Hey Guys

We finally got around to going on our trek that we have been talkigng about, Aarons tummy is much better so we got the green light to go. Yeah i popped the Immodium and was good to go! After even more debate on what type of trek to do and visiting around about ten different types of guides we settled with a trek that would take us up to the Long Neck Tribe, something we both really wanted to see! To quote the mad Irish girl we met on the trek "I've wanted to see them since I seen them in the Guiness book of records" Anyway, we were picked up Tuesday morning 9am, forgot that time exsisted, and had to endure 30 minutes jammed in the back of a truck full of sceptic tanks (yanks) (apologies to Sexy Lexy BTW!) singing Spice Girls 2 become 1! FUN! Aaron luckily got chosen to sit in the front, teachers pet! Get In! Nice comfy seat a little bit of a chat to the Thai Fella about footy and a little Nap aswell, I was on to a winner already! The only reason you got to nap is because every convo with Thais over here goes:

" where you from"(Thai)

"England" (us)

"Good football, who you support" (Thai)

"everton" (aaron)

"oh never mind" (Thai)

Back to the trek...We went up and spent some time with the LongNecks who were great, a little set up for tourists but I wasn't complaining! I was... the tank with the miners light on his head and a high Viz Jacket in the middle fof the day that was really starting to annoy me. And thankfully after that it was time for lunch, where we lost the Yanks wahoo!

So the actual trek began, 30 minutes into the jungle, blistering heat and a little bit damp, mostly up hill, thought I was about to give up when the leader pipes up "now we wait for elephants" yay! Yeah by then the pits were a little more than moist! and after last night in Chiang Mai I was starting to get a little nervous. (see pictures from out and about!). When the elephants bounded up we were getting more excited than nervous, hoping they would throw off the Yanks they had on there backs! We got on, and swapped camera's with a couple of top Irish Girls (Mary & Joan) we met so they could pap us on our way! Richard (our elephant) was cool, a little bit wayward, kept whipping us with leaves he ripped off passing branches, but we loved him all the same! even after he dragged me into a load of bushes, got my leg trapped then decided to walk off again leaving my leg behind... which was a bit worrying for a moment. It was ok though my leg caught up with me via a few gashes and scrapes.

After Richard dropped us off, not before a big stinking Kit (Poop) and gypsys kiss, we went for it with the trekking, up and down what we would call mountains in England but hills in Thailand! It was a very exhausting 2 hours indeed, lots of sweat, but thankfully some rain, on one hand rain cools you, on the another it makes walking very slippy! What seemed like forever and mostly uphill and mostly involving a lot of burning muscles and weezing lungs, From me anyway... our work seemed to pay off with views that probably won't be done any justice in the pictures. When we finally got to the village (feeling very safe as the first person to come out an greet us was carrying a gun... great). A storm was just brewing, and in the 20 minutes trek into the village, all the clouds had taken over the views, we couldn't even see the outdoor toilet from our hut! The night was great, we chilled out and rested our muscles then had a lovely tea, rice again! lots of fruit and a couple of games including toothpicks and string,there was even beer for sale but i am not sure which lunatic carried those two crates of chang up the mountain. After that we turned in for the night, all in one big room with mozzy nets on a bamboo floor (mind you the whole house was made of bamboo) with only blankets for a matress...comfortable! 5 Star Luxury I'd say it was the best nights sleep I've had since I've been here!

Next morning we were rudely awoken by the Japs...and the Cock-a-doodle-do at stupid o'clock, quick wet wip wash and breakfast and we were off again. Unfortunatley for Jones, it had rained all night...why unfortunately you ask...it was all downhill, and steep hills at that, he spent 1 hour 58 minutes of the 2hour trek on his bum! I just wanted to show everyone how much easier it was than walking, although I do need to put a bit of Savlon on these grass burns. He was like inhouse entertainment, I have not laughed so much in my life, The two irish girls, the Canadian, Mexican and 2 Japs and 4 Koreans all loved him! and it was who gets the short straw to walk infront of him because he kept taking people down with him! PRICELESS! Yeah i thought the Japanese fella was gonna have a heart attack when I grabbed at his rucksack that was on his back to take him down with me.

We finally got to the waterfall, Aaron needed a wash by this point! Then we were back on the the trek for another hour or so, more across fallen trees to get across the river now, still slippy and guess what...you guessed it, rain! Woo Hoo more down hill arse skiing.

After more Bum Skiing, we finally approached our finale, White Water Rafting! woop woop, and it was looking mighty choppy! After a brief lesson with a non english Thai speaking guy...hmm, we were finnally unleased on the rapids, and boy was it fun! Why the hell he put me a the front to steer the ship with the big butch Canadian I don't know he must of thought i had sum upper body strength, Obviously hadn't seen your bum skiing!. Which is strange cause have you seen my chubby dinner ladies arms.

Once we had gone down the 200 metre Waterfall...Noooo not really it was 200 centimeters, got you going there eh! We stepped onto our Bamboos, mid lake and just our look the frigging things started to sink, Jones' Luck! By this point i have been nicknamed Calamity Jones...don't forget Cannonball Jones as well! And there was me thinking I was looking gracefull, elegant and 'fessional.  Safely off the Sunken Bamboo we went for lunch, just in time for the rain and a wet ride home on the truck.

I would just like to share a moment of sheer horror with you guys aswell.  There was a point on the waterfall crossing that a tree had fallen, about 20 meters long, across rapid flowing water and huge skull breaking rocks.  There was a choice to cross the tree or go around (the easy route), I was the first one to dare to do it, so I'm crossing and people are cheering on the other side, when I jumped off, and turned around my delight turned to horror when I saw that Jones was attempting to cross it, "oh my lordy" OH YEAH BABY I FECKIN FACED UP TO MY FEARS OF SKULL CRACKIN' ROCKS and danced over that log like Billy Elliot.  BUT... the whole group was gripped with the same fear having had Jones take each of us out on a mud slide skiing trip! And Jones Billy had nothing on you...I'm so proud you lived to tell the tale!

Lots Of Love

Calamity Jones and his sidekick Mammy (because of the amount of tablets wet wipes and other parafanalia in her rucksack... thanks to Mo) Miles x

ps.  We also visited an Orchid farm and Butterfly farm, which was...hmm ok if your Charlie Dimmick