Hi Everyone!!

We are currently in Pai in Northern Thailand which has been amazing!!

Getting here was a bit of an ordeal (as is to be expected when Steve and I travel). We had to catch a mini bus through the mountains from Chiang Mai to Pai. Having conquered the first few steep slopes, the bus began making some awful noises!! Em and I were sat at the back giggling and saying things like 'imaging if the bus broke down', meanwhile Steve was peacefully listening to his Ipod. Well wouldn't you know it, about 1.5 hours into a 3 hour journey, the bloody bus gave up on one of the steepest inclines you have ever seen!! It was only at this point that we discovered that the handbrake didn't work!!

We remained fairly calm - until the bus started rolling backwards, during which there was a bit of screaming!! The driver eventually got it stopped and some rocks beneath the tyres did the trick!!

Our new friend Mareeka couldn't believe her luck!! (she is the one with the blond hair in the photo above). Given that the bus wasn't going anywhere, we decided to show a bit of thigh Julia Roberts Style and hitch a lift to Pai!!

Luckily a kind couple took a shine to the 4 of us instantly and before we knew it we were on the road again in a luxury range rover.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sal and Clary thought we were dead as we hadn't shown up and were trying in vain to reach us. To their relief, we turned up a good 6 hours later........................

Other than that incident, Pai has been great. Its really remote and quiet and made up of hills tribe people. Yesterday we went to the Temple and Waterfall (photos in the album) and today I have had a cookery lesson (everyone will be forced to eat the food later).

Tomorrow we head to the South Islands via Chiang Mai (wish us luck in the mountains)

Bye for now

Jon and Steve x