Sawatdiikha! (Thai for hello from a female, because Clare is typing this) We're now in North Thailand after being at home for a few days for Christmas. We landed in Bangkok on 29th December after a flight with Etihad airways which was pleasantly surprising because it was so good. We were even given Hagen Daazs as a snack! We spent one night in Bangkok then travelled by overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand. We weren't sure how the seats would turn into beds and Nicky thought he'd be clever by bagging the top bunk, secretly thinking it would be the best. This didn't quite work out for him though because when the attendant made up the beds, the bottom bunk was almost one and a half times wider! We arrived in Chiang Mai on the morning of New Years Eve. The city is very nice, it's steeped in history with some beautiful temples and buildings. We weren't sure how New Year would work out but the staff in our hostel told us about an open air party that was happening in a square nearby. We went along and it turned out to be our best New Year ever. The square was packed with people, locals and farangs (Westerners), food stalls and lantern sellers. There was a really atmosphere and everyone was having a good time. Fireworks were set off at midnight that must have cost a small fortune. It was an almost 'too perfect to be true evening'. We've just returned this evening from a 2-day trek into the jungle surrounding Chiang Mai. The trek included an elephant ride, bamboo rafting and spending a night in a hilltribe village. It was a good trip but the company we went with wasn't great and there was a lot of hanging around. We also met two of the most bonkers guides ever. One talked constantly and the other was a bit crazy in a slightly scary way. We have enjoyed two Thai massages now which for anyone who doesn't know, is very intense, not really relaxing and includes yoga. Obviously Clare has loved these because she's done yoga for years but it made Nicky squeal like a little piglet as his muscles are so tight. We are moving on next to Laos next and aren't sure what to expect and are excited about the unknown. We have loaded up some more pictures. They aren't on the usual site because there's a problem uploading them,so you can view them either on Clare's facebook page or using the link below which will work for everyone, even if you're not on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=362268&id=840245275&l=93c4505087 We wish you a very happy new year and hope it's full of as much fun as we're having. Take care and stay in touch, Clare and Nicky xxx