hi all

we are a little late doing the updates im afraid!!! just a quick update as we are quite far on from the last locaton!!! we went back to Bangkok on the 22nd from Koh Phangan which was a much neede move!!! the islands are too expensive and damaging!!! (sun, booze, lack of sleep etc). it was great being back somewhere we knew and being able to navagate and know where to go!!!! we decided we had to see Koh San road at night so had a lovely cold shower and dolled up for the night. we were drinking in stalls on the street which seemed the place to be; on the way home to top off the night a man was taking his baby elephant for a walk down the street, as you do in Thailand!!

We also went on a trip to the famous floating market which was amazing! a long busy streach of water with stalls down either side and old women in canoes floating down selling food and loads of things!!! we then got in a canoe and did a tour of the rivers (after we bought one of everything that was!!!)

a couple of days later we decided to head up to Chaing Mai which is north Thailand. We had the worse 12 hour bus up there which turned out all the lights at 7pm so we had to sit in the dark the whole journey!!! we also believed that the driver was either a nutter or someone who couldnt drive as it felt as though we were about to crash every 5 minutes!! very comforting!!!

Chaing Mai was great, we stayedin a very local area so no westeners near us which was pretty cool, but meant we had quite a walk to get to the centre! the first day we explored for about 6 hours, did some sight seeing (temples), shopping, and lunching!!! very taxing stuff!! we went to the night market afterwards which was just miles and miles of stalls with very forward Thai people shouting "Lady come here, you try you try!!" we also did some wallet damage that night!!! day 2 was taking a tuk tuk for 2 hours to get to the orchard and butterfly farm in the rain!!! fun! not!!! it was slightly dissapointing as 50% of the orchads were dead and there were only a few butterflies no we sulked our way home!! that night we headed to our first experience of Thai boxing!!! Muay Thai which is the national sport here and very hardcore!!! we stayed for the free cabaret show after which is always a giggle!!!! really bad miming and poor attempts of applying make up but very funny!!!

we decided that when in Chaing Mai, must go trekking!!!! so thats what we did!! only for a day though as a girl we met was bitten by spiders in the night so for 2 sufferes of aracnaphobia, not a good idea!!! we trekd, visited hill tribe villages, trkked some more, rode elephants (actually on its neck which was amazing but sooooooooo scary!) and bamboo rafted!!! it was such a good day but left us really tired so we had a lazy night in woching films in Thai....very educational!!!

in Pai now but i have finger ache from typing so will fill in soon!

hope everyone is well

xxxx