Saturday 7th February

Today Lin and I got up and went to get breakfast at the Gecko cafe just around the corner. As Sarah had predicted the service was terrible but for less than £2 I got a delicious banana shake and a huge bowl of muesli with fresh fruits and yogurt.

We didn't stay too long as we had to get back to the hotel as we had an included tour of the Grand Palace in the morning. Sarah walked us the 25mins or so to the entrance before handing us over to the guide. He was a pretty good guide but in my opinion not our best. We only had an hour and a half here but to be honest with the 20,000 daily visitors that was enough!

Leaving the palace we successfully made our way back to the hotel to meet Sarah for lunch. Throughout the whole trip people have been talking about a place owned by Bruno Blanchet and now run by his son, Boris. They are known for their quebecian poutine but of course this is asia so the cheese used is not the correct one. Still, as a first timer I didn't think it was too bad.

I knew going in that Sarah had said Boris was worth the trip alone and having now spent some time there, I would agree. Cheryl managed to strike up a conversation with someone else there and we got some good pictures taken. Though my favourite has to be Boris sat on Sarahs knee!

Walking back to the hotel Lin and I carried on to do some shopping returning to the hotel just 45minutes before we were leaving for the Calypso bar. A quick shower and we met Cheryl, Sherry and John and made our way to the taxi boat dock.

Now opinion is somewhat divided on this boat trip. It started pretty well but quickly went south as Lin and I tried to figure out which stop we needed to get off. The others had gone further onto the boat and apparently got seats at some point but in the meantime Lin and I got hemmed in up top after having asked one of the workers when we needed to get off. That one trip was enough for me personally!

Getting off the boat we decided to walk the rest of the way. We had a good two hours to fill so we figured we could find somewhere to eat along the way. As it turned out there weren't many appealing places until we reached Asiatique.

Here Sherry and I discussed doing the huge ferris wheel. A lot like the london eye but moving much quicker with pods holding a max of what looked like 6 people. We walked along the river front before looking for somewhere to eat. Many places were extremely expensive but we found an Italian restaurant which wasn't too badly priced.

I think during my first 10-14 days in South East Asia I did well eating different foods but I feel I'm now eating more and more western style foods. I'm not too bothered so long as I throw the odd Asian dish in...this wasn't one of those times! I had spaghetti carbonara instead!

After working out where the Calypso was we picked our tickets up and headed in. We had been told we were towards the back and to the side but as we soon found out, there's no such thing as a bad seat. We got a free drink with admission and settled in to wait for the show.

Calypso is a ladyboy show. Complete with stunning outfits, these 'men' look better than most women. They lipsink badly to western songs, dance and make a strong statement- just 2 weeks after Thailand became the first country to recognise 3 genders.

What really makes the experience surreal though is when you leave they line the corridor so you can have your picture taken with them. So they're stood there looking ever so slim and glamorous.. and then you here there deep voice calling you over!

After much confusion we found a taxi home. Its always funny to try watch the drivers figure out where your staying... so long as your not on a time limit!

Sunday 8th February

Today Lin, Maria and I had an early start. We had decided despite being warned that the floating markets are a tourist trap, that we couldn't come to Bangkok and not see them.

So at almost 7.30 we got picked up and spent a bumpy hour and a half making our way to Damnoen Market. Once there we had some spare time so we paid the extra to go on the longboat through the market. To be honest this was so short it was silly.

Having 45mins left of our spare time we made our way through the market on foot. I think the most memorable part of the market for me was when Lin turned around and asked if 'you wanna hold the snake?'

...Urmmm, no?! But this is something that was on her list to do when she came to south east asia and I have to admit I did feel like challenging myself. Since neither of us wanted to do it alone the guy let us pay the same price to do it together and took about a dozen pictures of us in all.

I know as a kid I held a python but as an adult it freaks me out in a big way. Somehow I ended up holding its head and I found feeling it breathing really odd. I was astounded too at how close Lin voluntarily got to its mouth for 'a kiss'. For someone with a fear of snakes she did really well!

After our free time we had an included motorboat tour to a local village. It was really pretty here but soon we were on our way back to Bangkok.

After arriving I made my way back to the hotel to shower. I've been toying with the idea of braiding some of my hair so I wanted it washed in case I went ahead with it.

I headed to Khao san road which Sarah had recommended in regards to the hair situation. This was a really packed market area and I soon decided that once back in Bangkok I will come back to do my shopping. That said I was still unsure what to do about the braids.

Since both Cheryl and Sherry had shown an interest, I decided to leave it until I talked to them. Instead I headed back towards the hotel and got myself a 30minute Thai massage.

Now never having had a massage - well a professional one- I had no idea what to expect. I had heard the Thai ones pull you about a lot but I was feeling pretty good about mine. Up until the last part anyway. My back isn't my best asset and damn there was a lot of crunching going on. Still it didn't feel too bad after and the rest of my body felt good too. I think I may have to give it another try before leaving South East Asia.

After my massage I wandered some more before going back to the hotel. We had the new people joining us today so we did a welcome meal at 7pm.

We now have an Irishman Damien, another Brit Elaine and a Canadian whose been living in Vietnam, Kim.

After the meal I once again made my way to khao san road and found it even more alive than ever. Music blasting from various restaurants, even more people selling in the street and a really nice vibe going on. However, it was much to busy to ask hair related questions so it would have to wait until tomorrow.

On the way back to the hotel I finally tried one of the banana pancakes from a street vendor..delicious and amazing to watch him make. Cant wait for my next one!

Monday 9th February

This morning everyone was heading to a bakery Sarah knows of, which has amazing blueberry pancakes. I decided to skip it to have a layin instead. I'm finding that while I get more sleep than at home, it's maybe only an extra hour or so. I'm back in Bangkok at the end of this tour and can do the pancakes then. I wouldn't want to skip them completely would I?

Once Lin left I got up and started packing. Since we're coming back to the same hotel we can store some luggage with them but Lin and I have both just left small carriers with some of our layers and souvenirs in.

I also had a missed call from my bank so I had to call them and try to sort that out. Despite my having told them exactly where I would be when, they apparently thought it necessary to make me call them to say there's been no suspicious activity on my card. Just a little stressful and not a good start to the day.

And that's not even including that they've also locked me out of my mobile banking app. Yep, it's official. I hate my bank.

Moving on I met the rest of the group to head to Wat Pho. We had been close by the day after arriving in Bangkok but had decided to meet Sarah for lunch instead. So off we went to the water taxi. After my last trip, I was pleased to find it a lot less crowded than before.

We spent almost 2hours at Wat Pho. Its architecture is much the same as the Grand Palace but what for me made it better was the huge reclining Buddha. This measures 46meters in length and 14 meters high. It actually had me stopping and going 'wow' when I first saw it. And since Im well on my way to being 'all templed out', this was no mean feat!

The other Buddha statue which I really liked was the Phra Buddha Chinnaraj. This image depicted the Buddha giving the first serman and again took my breath away.

Despite having run into most of the group as we went around, we left with 2 less members than we came with. None of us had seen Kim since soon after we arrived at the temple and it had been awhile since we had last seen Maria.

Leaving Wat Pho we managed to get a metered taxi on our 3rd try. Lin had suggested going to see Chinatown and im glad we did. Despite having seen small and rather un impressing ones a few times, this one was huge. So big in fact that we couldn't find the fresh food part of the market! However we did come across the fruit part while trying to hail a taxi.

Back at the hotel we met up with Sarah and agreed to go and try to see Boris again. By now Kim had made it back to the hotel so we all set off walking only to find that it's closed on mondays.

With Sarah having come up with some really weird and wacky ideas regarding me and Boris, I wasn't too sure this was a bad thing!

We ended up in this cool little cafe restaurant for lunch. The inside was decorated with all these nick knacks and they had a great guest book with some amazing art drawn inside.

Once we left here Kim, Cheryl and I headed to khao san road to try and get our hair done. On arriving here though we were rather disappointed as it only had a 3rd of the vendors/shops as it had at the weekend. Unable to find my lady that I had watched yesterday, I decided to leave it and try again once im back in Bangkok.

So the 3 of us split up, each wanting to do our own thing. I walked through an alleyway and explored an area less touristy. After this I decided to find somewhere to get my nails done.

I had my first manicure in Hoi An but by now the polish was half gone and a few of my nails were threatening to break so I figured I might as well pamper myself a little more. I went to the same place i'd had my massage the day before but if im honest I wasn't impressed.

I know that when I went in they were really busy but I honestly felt it wasn't nearly as good as my one in Vietnam. The lady who did my nails had her young son with her, which was fine but it meant she was pretty distracted and I felt as nice as she was she just didn't do too good a job.

Leaving the parlour I crossed over to the hotel and tried to get my phone charged up ready for our night bus to Chiang Mai. I also tried sorting my mobile banking out but given the not so good wifi that will have to wait.

Our taxi ride was pretty interesting. With there now being 10 of us, Lin, Maria, Sarah and I went in one. We passed the 20minutes or so watching Sarah and this Thai guy try to hold a conversation. I really dread to think what was being said but they seemed to be having fun!

At the bus depo we had some time to kill before getting on the bus. Its a 10+ hour ride to Chiang Mai so let's hope we manage to get some sleep!

Tuesday 10th February 

So after not getting very much sleep on the night bus we knew it would be a long day especially since it was our only free day in Chiang Mai. 

I already knew exactly what I wanted to do despite having Sarah try to convince me otherwise. It wasnt that she didn't want me to do it, rather she thought a quick visit the next day would be better. Cheryl also wasn't sure she could come as she was so tired.

Luckily I stuck to my guns and Cheryl powered through, so off we went with our guide Sunny and Kim and Maria who also decided to join us...

It was Tiger time!!

Now this is something I had been completely unaware of until a friend of mine did this trip at the end of last year. As soon as I knew it was possible to get up close with these amazing creatures, I knew I had to find the time and money to do it myself.

I've always been mesmerised by tigers and find it heartbreaking that there numbers are so low in the wild. I know I'm not a vegetarian but I hate poaching with a vengeance. Hunting for food or to protect your home is one thing but to hunt creatures for sport, fur and unproven medicines etc is never alright to my mind.

And yes, I can hear you questioning my choice to visit captive animals for my own pleasure, all the way over here.

But I didn't go into this without a little research and and asking myself some tough questions. The big question is, is it right that these animals are caged and paraded around for humans to 'ohh and aww' at? No probably not. But there are other factors to consider before making your own mind up. 

Many of the tiger parks in Thailand drug the cats in order to allow tourists close to them. Others are declawed and have there teeth removed. Not to mention the amount of shall we say,'exotic animals', that are taken from the wild and chained up for humans to see.

This isn't the case at Tiger Kingdom. Instead the tigers here are bred in captivity and hand reared by humans so they become accustomed to people. My friend who visited is also an animal person and she assured me after her visit that there were no signs of them being drugged or sedated.

Because their hand reared they would never survive in the wild, so they are given a home for life. From the time their born to the time they reach maturity at 3 years of age, they are kept around humans and interact with them. 

Once they reach 3 they are considered too unpredictable to be around humans so they then move to either an associated zoo or wildlife reserve before they begin breeding at 5years. 

The way I look at it is that if there weren't animals in captivity then many more species would be going extinct. With the help of breeding and release programs around the world, we may be able to at least slow the decline of those in the wild. And I think so long as it's done responsibly and with great care, then having places open to the public can be a good thing. 

People will often come along as part of a group with no interest themselves. By the time they leave they are in awe of these magnificent animals and may well become actively involved in there plight. Either by donations, volunteering or simply raising awareness.

All these things are important if we want to preserve as many endangered species as possible for future generations.

But this is just my opinion and everyone has to make the choice for themselves. Maria for example decided she wasn't happy with them being kept in enclosures and so did her own thing while the rest of us visited the tigers. Its all personal choice and as with everything, only you can decide what's right or wrong for you.

Having the choice of visiting different aged tigers, the 3 of us decided to visit the whole spectrum. From 3years old right down to the youngest at just a couple of months old. 

After buying our tickets we waited to be called through, almost losing Kim who had gone in search of caffeine. Our first cage was the medium tigers who were just 1yr old. But they are huge! 

While waiting to go in we watched as the keepers played with the more active ones, waving a stick with leaves on the end for the tiger to chase. Much like I did at home with my cat Kit at christmas with baubles from the christmas tree!

We would soon be amazed at how similar tigers are to small domestic cats. They loved having there tummys rubbed and stretching out in the sun. But still as we approached our first tiger, we were acutely aware that there were other tigers wandering just a few feet behind us. My heart was pounding so fast for my first few encounters, though Kim looked so relaxed she could have cuddled tigers everyday for all we knew!

And yes, I did say cuddle!

It depended which tiger you were with as to what you could do. We weren't allowed to touch any above there withers and there legs and paws were no go areas. But we could stroke them all, though you had to be firm so they didn't mistake you for pesky insects. Many we could lay next to and touch their tails too. There coat actually isn't as soft as you would imagine but feeling them breath is just amazing. 

You approach them from behind and sit down, careful not to jostle them. For the first few times as unreal as it was, I couldn't help but imagine them turning they huge heads to face me and pouncing.

After all, we repeatedly saw these big cats go from sleeping peacefully to playing in mere seconds.More than once we had to move quickly as the tigers stretched and rolled about. And another time in the first cage I was quite happily spending time with one tiger as another came up on the other side of me, wedging me between them and a fence! You never felt truly threatened though as the keepers would distract them as soon as they felt a need to and they just wanted to play with each other anyway.

I was still a little nervous on our next cage- the big tigers at 2/3years old. But it's not long before you just want to get as close as possible and just 'be' with them. They really are so amazing. Here we layed down next to them and even leant across Mike and Franko, names I'm sure the keepers make up as they go along!

We met a 2year old female tiger and had a group picture taken. Because we had gone for the biggest package deal and there were 3 of us, we got a photographer for 3 of the cages but they were more than happy for us to take our own pictures and even took some on our cameras for us too.

Our next stop was the small tigers at just 6months old and they were the cutest yet! The older tigers were scary and majestic and playful all at once but the younger they got, the more you wanted to cuddle them. 

The 6 month old tigers were playing before we went into the cage. Well, one was trying to play with another who was snoozing and just like small domestic cats and even dogs, climbing all over him to try and get a reaction. These are the two we approached first and they were brothers. As we stroked them you could see them preening, enjoying the touch. 

Moving across to 2 other tigers who were sleeping we took some pictures before one woke up and wandered off. We then moved closer to the other who seemed to love a good belly rub.While these tigers could still inflict a lot of damage they were so clearly wanting to play and I've no doubt they would climb all over you given a chance.

Our last stop was to see the smaller and smallest tigers. Since they were near the exit we checked out the other little road housing more tigers. The biggest surprise and disappointment of the day was found here.

The surprise was that they randomly have one lion at Tiger Kingdom! The disappointment was that they also have 3 white siberian tigers but they are at the back so we couldn't get a clear view of them. Such a shame but again so amazing to see them, even at a distance. I think their the most beautiful of all tigers and maybe even of all big cats... of course I've only ever seen a handful of leopards so i'll have to see more before I can make an informed decision :)

Finishing at the smallest tigers was the perfect end to our visit. We washed up and switched our shoes for the provided slippers while we waited. When we got called in we got maybe 15mintues with 2 tigers that were just 3/4 months old. These ones would just happily allow you to lay down next to them. Not at all bothered so long as they got a fuss.

Moving into the last- but by no means least- pen, we met the real babies. 2/ 3 months old they were tiny! I mean seriously I could have probably picked up the 3/4 months olds up -not that I'm that crazy of course- but these youngsters could easily be carried around the same way a 4month old lab could be.

Towards the end of our visit we tried to get a last group picture but the star of the moment decided he wanted to go cuddle with the keeper instead! If I ever questioned the way the staff handle these animals, this really would take away any doubt about the connection they have. 

When we first started I couldn't believe they started us with the bigger ones but in hindsight it makes sense. The babies have your heart from the get go and don't really give off the fear factor that you need to be sensible with the bigger cats. Starting with the most intimidating ones, probably saves a lot of stupid incidents from occurring.

Our visit was such an incredible experience, and I didn't want to leave.I think if anything could ever make me move to south east asia or Africa or such, it would be working with these amazing animals. 

Leaving the enclosure we found Sunny and Maria, deciding since we'd skipped breakfast we would get some lunch in the restaurant before leaving. We probably spent an hour here enjoying huge meals that we didn't finish and talking through the pros and cons of such a place.

 Maria also told us of the Long neck people she had visited while waiting for us. The women have rings put around there neck as children and they get more added every year until they are married. I don't know enough about it but from what I heard it was a form of control for the men though the official line is that it's to protect them from tiger attacks.

Arriving back at the hotel we went our separate ways with Maria and I checking into our room and freshening up before relaxing a while. After an hour or so I decided I should see something of the city so I set off for a walk. I crossed into the old city and came across a Wat. It had a really pretty bridge crossing a small body of water with lanterns hanging everywhere.

Moving on I kept going for a while before deciding to turn left. It turns out theres schools all down this road so all the kids were about buying all kinds of street candy unlike what I've seen before. This was fun to experience with the kids all so excited having finished for the day. 

I got back to the hotel an hour before we were going to dinner so I went to shower and get ready. Once we were all there Sarah led us on what was meant to be a short cut... but it turned out it wasn't! Sherry ended up using Google maps to get us where we needed to be and on arriving it was a big restaurant so we all wondered how we could have missed it.

The food was good and the beers began flowing. Me, Lin, Sherry and John all decided we would prefer to see the night market than to drink so we excused ourselves and set off with the help of Sherry and Google maps.

We were beginning to question where we were as we were on this really long street that should intersect with the market but it was so quiet. Before we could worry too much though we stumbled across our turn and a few minutes later we were exploring the different stalls.

There was some really nice stuff and I managed to replace the second pair of sunglasses I had destroyed. I have to say though that I think this is the quietest market I've been to in South East Asia but maybe I'm just used to the chaos of Vietnam. 

Wednesday the 11th February

Wednesday morning we had to be ready for a full days excursion at 8am. I got up a few hours beforehand, much to Maria's disgust, so I could go find some breakfast.

On my way out I came across Cheryl so we headed out together making for one of the many 7 elevens. Getting some snacks I met back up with Cheryl who had somehow managed to get quite the selection of fruit from the market- im still not quite sure where as I couldn't find much!

As we approached the hotel we saw the bakery on the corner was open early so we made another stop. The pastries were amazing. So unhealthy, but so worth it.

Once we were all ready to head off we loaded into the back of the truck with Sarah dangling her legs out the back, partially because there wasn't much room and partially just because she likes it.

Our first proper stop was for a bamboo raft trip down the river. This was pretty fun with Cheryl insisting on manoeuvring the back. It was a good workout for her, though I think she may have lacked some finesse given the wet spots on both me and Maria! But Cheryl had fun so it was all good :)

Next we stopped for an early lunch. Like, way early. Its got to the point where I feel we do more eating than anything else on this trip! That said, the food was fantastic and if we didn't have a hike later I would have had more.

Leaving Sarah at the cafeteria we made our way to the Chiang Dao Cave. This cave was pretty nice though it would have been cool to have time to explore the unlit portion. With its huge rock formations and Buddha statues it was like a cross between the Halong Bay cave and the Marble mountain ones.

We visited a village that had been created when the Burmese passed into Thailand from Burma. Sunny gave us some information on how the people had survived to create a community but I have to say this was one of the most touristy things Ive experienced with Toucan and I felt that way throughout the whole day.

Our next stop was at another tribal village where we were to begin our trek. Again we felt like we were being paraded into the village for no real reason except to buy stuff. Plus they had a monkey chained as a pet which some of the group found difficult.

The hike itself though was pretty good. It was just very humid and having gotten bitten badly the day before I was trying to stay as covered as possible which made it even hotter. We did get some good views and had fun as a group with Damien scaring us with Leech stories. Not really what you want to hear when your going through the jungle! But hey, at least I was covered up :)

The hike was 2 1/2hrs long and it felt good to finally burn some calories. At the end of it we entered another village and stopped for snacks and for many, beers. Kind of counter acting the workout!

Having already spoken to Sarah on the hike, Kim and I snagged the back seats on the way back to Chiang Mia and hung our legs out the back all the way home. All the while enjoying laughs with the group and even some sing songs.

Even having already seen tesco lutus' since we left Vietnam, I was still surprised to see big tesco superstores on the way home..complete with exercise classes going on in the parking lots.

Back in Chiang Mia Lin and I had hoped to go to the Muay Thai but it was already so late we decided against it. Instead we agreed to meet up after showers and get something to eat, followed by the night market again.

Sarah had recommended the food stalls across the intersection so we stopped and shared fried chicken and fries. I know. We're so adventurous!

At the night market we were both looking for a couple of specific things. I'd say I was semi successful while Lin did well. Having had enough of shopping we had a pit stop at McD's for an ice cream before walking back.

Thursday 12th February

Today we were leaving Chiang Mai and heading to Chiang Rai. Because there's not much to do there, Sarah asked Sunny to make some additional stops along the way.

The first was at a hot spring. Which was rather unimpressive and not a natural one. I think the chance to buy more fruit here was more appreciated than the 'spring' itself.

The other stop was at a cashew place where we could see/ read how they are harvested. Sunny tried explaining this as well but he kind of contradicted the information I read.

Anyhow. We got to taste all different kinds of cashew flavours in the shop there. Clearly not my thing as I don't like nuts but they had other things like dried fruits and candies which I made the most of.

Back on the bus we all started to doze off a little before our next stop. I actually think this worked out well because when we looked out the window before stopping, the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) was right in front of us.

I feel kind of silly to say it but as soon as I got a proper look at the White Temple, it had me thinking of 'Frozen'!... Though maybe just a tiny bit more gothic in style :)

Now I had heard of the White Temple before but I knew next to nothing about it. But I think that out of all the things I've seen in my time out here, this is one of the most impressive.

As I walked around I was unsure what I was looking at. There is so much detail but it doesn't look to belong to a specific religion. Nor even a specific culture. I found out that it was designed this way on purpose.

Ajarn Chalermchai wanted to build the most beautiful of temples where everyone could come and feel peaceful no matter their religion. And the White Temple is a true piece of art and is still being crafted today. Its unlikely to be completed for many years to come- perhaps not for a another 60 years. This of course reminds me of Barcelona and there Sagrada chruch... but The White Temple is so much better!

Ajarn excepts no donations or grants. Instead he builds it slowly as and when he and the other artists can. They maintain the grounds themselves and there's no entrance fee to visit. It is truly his own creation with no one influencing him for monetary reasons and he has plans in place to see this remains true even after his death.

The Temple and grounds have such a gothic structure but until you look closely you don't see the detail of it. The fence surrounding it is the same brilliant white as the temples but sitting atop each pillar is a skull.

The walkway alongside the fence is covered and there are many colourful plants lining it and benches to sit on to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. On closer inspection the covered walkway has these small almost heart like decorations covering the roof. The same decorations make up 4 trees in the courtyard surrounding a well which itself has zodiac signs ringing it.

The small hanging decorations are for sell and they are for you to write a message on. Usually in memoriam of a lost one. As such the 'trees' are only partially done.

There are also real trees around the Temples which have head masks hanging from them in the guise of movies characters. Some heroes and some monsters to show that while the world needs heroes they do not exist in this world. (Though personally I don't agree with this. I just think a 'hero' may mean something different to him than it does me)

And in front of the White Temple itself there are demons, ghouls and hands all reaching up as if they need saving. Or perhaps they are looking to pull you down into hell? Either way it is beyond impressive.

It's safe to say that the White Temple is one of my favourite places so far in South East Asia and I find the concept of it fascinating. A must for anyone visiting this area.

As we continued on, our amazing driver - I say this as he went to the effort of finding a cd we had been talking about before our last stop, for us to now listen to- got a phone call, telling him Sunny had broken down. The smaller group was quite a ways back so we had to go pick them up..goodbye extra space!

Our last stop after this was at the Opium museum where we had a look around and found out some history on how it's cultivated. After this we walked up the hill to the Golden Triangle viewpoint.

I choose to walk up the steps to see the temples along the way. I regretted this afterwards as there was a pack of dogs there and one of them really should have been put to sleep. His back legs were bandaged in what looked like part of monk robes and whatever was wrong with them he couldn't use them at all. Its boiling hot and this poor animal is dragging himself along with his front legs to try and stay with the other dogs. I admit, this broke me.

Coming to South East Asia I expected to see a lot of animals in bad conditions and while there has been a few instances it's not been too bad. Until Thailand. Until right now. I hate that someone took the time to cover his legs but not A. Care for him properly if healing is a possibility or B. Put the poor dog out of his misery.

I was glad to be on my own the rest of the way up the hill while I tried to control my emotions.

Once at the top having regained some control, I met up with some of the others. This is The Golden Triangle area where Thailand, Laos and Burma meet along the river. It was a nice view but it was most impressive because you knew that you were looking at 3 different countries.

At the hotel we checked in for the night and quickly got ready for dinner. Sunny drove us to the riverside and we had a nice meal with really nice staff. And afterwards Cheryl, Lin, Sherry, John and I all walked back together stopping at what seemed like a small amusement park. It was closed but we could walk up to the giant Buddha and have a look.

One more quick stop at 7eleven to get food for the next day and we called it a night.

Friday 13th February

So today we crossed into Laos from Thailand. The day started early with us piling into the van at 6.30 and driving a few hours to the border where we got stamped out of Thailand. We then crossed the no mans land to the Laos side and spent an hour or so getting our visas and arrival cards sorted. It may not have been that organised but it was much more pleasant than our last border crossing!

We then piled into the back of a truck and set off to catch our boat to Pak Beng. Already we could see a difference in the vegetation here with it appearing so much more lush.

Arriving at the boat port area we got on board via a very rocky gang plank- yep I made it on even with my pack on and my lack of balance- and dumped our stuff. I made a quick run up to get some fruit from a stall we had passed.

It turns out there was no reason to rush though. Our boat was meant to depart at 11am but instead we were sat there watching more and more people clamber on until about 12.30. By then half the group were well on their way to getting plastered.

I passed the next 6 hours or so alternating between reading, writing, listening to music and enjoying the stunning scenery. Its all jungle and rocky shores lining the Mekong River and such an amazing sight. Not to mention the most greenery I've seen since leaving home!

The ride was meant to be about 8 hours but since it was almost all tourists on our boat we only stopped I think 3 times to drop people off. And stopped is a little deceiving. Mostly we got as close to the beach/ rocks as we could and those getting off would have to climb off as best they could. Often seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Once we even knocked someones house in the water trying to get close enough for the passengers to jump off.

By the time we reached our overnight stop of Pak Beng, Sarah, Kim, Elaine, Cheryl and Damien were pretty tipsy. Making it rather interesting getting them to the hotel in one piece. Elaine hit her head disembarking and Kim had to have help getting up the steps. Its a good thing there are 3 nurses in our group.. oh wait, their the drunks ones :)

At the guest house Lin and I made our way straight to our room to dump our stuff. We were then all in the corridor discussing dinner with Sarah telling us to meet in 30 minutes at 7pm.. urmm Sarah, it's already 7.05pm..?

Luckily they had all sobered up a bit by the time we met up 40minutes later so we enjoyed a meal at an Indian restaurant just down the road. We spent a good portion of it discussing Valentine day traditions (apparently it's only the British and Irish that don't sign their names on valentines?) and Sarah's love life. Or lack thereof. Apparently she spent the day being lectured on how she's not getting any younger. Shes fun, smart, hot and has been travelling and leading tours in SEA for the past two 2 years. At 26 I don't think she has anything to worry about just yet!

Since Lin hadn't managed to do her Elephant day in Chiang Mai because the bus was late, she had decided to join me in Luang Prabang when I do a day at Elephant Village. I had been trying to book this for the last couple of days but I never had good enough wifi to get through the whole process. Luckily with some of the group still out and the rest already asleep, I managed to get a good connection and get it booked! So exciting!

Saturday 14th February

Today we continued our journey via slow boat to Luang Prabang. If possible this boat was even more crowded than the one before. Yesterday's boat held between 110 to 130 people. Today's probably had at a couple dozen more with barely enough room to pass between the rows made up of unstable car chairs.

Lin and I grabbed a couple of seats each (Yep, we're mean. We lied and said all 4 seats were taken) and passed the day there. I spent most of it reading and enjoying the scenery again. I'm not sure that the scenery was better today but the sky was clearer and it wasn't as rural so there was more variety in the landscape.

The more I see of Laos, the more I like it.

We had a few more locals on the boat today so we stopped a few more places for people to jump off (literally) or climb on. At one point a girl got picked up by a small motored boat- I guess it was to difficult to get to shore at that particular place. Though I never did get a clear view of these 'motorboats' that do these 8/9hr journeys with motorbike helmets on because it's that dangerous...

While some people did spend the day drinking it was nowhere near as bad as the day before. There were a few guys on board who were musicians and banded together for at least half the journey to make some music. It made for a really great chilled out atmosphere as Sherry and I both spent some time sat on the edge of the boat. Along with a good 2 dozen other people!

On arriving in Luang Prabang we got in what was meant to be our own van only for the driver to take 3 other randoms too! This was pretty amusing as there was a youngish lad who was eyeing Sarah up so Elaine who was sat with me suggested she sit on his lap :)

Having made it to our hotel with an extra 2 people squeezed in, we had a nice surprise in how posh the hotel was. Plus I got decent wifi for the first time in over a week. Yep I've got my priorities straight!

The hotel was full up so the spare room wasn't available to rotate and Cheryl had to share. This left me and Lin sharing for a second stop in a row which was pretty good as we usually have similar habits that go quite well together. I think anyway. For all I know she's stood above me at night holding the big fluffy pillows she hates, debating if she can get away with smothering me... please take note to investigate this if any 'accidents' occur :)

For dinner that evening Sarah took us to a restaurant on one of the main streets. First though she insisted on trying to do the 'Luang Prabang talk' (which easily could have been done during the meal) and then walked us to the laundry and atm.

I've been waiting for a week to be somewhere long enough to do laundry as I've two full outfits alone that are completely wrecked so this was a relief. I was rapidly running out of outfits given the many mozzies about. Plus we all needed to get some local money out so we became instant millionaires again having gotten the max amount allowed.

The place we had dinner was really nice and I decided straight away to go for the alcohol. Apart from one night with shots ive drunk barely anything while on this trip and apart from Sarah im the youngest here! I ordered the 2 for 1 Lao Lao spirit (no idea what kind) that's 50% + with pineapple juice as the mixer. It made it sharper than I'd like but they were out of the sweet ones.

As everyone's food and drinks turned up I tried to sip my drink but I got through my first one and still I had no food. Eventually with prompting from Sarah we found out that they had run out of what I had ordered and just hadn't bothered to tell me! Given that most people were almost finished and Maria had kindly shared her fries with me, I just ordered a large portion for myself. These are fantastic fries I must say even by western standards.

As we ate we talked about the valentines day cards Sarah had made us write on the boat today. One for each member of the group. We were all told to bring them along to dinner but Sarah herself had forgotten.

Finishing the meal half the group stayed out to go drinking while the rest of us walked back to the hotel.

Sunday 15th February

So this morning Lin and I got up to go get breakfast before going down to wait for our pickup which was to arrive somewhere between 8.30 and 9am. We figured as with most things in Laos it would be late but by 8.45 we were on the minibus picking up our last two guests.

There were 8 of us in all who would be a 'family' for the day with Year, being our go to guy. We had a family of four consisting of an American mum, Italian father and 13yr old Isabella and 10yr old Bianca. They've lived a few different places including Venezuela over the years but are currently living in Hanoi. Then there was Kevin another American who's actually a teacher, living and working in South Korea for the past 3 years. And last but not least, Holly, a young American studying in China. Its her 3rd time living there having spent a few years there as a child and returning for a month last year. She's now planning to stay out there for at least a couple of years now. It was a really interesting group and made the day pretty fun. 

When we arrived we were given about 10minutes to walk around and explore. We all slowly went up to a nearby elephant and one by one had our picture taken as we tentatively said hi. Then we walked across to get a good look at the mountains we could see.

I really don't know what to say about this view. We stood in this lovely setting with little gazebo seating areas, elephants behind us and elephants already down below taking people through the river.  Beyond that are fields leading into forest, forests leading into the jungle. And then the jungle itself covers rolling mountain after rolling mountain.  

It was simply breathtaking. A little piece of heaven tucked away in South East Asia.

With Year calling us over we discussed the things we would be doing today before being taught some basic commands for the elephants. 'Pie' is forward; 'How' is stop; 'Sai' (si) is left; 'Kwa' is right; 'Seung' is a sign for him to bend his leg to help you mount; and the one we already knew 'Kop Chai lye lye' thank you very much.

Having learnt this we all had to practice on the smaller elephant we had said hello to. I think I was maybe the 4th person to try this as Lin volunteered me! You have to hold onto the top part of the elephants right ear and place your right foot on his right -hopefully bent-  leg and try to climb up... yep, easy peasy... or not.

Eventually having gotten up there I quickly found myself in the correct position with me knees bent behind his ears and my hands on his head and off we went to do a short circuit. 

Holly had said she hadn't found her terribly responsive to her attempts at directing her but I found the opposite. My problem was not knowing when to say things as to how much space and time she would need to manoeuvre. So I would wait for the Mahout who was sat behind me to murmur a command and then I'd repeat it.  

After we'd all taken a turn at this the family of 4 went for there elephant ride while the rest of us waited for other elephants to be available.

While waiting Year took us around the ground telling us about himself. He's from the Mughung mountain tribe, one of the 3 tribes in all of Laos. He's actually only in his second week at Elephant village but we couldn't have asked for a better helper/keeper :) He's actually only been speaking english 18months which is completely mind boggling given the amount of information he was able to give us and the questions he was able to understand and answer.

We ended up spending 15 minutes or so by the pool at Elephant Village. The camp offer 2-3 days packages with accommodation so there is a bar and pool area over looking the river. Such a lovely setting for it. Totally worth it.

When we got called back for our ride we got paired up with an elephant- 2 people per elephant. Lin and I got Lyicome, a 39 year old who was far more interested in food than moving.

She was a sweetheart though and Lin and I loved our walk down to the river we then crossed. As soon as we reached the other side I asked the mahout (who incidentally had a very worn Man U cap on) if we could switch places so I would ride on her neck. 

Rather than switch with me as Isabella's had, he climbed down completely and walked with us instead. All the while taking pictures on our cameras.

This was such an incredible experience. I've heard how gentle and intelligent elephants are but to be this close with her seemingly happy, was such a humbling experience.

Elephants live anywhere between 80- 100 years so to think of them being mistreated is upsetting. There are 14 elephants in elephant village and all but the baby, Maxi, are rescues. They cater to tourists to help pay for their keep but are rested in the forest the rest of the time. One thing that drew me to this company was that the Mahouts are prohibited from using stick on them. 

On reaching the camp we dismounted and then went to feed Lyicome some bananas. Lin got a huge bunch and gave me some before trying to feed Lyicome... but she was more than happy to help herself :)

Next up we walked back down to the river to take a boat to the other side to meet Maxi. Maxi is almost 2 years old and we were told that elephants stay with their mothers for 3 years but are not considered adults until they reach 10years. 

Maxi and his mama are so sweet. While tourists visit their kept in a small pen much like the roundup ones back home. Here we wanted to feed them so I got the biggest bunch of bananas I could see and spilt them with Lin. She concentrated on Maxi while I spent time with his Mum. Slobber, slobber, slobber :)

On getting back to the camp we washed up and got lunch, sitting in the shade while we ate. Again with that gorgeous view spread out in front of us. We also had one of the dogs come and join us for a while. Hello new friend.

After a while we were told it was time to bathe the elephants so we quickly changed. Everybody seemed a little nervous now as we knew we would be riding on their neck into the river but it was exciting to. I ended up back on Lyicome though I found it less comfortable this time than the last. 

The silly thing is I think they had all decided I was the entertainment as I struggled getting onto the smaller one this morning and with the baskets we had mounted from a treetop ledge. Now everyone  -and I mean everyone- else's elephants knelt down to help them get on... except Lyicome. I couldn't get on the smaller one without a lot of scrambling so I figure they just wanted a good laugh!

Once safely on -just- we walked down to the river. I don't know why but I found it less comfortable that earlier. I'm unsure if this was because of my scrabble onto her or just her own reluctance to go in the water. 

We had experienced this earlier and she hadn't been too bad but clearly knowing it was that much deeper she was not keen on going on. Elephant like rider. Rider like elephant!

Once in, we slowly (Lyicome does everything at a snails pace which is fine by me!) made our way towards the other side of the river where it wasn't so deep. 

All the different elephants seemed to have different ideas about the water. 

Some happily laid down. Lins was moving about playing; the mums was almost completely submerged; Holly's tolerated a bath but wasn't loving it and Lyicome apparently prefers showers. She knows a command for spraying us which she seemed to enjoy so long as she didn't have to go deeper!

Personally the bath was the worst part of the elephant interaction for me, mainly because Lyicome and I clearly are of one mind when it comes to water activities! But it was still an awesome experience so that tells you something of how good a day it was!

Our last stop before returning to the camp and heading home was to go to Tad Sae waterfalls. Its the dry season at the moment so they weren't that great right now but you can easily visualise what it will be like in a couple of months. While the girls went swimming Lin and I went and got an ice cream. Did you know that cornetto has a chocolate and red berry flavour? It was delicious but im now on the lookout for the red velvet one I passed up!

Having said goodbye to our 'family' Lin and I arrived back to the hotel shortly after 4pm. We decided to take a beer up to our room to relax with as we washed away the grime of the day.

By the time we showered and drank our beers we needed to head out if we were going to try and make it to Phousi Hill before sunset. we had been told that once you've climbed the 300+ steps there's a lovely temple and great 360degree views. 

As we left the hotel we ran into Cheryl who wanted to come along. Unfortunately while we roughly knew where it was, the maps we were given were pointless. By the time we got to close by the colours of the sunset were already mostly gone into the hazy distance. 

Having found the night market and the other prettier main road in Luang Prabang, I told the girls I was quitting as I'd prefer to try and get some shots of the town in relatively good light.

Lin chose to come with me so we wandered back at our own pace until we realised how tight on time we were. We hopped into a tuk tuk and got a lift the short distance back to the hotel. Having quickly picked up our laundry we rushed to meet in the lobby for 7pm to go to dinner.

We had seen Kim and Damien 10minutes before but they had disappeared off leaving just Sherry, Lin, Elaine, Sarah and I to head off. Sherry didn't stay long though as John hadn't been too well the last few days and understandably she didn't want to leave him too long.

It turns out that the other two had gone for drinks and turned up and hour later. While neither Maria or Cheryl had made it back yet.

I wasn't to keen on the venue or food - note to self, you don't like wood smoked meat- so as soon as I was done I asked for the bill. Again Lin joined me and we headed back to the market to try and find some snacks for the road tomorrow. Getting lucky we found a bakery just as it was closing and the lovely guys there helped us out. 

Monday 16th February

So this morning didn't get off to a great start. We had been told that one of the main things to see in Luang Prabang was the Monks receiving alms and were told that it begins at 5.30am. Since our leaving time had been brought forward by 30minutes to 7am it made it rather tight time wise.

Up at 4.50am to get ready; 5.15am walk down to the main spot to see the monks; get back shortly after 6am and finish packing before the included breakfast at 6.30; 7am check out and wait in the lobby..

That was the plan anyway.

The first bit went alright as Lin, Sherry, Maria and I walked down in search of the monks. But at 6am we were still waiting. We had grabbed drinks and Sherry had returned to the hotel, again wanting to check on John.

By 6.10 Lin and I agreed we needed to head back to the hotel. We had less than an hour untill we were leaving and I still had to pack up and get breakfast. Not to mention it's a good 10 minute walk back to the hotel.

As luck would have it, as we were walking back we did see maybe a dozen monks receiving alms. Unfortunately they were outnumbered by tourists 3 to 1 so while it may be a moving experience in smaller towns, here I just felt like it was a tourist attraction.

Arriving back at the hotel I rushed to pack up before going down to breakfast. This was the next challenge. Breakfast was included at this hotel and meant to begin at 6.30am. What they really mean is that that's when they begin setting up , making it near impossible to get a decent breakfast before leaving.

So at 7am Lin and I are in the lobby with our bags. Waiting. And waiting some more. Half the group hadn't gone for breakfast until 7am and rather than just tell us they'd moved the time back, they let us rush. Needless to say I just took some 'me' time and put my headphones in as soon as we did actually leave.

This journey was 7hrs or so long and it was twisty and bumpy all the way. I had been trying to catch up with this blog but had to stop as I felt to queasy and then I ended up get philosophical and writing about what travel means to me :) You could say I had a little bit too much time on my hands.

The thing is though, as uncomfortable as this journey was for everyone, it was the most stunning of scenery. Sherry has it right in saying Laos' landscape is like that of Halong Bay with rock mountains right in front of you. Only these are land based and go on for miles all around.

For those of you who haven't been to Halong Bay let me put it to you like this. Have you seen the movie Avatar? If the answer is yes then just imagine those virtual forests are real- because they are, there right here in Laos.

The scenery is green and lush, a direct contrast to many of the places we've visited. When we made a 'happy stop' the toilets actually had open sides so you could see out. Talk about a loo with a view!

Arriving at Vang Vieng we were given about two hours to settle in before Sarah took us for a walk around town and an early dinner so we could watch the sunset.

Vang Vieng is a backpackers town. The restaurants on the river have lovely views but the town itself really has nothing going for it. Our accommodation was alright too but there was a big altercation between Cheryl and the owners so we all kind of boycotted anything that involved there getting money off of us.

We had a lovely dinner looking out towards the mountains and discussed different options for the next day. We had an included bicycle tour to the blue lagoon and cave in the morning but that still left us with half a day free.

Most of the group was leaning towards tubing but having felt inactive for most of the last 10days or so I wanted to do something a bit more active. I considered the beginners rock climbing and then saw that ziplining is available at the blue lagoon.

But once Sarah said that the bicycle trip would be hard going I began to waver. Completely giving up when I found out that Kim was crossing off Hot Air Balloon ride from her bucket list for just $80.

It did take me a good 4 hrs or so to decide to spend the cash that I hadn't factored into this part of the trip. But for an experience like this I couldn't pass it up. I would regret not doing it.

Having found an agent that actually booked the balloon rides, I went back to my room to find the cash Lin had given me for her half of the elephant experience. Quite handy to have that extra on hand!

I got back to the restaurant as the guys were paying and at this point Damien decided he was going to join us. After having stopped at the atm we went and booked our places. An exciting end to the evening!

Tuesday 17th February

This morning I got up feeling tired as I haven't slept well in a long time. It didn't help that the bed was rock hard and my body ached from the bumpy ride the day before too.

I had planned to join the others for breakfast but in the end I skipped it, and instead joined them when we were ready to go to the blue lagoon.

There were 5 of us cycling the 7km. Sarah leading Damien, John, Sherry and I. We actually acquired an argentine girl, Valentine, along the way.

The ride began with us crossing a wooden bridge with all kinds of vehicles going across it, with only enough room for one truck a time. We then passed a few shops and restaurants on the other side of the river before heading towards the mountainous rocks leading to the lagoon.

At least 2/3rds of this journey was on a dusty, rocky track. There were no smooth paths so you got jostled all over the place as you went over rock, after rock.

The scenery was stunning though and well worth seeing. People's houses and livestock alongside the road with fields and the mountains beyond them. Even so, I think we all would agree that we would have preferred to walk it!

On arriving at blue lagoon we were all more than a little disappointed. The blue lagoon is blue. Mostly. A kind of deeper blue shade than you would imagine but incredibly small with high banks surrounding it. Despite not being a water baby, I had fully expected to swim today but on arriving we were all in the mind of 'is that it??'

So instead we went and found the others and chilled out for awhile. After a while I decided to go explore this cave. We had been told when we arrived that we would need a head torch but mine was still in my suitcase. Luckily I had my small light so off I went.

Not considering the other caves we've seen in South East Asia I have to say this was not what I was expecting. In a good way... I think.

Rather than climbing steps up to the entrance this really was more of a steep climb. Finally making it to the top I went inside to find the Buddha statue just a little ways in. After this I needed my torch so I could go further. So along with 3 Chinese kids I slowly inched my way forward following the painted arrows towards the 'cave'.

We passed another couple mostly in silence and as I did, music started to play. Silent night of all things! It was kind of eeire at the time and I found it an odd choice of song but also kind of fitting while climbing up and over rocks in the darkness.

Of course as I got further away from the couple the music kept playing just as loudly and I began to question where it was coming from....opps! I guess I didn't do as good a job of getting rid of music on my phone as I thought I had!

Not long after this I overtook the Chinese kids as they didn't have headlights and were struggling to see anything. For that matter so was I! I did find another path and some more arrows, eventually coming to a little doorway made of rocks. On it were dozens of hand prints and as I passed through there were names scribbled on the rocks.

Sherry would later ask me if at this point I was remembering the spider from LOTR. My answer was no. I was too busy thinking of all the horror movies I never wanted to see instead where it's all fun and games until you don't make it back out alive!

How Elaine had come even slightly into the cave in flip flops I've no idea! I wouldn't even want to make the climb upto it in those!

I don't know how long I spent climbing over rocks and trying not to loose my footing but after a while I knew I had to head back. Otherwise I wouldn't know which direction to go in! As it was I did begin to panic a little when I realised I had taken a wrong path at one point. Luckily there was a couple I came across and they were discussing if they should head back or go further, so I knew straight away I needed to turn around.

After a couple of near scrapes I started to hear voices and moving towards them I found I had made it back to the Buddha. From here on out it was plain sailing (or climbing as the case may be) and as I saw the entrance to the cave I also saw John and Sherry outside.

They were extremely surprised to find I had been inside the whole time as they had been in quite awhile too but I had gone in long before them and our paths hadn't crossed at all.

Once back at the bottom we met up with Damien and Sarah (the rest of the group having taken their tuk tuk back) and Sarah's first question to me was, how was the pool. There were 5 of us in all who had gone up into the cave and none of us had come across the promised pool. There was no way I was going back up there to try again though!

Since I was absolutely boiling at this point I grabbed a cold fruity flavoured drink and had the red velvet cornetto i'd been seeking (I preferred the choc and red berry one) and sat with the others awhile. They waited for me despite my telling them to head on as I planned to stop for pictures on the way back.

As predicted I stopped within a minute of our leaving but then caught up with them again as they stopped to have a beer enroute. The next 20minutes or so would involve us leapfrogging each other as I took pictures and they searched for somewhere with beer!

After having left them for good, I continued on what was now a very busy track. Many more vehicles heading to the blue lagoon along with locals and kids- many of whom would call hello or sabidee as I passed.

Sarah had insisted I take the map in case I wanted to stop at any of the other caves. I did consider this but I also wanted to walk around town again and take some pictures along with getting some proper food before getting picked up at 4.30 for our balloon ride. So I set off back to town.

On reaching the bridge again I ran into a few problems. Or more precisely the girl in front of me on a scooter did. How she ended up being rented a bike she couldn't even hold up, let alone move, I've no idea.

With bigger vehicles coming across the bridge I spent the next 5 minutes trying to help here manoeuvre her bike out of the way. One cut later and a nice Aussie guy came to our rescue. I owe him a big thank you. I almost lost my bicycle trying to help her out.

Back in town I ventured to the outskirts a little before returning my bike and walking the actual town. Grabbing a sandwich off a street vendor I headed home for a much needed shower.

At 4.30pm Damien, Kim and I got picked up and driven to the field where we would do our balloon ride. Kim and I were rather excited while Damien was a bit nervous. Many pictures later and the guys all decided it was time to get going. Pretty soon the area was a hive of activity.

Watching the first balloon get set up was pretty special but soon we were watching our own multicoloured one get tipped up.

We were told there would be a max of 7 people in the basket but in the end there were 9 of us. At this point I began to feel a little nervous as the guys were trying to convince one of us to hop in with the pilot and gas. Urmm, No. Thank you, but no. With this set up it was all a little lopsided as we took off so we held on tight!

But soon I was relaxed and enjoying the incredible views as we drifted higher and higher. There was still a lot of haze around the mountains but it didn't spoil the trip at all. We went so high we could see the peaks continuing on for mile after mile.

As we began our descent, we could see the balloon which had taken off after us. I found this was rather scary as we had been so very high up without even realising it!

After the iffy debates on take off, the landing was expertly done. Skimming just above the trees and setting down gently into an empty lot space. The ground crew met us there and had the balloon half packed away before we made it into our van to head back to town.

Rather than head back to our accommodation, we went directly to the same restaurant as the night before to meet the rest of the group. Some were already there, others not.

We soon had drinks ordered -malibu and 7up anyone?- and without much debate half of us decided to eat here again. Mostly because we were hungry.

I was quite surprised when my fries arrived as they looked more like chicken dippers to me! According to the rest of the group, battered fries are an actual thing. I quite liked them but they were weird!