Hello, We are now in Chiang Mai after leaving Bangkok last Wednesday evening on a VIP bus which only cost 3.50 each. For your 3.50 ou get to use the disgusting toilets at the so called service station (no loo paper), and on reaching Chiang Mai you are dropped off at a out of town petrol station and sold to various guesthouses. We were taken to 'Nice Place 2 Stay' but managed to escape before we were allocated a room, we jumped on a tuk tuk and found our hotel we are currently staying in. With our hotel we booked up a package deal that included a trip to Doi Suthep and craft village, a one day trek and a dinner with Thai dancing. On Friday we went to Doi Suthep where we walked up the 360 steps to the temple and a view over Chiang Mai. After this we visited a silk factory and jewllary and silver shops in the craft village. Then in the evening we went for the dinner and show where we took off our shoes and sat on the floor where we eat out feast and watched the Thai dancing. On Saturday we went on the trek was quite wild. First we walked up a mountain to a hill tribe village where they tried to make you but the usual silk cushions, bags and braclets. It was here where Adam tried his luck at shooting a melon with a crossbow but he narrowly missed it; he was not too upset about his because there was no cuddley toy for a prize. The second part of the trip was an elephant ride where it rained for most of it. We were quite looking forward to this but you spent the whole time swating away the flies and getting splashed with mud and elephant poo; let alone being passive smokers to the driver smoking marawana. After lunch we visited a hill tribe village where they weaved scafes and went to a waterful. However, the highlight of the afternoon had to the bamboo rafting. There you are sitting on a bamboo raft or in Ad's case standing up helping to guide the raft, floating down a dirty river and down various sized rapids. We got soaked and there is no aspect of safety about this sport. The biggest rapid was a sudden drop down and Ad got shouted at to get down and hold on. As well as going on exciting trips with have been to the night bizarra and on Sunday went to the walking market. At both of these we picked up some real bargins. We hope you are all safe and well, we are just about, love Adam and Charlotte xx