Just heading out of Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong which is on the Laos border to catch the slow boat down to Luang Prabang.We have spent 4 nights 5 days here in Chiang Mai and i can say it has been very eventful to say the least and has the 2 best days of my life in it.

Arriving at the station after a pretty funny but tiring journey I did the whole 'have we got everything, yeah?"..."yup aslong as you have your wallet and passport it doesn't matter" and that was the problem.Somewhere along the way Rob's wallet went missing.Either he had lost it or he was pick-pocketed in the station but either way we were tired, walletless and in a non decision making mood with no accomodation.First thing first was to head to town towards starbucks to get a hot choc and use their wifi to get the banking numbers and to get his cards blocked.It also involved a trip to the police station later in the day for the paper work so he can claim back the losses on his insurance.

We had a wonder around looking for a place to stay but never really found anything that took our fancy.Someone recommended staying at Julie's guesthouse so we fell back on that choice and i'm very glad we did.The place is so relaxed its unbelievable.We had only arrived 5 mins and already met more people than the whole 2 days in Bangkok.Pool was free and there was plenty of chilling out areas.We loved the self service honesty tab and this basically meant you go to the fridge, take out a beer and write it in your book with the price and name.This can be abused very easily! But, we are honest guys and its still 'facking cheap' so we wrote most of them down J.

I instantly loved the place.The people were nice, the atmosphere was good and chiang mai as a whole is stunning.Being tired we never really did anything so spent most ofthe day sorting Robs wallet and getting him some dollar.In the evening we had some Chang (6.4% lager) and we perked up a bit before going out to a Muay Thai Boxing match.It was pretty good and we had nice front row seats.They were really funny to watch and only about 14 years old and were just constantly being knocked out and getting straight back up (a bit woberly) and knocking the other guy out.One fight i'm sure they knocked each other out a good 5 or 6 times before it was called off, very funny to watch.There was also a special event where 3 people enter the ring and are blind folded.Swinging all over the place, attacking the referee and just battering each other.

The following day we decided to actually do something a bit more cahrazy, wahey.We had been talking to a Scottish guy who said they had hired motorbikes and been to a waterfall about 20km out of chiang mai.It sounded amazing so we arranged to have some bikes brought over.They cost £3 for a day and we put in £1 of petrol with half of it left over at the end.We were very cautious at the start but our confidence grew and so did our speed.These little bikes were really fast and flat out you could get about 112kmh so about 65-70mph.May not sound a lot but out here on these roads it's like an R1!Later we found out the speed limit was 80 for a bike and 100 for a car....so it was no wonder we over took everything.The waterfalls were stunning and was really refreshing to have a dip after a dusty sweaty bike ride so it was welcomed though when a local kids school arrived and 7 of them took a liking to sitting round round our bags I got out. We travelled about 100km taking us through random towns and villages which were alot more under developed compared to the city but this is what we wanted to see, the real Thailand. We stopped for a meal in 1 of these villages and had a chicken rice dish, yes with random bits of veg and stuff in but don't ask me what it was, and for about 80p with a bottle of coke it was good.Hoping back on the bikes we went down a random back street and up a mountain just to see what it was like.We got so many odd looks as if to say 'who, what, where, why are you here' but we gambled and kept going.There were shacks, big villas, farms, drug baron's the lot.

On the way back we stopped to check to elephants out and a browse around the tiger zoo.Now your all probably going to say why didn't you do it but for £3.20 you could of hugged/stoke/lay down with the fluffy things.They do look cute, but no! I'd like to keep my arms.

The night, well what do you think?Its probably the worst drunken state I've ever been in and was probably down the home brewed whiskey, red bull and coke cocktail.Nothing was really planned at the start of the night but again got chatting to more people, this time 2 thai girls that worked in the hostel who were heading out to town and asked if we were going aswell...so we did.First stop, Reggae Bar.A great laugh and chilled out placed.2nd stop, Rock Bar, great atmosphere and songs.3rd stop, Spicy.

By this point it's a bit like the hangover trying to piece things together.

During the rock bar I was talking to a couple of slovakian's.Well if you have seen a place in Slovakia (program on tv) then you will know for about £120,000 you could buy a huge 20 bedroom chateau with 50 acre's.Well that was about 8 years ago and since they have joined the EU but still i called them poor referring it to the traditional Slovakian way with the old goats and horses and carts.But they were probably the nicest people I have met so far..

Then I got talking to an aussie girl that was pretty fit and I can't really go on about what happened as family will be reading this and there are some things you just have to keep to yourself.So yeh, moving swiftly on.

During this trip Me, Dan and Rob haven' really done much in the way of representing our nation.But it creates some very funny banter and action.For example....I was chatting to a nice looking girl from Iceland the conversation was pretty short and went like this."Hey, you alright? Where you from?," "Hi, i'm from Iceland" , "ooooo, can we have our money back please?" Well, she was NOT impressed and she walked off with a hand gesture.So it looks like not, but i tried guys.

Spicy's...what a place.Can't tell you alot about it except it was swarming with mainly thai's and that they have magic toilets.I've never got lost before in a toilet but now i can safely say i have.How can you walk into a toilet from 1 club and when you walk out your in the club next door (theres only 1 club in chiang mai)?I was lost andI had about 5 people who worked there checking the toilets for this magic door telling them i had walked through from the club next door and that i wanted to go back there, how can i find it?There was no magic door. I left, which door i couldn't tell you as there was only 1 way in to this place and it was through that magic toilet. I walked back.So i thought.After losing my mates, i lost my hostel.The tuktuk had to be called in to save me though i don't know how he got any sense out of me at the time.I'm pretty sure the tuktuk ride lasted about an hour and probably via the TAT (tourist information, where they take you and make you buy things) it also may of cost a million baht....i dunno?When i got back the gates were locked shut and no-one was there.It was 4am though.Obviously its a good idea to try and climb it but half way up a guy saved my life and opened the gate.Rob had the key so i couldn't get in and had sit in the lobby, probably for 2 hours until my life was saved again!Rob had turned up and not alone.He had only gone brought a Finnish guy back with him.Apparently he was lying on the street passed out so Rob saved him aswell.There is a picture of this by the way, i'll get it off Rob as its pretty funny.Rob has some kind of fetish for guys with beards we have now discovered aswell. Dan never came home until about 8am where he had done the old walk of shame but this time from the Thai girl's house that worked there.Nothing happened as he got into bed and just passed out straight away.Funny thing was, she argued with him about him sleeping on her side of the bed, very funny.

Later after talking to the Thai girl when she was walking back I had passed her in the tuktuk.I had driven passed n she was like 'ay, thats Matt' .Well it was and funnily enough i was heading in the wrong direction (to the TAT probably).Dan! He said nothing.Just like Manford says "when you see your mate in danger you say.....nothing".I also discovered i had been sick outside the gate and in the lobby but i don't remember it so i don't think that counts really.

Saturday, 23rd Jan....nothing.We slept like a lion and only saw 4 hours of the day.But we did get to the market which i really enjoyed.Unlike England where everyone sells the same stuff I don't think there were two stalls the same and selling some pretty good things i thought.

Sunday, what an amazing day.We took a day trip that included trekking, waterfalls, bamboo rafting, white water rafting and the obvious elephant riding.You can't go to Thailand without riding one and do it! Its amazing.Me and Dan sat on his back and Rob was rodeo'ing his neck.A couple of people bought banana's, we never.When i saw them selling bananas i thought that's strange, why would i want a bunch of banana's in the middle of no where.Erm, i think elephants like bananas and ours was not best pleased.Everytime we mentioned these bloody banana's his trunk was straight up saying helloooo!Poor thing, though it was pretty fat so i think in the long run its done him a favour.Its actually really hard to stay on them and you have to hold on tightly.I particularly enjoyed seeing a fat guy on one and the side of the thing was at a bit of an angle....poor elephant.We walked around the forest to the river where they had a drink and a bit of a splash before heading back.I'm sure everyone reading this is jealous :P what a shame.

Trekking, was good but its just walking really with.We arrived at a waterfall and after a hot n sweaty walk climbing rocks and over logs it was really refreshing.It was very cold and it started raining aswell, only light drizzle as we were up in the mountains so don't think its not hot J.White water rafting wasn't amazing but it was such a laugh.This will mean nothing to you but "toooooo tttthhheee LEEEEEEFT" haha.The guide was a top man and good at his job.At one point it just cruises for a while and with 8 boats there is going to be a fair bit of splashing going on.We never started it but we certainly finished it.We did get aloadt of american's and they were the mardiest a*******s you could ever imagine. We named it the party boat.It was 5 girls and a lad, who didn't want to get wet white water rafting.We got quite a few death stares but we laughed and threw some banter at them.O and an apple.Why Rob , would you decide its a good idea to throw an apple at them in the hope it would bounce off there helmut.Anyway it hit smiler on the arm...."FFFFOOOORRRRRWWWWWAAARRRRDDDD!" haha.We enjoyed it and probably hadn't laughed so much all trip.The main guys paddle broke so i had to lend him mine for the rest of it but i got to steerin the end so it was all good.

It was a bit of a shame the trip was full of dirty, fat, smoking, annoying old French people.How can you smoke that much?!It didn't hamper our spirits though and was such a good day, all for £20.

We ate that night at the market.Thailand is full of loads of different cultures and the food is apparently amazing.You all know i'm the worst eater ever.Everything plain and boring but why change when you happy with what you know lol.I've eaten a fair few rice dishes since i've been here and they are all different.This market had a vegetable rice, chicken in bread crumbs and these spicy chicken balls (i hope they were chicken, something meaty atleast).Thai's do like there spice!I ate half of it and gave up, 20mins after and even drinking it was still burning! Beware.

Again, back on the old Chang and whiskey buckets but this time we had alot more buckets.Randomly selecting a cocktail.We were at the reggae and rock bars: me, dan, rob and eat (the Thai girl, it's obviously not spelt like that but thats how its pronounced). Rob went back to get his fags and never returned :/ But the rest of us drinking man-size got on with having a good night.A bit like wing wahs they played a happy birthday tune to a guy called Justin.A top guy who was 29 that night.He was with a load of other people he knew from Liverpool university and they were all really friendly.The last time we were at this bar is was rammed and the dance floor was chocka. We wanted to dance but you can't with just 3 people unless you want to be called a c*** so dan got on it.He gathered Justin and his friends and got the dance floor going.We stayed about 20mins and when we left....it was rammed J.

Then to SPICY!It wasn't half as busy as the other night but it was still pretty good and I met loads of random people and can remember approaching a guy who had just been with a thai girl thinking i knew him.After about 10 seconds of him looking funny at me i didn't but i was already deep in convo and rather than looking a fool i kept going lol.It was a much more successful night and i made it back without the aid of a tuktuk.I insisted that Eat would take Dan home so that i didn't have to spoon him again...it paid off and i had the bed to myself.

The mosquito's love me! I have a good 60/70 bites and on the back of my arms they are all bumpy as they are the size of smarties and itch like mad.Not only that they constantly have puss luring out of them which attracts the flies so they can have drink. Not good.

It is now the 25th January, 8 days in and i think we are bang on schedule.Rob has decided to stay in Chiang Mai with a guy he met last night (probably had a beard and shaved this morning before i saw him) and has gone motorbiking again so myself and Dan are off to Laos.

Bye for now x