Thailand then, well I made it. Was in Bangkok there for the first 2 days...the place is organized chaos. Well, not even organized. Hotel is right next to the (in)famous KoShan Road. Its just a ridiculous sight, everynight there is just like some crazy street carnival. Met the other guys in my group for the next week, 2 New Zealander blokes (Dru and Kim), they're builders or something, Chris is my roomate and hes a 29 yr old English Teacher, currently working in Japan and then there 2 other guys from England who will be starting uni soon. So a wide range really, Dru and Kim are 40 something and Luke and Aidan are 18/19. One of the guys got mugged on the first night which isn't the best start. Been out for alot of traditional Thai food, and beer of course. First night here i sat with Dru and Kim in KoShan road and just watched the pandamonium unfold on the street. Today i had a traditional Thai massage, which was interesting. A wide range of torture techiniques were inflicted upon me, some of them very familair to what i have seen on WWE wrestling on Sky One. The lady wasn't even one of those attractive thai girls in the poster, but rather some 50yr old plump woman who took great pleasure is thumping the crap out of my back and getting me in what i can only describe as a 'scorpian deathlock' submission hold. I actually shouted 'Jesus!' at one point. And i wasn't convinced that some of the methods were standard either.. ''Chris? is her hand meant to be there...?'' ''I dunno Andi...maybe it isnt? How are we to know?'' Hmm.

We got the nighttrain from Bangkok to here last night, it was fine- your seats morph into beds when your not looking. And you wake up in the morning and scenerys all changed to countryside (when i say that i mean Jungle etc). The Tuk Tuks in Bagkok are ludicrous contraptions, they're glorifed biscuits tins on wheels, and on everyturn of the road you are almost forceably ejected into the oncoming traffic. And the drivers are all up to something aswell, taking you on random detours to shops you dont want to go to. They get fuel credits if they take you to certain shops. And lots of random 'helpful strangers' stop you in the street and list all these things you have to do and see and then flag you down a Tuk tuk to take you there - fine at first - but when the 4th one stops you in the space of a few hours and recites word for word what the previous 'stranger' has said you start to get suspicious that they're all in this together and its some dark conspiracy to part you with yet more money. That said its dirt cheap here, a good Thai meal here costs about 50-60 Bhat.....bear in mind that 66B=1 GBP.

Off to see some Thai Boxing tonight, should be fun and bright and early tomorrow morning we set off upto rural thailand and the jungle, we are trekking up to meet the Karen Hilltribe people and stay with them for a couple of nights. Some rafting and elephant riding is to be had aswell. Once I get back on the 20th August i at the moment have no plans. The group all disband to go their seprate ways so I have to think of something fast. Southern Thaialnd and its Island beach paradises sound good...

Choices choices