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 hostel! After flying through the exciting and strangely quiet streets we arrived at a beautiful white building with large grounds. Poo whispered to that if I kept quite about the dorm price I could pay less tha other residents = score! I was shony to my dorm if which was of an excellent standard, air con and a hot shower! What an upgrade again! 2 voys from the Netherlands were already settled in and they gave me a few hints about the city.

After a shower, sorting through my bag and the normalities od an evening I had a shock. I never anticipated that I woudl get to taste what clotheses drenched in sweat and fermenting for over a week would smell like - tonight I got exaclty that. Wow.

I ventured out into the streets for fresh air! And dinner of course. I relaxed in a little cafe eating my sticky rice and something fried looking towards the clock tower. My hostel owqner had said it would "become beautifyl at 9. I had to see what he ment... a few mins after 9 a display of all displays began! First it was colours.... pink, ye,llow, turquoise, orange, green, red, blue then a blast of traditional and uplifiting song which carried on for a good 5 mins with the coulours chaning in time to the song! haha Certinally worth the wait!

A small adventure through the night market i started to realise I already loved Chiang Rai. The people were calm, kind and smily. They did not hassel you to look at their stall, I browsed at easy with no "you want to buy somehitn" being screeched down my ear hole! It was refreshing, and just what I needed.

And guess what - before I knew it it was bed time again