Oh wow we're gettin behind with the blog! SO much going on all the time!
So.. we took the sleeper train up to Chang Mai.. it was 16 hrs about.. and we honestly thought we would fall out our beds and die (see how worried i look in the photo -actually I have NO idea what that face was about!) but we didn't. Instead we got a bit drunk, and Ali swung around the bunks like a monkey!

My friend Richard was with us, he met us in Bangkok.. and took the lower, safer bunk option. Damn him.
Chiang Mai was fantastic.. so much to do.

Went to a snake farm, Ali wouldn't hold the snake! Another monkey farm.. just can't get enough of those little cuties! One kept sitting holding my hand :)
A shooting range.. Ali did a bunjee jump! (we have a video but no photos) Went to a zoo called Koala zoo.. it had NO koalas! Plenty of crocodiles tho :) and saw lots of buddhist temples.. I chatted to a monk for a bit which was interesting.
To get around we rented a jeep again.. it was much scarier driving in Chiang Mai as the roads were busy, and we had to drive on some motorways! Mental.

The night bizarres were fantastic. First place we actually did some real shopping cuz things were so cheap. Of course it's hard to buy anything because we can't carry much.. Richard took some things back for us.. including my new blue (obviously) electric guitar - I just couldn't resist! And some lovely artwork.

We went bamboo rafting, and elephant riding (I wanted to buy a picture painted by an elephant on paper made from elephant dung! But it was too expensive for paint on poo), rode an ox and cart, and we also took a cooking course. That was fantastic. Really enjoyed learning to cook Thai food, and we all ate far too much! There's a pic of what we made.. I think you'll agree we're pretty amazing... and they taste even better than they look!

Our favourite activity HAD to be whitewater rafting tho. It was bloody scary, especially since on the last rapid our raft capsized and all of us had to float down the rapid just praying we didn't hit any rocks! We actually stayed an extra day just to do the rafting but we got a cheap deal and it was WELL worth it!

The only negative thing at all about Chiang Mai was the fact that the bars surrounding us wre filled with thai whores. Ali avoided them (he tells them he's gay!) but Richard LOVED it... he even 'made friends' with one called Tig. Nevermind...

So having had an awesome time up north, we headed south to Koh Chang to hit the beaches before travelling to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. It's an odd way round to do it but Nick (a mate of mine from uni 4 those who dont know him) arrived in Thailand a week ago, so we planned to meet him. The journey down took 25 hrs on buses and boats. We got robbed while we slept on the bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, and when we finally arrived exhausted and peeved, the hut we booked was a cockroach filled hole. Oh joy of joys! I got chased around my hut by a cockroach, much to Ali's amusement, and finally got chased right out of it and had to crash in Ali's hut! Much to his annoyance! lol

Nevermind, we stayed there one night and the next day found a much better place to stay for not much more, and we found Nick. Spent the day on the beach today and so far.. not too many whores about the place. (Although apparantly Nick & Charlie have found some.. if u know Nick.. do ask him about his thai women experiences - hehe.. Olwyn.. he's DIRT! Magaluf wave baby)

Really loving Thailand, looking forward to the rest of south east asia though, miss everyone loads. Wish u could be here! (well some of you) :)