Hey Joe,

If possible, try and stay in Julie's Guesthouse in Chiang Mai. It's really cool and cheap as chips! It's often booked up though, so you might want to try Jonadda Guesthouse, big rooms and great breakfasts.

Enjoy the elephants, they're great fun x

Alrite,

Ok so far sounds like you living it up, joe style. Everything is still on for wednesday. Ben and i will be joining you very soon. Stop flirting with all these guys, french, american and scottish men, i mean none of them are even Itallian Me and ben will book our flights out of Bangkok to the islands later today don't worry. Can't believe its so cheap, stay by your phone. Text you when its done. Everyone says hello. Can't wait to get out of England, its just so dull. Avoiding your mum, she maybe annoyed with me. Still can't believe you went on your own and didnt wait, but that is so you. See you well soon. Hampo is well excited by the way. LADS ON TOUR!!!!!!!!!

Sound like you are having a brilliant time. I have just spent much of this evening trying to quell a water riot between three boarding houses and narrowly missed getting hit by flying bananas ... must be the hot weather. Doesn't really compare to riding tigers and stroking elephants, or boxing the olympic champions, but then Shrewsbury is a bit out in the sticks. Did you enjoy the Holland/Italy and Spain/Russia games? I don't think Greece will win this year (although they do still have a slightly higher chance of doing that than England. Seb and Matt say hi,

Take care

love

Dad

Dearest Joe,

relieved to hear from you after such a long radio silence. It all sounds wonderful and so pleased that you've met some other travellers to spend time with so you're not alone. Any news about Johnny joining you in a week or so?

No news from home apart from the usual AQA stuff which for some reason I don't understand fails to grip you. Father's Day on Sunday so Ali and I are off to Glyn Ceiriog. Nicky went to see Nain and Taid last weekend before going fruit picking with Poles, which has left Nain and Taid overwhelmed with pride in him. I hope you will go and visit them when you return from distant parts.

Looking forward to the next installment of your blog. Make sure you write regularly now you've worked out how to do it.

Mum xxx

Hi Joe,

I told your Mum I didnt think you'd regret heading off on your own, and it doesnt sound as if you are doing!

Pete would certainly recommend learning to dive at Ban's Koh Tau - just avoid the Israeli diving instructor Rosa had, the only one Pete didnt get on with.

Have a great time!

right sorry bout the delay cannot work out how to use this thing and thanks for all ur messages just realised that i had any thought the blog thig was were ppl wrote to me. got into bangkok and stayed in a hostel to the east in sukumvit. was rly good met lots of great ppl there and went out in bagkok clubbing the first two nights with these americans i met there. then went on one of the nights out i rode an elephant down the kho san road! its a strange country. then i went to a thai boxing match and met thailands only ever olympic gold medalist apprently hes a national hero, he was v nice tho was cool to meet him all thai ppl are v impressed wen i tell them. then i went over to the river kwai with this scottish guy where we say the bridge stroked tigers at the tiger temple and had a fun night out with these two french guys i met who were rly funny. am now heading up north with the same scottish guy in thailands old capitol at the moment which im not even going to try to spell. and we are going to hire some bicycles tomorrow to see the old temples then go on a boat ride roun the city, due to the number of rivers, its technically an island and so its name means invincible or uninvadable. it was later invaded and destryed by the burmese in the 1700 but some very nice old temples still here. then we are going to travel up to sukotai another old capitol. then up to chang mai thailands second city. then i'll go dwn south probably to phi phi samui phang nan and tao if i have the money i want to go diving in tao apparently its very good there. the scottish guy is very fun his name is mike and will probs travel with him 4 bout another week till he goes up to laos hes on a round the world trip. but is into his football so we have been watching all the euro games in a different city each nite. am having a great time and everything is very cheap here. my thai is geting better but being as i really offended the first person i tried to say thankyou to thats not hard. having a great time and thanks agen for all the messages. love joe xxxxx

Hi Joe

Greetings from just down the road in Singapore, hopefully you've got better things to do than write on people's blogs, I'm just killing time waiting for next flight, but still would be great to hear how you're doing..... take care and enjoy everything. Love Ali xxx

ps Steve, I've just started Time traveller's wife, loving it.

Hi Joe,

Great to hear you're following the travelling trail too, and you can't get much better than Thailand. How are you finding Bangkok? We stayed on a hostel on Khao San Road which was a bit of a mistake, think Leo's hostel in 'The Beach' minus the blood thankfully.

Where are you planning on going next? We really enjoyed Chiang Mai and if you're going there you should definitely do a trek which includes elephant riding etc.

You might not have enough time to go North though, in which case you'll probably be heading down to the islands. Our favourite was Koh Tao, it's one of the biggest and has lots going on. Pha Ngan was quite nice and where the monthly Full Moon Parties are held. Apparently Samui is expensive so we didn't go there.

On the West Coast we went to Koh Phi Phi which is beautiful but a bit more pricey than Koh Tao etc. Koh Lanta is the next island which is cheaper and apparently lovely but we didn't go there.

We were warned not to go near Phuket, it's a crap hole!

If you want any advice regarding hostels, travel etc then just let us know.

You're very brave going on your own, we wouldn't have been able to do it.

Have a fantastic time, enjoy the sun, enjoy the food, and enjoy how cheap everything is.

love,

Rosa & Kev

Hi Joe,

It was great to see you Fruday, sorry it was so short. Hope you arrived safely. If you can get hold of it listen to 'From Her to Eternity' by Nick Cave. Good music to get melancholy to as you watch the sun set from some Thai beach hostel. Take care and have a wonderful time. Did you get hold of 'Time Traveller's wife'? It's a good book for travelling with. Episodic and engaging. Ok back to learning guitar.

Love

Dad

Hi Joe,

Good luck with all the Buddhas. We await your first posts with bated breath.

I fear I may have to give up the day job in order to keep track of two blogs, especially if you keep up with Rosa's pace on the photos.

Have suggested R&K contact you with Thai recommendations though you might already be doing that in that facemagazine/ headbook or whatever that new fangled thing is called.

Much love

Janet and Philip

Dearest Joe,

Hope that you landed safely and that the flight was OK. Did Qatar Airlines feed you at all?

Imagine that you're reading this on your first full day in Bangkok after your night in the hostel. Met any nice (and respectable) people? Keep us informed of your whereabouts and stay safe!