Hiya everyone. Im going to try and remember everything i have done in the last few days, but i have done so much that it is quite hard!!!

Well after i wrote my last blog entry i had the worst night ever. I have never been so ill in my whole life. think it was a mix of being too tired and eating too much different food. I have been eating rice everyday lol!! they even eat rice for breakfast here!!!! So all night i was ill and then the next day wasnt too good either but still had to keep going! In the morning we took a songthrew (van with 2 benches) to the bus stop, and then went on the bus to 3 and a half hours to Chang rai. Where it was raining lots!! We went to a restaurant called Cabbages and condoms lol. its there big chain restaurant here. I still couldnt eat much though. After that we went to our homestay were we slept in someones house, it was quite a nice place apart from the huge cockroach in my bed!!! The lady who lived there was a teacher at the local school and the school was having their annual english camp day so we went along. We watched them do some performances which were really nice. then we got given about 15 children each to sit with and we had to try teaching them english. It was really hard but they were all lovely kids (not like the brats at home lol) and they really wanted to try and learn. I realy enjoyed it, it was very rewarding and they were so apprechiative of it, they even gave us a big hamper of fruit to take with us. You cant believe how different their schools are to ours. It was just basically a big metal hut!

Next morning (still raining!!) got a tractor (loved it!)!! to the jungle ready to start the trek. I employed a porter to carry my bags on the trek for about 10 pounds, it so cheap but that is alot to them! The jungle trek was really quite difficult; because it had been raining we had to keep checking for leeches, ticks and snakes. We had a a scout (Adule; such a cool man!) at the front cutting trees down to make way for us, it was mad! We had a packed lunch (rice wrapped in a banana leaf!) at a waterfall. After 6 hours we got to the lisu hilltribe. It was the most amazing place i have ever seen. I cant believe people really live like this, and they are so happy. The room we were staying in was lovely; not hot water though lol! We stayed outside around the fire unitl late under the stars, it was so nice!

The next morning we went to the village school to play with the kids. We were teaching them lots of different games and they were showing us round. The nicest kids ive ever met. Got loadz of pictures of them! We left there and trekked again to the next village; the akka tribe. This wasnt quite as pretty; but still plenty of atmosphere!

This place was quite dirty and we had a rat in the bedroom and stuff. But its amazing how quick you adjust to these type of things; you just kinda get on with it! Still cold showers and lots of rice. The villagers try and sell you lots of things and you feel really bad when you dont buy! That night we dressed up in the traditional costumes and dancing around with the villigers. So funny! Everyone goes to bed really early; like 8pm! so me and glenn had a pringles party until late; seeing as though it was saturday night. But it was quite difficult seeing as they dont have any electric past 6pm! Very dark outside lol!! tink the villegers thought we were mad!

The next morning we had to be up really early to trek back down the jungle. All the villegers came to wave us off! It was a hard trek over the 3 days but it felt so good when we finally finished it and was sat on the minibus on the way back listening to country music!!! We went straight to a hotel and had a hot shower! it was amazing! then went out for dinner at an italian. I had wine, pizza and chocolate cake. I almost cried when i saw the menu!! We then had a wander round the night market. You see some wierd things; puppys for sale, and frogs and snakes in bottles! very weird!

The day after we went to temple where there were monkeys running round everywhere. they were so cool, i was hand feeding them i loved it! We then went to the burma boarder; we could have crossed over; but didnt really fancy it! We went round another market there (there are alot of markets in thailand!!). Then we went to the opium museum, which was quite interesting; bit wierd though. I then went to laos by boat. it was weird the place we went to; like a gypsy market with a bear; that seems like it was on drugs; and monkeys in cages. i didnt like it there; luckily we only stayed 30mins. Whilst waiting for buses and boats you get littles girls dressed in traditional costumes singing "20 baht to have a picture taken with us" or "please, please, buy us a lollypop" lol. it so weird! our tour leader; Seen; did buy them all ice lollys though. He's a nice guy. We also went to the 'golden traingle', where burma, laos and thailand meet. that was nice to see. At the evening we went for a meal at 'the old Dutch' which was nice, then headed back to hotel.

This morning was an early start back on the bus to Chaing mai. We have just had the afternoon wandering around and stuff really. Its soo hot here today; im loving it. Tonight we go on the over night train (party train!!!!) again. Cant wait, although we have to get off it at 5am tomorrow!!

Well.... so overall i am loving my trip so far, i cant believe how much i have done, it feels like ive been here for months. Im missing everything at home aswell though. Hope you are all ok and enjoying reading my stories. Sorry about all the spelling mistakes and stuff; im trying to do everything really quickly becasue it is charged per minute lol. (jippo traveller now lol!)

Take care, miss you, love you.

sarah

xxxx