hello everyone!! we've done quite a bit since last time we spoke! at the moment we're back in chaing mai waitingfor our sleeper train to take us back to bangkok. Its really really hot today so the aircon in the internet cafe is a welcome break! Well on saturday we went up to pai, its a much smaller town up furthre north. Arrived and the thais were still in full songkran mode however with our big bags our songkran spirit had maraculously dissapeared. After dodging water pistols and buckets of water and getting very lost...making us no drier, we managed to find some cheap accomadation in a pretty garden! Mr Jan made his own medicinces and seemed pretty cool! on the sunday we organised our 2 day trek to set off at 9 on the monday,and then went elephant riding! which was probably one of the most uncomfortable couple of hours ive had so far!! stradling such a massive and hairy elephant who happened to have an extremmely boney backbone ! gregs romantic notions of riding bareback dissapeared pretty quick! anyway it was a real laugh and so beautiful, he took us through the jungle and then down to the river adn we were the only ones around so felt quite special!! unfortunatley at a nearby town the kareoke was quite upsetting, but we soon got a way from that! at the river we got to swim with the elphant and wash her, whihc was so cool! on command she threw us off her back which was hysterical and she lovedit! very cold we discovered we had hot water tonigt! v eciting and feel worth mentioning!

On monday we started our trek! a breeze compared to india only 4hours a day walking and millions of breaks! i was clerly not prepared though and my legs hurt after ! the guide was a bit of a joker and was walking behind me cos he couldnt keep up! whipped out the red bull after a while and seemed to cope a bit better! First day we walked through some hilltribe villages and swam in a waterfall whihc was gorgeous and so refreshing. The 'village' we were staying in was a bit dissapointing, expecting a full on tribe we got an old man his five dogs and very strange wife. didnt see many peop,le at all! seemed to just be a farm out of town but it was a lovely night and we had supper with the others on our trek, a lovely english couple we got on really well with and a dutch couple who were nice too!! supper looking out over the mountains, cant really complain. GReg even tried monkey that the old mans nephew had shot! the stars were amazing and there was no elcetricity anywhere aruond, pitch pitch black! had another day in pai after the trek , i wasnt feeling great but greg did a days muai thai course which he loved, and was pretty good at actually! Got a bus back to chaing mai this morning and bout to get on a train to bangkok from htere we fly to vietnam tommorow afternon for another adventure! cant believe its over 5 weeks weve been away now! crazy stuff. Love to all xxxxxx