So after spending a very lazy 6 days relaxing and eating our way through the Northern village of Pai, we caught the bus back to Chiang Mai and looked for a cookery course (Simon was having withdrawal symptoms). We were recommended a perfect option at a place called 'Sammi's Farm' half an hour away from the city. 'Sammi' picked us up in the morning and took us to a lovely organic farm, stopping at a local market on the way where his wife explained the more curious produces like Black Jelly, Thai black pudding (big ball of chickens blood), 'Ear' mushrooms that look like said bodypart, and Durian fruit (The 'king' fruit, spikey on the outside and smells like cheesey feet on the inside, banned from buses and enclosed spaces). The farm was overflowing with herbs, spices, vegetable, fruits and rice where we learned to cook 6 dishes each like spring rolls, Pad Thai, Papaya salad, mango and sticky rice, Tom Yum soup and also learned to make the paste for Thai jungle curry and yellow curry. We were so stuffed by the end of the day we had to take our curries back to the hotel. There were only 4 of us on the course, would definitley recommend it to everyone!

After another coupleof days in hectic Chiang Mai we took the bus to Chiang Rai, a calmer, less tourity more 'livable' town North towards the Burma/Laos border. On the first night we were lucky to stumble across the Saturday 'walking market' where they close of huge lengths of the street to traffic and masses on markets selling everything from hand crafted instruments and clothes to flurescent ice drinks and skewered squids. It was mostly all locals which made a nice change from the very western tourist areas we've been so far. They had a large dancing and drinking area (there's an entertaining video we've uploaded here) There was a different dance for each song and you had dance in a circle round a pole- a bit like maypole dancing. A couple of friendly families invited us to the tables and plied us with Chang, lovley evening!

We ended up staying for 5 days in Chiang Rai, the hotel had a nice pool, and we had a couple of days out a nearby town around the 'Golden Triangle' area - famous for its past in the opium trade between Burma, Laos and Thailand. We also visited a modern 'White' Temple designed by a local artist which is white washed on the outside, covered with tiny mirrors and unusual Sci-Fi relics like the Predictor rising from the ground, crab-angels and hanging heads on the trees? There's some photos on the new album, we couldnt take any inside as it was being painstakingly painted with half traditional images and half abstract film images, unusual but very interesting! We also went out with a couple of guys, one Thai one French, to a local Bar with live local music and shared a litre bottle of Thai whiskey, fried chicken tendons and some strange Catfish (which more resembled deep-fried flossy batter?!)

We then caught the bus to Chiang Khong on the border which is apparently where they catch giant Catfish, we were told it was only one month a year and it had passed, but we have also heard its now illegal as they endangered. The next day we caught a 'slow boat' into Laos stopping at immigration on the way, its been a very relaxing 2 day journey floating down the Mekhong with a Beer Lao and a sarnie! (We have been resisting the option of 'Fa rang' or foreigner food but the sandwiches are fantastic here after decades of French occupation) We stopped off at Pak Beng for a night and have now arrived in Luang Prabang, the luxurious French style harbour town in the North of Laos.

One thing i definitley would recommend to anyone thinking of travelling here is come in the low season. Its been really hot and is soon to turn rainy but you can get almost half priced rooms and purchases and its not packed to the brims with tourists. I've rambled for long enough and there are some little local kids pestering us to get on the computers! Hope everyone is well, and its getting a little warmer in sunny England?

Missing you all lots, Rach and Si xxx