to Chiang Mai together as she's got a few free weeks until she meets her friends down on the islands and wanted to head up there and into Laos too.

After an uncomfortable 12 hour coach journey, with freezing A/C, no blankets and no curtains (the worst coach I've been on so far) we checked into Nice Place 2 which has a pool and A/C and is only 5 pound each a night as Issie and I are sharing a room. That day (Friday) we spent chilling at the pool, then went out for dinner and to some bars with a group of girls from the hostel. The weekend was spent wandering round the city, seeing the sights, getting a massage (or two), visiting the night market and the sunday markets and being in the pool.

We booked a 2 day 1 night trekking trip to Pai, a town near Chiang Mai, for Monday and Tuesday so Sunday night we had an early night (after ordering a McDonalds delivery, yes you read that right McDonalds deliver out here - Dangerous when hungover!). Yesterday we began our journey by being stuffed into a pick up (all 16 of us, some standing on the back and some on the roof) and headed up to Pai, stopping at a local market selling everything from fish they'll kill and gut in front of you, to intestines, to fruit I've never even heard of before.We arrived at the elephant camp and had lunch before riding on the elephants. I was a bit dubious about it anyway as it seems really cruel and I was right, I didn't like how the guides were with the elephants, hitting them with metal sticks and kicking their ears whilst riding on their heads. It all felt cruel and I would never do it again.

Then we trekked for three hours up steep hills and sides of mountains, everybody thought the guide was joking when he pointed to the "track" we were following. In the heat of the day every part of our bodies were sweating, you couldn't even wipe your sweaty forehead with your hand as your hands were drenched too. Getting to the hill tribe village was a massive relief. Our group consisted of 3 girls from Chile, a guy from Argentina, a couple from Scotland, a couple from England, 3 german girls and Issie and Me. We chilled out in our little hut for a bit, wandering round the village, drinking beer and then after an amazing dinner of Thai Yellow Curry with Pumpkin and Chicken we played games, sang and played guitar (not me obviously) and eventually went to bed on our bamboo floor covered with mosquito nets, absolutely exhausted.

I think it may have been one of my worse nights sleep since Zambia, everytime anyone rolled over on the bamboo we all felt it, people were going to the toilet all night from the excess water (and beer) consumed and the walls were so thin and there was a Thai wedding going on in the village.

Today we trekked for about an hour to a waterfall, which we stupidly thought would be easier going downhill but boy were we wrong. When we arrived we washed our sweaty bodies in it and swam around enjoying the cool water. But all too soon our guide called us to get dressed and leave. He then proceeded to literally run off so we all found our own way to the rafting station, with a few falls on the way. White water rafting was fun, although I'm a bit competitive and the Chile girls in our group could NOT paddle in sync so we were the last to reach the end. It was still really fun though. Then we did Bamboo rafting which was a lot more chilled out, if a tad boring I prefer the White Water kind. After lunch 16 of us packed back into the pick up to come back to the guest house and jump straight in the pool.

Issie and I are off to Laos in the morning, we're both getting a bus to the border then Issie's off to do the Gibbon experience (which I'd love to do but cannot afford as I'm at the end of my trip and Issie's at the start) and I'm taking a 2 day slow boat down the Meh Khong river to arrive in Luang Probang on Friday afternoon. Issie's meeting me in Luang Probang on Saturday and from there we're going to head to Vang Vieng and who knows after that!

Love you all lots and miss you but will be with you all again in 5 weeks :) xxxxxxx