Greetings,

We are currently in Chiang Rai - the very nothern-most part of Thailand. We arrived here on Wednesday after a relatively painless flight and transfer from Bangkok where we stopped at an Airport Hotel.

We got to the Hotel we are staying in and were shown to our own Bamboo Cottage by the very friendly staff here. It is beautiful, set on a mountain top with views over the surrounding jungle and distant hills. We have a huge four poster bed, sitting area with panoramic views, a balcony/outdoor room with table and chairs and a spa bath - all set in tropical plants and pretty flowers. Once we arrived and settled in we went for an explore around the resort; there is a bar/restaurant on top of the hill wih wonderful views for miles and miles. There is also an infinity swimming pool with amazing views and reflections of the scenery as well as a Bamboo Spa (more on that later) We didnt do much else that day - just settled in, had dinner and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

On Thursday morning we arranged to go Horse Trekking; We were taken to a ranch a little way from our resort where we met our guide for the day, Khun Mok. He took us to our horses that we would be riding on the day and showed us (or rather Pete) the basics of riding in a little arena and after a few minutes (...yes, minutes) we headed off on a 12km trek!!! :-) The horses were of a mongolian breed and as such were alot smaller than an (apparently) equivilently strong one back in the UK. We started off along the valley floor but were soon climbing into the mountains and admiring the views. Our Guide pointed out lots of points of interest, edible plants, poisons and landmarks. He carried a Machete which he used to cut branches from our path and was like a cowboy version of Ray Mears! After getting to the top of the Mountain eventually (Pete's horse was apparently lazy, but so would you be if you had to carry him up a massive hill) we admired the views overlooking our hotel then started heading down. It was blisteringly hot, about mid 30's so we took to some shady routes alongside/in streams heading back to the ranch. It was a superb day and we both thouroughly enjoyed it. When we arrived back at the farm, the guide invited us for lunch with his family in their home. We tasted some local food which was delicious and chatted for ages before we had to return to the hotel.

In the afternoon, we went for a traditional Thai massage at the hotels spa. We were there for 3 hours and it was pure bliss. We both loved it and were very relaxed by the end of it - so we just chilled in the evening and had a cocktail or two! :-) Hard life this backpacking! lol...

Today (Friday) we hired a car and driver and went to the Golden Triangle. On the way there we stopped at an ancient city just a couple of miles from the Border. The ruins were pretty impressive with temples and spires sat in an ancient forest of massive trees, Afterwards, we contnued to the Golden Triangle. It's where the countries of Thailand, Loas and Burma (Myanmar) meet at the confluence of a river. The views are pretty impressive and its mad to think that in the not so distant past the area was notorius for drug trafficking, particularly in opium. After stopping and looking around we travelled another couple of miles to the 'Hall of Opium' (Dont be worried parents...) which is a museum about the history of opium use, production and how it came to be such a problem in the world today. It was really interesting and we both learnt a lot. Great Britain has a lot to answer for... It also seemed to serve as a drug education centre for school children as there were several bus loads at the museum, a really good idea we both agreed. This evening we have been sorting pics and packing our stuff as we move to Chiang Mai tomorrow. Next update from there!

Love

Pete and Hol

xXx