It should never be this hard to buy flip flops in Thailand but it has taken a few weeks since Char's were stolen to find some decent ones. If you can call Havianas copies decent? But £2.60 isn't a bad bargain until we find some real ones. The Thai's don't know how to compete with a Yorkshire approach to bartering....we usually just repeat the price we would like to pay until the trader gives in.

A four hour city walk of Chiang Mai Old Town was a good way to stretch out the aches and pains of two people sleeping in a single bed. This was because one of the pillows we were given was half a foot high and rock solid. The rest of the day was spent drinking the unusually cheap beers in the hostel and planning the remainder of our trip, vaguely to say the least. Where in the past our plans have been clear itineraries, this plan says things like "stay till we feel like moving" a good plan which represents the flexibility we have right up to the end.

M & C xxxx