Sometimes things do just work out... not saying that I yet own a Chinese visa or have my Mekong cargo vessel booked. However waking up early and making a slow start to a bus station that does not appear where the maps tell us, and sitting atop of a double decker just as it pulls out of the station feels pretty smooth.

The road to Chang Mai is flat and calm and I suffered no palpitations throughout the journey, which is unusual in Asia. The landscape becomes more and more green, and marsh birds fly above the rice paddies. As usual we pass a hundred and more temples and arrive feeling rather unharrassed at Chang Mai , 11 air con hours later. The bus cost us a mere 10 pounds and as such we felt flushed to hire a tuk tuk into the old walled city of Chang Mai, an old worldly town brimmed with quirky guesthouses, used book shops and the cutest cafes.

Strolling into the Chinese embassy first thing in the morning we receive a 'hello, good morning!' It feels like a trap, we are asked if we need a visa and if so do we have our passport on us. We give a tentative confirmation before abruptly being stopped in our tracks as our gentleman gasps 'But! Do you have a passport photo.' Drawing a cube with his hand 'This Big?' Awesome. We accompany 4 others around a table, and leave with the prospect of a visa in 4 days, what a laugh.

You celebrate this sort of victory at Ginnys' cafe with a full on veggie breakfast inclusive of coffee for 2 pounds.

Chang Mai is easy to escape - not that with its walled old city, surrounding moat and street food markets you'd want to- and there's no better way to leave than by hiring a bike and summiting one of the surrounding mountains. Or another stunning option is to transport yourself back in time by taking one of the side streets off the highway and immerse yourself in lotus covered ponds, locals gossiping on the roadside and cafes that sell no drink.

End the day perched at the cocktail car, mojitos on wheels... deadly.