Full Moon Fever

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so last i wrote i had arrived in Tibet. What a cool place, due to time constraints, we centred our travels around Lhasa. Saw the Potala Palace - the view from it was simply amazing. The temple rooms inside were cool but were gravitated by the law of diminishing marginal returns. So templed out, what we needed was some proper full on Yak meat to rejuveniate us - mmmm - juicy..... Actually i'm having a hard time remembering what we did - it was only two weeks ago!! China forbids you to enter Tibet with a picture of the Dali Lama or the Tibetian flag. Thankfully i attended a talk of the DL' in Sydney in 02 - very interesting man and brings home the fact that religions share the same core beliefs.
Also had the most terrifying journey to the airport courtesy of our over-eager cab driver - if ever you wanted the intervention of the DL...

Having booked flights out of Tibet we got word that the connecting flight to Laos was full (weekly flight, therefore plan z formulates) we're pretty loose about the whole thing and figure that we may aswell head back to Bangkok - Ayesha had to fly home by the end of the week - and from there head to Chiang Mai and hopefully meet the rest of the gang. Of course we were open to suggestions and were gonna just hop on the next international departure once we arrived in Kunming - slight problem that the International Airport has no international ticketing desks - we eventually find Thai Airways on the top floor down a corridor marked "No Entry" - turns out they will not sell us tickets because they are too expensive and advise we head into town and book through a travel agent - perfect sense one would agree!! Kunming is a rather unassuming city - and seems for many to be a transit stop.

Anyway we arrive in BKK - get the overnight train to Chiang Mai which comes complete with dormitory style sleepers and a disco bar!!! As we down our beers in the bar carriage the lights morph into Xmas lights, music pumping, heads start grooving, we rumble through the Thai night with the over friendly concierge...
Next day we hook up with the guys and exchange stories in Starbucks. Rain rears its head. Amazingly the weather has been fab for the wet season... We head to an elephant reserve to encounter these great beasts roaming around. Were treated to a show where the pachyderms play football (Italy, France & Germany); orchestrate a harmonica cacophony; and paint!!! Trunked with an easel and brush, they bring forth flowers & self potraits!! the paper they paint on is apparently made from their own waste! How enterprising!! Loads of snaps which will defo be up by the end of the month...

Chiang Mai is rather sleepy and I didn't feel much like rain trekking across The Ferns so Ay & & I fly to BKK for some indulgent shopping & partying. 31 CDs later & a dozen music DVDs!!! its party central in the gay street of PatPong - were treated to dance steps over dinner by Dr. Salsa (a cross between Dr Alban & Samuel L Jackson!!) & we retreat to the plush environs of the 23rd sky bar of the Pan Pacific to sip on a stoli martini before some last minute shopping as the stalls get dismantled - turns out its a great time to shop. I mislaid my shades earlier at a stall so $3 later its back in black.
To end the night we have one last drink in the Tapas Bar - this is where we had our last drink in Patpong two months ago before we set off for Cambodia....

The next day Anabel turns up rather expectedly actually on the doorstep (Go Nabs!!!)and we say goodbye to Ayesha (good stuff outta you girl!!)
This of course is a wonderful excuse for more shopping before heading to my current location of Koh Samui - with so many islands to choose from the decision is rather quick as this is the site of the Full Moon Party. FMBs in hand its time to get down and drrty at the FMP! 5,000 revellers on a beach partying till dawn! I was quite apprehensive about the whole thing though turned out to be a very cool night. This morning I collapsed on my bed at 7am!

& now i await my flight to Singapore from where i transit to Borneo to climb an extinct volcanic mountain before flying back through Singapore and then to Brisbane!

...& you are?

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