The dreaded Gibbon experience has arrived. Im a nervous wreck, cursing and biting my nails as we sit in the office getting if you can call it a "safety briefing". This would definitley not be allowed back in the UK. No helmets and a quick quide on how to attach your harness to the ropes. The brake consisted of an old piece of tyre that you just pressed on the wire when you wanted to stop. Oh great. So im going to be flying through the air at 50kph with a scrap of tyre to stop me as I head towards a tree, this clearly calmes my nerves. A group of Australians are on our 3 day/2 night trip too, we soon team up with them and they all talk about excited they are, apart from me. I sit quietly slowly rocking like im going insane. I can't wait for the next 3 days to be over. You probably think why am I doing the Gibbon experience if im so scared?...Its either this or spend 3 days alone in Huay Xai; a small town made up of only one road. I take the risk that there is a small chance I may enjoy this trip into the Jungle instead.

After an hour drive off road we arrive at the base village, its a short trek into the jungle and we seperate into small groups/treehouse families. So now theres 2 English, 1 Canadian and 5 Aussies in our group. All groups head their seperate ways into the jungle to find their treehouses. Chris says hes heard rumors that Treehouse 7 is the best so we jump in and claim our new home.... So treehouse 7 turns out to be the best but also the furthest treehouse away! After an hour of trekking we arrive at the first zip line, everyone is excited and arguing over whos going first, im cowarding over at the back bent over getting my breath back and giving myself a self motivational speech. This was a smallish zip line about 200m long but about 100m high.

Its my turn, I have sweaty palms and I can see my heart pumping in my chest. I decide to just man up and get it out of the way. I fasten myself in and ask the guide to triple check my attachments and brake. He says "it good", Ok, so I'll just go and throw myself off this cliff now...I sit there...I pull the bits and bobs and make sure they are attached just once more...I continue to sit there...everyone behind me is telling me everything is going to be ok, Im sure it is but they just probably want me to get it over with so it can be there go. So no pressure, I sit there and sob for a second " I can't do it " "What the hell am I doing " " Is there any chance I can go back " etc etc you get the gist. One big breath later and I fling myself off, I squeel a little and hear cheering in the background. I look down and see my legs dangling 100m up in the air, my heart is racing, I take a quick scan around nothing looks jungle-like at the minute it just looks blurred, unimaginably scary and very high. Within 30 seconds or so I reach the other platform i'm SO relieved. I cant unattach myself quick enough and I holler over to the other side letting them know Im ok. Toms up next and I can hear the wire buzz as he flies through the jungle, hes whooping!

This scenario repeats multiple times as we reach each zipline, except the crying... I only cry once. Ok, twice. We arrive at our treehouse and it really is amazing. This was probably my favourite part of the whole trip. Our treehouse had 3 floors, a kitchen, a bathroom, and 2 sleeping areas. My favourite part is the shower, its in open air and you have an amazing view of the whole jungle. Dinner is delivered and consists of a huge box of rice and 4 different dishes. The group agree that the meat is beef but I think different, its really dark brown and it has bristle running through it. I take one bite of the "beef" and decide thats enough, it doesnt taste like beef either. That night we set up camp and put our little tents up. we sit around the table and play cards, its 8.30pm and we are ready for bed, today was physically and mentally exhausting. We're all on the lookout for Gibbons, earlier that evening we heard chainsaws so the chances are little. As im sitting there starring into space I spot something move, something yellow, everyone crouches over and we all whisper even though its at least 100m away. I'm chuffed im the first person to spot a wild Gibbon. The first nights sleep was awful, we made the mistake of leaving the bin around the kitchen area. Rats were everywhere! We could hear them rooting through our bin and just trotting around like its their house. I get woken to the sound of a couple of rats screaming at each other right by my head, I flash my light and they scarper (phew!). The rest of the night is a very disturbed sleep. Im back on Malarone tablets now, these are Malaria tablets that mess with your dreams. I couldn't work out whether I was dreaming or all these noises were real life. That night I dreamt I met borrowers in the jungle and I gave them two hair clips and a bobble which they then turned into a catapult.

I get woken again by scratching right by my head, this time it sounds deeper and like it would be from thick claws. I shut my eyes tight and try not to imagine whats out there.

We are woken at 6.am by our guide and sit and have breakfast whilst looking out for Gbbons, we can hear them singing but no sign of them. In the morning I hear the boys talking about the Gibbon I spotted last night and how they reckon it was a bush. Psh, it moved, it was a Gibbon, they're just annoyed they didn't spot the first one.

The plan for today was to visit all the other treehouses. They stretch out for miles so I know its going to involve a lot of ziplining. Nobody can understand why I'm not enjoying myself.

After a few ziplines I'm still not 'having fun' but im beginning to look around more an take in the views. Tom is in his element and having an amazing time. We arrived at the biggest zipline, a 500m jobby and around 100m high. Ok, so this was alright, you had enough time to look around and take in the scenery, just dont look down, looking around in a much better option. I don't make the platform of this zipline and have to pull myself in for about 20 metres which felt like forever. I felt so small dangling upside down in the middle of the Jungle. My writing can't do the height and scenery justice so I'll upload some pictures and videos soon.

Later that day we arrive at Treehouse 5. This is much, much higher than our treehouse and the entry and exit routes are horrible. There was a small ledge surrounded by wasps which just increases the danger factor. The idea was to lower yourself onto the ledge and then just fling yourself off. CRAZY. Tom went first and even he was swearing at the wobblyness of the platform. As you jump off the whole rope bounces up and down. I genuinely thought this is it, i'm a gonner. Its my turn and I can't bring myself to lowering my bum onto the platform, I panic, sob a little and ask the guide if theres another zipline I can go down. He says no. Ok, theres no turning back and im willingly about to throw myself off a treehouse into the Jungle. After about 2 minutes just dangling over the edge with one little nudge im off and wizzing through the air. Thank god thats over. Relief rushes through me, now its the easy part to just sit there and look around. Again I'm too eager to brake and get myself off this blummin zipline, I stop too soon and have to pull myself in. I burn my arm on the wire, that hurt. It was only a matter of time before I hurt myself.

The following morning we wake at 6.30am and as we are eating breakfast we spot Gibbons! Lots of Gibbons! Its amazing to see them launching themselves into midair and grabbing branches so gracefully. They were getting closer and closer and soon they were about 20m away, there was a male a female, a baby and a younger male just happily singing and swinging through the trees. Our trip was complete, we saw wild Gibbons!

That morning we had to go through another 4 ziplines. Tom has had an amazing trip and didn't want it to end. I should of enjoyed the trip more but the constant fear of dying multiple times a day just got to me. This is just not my scene and one day Tom will understand that i'm not and am never going to be an adrenaline junkie. Hes right, It is a once in a lifetime trip and i'm glad, I never want to do that again.

After another night in Huay Xai, I'm now on a 2 day slow boat to Luang Prabang. Im feeling ill this morning. We make a stop in a town called Pak Beng where we spend the night. we have been warned to watch our belongings all the time here, this town is well known for bags going missing. So much so the hotel rooms even boast double locks. We've also been told to keep valuables away from windows incase you get hands sneeking in during the night. Oh fabulous.

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Its day 2 on the boat and Im sitting here floating down the Mekong River for another 7 hours today. The scenery has been pretty much the same all through this journey; rocky, with lush greens either side of the river. We occasionally stop at small villages and locals jump on board. They are friendly and look at Tom like hes an alien with his big moon boot on. We just saw elephants logging on the hills. Its makes me sad to see them doing this after our visit to the Elephant nature park where we learnt all about it.

I'm looking forward to a few days of relaxation in Luang Prabang after a jam packed 5 days. Just another 5 hours on this boat to go...