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Hannah's Great Adventure
So, we've finally left the beach and headed inland. For the last few days we've been in Chang Mai, which is the 2nd largest town in Thailand and is up in the north near the border to Laos and Burma. From Chang Mai we arranged to go on a 3 day trek into the jungle.
On the first day we left Chang Mai by jeep along with 7 others; 2 Germans, 4 beautiful Dutch girls, and a northern rugby lad from Halifax (who decided to join our trek after seeing the Dutch girls).
The first stop was 'Elephant trekking', but on the way we stopped of at a local market to buy supplies for the 3 day expedition, including 'monkey-nuts' for the elephants - which they loved! The afternoon was spent trekking up to the village where we were to spend the night. After dinner the village children sang us Thai songs - they were adorable! I went to bed wrapped in 2 sleeping bags and 4 woolen blankets - it was so cold!
On the 2nd day we left the village after breakfast and walked for most of the day. Just before sunset we arrived at camp, where we washed our stinking selves in the freezing cold river (a real 'herbal essence's' shampoo moment). We spent the night huddled round the camp fire, drinking rum and singing campfire songs. Danny the 'karoke Queen' kept the songs flowing.
On the 3rd day we went bamboo rafting down the river. The whole trip was awesome! Although I returned flea-bitten, smelly and all my muscles ached - but nothing a hot shower and a good nights sleep couldn't fix!
Chang Mai is such a beautiful City, it was the first place I was truely sad to leave.
However after 27 hours on a bus I'm now in Cambodia, and it's just like India!
When you cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia you enter through a archways which says 'Welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia'. You feel as though you've travelled back in time by about 50 years. The road from the border to Siem Reap is literally a dirt track. 6 hours on the bumpiest road imagionable, in a bus that had worse suspension than my old Metro - Joy oh Joy!
Anyway we're here now, in Siem Reap, the second biggest town in Cambodia. Tomorrow we visit Angkor Wat, which is the largest collection of temples ever discovered. And the discovery happened just a few years ago - they are meant to be amazing! After Siem Reap we head down to Phnom Penh (the capital). Cambodia has just become a democrative state after the death of Pol Pot and his strict regiem, so hardly any tourists come here. In Phnom Penh we are going to visit the killing fields along with the history of war museum. Before spending the final few days on the coast. I'm in serious need of catching some rays before heading to Australia.
Missing you all
Love Hannah xxx
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