Chiang Rai has to be a top place on the trip. Last night just as I was neering for bed I got a sudden hankering for spring rolls and darted down to the night market for a fix! Now I'm not going to lie, they were nowhere as good as the ones on Pub Street, Siam Reap! Let down. But I also got some fried shimps to ensure I had enough fat in my blood stream. The monssons really are hitting here, and the downpoors are getting more frequent. I darted home after a ...

On arrival at Chiang Rai's old bus station I was under instructios to phone Poo, my trek leader. This was so he could collect me and take me to the hosel he had booked for me. After a war with the pay phone I suceessfully spoke to Poo and in less than 10 minutes a skinny enerjetic little man bounded towards me having disembarked his scooter - of course. What other form of transport was I expecting? He threw me into a tuk tuk and said he would meet me at the hoste...