I wasn't quite so active today and spent most of the morning organising & researching stuff for India. I finally have my flight confirmed plus a visa so I can go now! I wanted to visit the hill tribes near Chiang Mai & see the long neck people but it was pouring with rain so that wasn't really an option. I found a half-day tour that I could do to learn a little more about Chiang Mai so booked myself on that instead. We started at the Silver Tem...

Got picked up at 8 am, then we drove for about an hour outside the city to the Mae Tang River for some adventures with 8Adventures. I did a short 3km hike to a waterfall, then went whitewater rafting in the afternoon. A few highlights from each: Hiking * Fruit: Burmese grape (like a sour lychee - delicious! Had fun convincing some Americans to try it too), pig egg (a little like a plum), grapefruit, lychee * Banana plant uses: new shoots (eat like cucumber, f...

Got up early, made myself some breakfast as the kitchen doesn't open until 8am, & walked into town. I thought I knew where I was going but then it ended up being a little further than I was remembering so I took a tuk-tuk for the last part of the journey. Got all my climbing gear sorted & met my guide: Gee. He's been climbing for 12 years & knows many of the routes at Crazy Horse, the most popular crag nearby. Apparently in summer, you could hav...

I woke up, lodged my Indian visa application (again) & this time it all went through. I've now entered the same information 4 times! I then started to do some research to figure out where to go for the next few days. I thought about going out to a climbing & eco-retreat about 2 hours north, but the accommodation is a little too basic for this heat! I then looked at Siem Reap but that's 9-10 hours by bus plus there are all kinds of visa complications...

Packed all my stuff the night before, got to the airport with plenty of time, & was feeling really excited to go & do the trek I've been looking forward to and planning for the last 4 months. I got in line and made my way to check-in & the girl asks "Where's your India visa?" It was only then that I realised I'd stuffed up & forgotten to get a visa. Since nearly everywhere I visit just grants a visa on arrival, I'd totally forgotten that India...