So after all the excitement of Sukothai we headed back up north to Chang Mai so that we could go to the mediatation course we had booked ourselves onto - held over two days and one night at a temple nearish the city centre.

Changers was packed to the rafters when we arrived - we hadn't clocked that in the north they celebrate the last day of Loi Krathon the day AFTER the full moon. We had a fab time meeting up with our Thai friends Top and Cheep Cheep and we all took the streets, braving the fireworks that were regularly thrown into the densely crowded street. Madness. Sheer madness...

The next day Cheryl had a bit of a relapse and really wasn't at all well so we cancelled the course and decided to stick it out at the hotel and let it pass. Poor old Cheryl really suffered and the next week saw her gradually recover. Never one to be outdone, I decided to walk into an overhanging roof one dark night and lascerate my already prominant nose (pictures to follow!).

At the end of the week we are both thoroughly sick of Chang Mai and long for somewhere different. The beach perhaps? And with that we booked a bus to Bangkok (a mere 10 hours and included a meal and a stewardess lady, making it feel more like a flight than a bus trip!!) and a flight the following day to Ko Phi Phi, a beautiful small tropical island in the Indian Ocean.

Sorry for not writing sooner. As the following postcards will tell, we have been a bit busy!!!

Love to all

Dan and Cheryl