hi hope you are all well and the weather in scotland is a bit cooler than this. i told you i would miss the cold rain and its only been 4 days. sitting here sweating writing this.

anyway arrived in bangkok and was a bit taken aback as was jenni. it is massive busy, noisy smoggy - manic! got to the sanctuary of the hilton and chilled out that night. the hilton was nice but pricy compared to eating elsewhere. it was very weird though everyone opening doors for you and bowing with clasped hands - not what i am used to at springburn health centre!!! i tried to reciprocate this bow with clasped hands and jenni laughed so from then on have just done a swift curt nod of the head that seems to do the trick - just like springburn health centre.

we have both found bangkok a bit manic - dont get me wrong it is an interesting city however as someone we met said it is a third world city with a tourist veneer. we did the usual tourist thing - Kho san road where i got well and truly fleeced even after stuart mitchells advice! although fra malcolm may be interested in some hair growing formula i picked and and it seems to be working a treat! we got husseled into a tuk tuk and were whisked aroud downtown to the standing buhhda , the buddha at the top of the mountain , the reclined buddha and the blinking sleeping one or something like that. to be fair it only cost 75 pence for this two hour tour although on the way we were taken to the suit shop and jewellery shop but resisted buying anything and got to use the toilet for free - felt a bit cheeky but heh ho.

visited pat pong and managed to survive walking up patpong 1 and down number 2 without too much hassel. were encouraged a few times to go see ping pong show but jenni wasnt up for it!! went to the MBK centre and spent a fortune - well about 2000 bhat about 30 pounds on clothes! stuggled to fit them into my bag though last night as we prepared to leave manic bangkok. we also visited the grand palace and plently of photos which we will upload when i remember to bring the leads with me.

left early this mornig and was escorted to the train station by a guy from the Tourist Association Of Thailand (TAT) who we booked our train and accomodation through for chang mai. we got on the train and have ended up here in Ayutthaya the ex capital of thai and guess what more temples, more heat and have duly taken refuge in one of the many bars, unfortunatley we did get a bit lost trying to find a suitable watering hole due to our guide book pointing one out that was closed but didnt mind wandering about aimlessly in the sweltering heat with sore feat and a severe dry throat in the wrong direction and ever two bloody seconds the lovely sweet bloody tuk tuk drivers asking us to jump in for exhouberent prices i wouldnt pay at home - but as you know i am so laid back in these sorts of situations it didnt phase me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jenni may tell a slightly different story but sure you know where the truth lies.

sitting it out here having a few - beers that is - while waiting our night train to chaing mai and it looks like there will be a straight fight between me and jenni who is going to get the top bunk. got a place booked in chaing mai town centre for tomorrow before we head on a three day trek then a further 4 days in chaing mai before heading further north and into the unkown of laos and down the mekong. not too sure of what the guest house will be like - a bit concerned it will not be up to the standards of the 4 star hilton!!!!

better go and sit under the fan again and slurp some beer - honest my first of the day! forgive me any spelling mistakes but the keyboard only has thai writing on it so i have had a crash course in thai.

will upload photos hopefully from chaing mai. hope everyone is doing well. jenni says a big hello - sure she will want to write her own wee bit shortly but i have been hogging the computer.

all the best love gillon and jenni