We were greeted at chiang Mai train station by a hostel worker, who took us to the hostel. We freshed up, then flagged a tuk tuk to a bus stop, were we caught a bus the doi Suthep national park. We visted the temple at the top of a mountain, mega good views of Chiang mai although a little hazy, due to the cloud.

We then haggled over the price of a mini bus back down the mountain, there clever they knew we couldn't walk all the way down, but in the end we won and a lift down we got, we chatted to other brits who have been travelling in the places we are going to, annoying them with 20 questions!

We then went sight seeing around old chaing mai city, loads of temples and markets stalls shops etc... we then took a trip on a scorpian long tail boat up the river ping, with an english speaking guide, it was a little slow and boring at first till we stopped off at the owners ranch for fresh food (dragon fruit) and juice, and a chit chat with some locals. Some woman then gave us a lift to some random flower market, where we jumped a tuk tuk back to the hostel for a swim in the pool.

Next stop the chaing mai night basaar, where we eat good old fashioned thai margarita pizza! can't eat thai every day. The night basaar was huge, millions of market stalls, again haggle city. How these people make money from there stalls, i'll never know. Believe it or not you find yourself haggling over 5p, yes 5p just for the fun of it.

Trekking in the Jungle

9am pick up from our hostel, our tour guides names were too hard to say in thai so were called jungle john and jackie chan (actually looked like him). We were in a trek group of 6, a french couple and 2 german girls. 6 was a good number not to big.

we had a 1.30hr jeep journey to the jungle, 1st stop elephant riding, wouldn't you just know it our elephant (max) was a right rebel it kept going off track in to the wild jungle. We had to bribe it back on track with banana's, we even had a ride on the elephants neck, which was bloody filthy.

5 mins down the road some locals made us some well nice lunch, thai potato and chicken soup with a chicken veg stir fry and rice. in preperation for our 2anhalf hour trek through the jungle.

So off on our trek, Bamboo stick in hand we marched our way to the front, lapping it up, little warm and sweaty to say the least. good banter going on with ourselves and jackie chan, (who actually thinks he's funny) with 5 mins of the trek left the rainforest earned it's name, and down came floods of it. fetching red ponchio's at the ready, we finished our days trek at a waterfall in first place (not that it was a race ha ha)

Shower time - head first off a rock into the waterfall - brilliant! (stopped raining sun back out). shampoo and set in the waterfall before our freshly made thai tea.

along came the local hill tribe people to entertain us over beers -(no vodka or malibu, what kind of jungle was this?) bought the locals a few beers in exchange for them entertaining us all night, laughter tears flowing along side the waterfall. candles used for light, torches used for trek to jungle toilet (nice!)

12pm candles out, we headed for our bed, oop's i mean hut floor! regreting not taking our sleeping bag liners, as covers were mingin. mosquito net down, and off to sleep.

8.30am breakfast, can you believe it they made us egg and toast. We trekked down hill, in the jungle for another 2 an half hours to lunch

bamboo rafting - 3 to a raft with a thai raft controller, so we were joined by one of the german girls. we drew long straw and got a buzzing guy who enjoyed shouting " NO WET NO FUN" as he soaked us with his bamboo stick. Naturally we passed some elephants drinking at the side of the river, as we sailed singing songs. Took turns in trying to steer, many crashes resulting in man over boards.

Fun controller asked if we wanted to stop for a swim, which we did and this stoppage involved trying to swim against current and ended in us throwing ourselves off very high rocks! big adrenaline rush but once was enough.

best trip yet which was made by our 2 tour guides who were very fun and loved our northern bird sense of humour- we were buzzing on route back to our hostel, where we grabbed a quick shower, then got back on the road again, for our night train back to bangkok.