Update 3: Only 1 more to go after this.

So after going from right down in the south it was time for a bit of the cultural North and a trip to the Chiang Mai to finish off Thailand. Caught up with Stu about events of the last weeks activities as he didn't come to Koh Tao. Went on a bit of a walk around the city taking in a couple of temples and getting my fortune read which was the worst 200 baht Ive ever spent and then proceeded to get food poisoning!

Had about 30 hours of not eating but did make it to the Night Bazaar which was the best market yet and was very tempted to spend loads of money but resisted. Just about recovered in time to head off for the trek and it was an amazing 2 days. The first day was spent seeing a waterfall and some hot springs before trekking up and down a mountain for about 5 hours before we arrived just as it got dark at the elephant camp we were staying in. The tribe had put on a bit of a feast for us and set up a camp fire which was lovely and although the nights sleep was far from warm or comfortable it was a great experience.

The next morning and the elephants had come back to camp and we all climbed aboard and rode all along the river. It was great to see how well they were treated by the Mahut who didn't even have the spike that most drivers use to control them. The mahut got off so I rode on the neck which was brilliant and had a funny moment when our German friend Action Man's elephant started climbing up this unstable hill side and it took a while before the Mahut realised and set off in hos pursuit. It did eventually find a way back to the river but it made for a hilarious sight. The area we were trekking in was stunning and there were so few other people about which added to it. After the elephants it was a bamboo raft down the river for a couple of hours through some small rapids but most of the time just cruising along, serenely of course as I was captaining the back of the raft! I only had to jump off once when we crashed into the other raft! Back in Chiang Mai we savoured our last days in Thailand before the visas ran out and finished it all with a great night out in the local bars and only just made it back to the hotel in time for the bus. Not for the first time the night before a big bus journey did the final night turn into an all night bender and the journey have to be done with a hangover.

A month in Thailand now over and onto Laos where I had no real expectations of how it would be.