Got to Chiang mai on Sun 11/03 about 10am. Got a taxi straight to wat suan dok (buddist temple). The one day course was supposed to start sun an finish monday but they had changed it to tuesday so I said i'd come back then. As i,m walkin away tryin to find a taxi some thai fella (meng) said are you english can I practice my english with ya. Did,nt really know what to say so just started talkin to him. Then he offers me a lift (on his mo ped) to my guest house. So i got on the back of this strangers mo ped with me back pack (no helmet between us) bombin through chiang mai thinkin what if he's the thai ted bundy or somethin. Anyway turns out he has started learning english an just wants to practice it on someone. Since then him an his girlfriend(Aaom have been driving me round taking me for proper thai scrans an to see all the sights and stuff its been boss. Not only that but he introduced me to his mate (sum) who is just startin his own football coaching academy an wants me to work for him. Mad how meetin a complete stranger throws opportunities your way.

Went on the meditation course on the tuesday 2pm till wed 2pm. About 30 people on the course and 12 different nationalities. Got took to some meditation center aba an hrs drive from chiang mai. Go given these white clothes and an dorm like rooms it felt like ashworth or somethin fookin funny. They teach the basics of how to meditate standing, walking, sitting and lying down. Could'nt get into the sitting one though cos i needed the toilet and kept thinkin if I relax i'll follow through ha ha. After a 10 min break it was onto the lying down one an I fell asleep an started snorin apparantly. Did'nt find out till the day after cos you was'nt allowed to talk while you was there. Mad that meditation if you could get into it they reakon the monks who've been doin it for a long time can read peoples mind an stuff.

Thursday 15/03 was the start of my jungle trek. Picked up at 9am by my guide Goo or K for short I think ha ha. Five of us in the group me, a swiss couple (avid merion get on the pics) and two german shot putters NICE ONE! Drove for aba two hrs into the jungle along dirt tracks then treked for aba another 3 hrs till we reached the laka hill tribe. Like goin back in time look at the pictures. Next day went elephant riding an bamboo rafting then the other four got picked up cos they were only doin the two day one. I was doin the three day one so me an mr Goo treked for another 3 hrs uphill till we reached the Lahu village(1350 ft above sea level). This was even more back in time than the last. Next day another trek down hill for aba 2 hrs (back was like a letter S by now) to a waterfall. Had a shower an seen some ganja an opium plants.

Went out with my new thai mates (meng, aaom, sum) for a scran and a bevvy on the sat. Sum sorted me out with a thai girl (kim) he knows so gonna meet up with her when I get back to bangkok. Defo thinkin of comin back here to live an do some coaching again when i've finished south east asia cos i've met some really sound people.

Making my way up to laos sun so i'll let ya's know what i've done when I leave there.

Take it easy Mac