WOW!!! What an amazing couple of days I have had here in Chang Mai (situated in the North of Thailand!)...We arrived via the night train: me and Phil botyh caught the overnight train from Surathani to Bangkok (12 hrs duration) then did alot of waiting around in Bangkok (that was another 12hrs of waiting!) Then had to catch the overnight train again from Bangkok to Chang Mai. With next to no sleep on the journey up here we arrived and were instantly taken aback as to the beauty and amazingness of the city of Chang Mai.

Everyone that we have met since travelling around Thailand have commented on how 'hetic and in ur face" the city of Bangkok is...and neither me nor Phil agreed. However, since seeing and being in Chang Mai, it has become abundent;y apparent to us how right ppl actually are! Chang Mai is far more laid back- considering it is a city! But all the while we have preferred it to Bangkok!

The first night that we arrived we decided to head into town: so we hopped intop a tuk-tuk and just asked the driver to take us somewhere nice to eat: he took us to a bar called "the Riverside", which is basically where all the local ppl go to drink and listen to live rock-music (both Thai rock and Western rock/pop music): Basically one word to sum up this place would be: AMAZING! It has to be the best bar and night out that we have ever had whilst I have been travelling! Everyone was so friendly, lots of dancing/singing/good music and the food was really really gud! Me and Phil had initially agreed to just head into town to grab a bite to eat and then to head back and have an early night, as we were due to be picked up the morning after at 9am for a three day trek in the mountains!! BIG MISTAKE going out the noght b4! We got so into the atmosphere and the big jugs of Chang beer that were being served that we ended up staying until closing time (2pm) We were so nearly talked into going onto the local Chang Mai noght club whoch stays open until like 7am, but we decided against it and caught a tuk-tuk back to the hotel to get some shut eye b4 the big trekking adventure

And what an adventure that was! I woke up at 7am: (with the worst headache/hangover imagineable!) and were picked up to go onto the Trek in the mountains of