Today was amazing it rained so hard all day - we had a boat ride on a longtail speed boat through the lake at the bottom of the guest house was fantastic the whole way was beautiful scenery through rainforests and limestone cliffs and lots of random houses floating on the water. We went past a sunken temple that got flooded in metres of water whaen ages ago they built a damn here. When we got to the other end of the lake there waiting for us were 6 beautiful elephants! We had to step on their leg then our 'drivers' leg to get up and we sat on seats in pairs. We trekked across a few shallow rivers and the edge of the forest and we could see the mist around the mountains. We arrived into this tiny village with about 10 houses that were really just wooden huts on stilts that were fairly open. We first went to the little school which is one small floor space where they do everything - no chairs or anything. We handed them out sweets and things that the guys on the boat brought with us they all thanked us by bowing their heads with hands together in a praying position - they were adorable! They sung us their alphabet and a song so we did our alphabet and a song. It was a strange experience it felt quite awkward because we couldn't actually say anything to them as they spoke no English. After that we walked over to a families purpose built home to have lunch that was a rice thing that was brought with us on the boat. That was quite strange to but they are used to it as their place was built deliberately for our weekly tours. We got the boat back and I fell asleep! In the afternoon our jeeps took us to a place called 3 Pagoda pass which I thought sounded very impressive but was actually just 3 small pillars but it was of historical significance because they represent Burma, peace and Thailand, because the 2 countries were fighting for ages. We saw where the border was. There were loads of touristy shops there the people dying to sell you stuff (I only bought some cheap jewellery!) We then went back to the town where we were staying and went to the new temple high on the hill it was fairly open and quite simple but very big considering how small the town was. We then went to another part of the temple which is more grand and mostly indoors and the monks live in the bog buildings there. There are lots of monks in Thailand! We then went to the orpahage in the town we were staying in. That morning a lady had come in and given birth and left again because she couldn't afford to keep it - how awful that must have been. There were children of all ages there they are quite packed in but thiose we met seemed very happy and they all kind of run wild! Not many people there so they must all work so hard. The kids I met were very affectionate and were fascinated by my camera (they do this to all groups!) they took my camera off me and went off taking pictures of all their mates and me! Got some lovely pics will put them on soon. There was a shop there selling loads of things they make there - women come there as a sanctuary with their babies and learn to weave its really cool. Was very late when we left there so we went straight back to the guest house for dinner. Most nights after dinner I went back to my room and got sorted for the next day and wrote my journal which took forever I wrote loads - just as I am writing loads on here! The next day we went to another remote village - not so remote as we got their by jeep and they had electricity and access and a shop and everything, and their buildings weren't quite as simple. We played loads of game with the children, like Hokey Cokey and Duck Duck goose and loads more - our tour guide explained what we were doing in both languages. They really loved it and so did I! I introduced a new game to them that Carole from work told me about with a ball in a circle - they loved it! We were then showed their farm where they grow fruit, rice and farm fish. They had a grant from the queen so its a fantastic place. Very small scale but they are fairly self-sufficient. We then saw women taking the husks of the rice by hand with a foot controlled bashing machine! They then gave us lunch which was lovely - in a bamboo hut with bamboo tables. Then we were shown the women weaving with wool and silk, it was so amazing to watch it looked so fiddly! I bought a bag - had to be done! Our jeeps then took us to our next guest house, but on the way unfortunaely we ran over a stray dog :( and immediately after there was a huge flood across the road and our jeeps wouldn't make it. Our guide talked to this gut with a big truck so we all went in the back of there then it returned for our guide and our luggage! We were so excited by it then perhaps more excited by the fact that our showers had hot water!! The rooms had their own balconies overlooking the river - on the other side monks were chanting and playing drums when we got there and they started up again at 5 in the morning! Thats what everyone told me anyway - I slept through it!!