Hello Everyone!

Well we have found ourselves back Thailand but this time we have ventured north to Chiang Mai. We flew up here from a great couple of days in Singapore.

Singapore was another amazing place, we really did feel comfortable there. We spent the days wandering around the huge city, and managed to do that for 8hrs! My legs where aching after that! We went out to Clarke Quey in the evening, it was buzzing and chilled by the waterfront with a guy from america called Nate who we met in our hotel. We sipped some much needed beverages and a few Yanger bombs and then headed off to Ministry of Sound! Wow what a great place that was, we had such a good night. We had wanted to go to a proper club fro ages and finally out wish had come true! We danced the night away, we even had Glow stick lessons from a random guy! Very enjoyable indeed, I know all my little friends back at home would have loved it!!! you know what i am like with dance music, so I was throughly enjoying dancing like a fool!

The next day we had planned to go to the island and see the fake beach and the light show in the evening. Unfortunattly we both fell ill ( and no it wasn't the drink that did it)!!! So we ended up just spending the day in bed and feeling rotten. Still we can't complain as that is the 1st time we have been layed up in bed in 6 months .................... ok so apart from the odd hangover)!

We had our flight booked for the next day to Bangkok, and when we got to the NEW Bangkok airport we managed to get on a flight to Chiang Mia ( took 1 hr instead of 10 on a bus)!

We went down to the night Bazarr Market that evening. It had so many stools and we wandered around for hours. i am pleased to say Gemma has got the hang of bartering, and there was no stooping her. SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!

Today we have just had the best day! We went to an Elephant Nature Park about 1 1/2 hrs away from Chiang Mai. It is a place where an amazing women is trying to save elephants from torture from there owners. These Elephants used to be used for logging but when that was banned in Thailand in 1999 they became a feture for the tourists. What some of these poor things have indured throughout there life is beyond imagination, but there is hope. We where thinking of doing a Hill Trek, but we have shooped around and have not managed to find a single one that doesn't involve an elephant ride, so we have decided that we can't face doing after what we have leart and seen today! I would say to anyone who is coming to Thailand to think about what they want before they do a trek, or better still go to the park to find out for your self!

We spent the morning feeding the 30 elephants there lunch which consisted of whole bunches of bannanas and pumpkins. It was so cute how they came sniffing round you to get the food, and you had to peel the bannanas for the 4 baby elephants. Awwwwwhhhhhh!

Then it was bath time and we had the opotunity to go into the river with these mammals and wash and brush them down! The baby elephants were so cute playing and spalshing around! We then listened to our guide Michelle tells us all about how the different elephants ended up there and what tales they had got upto since being there!

We watched a National Geographical Documentry which was filmed of the park, and the stories of waht there lives where before coming to the park. This was a hard hitting piece and something that has made us change of mind of even involving ourselves with it all together. They really shpuld put thins documentry on the plane as you come over, because as soon as you see what is done you certainly won't want to ride one. I mean there is only 2500 elephants left in thailand for god sake, and 10 years ago there was 500,000!!!!

We have had such a good day and to see the elephants in a happy environment where they are free to live the life they deserve, it is so worth it! If you want to find out more go to www.elephantnaturepark.org.

So we have decided to emerse ourselves in some other Thai culture and are going to take a thai cooking class. Watch out Jamie Oliver!!!!!!

To view all the photo's log on to gems site www.statraveljournals.com/gemma21

With only a week left it is hard to imagine being home again, but cannot wait to see everyone ans we are just going to make the most of our time left! Only a week!!!!! Arghhhhhhhh!

See you all soon,

Mel

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