Dear anyone who has read Left Handed Polar Bears In Southeast Asia.

We have just got back from Pai where we have spent the last few days reliving the best part of the book. I was a bit apprehensive about taking Donna there because it had been such a great time before that I didn't want to ruin those memories and I didn't want Donna to be disappointed with the experience.

Luckily, it didn't disappoint and we had an amazing time.

Pai is a great little town, really chilled and friendly. I know that the same people who go to Pai are the same people that we have met in the rest of Thailand but there is something about the place that brings out the best in people and makes it so easy to chat and make friends really easily.

Pai also seems to be stuck in a time warp. Not much has changed in the time since I went last time 9 years ago. You can walk around the streets and see the Rainforest Cafe where Sam waited while Izzy went and found the bamboo huts, you can see the Reggae Bar and the Buffalo Bar still having their grand openings every other nights, the Family huts, the 7-11 where they bought the Fisherman's Friends, the rickety bridge over the river etc.

Those things that have changed seemed to have changed for the better. The slightly grotty swimming pool we hung out last time seems to have disappeared but instead we did find our way to the Circus Hostel where for 100 baht a day they will let you use there beautiful swimming pool with the amazing views over Pai, feed you free shots all afternoon and (if you want) learn all sorts of circus skills.

We may not have actually learnt any circus skills but it was nice to know that it was on offer.

We could sit in the pool and watch the sun set behind the mountains, lighting up the sky into all sorts of colours, knowing that we have had a hard day doing nothing topping up the tan.

To be honest, we didn't really do much in Pai other that hang out at the pool and chat to some very nice people; we never made it to the waterfall, we never made it to the hot springs nor the canyons. But hey, we have been so busy everywhere else, this was our time to relax and do nothing.

We did hire a lovely pink motorbike to drive around looking cool but we never took it further than Mr Big's Little Cafe (did the most amazing breakfasts) and the swimming pool.

We chose not to stay at the Family Huts, it was a little bit out of town.

Instead we chose the Pai Cat Guesthouse. Despite the blatent misadvertisement (there was no cats there), it was lovely.

Brand new bamboo huts with really comfortable beds, nice people, the friendliest most enthusastic owner we have met in Thailand. She fed us chinese donuts every morning, took lots of selfies with everyone there and had a tendancy to play James Blunt at 7 am.

I will never be able to listen to 'You're beautiful' again without thinking of our time in Pai.

A few of things I have learnt from our time in Pai

*I have changed my opinion of street food. I always thought that chicken on a stick was the finest food on the planet. I have now discovered that deep fried chicken on a stick is even better.

*Fisherman's Friends vodka is still a good ice breaker of a drink

*We had the best afternoon drinking in the pool session with new friends Cat, Charlotte and Jack.

*While 'can I stroke your beard' is still the best conversation starter. 'Can you come over to our table because my friend fancies you and wants to stroke your beard' doesn't work so well.

*We had our first 'Isn't it a small world moment' when a friend of Amy Hill and Claire Marriott recognised Donna in the bar on the last night. She was on 3 week holiday. Jenna, if you are reading this, sorry about ruining your chances with the man with the beard.

*Flipflops can get really smelly. I have had to throw mine away because they stank too much. Donna wouldn't let them in our hut and I didn't want them in my bag (or on my feet)

You probably didn't need to know that last one

Lots of Love

Jim and Donna