Hello at long last!

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Hi everyone I've been meaning to make an entry on this for ages. We're currently in Koh Phangan- home of the infamous Full Moon Party and incidentally where I'll be spending the rest of my birthday. Yes I know undertsand how the rest of you old gits feel who've already 25- don't really want top celebrate but hey I'll get drunk and it will seem fine. I was asked for I.D again recently anyway so as far as I'm concerned I'm only 18!

Bangkok was an experience. We didn't really like it much as it was busy and really dirty and smelling. It was interesting to see how people live and all the sights and food and stuff but couldn't wait to get out of there. We caught a night train from there to Chiang Mai and that was an eye-opener. People actually live right by the train tracks in shacks and there was children crawling in the dirt on the lines. It's really awful seeing poverty like that and these little shacks as excuses for houses- yet strangely a lot of the people have mobile phones- weird!

Oh yeah and we got sammed on our very first night in Bangkok, everyone we have met has a similar story. Some guy on a corner stopped us and seemed really friendly and was telling us the things to see. He told us to go to a night market and siad ko saan (the main tourist road)had had abomb scare and we shouldn't go there. Before we knew it a tuk tuk driver was supposedly taking us to the night market. But he took us to a tourist office and not a licensed one. It was way out of the centre and we had no idea where we were. he charged us 5 baht each and left us there in the dark in a dodgy area. They usually cost 30-60 baht for that distance. Anyway they do this cos the tourist office gives them petrol money. Fortunately we happened upon some norwegians who knew how to get back. taxi's won't take youat that time (rush hour), because they don't make much money on the metre.
Anyway it sounds horrendous but it was fine in the end and we learn't our lesson pretty quick. The Thai's are lovely friendlt people but just don't trust anything they say or let them take you anywhere :0)

Anyway we went to Chaing Mai which was a lot nicer and also coller as Bangkok was stifling. From there we went on a 3 dat trek through the junglw 9 other people. It was brilliant and we stayed in huts at night just sleeping on bamboo boards with the people of the villages. the treks were really hard 3 hours long in the heat with only short stops. But it was amazing and we showered in a waterfall. Stayed up having a laugh and a few beers with the other people on the trip. The local people had a guitar and horns that they were playing. The trek ended with elephant trekking and bamboo rafting. Being on the elephant and feeding it was an experience I'll never forget- but I was constantly worrying that it was hurting the elephant and wondering if they were being treated correctly. I won't do it again but I have a true love for those animals now.

Chiang Mai's night bazaar was great and really cheap- we had a laugh bartering. You feel bad when everything so cheap anyway but the Thai's expect it off you. So I've been buying pressies already. Lorraine I bought you a pashmina (70 % pashmina, 30% silk) and it only cost 3.00 pounds!

The bamboo rafting was a laugh as there were more blokes than girls and we just jumping from one raft to the other and totally soaking each other. Kids that lived along the river were chucking water at us as well and we were totally drenched. There was one girl on my raft though who was a right screamer- honestly it's only water. I did think about chucking her off somewhere but I suppose that's mean.

After that we headed back to Bangkok on the ngiht train again. They're so funny- they have a restaurant car that has disco balls but they kick you out by 10pm and then you have to go to bed. After that we had day in Bangkok so we did a bit more shopping and then visited the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha. Hopefully you can see a photo of that on here. Sorry there is still only one photo but only some computers allow you to upload photos and the internet and calls out here aren't cheap compared to everything else. Everything is really is cheap by the way, which is good as I only have 21 pounds a day to live on or the rest of the trip!

Well I better be off now hope everyone is well and not woking too hard (sorry!), take care

Loz x

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