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Man I have been neglecting this thing! I was actually in Chang Mai almost 2 weeks ago, I just haven't found the time or fast enough net to update the blog. Anyway so having got back to Bangkok from Kho Phangan we spent just one night there and sorted out our Vietnam visas, which we later found out that we payed an extortionate amount for! but we are kind of getting numb to all the scams we've had on the trip so what the hey. So we got to Chang Mai and spent the first day mooching around and sorting out our jungle trek for the next couple of days. The main town of Chang Mai is surrounded by an old wall and moat which is pretty cool although deceptively far as we found from inaccurate maps (another scam). The first night we went to the night market, which is literally just a street with reams of stands selling all kinds of s***, and cruised around all the bars, getting barraged by the usual array of Thai girls looking for some Western delight $ The next 2 days and 1 night we did the jungle trek and stayed at a hill tribe village. Luckily we got a really good group, Canadians, Americans, Australians, Portuguese and we all got on really well. So the first day was trekking and doing an elephant ride which I'm not sure I enjoyed because it seemed pretty cruel but what can you do. In the night we ate some traditional dishes and sang songs with the locals, fuelled by a fair share of beer and local moonshine. After a cold and interrupted sleep from all the animal noises bellowing at us through the night, we trekked to a big waterfall and had a swim. Then it was off white water rafting which was pretty tame to be honest having done it properly in Oz a few years back, but enjoyable enough duelling with the other rafts. The bamboo rafting after that was actually even more lame, sitting on a s***ty raft with water up to your belly moving at snails pace for about ten minutes. Nonetheless I had f***ing sweet time the whole 2 days, mainly because everyone got on so well and we all met up the night after for a bevie or ten. On the last day, Ben went off to do a cooking class which couldn't have appealed to me less so I tagged along with the Portuguese lot to see some tigers. I had heard stories about them being sedated even though when I asked the staff they were adamant that they weren't. I don't know it could go either the way, the big ones maybe because we were getting pretty f***ing close, like lying on their bellies close, but the cubs were definitely not and they were amazing. I tell you playing around with little Tiger cubs is an unreal experience, they play around just like house cats but you can tell that they're way more badass by the way the own you if you try and ruffle them up too much, it was cool as hell, cute little f***ers too. It was surreal as well lying next to the big ones and listening to their heart beat, sedated or not I was pretty awestruck. After the tigers I finally got a traditional Thai massage, and boy did she bend me and twist me in ways I never thought possible, I was popping and cracking all over the place. And her fingers were like little mechanical vices grinding my muscles and bones making we wince like a little p**** It felt f***ing great though, I think massages should be firm, and just what I needed after the trek. That night we just chilled. Ok so the next blog will be Laos which I can tell you now was sweeeet, but I'll save that for another day. By the way we found speedman but have carried on neglecting him anyway so the franchise will remain shelved.....for now.
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