Bangkok, what can I say, a city where just about everything goes for the right price. My last night in Bangkok I will admit was a little hazy, something to do with a couple of Norwegian guys and something called a Chang tower...The tower being just one of the apparent bad ideas they put into my head. The other was that bugs taste like chips...they don't. My winged friend tasted chewy if nothing else...McCain would not be happy if their chips tasted that way that's for sure.

This morning I left Bangkok and despite my previous reservations about getting into a Tuk Tuk I chose to ignore any sane thoughts and got onto one of those dangerous golf buggies to take me to the train station. I am not sure whether I was more in danger of dying by it tipping over as we seemingly rounded corners on no wheels or whether I would soon die of Carbon Monoxide poisoning - now I realise why they wear those masks all day. However, once I had negotiated a price and told them no stops to the gem shops, we made it quite quickly.

The train to Chiang Mai was absolutely huge, I have never seen so many carriages. I made it into my seat and the train pulled away. It seemed to be going rather slow and I prayed it would speed up or we'd never get there. Then about a couple of hours into the journey the man came round to fold down the beds, now I realise why I should have sprung for the bottom bunk...the top bunk resembled something similar to a coffin...damn my cheapness. Bored as everyone seemed to be Thai and speak very little or no English I ventured into the restaurant car.

This was not much better. The food was basic and cheap (which we like *smile*) but I got the feeling of being the only Westerner in the village as everyone was staring at me eating dinner. Until...2 guys from Essex came and kept me company. Jack and Levi, travelling round Asia together, a good laugh as the beer continued to flow. My favourite bit of the journey was when the 3 of us weren't just sitting in a restaurant car anymore...oh no...we were transported into a Thai Disco with flashing lights and screaming music, where the hostesses weren't just serving dinner...they were dancing in the aisles!

I found it difficult to sleep when I got back, perhaps it was something to do with the coffin sized bed, or the man who came past every hour screaming does anyone want to buy some orange juice in Thai. One thing is for certain, I was hoping my bargain accommodation in Chiang Mai (£2 per night) wasn't going to be a warehouse with mattresses inside (thank you Ryan for that thought!)...we'll see.