Koh Tao -> Bangkok -> Chiang Mai

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Well we've upped the pace since we last blogged!



We left Ko tao, survived the journey to bangkok, and settled back into bangkok for a few nights! Met up with our old pals Gav and Hayley, for what they thought was their 2nd last night, until they realised at about 12 midnight, that it was their last night and their plane was in an hour?? Last we saw they were fretfully running out door of guesthouse and jumping in taxi???



We finally made it to the tourist police to get our report about the robbery on the bus on the way down so hopefully the insurance will cover it now too!!! That was a mighty trek thru the city to find! Doesnt seem to be made easy at all!! We did a bit of window shopping, and treated ourselves to a vip cinema show in mbk centre with reclining seats and blankets.. twas very suave! next time we are gonna really treat ourselves tho and go to the nokia suite in the siam paragon centre. Costs about 12 euro each but you get a free welcome massage, and drink, and champagne service in the cinema itself!!!



We met up with Pauls cousins and pals for a night on the town that went on til 6am and finished with a breakfast feast for the last 3 standing... of course including paul and myself :p. We have been encouraged to go to a famous 'ping pong' show next time we're in bangkok.. we're told its a MUST!! Give paul some time to recover from the ladyboy caberet shows first tho!!!



We're now up in Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand. Its lovely here, really laid back, and the city is a manageable size to get around in, and get familiar with in a short time. We got our nicest room yet for the nicest price so far... 300 baht, for a CLEAN room with a clean bathroom and flushing loo... AND a tv with some satelitte channels!!! And TWO nice pillows, AND towels AND a bed sheet!!!!! (sometimes u just get the valence (?) one). a Mighty treat to be sure! Chiang Mai is cheaper than bangkok, or at least u dont have to look out for cheaper prices here.


We did a thai cooking course today with Baan thai cooking school!! 9.30am -3.30pm, and made loads of dishes....



We made:

spicy noodle salad
chicken in coconut soup
fried cashew nuts with chicken
red curry paste
Chicken and red curry
Mango and sweet sticky rice

We went shopping in the market in the morning, and then cooked each dish, and ate them all as we went along...... There was only four of us so it was a nice small group, and we had lots of time. Really enjoyed the day and feeling roly poly all day since!!!! No more food today for us!! meeting the two austrialians, Rianna and Paul from the course for some bevvies tonight!



We're hopefully going on our trek on monday, dependant on numbers... its a 3 day, 2 night trek up to the hill tribes and a bit of bamboo rafting, sleeping in the wilderness, and showering in waterfalls! Should be fun!!! And then off to Laos on friday or Saturday, so we may be writing about country number 2 shortly!!!



Love 2 all!!!

Signing off after another adventurous day

Paul and Elaine x

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Photos

Moody Sea koh Tao
Storm approaching on an otherwise sunny day!!!

Elaines Hearty Meal
Yum yum.... fried rice with red curry paste, and chicken with a fried egg on top... yummeeeeeee... favourite dinner in tong thai, ko tao

Arriving in Chumporn
Lovely rickety pier, getting off the catamarang, and arriving at chumporn to get bus to bangkok! Rainy season clouds in background

:p
Sometimes its hard not having a tv in the room... we do try to entertain ourselves of an evening. One cannot consume alcohol EVERY nite :P

Petrol station
Petrol Station by day, restaurant at night

Elaine, treatn our selves
VIP service in MBK centre cinema, blankets and reclining chairs... sweet!!! All for a fiver!

Rasta Toilet
the most beautiful squat toilet so far, with decorative plant, painted walls, and best of all, Loo roll!!! Fantastic!!!