Today was pretty action packed, visiting two additional countries: Myanmar (Burma) and Laos!

After breakfast we headed straight to the thai/Myanmar border. When you enter Thailand by road you can only have a 15day visa but by air it is a 30 day one. Therefore as we would be leaving and re-entering those of us
with more than 15 days left couldn't get their passport stamped and had to have a one hour visa; lucky for me and Ian we had less than 15 days left so we able to get the stamp much to the other's envy!!

Border crossings always confuse me and even more so when they kept my passport!! Bond assured me it was ok and I'd get it back on my return!

Once through, we took two seater tuk-tuks to visit the Karen women or long neck women. Myself and Jackie shared and the driver appeared to struggle to get our's up the hills!! I'm blaming the size and power of the motorbike engine!!

When we arrived, we were greeted with a cheer as everyone had been waiting!!

The Karen women are usually found in the middle of Burma and from the age of 4 they are given their first brass neck piece to wear (weighing 2kg!!). Every 3-4years an additional one is place on the neck. X-rays have shown they still have the same number of vertebra but their neck muscles are weak and their shoulders are much lower due to the weight of the brass.

The community we visited were given the choice if they wanted to follow the tradition of wearing the neck hoops or not. They live on a complex owned by a wealthy guy and the children are given education and the women allowed to work on the complex if they choose.

The First Lady we saw was 65 years old, you can see her on the photo with this entry. She was making handmade scarves so I bought a couple as a present.

We then boarded our tuk-tuks and travelled to a golden temple to look around then it was time for the market!

It was full of fake watches, bags, glasses, DVDs etc! I managed to buy another present (which I will keep quiet in case the person is reading!)

It was then back over into Thailand for a buffet lunch, in which we all got our western fix of spag bol and then to visit the golden triangle where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet at the Mekong Delta river. We took a boat ride over to a market on Laos and yet again hit the shops, where everything seemed to cost 100baht! (Just over £2)

Back on land we had a group photo on top of a giant elephant before going to the opium museum. By that point I was pretty tired and ready for the hotel so I didn't really pay much attention!

We all met for our usual group dinner and were excited to see they served fresh handmade pizza! So of course the majority of us ordered them...big mistake! It seems the restaurant struggled to remember and cook out orders! In Thailand we are all used to good coming out at different times but usually within 20mins everyone's food has arrived. However, from the first pizza being given (which turned out to be the wrong one!) it was at least 2hours before the final person got their food!!!

After the 3hour dinner we took the routine trip to 7/11 and the first cockroach of the trip made an appearance! I was not happy and Ian looked delighted!