Hello possums!

Once again i've taken control of the blog - poor Mike, I have a horrible feeling I may become a control freak!

Since Mike's last entry, we've been busy bees! After our trek, we decided we deserved a day or doing very little. We bumbled around Chaing Mai, enjoying a little of the coffee shop culture, then I struck upon a genius way to really help Mike relax - a massage. What could possibly be more soothing than a tiny bird-like Thai lady, easing the knots out of his shoulders? Oh i'm so clever - or so I thought... First up, the aforementioned bird-like lady asked us to dress in oversized cotton pyjamas. 'Bloody marvellous, I look like a poof', I could hear being muttered as Mike hauled himself into his pastel pink smock (except being Mike, he opted for a rather less subtle selection of words). Next came the words we'll never forget 'You ever have Thai massage before sir? No? Oooooh, I likey new people.' My alarm bells should have been ringing - I should have sprinted him from the shop, berfore this very tiny lady inflicted an hour of pain on my poor boy. As my masseur cracked my joints, pulled my fingers from their sockets and used her feet to strecth me from armpit to fingernails, I watched Mike undergoing the same torture - except his lady had clearly decided to go to town, on the basis that he was a man and could therefore handle some extra pulling and prodding. We eventually wobbled out of the massage parlour rather gingerly, both feeling a little delicate. Poor Mike still hasn't got over the trauma of his little lady using her elbows to knead his bottom...

After our 'relaxing' day off, we booked ourselves onto a Thai cookery class. The teacher picked us up at 8.30am, then took us and the rest of the class to the food market, where we tried to avert our eyes from the bowls of wriggling eels and the fishtanks heaving with live fish - animal cruelty isn't something that bothers these people. Next we went to the farm, where we were decked out with some very fetching straw hats to keep the sun off us, as we toured the farm and learnt about the difference between various chilli's, egglplants and herbs. Then it was time for the cooking lesson, and suddenly the gulf between Mike's and my cooking skills became apparent - while I sweated over peeling a piece of ginger, he was already whizzing his ingredients into a curry paste. Flash git. I perserved though, and by the end of the day, i'd perfected my oyster stir-fried chicken, and veggie spring rolls. When we get home, i'll be making all of you try my spring rolls... feel free to lie to me, and tell me that they're possibly the best thing you've ever eaten.

Now that we've done the cookery class and the trek, we both felt that it was time to move on from Chaing Mai, so yesterday we hopped on a minibus and headed further North to Pai. Set in the mountains, it's a fab little town - very New Agey - and is heaving with little bars, cafes, second-hand bookshops and slightly grubby looking travellers. They all look like they need a good bath - dreadlocks and nose rings are an absolute must-have here - so Mike and I are standing out in our too-clean clothes. Aside from the grubby youths, we both love this place, and are thinking about sticking around for a few extra days, before we make a move for Laos. We found a fab bar yesterday called 'Ting Tong', where once again I whooped Mike's ass at cards - it was payback for the cookery class - so I think we might head there again a bit later today. Prepare to be defeated Mike!!!!

Right, I think i'll leave it there, as this internet cafe is prehistoric, and i'm a bit worried that my blog will be deleted before I have chance to hit 'post'. Hope everyone is hunky dory, and keep us updated with your news!

Love to all, Susie and Mike xxx