An update from the northern part of Thailand in Chiang Mai. I have had a great start to my backpacking travels, sharing the last few days with two girls from Plymouth, great times and many giggles.

Chiang Mai is a great city, very relaxed and with so many great things to do. I started my trip here with a look around the city temples, being covered up with interesting cloaks. The girls and I treated ourselves to a thai massage, scrub and facial all so cheap, amazing! We took a trip to the massive night market where I practised my first bartering skills and encountered a strip of lady boys who are all so convincing!

The next day we started early for a 2 day trek in the jungle high up in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai, spectacular views and a great experience. I enjoyed a ride on an elephant with a dutch couple, it was quite hard keeping balance bare back on a huge elephant. The elephants were so friendly and playful, squirting water from their trunk over us, it was refreshing in the hot heat. We then trekked through the jungle for 3 hours, very tiring climbing over trees and scrambling on our hands and feet! I don't know how Dan does it with a rifle and all his kit, mad. We had a cold swim in a waterfall on route making sure we were not being attacked by leaches. Just before sunset we arrived at camp, which was basic but twee! We stayed in a hut, where myself and the girls huddled together under one mosi net hoping we would not be attacked by bugs. Was an interesting night but a good experience, we made sure we still had many laughs. After a few hours trekking the following day we went through a hill tribe. They orginated from China and have their own language, so remote that they source all their own food. We finished our trek with an afternoon of white water rafting down a high river from the recent heavy rain, it was so much fun.

After the girls leaving I went to temple up in the mountains where I was joined by a thai couple and two chinese men. It was a shame it was a miserable day as I missed out on the wondeful views over the city. This evening I enjoyed taking part in a thai cooking course. I cooked so much food just did not have the room to fit it all in! I hope to bring the skills back home and maybe have a thai dinner party using the recipe book given to me.

Tomorrow I head to Laos on a slow boat which will take 3 days to get to the city Luang Prabang. I am travelling with an english guy and 2 american girls from my hostel so atleast I will have others to talk to on the long journey.

I hope all is well back home. Well done in the boat race Ness and hope school is going well Amelia.

Sending lots of love and thinking of you all xxx