Hi everyone

How are you all coping with the cold? It's well over 35 degrees here and I'm slowly going browner. I didn't get the time to go to the internet cafe yesterday as a group of us decided to go to Cha-am to the night market. It was very busy and lots of smells from the food stalls but wasn't brave enough to eat al fresco! I bought a pair of Christian Dior sunglasses for about 3 pounds! We only had a couple of hours there and caught a taxi back, meeting up with another couple of people from the centre. On the way back we saw a car accident that had only just happened and the taxi driver pulled over so that we could 'go and have a look'! Felix (who works at the Royal Bath hospital and I were sent to see if we could help although I'm not quite sure what a hospital porter and a medical secretary could do but we were deemed suitable to go). Nobody was injured luckily so we got back into the taxi.

When we got back to the centre we found out that Pat, one of the elephant volunteers had been hit by a motorcycle that had no lights along the lane to the centre. The girl who was with him ran back for help and about 15 voluneers ran up the road to help and the Thai guy who had been riding the taxi pulled out a machete. I supposed he was terrified to see all these white people running towards him. Anyway, Pat is okay, briused and battered and resting up in bed and being waited on. We've been told to take torches with us now when we walk back in the dark.

Today has been much quieter after the pineapple picking yesterday. That was very hot dusty work and even the long sleeved shirts don't protect you from the leaves. The truck was piled high and we had to ride back sitting on the top, hanging on for dear life!

I didn't go to the school in the end as Simon, the co-ordinator had got the day wrong and it is in fact tomorrow when Abby and I have the day off. I must admit, I seem to have run out of enegy today and am so looking forward to a relaxing day at the Spa.

We've had an elephant behaviourologist arrive in the last couple of days and it's amazing watching her with the elephants. She says they are quite stressed out but obviously not as much as they could be in the city. Edwin, the owner of the centre came back today after working in a forest up North. He is a Dutch guy who came to Thailand about 15 tyears ago to set up a textile business and got distracted! He is such an inspiration and so interesting to talk to. He will be moving all the elephants to another piece of land in the near future that is much bigger and they will be able to move around more and it will be almost like living in the wild.

No more news today... I'm so tired! I'm off back to the centre, have dinner, a couple of beers and bed at 8.30

Bye for now