Hi all,

We are still in Chiang Mai: why? Because it is a lovely place with the following major attractions:

1. Food - man we might get really fat on this trip. Everywhere there are foodstalls and for 50p (almost equivalent to 50 euro cents these day) you can eat fried rice with chilli's and chicken or any color curry with steamed or sticky rice. We have also developed fresh fruit and fresh orange juice addictions.

2. Massages - whether you are into being beaten up (Thai massage) or just want to relax (Oil or e.g. foot massage) for a few quid (and not 30 or 40 pounds) you can enjoy an hour long massage given by the local experts.

3. The people - apart from a few hustlers and some of their staff that do 'the special tourist price for you routine' most local people as well as the farangs (foreigners) are really relaxed and friendly here. We've met loads of folks that are on a long trip themselves or folks that have either settled here or have come here for years and years in a row. So a big hello to our new friends Vicky, Thai, We, Leif, Leroy, Claudia, Rafaela, Nick, Robbert, La, Siobhan and Andy.

4. The spiritual stuff - Buddhism, Yoga, Meditation, Temples etc. etc.: for everyone there is some way to appreciate the rich spiritual culture up here and it produces beautiful holiday snaps. Quite an eye opener for us farangs!

So we will celebrate New Years Eve here in Chiang Mai and leave to go to Laos this weekend - we better coz our visa expires on Monday and extensions and fines are in contrast to most other stuff here not cheap.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2009.

The travellers