So after finally getting out of the dreaded Bangkok we got an overnight train to Chiang Mai. Where i actually managed to sleep for the first time yipee! (on a train of all places.) I also managed to keep down a banana for breakfast. At the train station a guy was there to pick up "Alizabet" which was me and toya and off we went to the guest house where we could leave our big bags and get ready for the trek. Here we also met our fellow trekkers who we had great fun with! In our group was us two, two english girls named Kat, and Sophie, a dutch couple, Danielle and Dave, Nimrod (Nemo) an Israelian guy, Digby an Australian and then we also joined with a German couple and some Kiwis later.

First stop on route was an orchid farm...pretty boring after you had seen the flowers but they were beautiful. Then a snake farm. This was crazy...they did a snake show with stunts! Then stopped for lunch...rice and pineapple which i also managed to eat a small amount of! Then the trek began. After the initial uphill i thought i was going to be fine...however after a couple of hours of all uphill (and i mean litterally 45 degree slopes and almost rambling up rocks) i was struuggling. Thank god for my stick and a very nice supportive group. Me and Kat struggled with the hills and heat...especiaally as i was doing it all on the energy of a couple of mouthfulls of rice! Soooo glad when we got to our first night stop in village. Here we ate (Their KFC - chicken rice and sauce) snag songs with our guides (Looney...who actually was a loon with awful jokes) and the village children sang and danced for us. We also slept well here under our nets in a big hut.

Day 2 was my better day..only 40 mins uphill yay! the rest was downhill (which everyone else seemed to struggle with and get jelly legs but i was ok) and an obstacle course of rivers, bamboo/log and rock climbing!! amazing stops for lunch at waterfalls and then to the next village for tea...a very bland potatos and rice (carb overload) we are still unsure wether this is down to Toya saying the the lunch of spicy noodles was too spicy hehe. More fun in evening before bed.

day 3, up early to watch elephants being bathed (we slept by the river). Then on the elephants for a mini ride...good fun. Then on to the boats for some white water rafting (which was pretty tame) then bamboo rafting. All a very easy morning for our aching legs! Then some lunch before our drive back to Chaing Mai. We also stopped at another viallage where we learnt all about the culture there.

We are meeting up with all the gang tonight in Chaing Mai and then our plane leaves tomorrow morning for Ko Samui.wooooo! xxxx