Hello everybody! I've just uploaded our pics from Chiang Mai and will return within the next couple of days to label them and write the blog properly (now updated - see below). But while I'm here I just want to say a huge happy birthday to my big (old) sister who has just turned 36!!!!!!! We're actually now in Laos, having flown in yesterday and I'm just about to take her for a lovely long massage (while I'm there I may have to have one too!) and then we shall have a very chilled day exploring our new surroundings.

HAPPY 36th BIRTHDAY ANGEL!!!!

Chiang Mai, 4 - 10th May

Upon arrival in Chiang Mai we instantly fell for the charms of this laidback northern city. By the time we left we were totally in love with it and planning our return. No wonder people love Thailand so much!

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand and the northern capital, but it felt like a different world to Bangkok - it's very chilled and everybody is smiling. There is an old town in the centre, surrounded by an ancient wall & moat, decorated with the occasional fountain, some beautiful trees hanging over the water, and children jumping into the water to cool off. There are wats literally everywhere, with elaborate and vivid decorations and golden Buddhas welcoming you inside. Outside practically every building is a spirit house, from the very simple to extremely decadent with garlands and food offerings to keep the spirits happy. There is no public transport as such, sawngthaews (red vehicles with 2 benches in the back) act as buses with no fixed route, or you can take a tuk-tuk. The locals tend to use motorbikes with competitions to see how many adults and children can fit on a single vehicle - in one case we even saw a man riding a motorbike with his young daughter (c.3 yrs) sitting in an attached wire sidecar, sitting on a stool that wasn't fixed and hanging on for dear life! And I thought drivers were crazy in Tilos!

Our stay was all the more wonderful for the charming guesthouse we found, courtesy of Rough Guide, called Nice Apartment. We had a lovely room as I think I said in the last blog and the lady who ran it was so sweet, providing tea, coffee, fresh bananas & mangoes in the courtyard daily. And if we thought she looked after us, you should see her cats - she was particularly fond of her old cat who she kept in a basket under the fan during the hot part of the day, taking him out for a 'walk' later when it was (marginally) cooler. I would certainly go back there again - it felt very safe & welcoming.

We spent 3 of our days in Chiang Mai at the Chiang Mai Cookery School (as part of Mum & Dad's birthday present to Su) and it was fabulous! It is run by Sompon, a well-known Thai TV chef, and his wife Elizabeth, and courses are held in a purpose built school next to their house. Each day begins with a morning activity - we did an introduction to Thai ingredients; making a curry paste from scratch with dried & fresh ingredients (possibly my favourite, thought hard work pounding a stone pestle & mortar); and a tour of the local market. And then we cooked! 6 meals per day ranging from delicious soups to Thai fishcakes, various curries (one from our own curry paste) and finally salads and desserts. And of course we got to eat them all afterwards - you don't need much breakfast or dinner on these days, we were stuffed! Favourite dishes? Chicken in coconut milk soup, fishcakes, 'our' curry, Pad Thai noodles and a banana & coconut steamed pudding. But the course was more than just cookery, it was an insight into Thai daily life and the Thai sense of humour, Sompon & his chefs all having a charming sense of fun. I loved it and Su was in her element.

And when we weren't cooking? We were on holiday! Yes, I know we've been on holiday for the last 14 months, but it didn't always feel like a holiday as such - we were often looking for work, or working, or on a road trip, moving on every couple of days. Plus the climate of New Zealand is fairly similar to the UK. But here we were in one place for a decent amount of time and we had nothing to do aside from relax and explore. Plus it was hot, hot, hot (with a couple of brief but intense downpours), the pace of life was ultra laidback and although a different culture, Thailand feels a little like Greece in terms of its set-up for tourists. We found a wonderful place for breakfast, Sailomjoy, which served delicious mango pancakes and an internet cafe set up in the front room of somebody's house. We had a truly superb foot, hand & shoulder massage where an agile masseuse ran up our backs and cracked every joint in our feet, hands, shoulders and back - and we felt amazing afterwards. We explored some Wats in the old town, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh, both stunning examples of Thai art & architecture, though our most spectacular outing was to Doi Suthep, a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai where we visited Wat Phrathat, a fabulous opulent complex of buildings surrounding a golden chedi. This is a popular pilgrimage spot for Thais, but we managed to visit on 8th May, the day celebrated for the birth, death & enlightenment of Buddha, so we were treated to a festival atmosphere, with many Thais making this important pilgrimage. It was awesome. And finally, we did some shopping at the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar where we drooled over clothes, bags, jewellery, crafts and more, and I found some lovely presents for a certain birthday girl!

And then it was time to move on. We were intending to follow the traditional traveller route to Luang Prabang, Laos, a 2-day journey by bus and slow boat down the Mekong. But we read some reports of the journey and decided we didn't really want to spend Su's birthday on an overcrowded boat and instead booked a 1-hour flight with Lao Airlines, after first checking carefully - the FCO advises against using them because of a bad safety record, but the larger planes used on the more popular routes such as this one are considered safe. And it was a wonderful flight.

Anyhow, more on Luang Prabang & Laos next time. For now, lots of love to family & friends reading this. With love, Jo & Su, xxx