CHIANG MAI & THE B.O. TOWEL

Feels like we've been gone for months and it's only been a week!

Since my last blog we have done SO much! On Saturday there was a massive thunder storm and we were feeling a bit jetlagged so we had a sleep and then woke Mike to do a bit of sightseeing. We went to see a temple just off khao san road then we ran into this thai police man. Now i did my research and i know all these tuk tuk drivers try to scam you into taking a trip with them for really cheap and they try to take you to loads of places and include a trip to the tailors or something where their friends try to sell to you and they get a cut. This police man seemed so nice and genuine and gave us loads of advice about bangkok etc and we were having quite a laugh with him. Then he told us NOT to get around the city by meter taxi but to go with a tuk tuk bcs they are cheaper. He said we should pay no more than 120 baht and that they would take us to this standing buddha, then to a tailor (which we said no to) then to the TAT office and then to MBK. We agreed and he flagged someone down for us. We then decided we didnt want to go to the TAT office but the driver gave us some crap about it being some special monks birthday and everything is cheaper for one day only. So we went. They tried to plan our whole trip for us! They were really pushy and ended up quoting us a ridiculous amount. We said we needed a cashpoint and they got some little lady to follow us there in a taxi in order for us not to run off! We had a little huddle before we went back in and decided we wanted to get the hell out of there and i was elected to go and break the news to the TAT lady. We went in and she turned really nasty and started laughing with her mate when we said it was too expensive! It got a bit heated and we left. Our tuk tuk driver was outside and we asked to go straight to MBK as planned... he looked a bit confused bcs we hadn't booked anything and then somebody from the TAT office shouted something at him (probably saying we didnt buy anything so he wouldnt get his cut) and half way down the road his tuk tuk conveniently 'ran out of gas'!!!!! So we were told to get out in the middle of nowhere and had to get a taxi!!! We learned our lesson then and we are trusting nobody!!!

So - we got the day train to Chiang Mai on sunday - what a mission! Never again will we do day trains!!! The seats reclined so far back that we were almost lying on top of each other!!!! Mike had no problem sleeping of course and slept almost the whole way in a strange variety of positions (pictures to follow when I can work out how!). The scenery made up for the crappy train though... it was amazing going from the bustling polluted crowded city of bangkok into the northern green lush jungle!!! Half way through we hit a bad storm and the train stopped for about half an hour... it was very scary, we could literally see bolts of lightening so close to the train!!!

We arrived and checked into our hotel - Downtown Inn - it was so nice!!! We were expecting the worst after our Bangkok accommodation but this was lovely! We went to the Riverside Bar & Restaurant that night which was nice too... had some thai food (YUM) and a few Changs - We were all a bit Changed up when we left and Mike ended up parading in Sarahs new little shorts when we got home (again - pics to follow!!! YES REALLY!!). We got an extra bed put in to keep the cost down so we were very cosy in there!!!

Let me just explain this B.O. towel incident. We got our travel towels and were so excited about them (SAD), we were so impressed with how quick they dried etc. Sar put hers in her bag in Bangkok and brought it out of the bag in Chiang Mai with a shock!!! IT STUNK LIKE B.O.!!!!! It was absolutely disgusting and we still dont know why it smelt like that! She threw away the pouch it should go in and this must be why! But we washed it and dried it and it seems ok now!

We found a hilltribe trek for about 20 quid - bargain compared to the TAT prices! It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! We trekked for hours and hours, went to a butterfly farm and went to 2 hilltribe villages on the first day. Me and Sar were in an absolute mess!! It was scorching hot and we were out in the middle of the jungle going up the steepest of hills through rocks and streams!!! But it was absolutely brilliant! We stayed with the long neck tribe who wear the gold neck bands for the night in a little hill shack. They cooked for us and we sat round a camp fire in the evening. There was no electic so we showered in the darkness with only a torch!! Very funny - especially sar dropping the B.O. towel in the mud just after ridding it of the smell!!! HAHAH!!

Ok in Samui now and LOVING it but will tell you about that in another entry. Back to the hill trek! The hilltribe went to bed early - about 8, and we stayed up around the campfire with Boris (from Israel) playing a guitar and singing and we were all sitting chatting under the stars out in the middle of nowhere! It was very surreal and just such an amazing experience! Trying to get some sleep was a little harder!!! Mike was changed up again and slept all the way through. Me & Sar on the other hand struggled! We both went off to sleep and woke again after about 2 hours needing a wee!!! We didn't dare go because Mike had our torch and we would have woke everyone up and there were all sorts of animals running around under our shack! So we drifted in and out of sleep listening to the sounds of the jungle!!! god knows what one of the noises was but it sounded like an old man cackling and laughing! Our bladders were about to burst at about 4am and the cockrel were piping up so we rounded up Mike as quietly as we can and made our way across the village to the toilet (hole in the ground)!!! This was one of my best moments so far!!! The tribe were up and having breakfast with tiny torches and candles, about to go off to work in the jungle. It was just such a weird experience, they were just going about their daily routine!!! We could see the ladies neck rings in the candle light!!! The toilet experience was NOT one of my best moments as you can imagine. Me and Sar were in there together shining the light on each other along with spiders and god knows what!!!

The next day was action packed!! We did another 2 hour trek which was a killer, me and Sar can only just now look back with laughter! We were in a bad way! We went to another tribe and then elephant trekking, bamboo rafting and white water rafting!!! Sar was SO scared and to be honest i was too (but i didnt admit it!). Lou - you remember the Turky rafting experience....well it was a million times rougher and faster than that! We all LOVED it though, very scary! Then we went to a lovely waterfall to wash off as you cannot even imagine how bad we smelt!!!

We went back to Chiang Mai and were dropped at the train station just in time for the night train, stopping at the Downtown Inn first as i had left my travel washing line and your earrings mum :( but the b*****s said nothing was found. Bet that cleaner shoved them in her pocket but hey. The night train to Bangkok was great!!! We had such a laugh, had dinner on there and a few Changs and woke almost the whole carriage up!!! We got Mike to go asking the guards where the party carriage was but there was no such thing.

Spent yesterday in Bangkok - got a room for the day for our stuff and we just chilled and got a few things we needed etc. We then got back to Bangkok station for 7.30pm for ANOTHER night train to Surat Thani. This was NOT a fun experience. I took my malaria tablet but not straight after eating and by the time i was on the train i was feeling very sick and light headed. To top it all off it was a disgusting train compared to our one back from Chiang Mai and we saw some bug right next to where i was to be sleeping. Anyway - after about 10 minutes i developed a serious lump in my throat. Then i grabbed Sar and ran to the toilet and threw up everywhere, and i mean everywhere! I had a bin right in front of me but managed to get it all down my shorts and the floor! Sar cleaned it up!! Then i went to sit down and had to dash again but this time the guard wouldnt let me in the nice toilet and banished me to the hole in the floor with poo all around it !! i felt so faint so i was sprawled out over the hole with sar rubbing my back!!! i was sick about 5 times on that train and it was nasty. I managed to get some sleep and we arrived at Surat Thani about 10 this morning - got a bus and a ferry and are now in Koh Samui on Lamii beach!!! We literally just walked up the beach with our rucksacks and stumbled upon these tiny huts RIGHT on the beach and struck a deal with them for 20 quid per room for 3 nights! so thats 10 quid for 3 nights in a shack on the beach for me and sar!! mike has his own room.

More from Samui in next blog.

Love to everyone!

James & Lou - thanks for your messages and glad youre enjoying the blog!!! kisses to Harry and missing you loads!

Mum & Dad - dont worry I have fully recovered and just been to the chemist who advised me i was only ill because i didnt take the tablets immediately after food!! Silly me! I have learned my lesson!!!

love you all and speak soon!

Ems

xxx

p.s - my thai mobile number is 0811375662!