Hi

We are sitting in an internet bar in a very small village called Umphang in quite a remote part of Thailand. So remote, you won't be able to see it on the map, but hey. It's south of a town called Mae Sot which should be on a map near the border with Burma. Umphang itself is a hair raising (and arse numbing) 4 hour journey south via local minivan around the edge of lush, tropical mountains. We have just finished a 3 day trek out in the jungle and are pretty god damn exhausted. The first day we went on raft ride for 3 hours in the morning, not very exhausting I grant you, but then we had to do a 4 hour jungle trek largely uphill to a campsite near the Tee Lor Su Falls. The campsite was pretty bug infested and freezing at night (I thought our camping days were behind us - at least it didn't rain) and the toilets were terrifying. Sleeping on the floor is just as comfortable as it sounds as that's pretty much what it was, but it was all worthwhile in the morning when we walked 1/2 hour to the falls. These are just incredible. We will put up some pictures soon but have a look yourself in the meantime and you will see for yourself. Seven tiers high and offering swimming in beautiful aqua marine pools and the chance to jump from one to the other, it made the last night more than worthwhile.

After the swim we trekked off again into the jungle to make it to a hill tribe village for the night. Slept in a bamboo hut listening to jungle sounds and dog fights in the village. The people out there lead a very simple way of life with no electricity, hot water or road in and out. Not sure I envy them that. Although, Bambo is very handy and I'm sure I could knock up a few things myself given the chance (well, a cup maybe). The village people keep livestock and sell various things including....baby elephants. Not for food but hmm...cheap labour I guess you could call it. We found out ourselves on a 3 hour elephant ride through the forest and accross the river to end our trek. Elephant riding is not the sedate experience we imagined as it involves mainly clinging on for dear life as the elephant scales and descends incredibly steep forest paths or simply creates new ones. Great stuff. I want one. Morning rush hour, no problem. They smell a bit mind and there would be a lot of elephant dung about but no road tax.

I stray from the point. Having a fantastic time so far and have been other cool places on our way here so will have to post a backdated entry about that.

Hope all are well. Please keep in touch via this journal. It would be great to hear from you. Take care. See you soon(ish).

love

Betty and Paul.