Blog 23

We didn't spend much time In Chiang Rai itself but it was a pretty friendly nice town really. Were now traveling with a 30 year old couple from Buckinghamshire, Naiomi and Rob. Naiomi celebrated her 31st birthday with us with an evening of drinks and watching the Arsenal v Liverpool match in the bar. Free birthday tequilas made for aching heads the next day.

We arranged to do a 2day trek in the national park surrounding Chiang Rai. It was a fab but tiring couple of days. 1st day we trekked up to the Karen hill tribe which was where Pong, our guide was from. We received A warm welcome from the Karen people saw our arrival in the village, especially from the children! :-)

The kids were gorgeous... For a short period, until they got too friendly and just hung off you and demanded shoulder carries all the time. I would have loved to have given them all a good bath and wash their clothes but I'm thinking I may have offended their mums who were watching.

The evenings entertainment involved star gazing the most amazing starry sky I have ever seen, due to the fact there wasn't any electricity in the village so no light pollution. The excitement of shooting stars and seeing the milky way never gets old.

The next days trekking was intersected with a swim in a ferocious waterfall pool to cool off and finished with a relax in the hot springs to ease our muscles.

The next day we visited the white temple which I think has got to be the best modern temple of South East Asia yet, before heading onto the border town of Chiang Khong. Naiomi's birthday today, so more celebrations to come...

Love Jo x x x