We got to Chiang Mai in one piece after having initially taken a taxi to the wrond airport in Shanghai! Who knew there was a domestic one and an international one on opposite sides of the city?? Thankfully we managed to communicate our predicament to a non-English speaking taxi driver and he drove like a bat out of hell to get the right one.

Thailand is lovely. The people are lush, the weather is beautiful and there's no Chinese people here! :) Today we went to cookery school (yes, really!) and so when I get home I shall be having dinner parties and wowing you all with my new found skills! Tomorrow we're going to the elephant camp...excited!

1 month till I'm home! Missing you all as always xxx

Hi Love, Sorry your attachment didn't arrive so I couldn't check out the course. Sure you are more than capable of doing whtever you put your mind too. Really hope that Thailand lives up to your expectations. Still counting the days, 30 days to go, stay very safe, loads of love Mum.

Just to say Happy St David's Day to all you Welshies :-) Things are manic here now the hen do is upon us...Victoria is just too excited and I'm just too scared that I've forgotten something! We leave tomorrow morning, so I will check in on Tuesday and let you know how it went. Remember Jane and Nat - if you're out and about in Cardiff at the weekend, give me a buzz. Katie - I hope you liked Shanghai. My mum wasn't struck with Beijing either, but really enjoyed herself once she got out of there. I hope Thailand is as lovely for you as every says it is. Imogen has just got back from Singapore and spent a long weekend in Phuket and loved it. Have a fabbo weekend babe and take care. I'll be in touch next week when THE WEEKEND is over. Loads of love Jools xxx

Just killing time before we go to the airport...we go to Thailand tonight. It's still freezing here, and quite fittingly for our last day here it's also raining :( Have just checked the weather forecast for Chiangmai though and it's meant to be 38 degrees tomorrow and 39 degrees the next day...will no doubt be moaning about that before you know it! Will be in Bangkok by Saturday hopefully (after another overnight train!) Don't worry Mum, we've booked into a nice hotel... Miss you all xxx

Hi all Flew to Shanghai today...our 13th flight out of a total 17 (unless we can't face the buses and trains in Thailand and Malaysia and then we may be boarding some more planes after all!) I think we're going to prefer Shanghai to Beijing, which was a bit full-on and seriously polluted. We're only here a couple of days before we fly to Thailand anyway... Anyway, just a quickie to let you all know I'm still alive! Missing you all (it goes without saying!) xxx

Hello Kate, Sorry I have been awol for a while but things have been very weird and hectic lately, anyway things a bit more normal now and will be very normal again once you are home soon(ish). Loving the photo of you and your new chinese buddies, I will feel positively tall to you when you get home - there is a first time for everything. Saw my LPC mates on the weekend and Becca has recently been to China, oddly she said the same thing about the spitting and was generally not that impressed with it. Something to do with all the pollution she said although was about as thrilled with it as a habit as you seem to be. Good idea about the t-shirts though, perhaps you could get a website going when you get back, it could be the way to your first million. Must fly, am supposed to be working. Have had first wills client so hopefully will make a few pennies soon, so broke it is funny right now. Catch you soon now, hi to all other messagers out there. Much love to all Nat xxxx

PS. Apparently it's jewellery I need for the show so keep a look out for very "in your face" stuff when you're in Thailand and I wouldn't mind sandals of some sort, Thanks love, Mum.

Hi Love, Really pleased to get your last message, I have put the photo on as my background so every time I log on I can see all those smiling faces it really cheers me up. China seems to have been pretty taxing so far, you and Emily must be hanging on to each other for dear life. I'm counting the days it really can't come soon enough, I am missing you sooooo much (What am I going to do for a Summer wardrobe if you don't come home soon?). Try and ring if you can but I understand that it's not easy, take extra special care, stay safe, Loads of love, Mum.

Hi everyone Thanks for the message, Mr and Mrs White. Things here are fine, although I am finding China very tiring...I am sick to death of people staring at me now. They just simply can't get over the blonde hair and fair skin thing. Babies are regularly held up in the air to get a better look at me, and I have had several requests for photos. Initially it was quite endearing, but now I have started to get a little belligerent. I'm not doing a lot for Anglo-Asian relations I'm afraid! Yesterday we went to the Great Wall. Which was great, I guess. It was crammed with Chinese tourists...and if China had a national noise it would be the sound they make when they draw all the phlegm up from their throat/lungs/stomach? before spitting it out onto the ground...so it was really pleasant. They should sell t-shirts not saying 'I climbed the Great Wall', but 'I Hocked a Loogie off the Great Wall'. Horrible. Never have I met a nation of people so eager to share their germs with their fellow human beings! On Monday we fly to Shanghai, and on Thursday we fly to Changmai in Northern Thailand, to really start the home straight of the trip, which of course I am excited about...It'll be nice to see the sun again too, as it's bl**dy freezing here still. Requests for fake designer goods will be considered as long as they are not too heavy! Love and miss you all loads xxx

Hi Krate! I've just written you a long message and then our Internet crashed and I lost it! I really hope you're okay - sorry I haven't posted a message for a while. Sounds like you're still having lots of adventures. I'm so jealous (as always!) that you've seen the terracotta warriors. Mum and Dad saw them a few years ago and when I saw the pics they looked amazing. I hope you liked HK despite the nightmare train journey. I can't wait to see you and swap stories. Ben and I are sitting here watching Rain Man (!) so we're very jealous of all your travels. I can't believe you're coming home soon - time has really flown by. Talking of time flying, we've got our bridesmaid dress fitting tomorrow and it's the hen weekend next weekend! I'm getting quite scared now and just hope everyone enjoys themselves. Jane - I really hope you're well. If you're out on 2nd or 3rd March in Cardiff just give me a call! Jams - cool news about exchanging - send us some pics of the new house when you have them. Katie - take care of yourself babe and continue to have fun. With all our love Jools and Ben xxx

Got to Beijing yesterday evening, internet access has been a bit of a nightmare, so sorry for not replying to your emails - I will do asap! Went to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an - amazing! Hong Kong was cool too, although the 28 hour train journey between the 2 places is an experience that will remain with me always! (And not in a good way!) Thanks everyone for your nice messages. Only 5 and a half weeks til I'm home now...but still have Shanghai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai to see! God help my bank account! Miss you all loads xxx