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13/4/2011
Today was another day spent on a bus well four buses to be exact. We travelled all the way from Vang Vieng in Laos to Chiang Mai in Thailand. It was a total journey of over twenty seven hours and this was not done on the nice comfortable bus like we the one we got from Hanoi. They were your run of the mill buses and one of them we got on only had a wooden bench for a seat. The defining moment came when a Thai guy got given a plastic garden chair to sit on in the isle. It was quite an adventure to say the least.
14/4/2011
As we arrived in Chiang Mai the bus was getting constantly soaked by people on the street celebrating Thai New Year. This set the tone for the next three days. After getting checked into our hotel and had a wee power nap and some food it was time to enter the streets and get involved in the mayhem that was the Thai New Year celebrations. The reason they celebrate new year with a huge water fight is because this is to clean and clense the person ready for the start of the new year. So after buying our buckets and water pistol we hit the streets and it was mental. Every part of the street was filled with people partying and celebrating the new year, all of which had huge containers or hose's to soak everybody with. Everybody was really friendly and having lots of fun. The streets were filled with cars/truck with people in the back of them throwing water on everybody and equally everybody throwing water on them. The streets all round the canal were full to bursting point and everybody was having a great time. Some sneaky people put huge blocks of ice in their water to make it really really cold and it was quite a shock to the system when we got soaked by one of these people. We spent the next few hours on the streets with everybody chatting, celebrating, and getting soaked. After this we went back to the hotel to get washed and changed ready for the party at night in our hotel. Most of the people in the hotel came down and joined in with the fun, which gave us an opportunity to meet more people and laugh about the crazy day we all had just had.
15/4/2011
Today was very similar to yesterday in the fact that the water fight was still going on. So what else could we do but join in again. That night was pretty relaxed as we wanted to get a good nights sleep in preparation for the treking through the jungle we were going to start the next day.
16/4/2011
Today we set out on our three day treking tour through the jungle. After the initial drive out to the jungle our first activity was ti take a ride on an elephant. This was very unusual for Kirsty and I as we had never been on an elephant. Once we got settled on top of it we were off although at a very slow pace. Our elephant was very interested in eating all the plants and trees along the way so it kept stopping, but when it saw it was falling behind it was sprint to the front again it was so funny. Our elephant must not have liked us being on him because he kept spraying us with his trunk all the way along the track. We did turn a corner at one point and head up a very steep hill. This must has disagreed with the all the elephants in our group as it caused nearly all of them to pass wind a lot. Thankfully we were at the front of the group and up wind because they rest of the guys in our group said it smelt disgusting. After the elephant ride we stopped for lunch before the real treking began. Once the real treking began it was quickly apparent that it wasn't going to be a stroll in the park on a sunday it was full on up hill treking. After only ten minutes both Kirsty, I and the rest of the group were drenched in sweat. We were certainly treking now! We treked through the jungle for about four hours stopping briefly to catch our breath and drink some water. We did stop at one waterfall whilst on route to get some pictures. Once we arrived at camp we all dumped our stuff and headed straight for the river to cool off. It was glorious and very refreshing. That night we got some dinner at the camp, sat round the fire playing silly games and puzzles that our guide came up with, but everybody was in bed by nine oclock as we were all pretty tired from the days treking.
17/4/2011
Todays trek was a lot easier than the previous days, although we still treked for four hours it was broken up with various stops at waterfalls and villages. The waterfalls were very beautiful and we got the chance to swim in them and relax, which was brilliant as after an hour of walking we were all very hot and needed to cool off. We stopped at a little village for lunch before we treked on to the next waterfall and finally our camp for the night. Whilst on route from the last water fall to the camp we came across a fresh snake's skin that had been scrapped off by a rock. It was very cool but brought home the realisation that we were in the jungle with some weird and wonderful creatures. Once at the camp we swam in the river again to cool off and also to get clean before dinner. Again like the previous night after dinner we relaxed playing some cards and were all in bed pretty early.
18/4/2011
This was our final day of the trek and on the way out of the jungle was passed through some more little villages where the women had made a whole arrey of items they were trying to sell. The final waterfall we stopped at was the best and most spectacular of them all. We swan in the pool below and jumped off the rocks as well it was brilliant. We then had lunch before the final leg of the journey, which was rafting down the river on a Bamboo raft. Our guide on the raft was very funny and he was always trying to put the people on the raft in front of us in the water by tipping their raft. All along the river the guides from other boats were splashing us and also some locals who were STILL celebrating Thai New Year. The whole three days were amazing and something that Kirsty and I thouroughly enjoyed from start to finish. A great experience and one we will remember for a very very long time. That night after we all got back to the hotel and had a nice long hot shower we all went out for some dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of our journey. This was a little more lively than the previous night and we all had a fab time.
19/4/2011
After the treking Kirsty and I had a pretty chilled out day getting up late and going for lunch before we organised our night train to Bangkok that night. Once we got on the train we met a lovely Thai couple and their grandson who were going to be sleeping below us that night on the train. The little boy was the cutest thing ever and took a wee shine to Kirsty. Although when Kirsty looked or smiled at him he got all shy and hid behind his grandpa. After a couple of hours the train workers came round and sorted our beds so that everybody could sleep. It was a weird sensation being on a train but in a bed. Yet another adventure from our travels.
20/4/2011
As we arrived mid morning we got checked into our hotel and headed out for some lunch. Now as we had been in Bangkok before we had seen most of the sight so the hotel we chose to stay in had a swimming pool. So after lunch we had a lazy afternoon by the pool this gave Kirsty the chance to top up her tan and well from me to bob about the pool as lets be honest I dont tan. That night we went our in search of souveiners and little gifts. As you have to haggle and barter for everything in Thailand / Asia it was quite a task to get the items in question for a "good price". After about three hours of this we had managed to get the stuff we wanted but it is so funny bartering because you have to walk away and wait to be shouted back by the seller to get the price you are willing to pay for the item. Its a great game but it does get wearing after a while.
21/4/2011
Again after some more shopping / bartering we spent the afternoon lying by the pool relaxing before we boarded the night bus down to Koh Pan gnan. However this bus was not as luxurious as the train it was just a standard bus, but we were only on it for eightteen hours so it wasn't that bad HONESTLY !!!
22/4/2011 - 24/4/2011
Koh Phan Ngan - The day we arrived on the island we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing as we had been travelling for so long through the night. It was really nice because we were staying in a beach hut that had two hammock's for us to swing in as we watched the sun set over the sea. The next day the highlight had to be us hiring scooter's and as I went to pull away from the Thai lady we were renting them from, I lost control and fell off the scooter in a comedy fashion. Kirsty being the caring person she is she just laughed and laughed and laughed at me. The look not only on the face of the lady we were renting the scooter and the ladies that rushed out of the kitchen upon hearing the loud bang we priceless. So I did the dignified thing picked myself and the scooter up and drove off very embarrassed indeed. We did have fun driving the scooter around the island to the main town and back that day before we relaxed on the beach some more. The final morning on Koh Phan Ngan was spent relaxing before we boarded the boat to Koh Samui.
24/4/2011 - 27/4/2011
Koh Samui - The majority of our time in Koh Samui was spent on the beach trying to top up the tan in Kirsty's case and trying to get some sort of a tan in mine. We did find a lovely little fruit market that we visited most morning's for fresh fruit for breakfast. We did have to hire scooter's again to travel round to the immigration office to extend our Thai visa as it was due to run out on the 27th of April. There were no major disasters this time and we managed to get round and back without any incidents. We did have a small problem once we got back to our side of the island. We parked up and when we went back to the scooter's they wouldn't start. Oh no !!! So after serveral attempts to get them started we dicided to push them back to the shop. Just as we started pushing them a waiter approached Kirsty and an English guy approached me to alert us to the fact that the scooter had a kick start and we should use that. One kick and it started we felt like such fools. One night we did go to an ice bar however after the floods from early in april the bar was still under construction so it was not very impressive at all but still very expensive to get in so we decided against going in.
27/4/2011 - 4/5/2011
Koh Phi Phi - Just like the previous islands we have been on the majority of our days were spent on the beach relaxing and topping up the tan. On some nights we went down to the beach to watch the different fire shows that the various bars had on offer. We did take a hike up to the top of the island to a lookout point at sunset one night. The view over the island was beautiful and as the sun was setting it cast the most amazing colours on the sea and sand below. Kirsty and I did have a day each where we were not feeling very well but it didn't stop us having a really good time on the island. The 4th was mainly spent travelling on boat, bus and plane to get to Kuala Lumpa.
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