Wednesday night went to check out Khao San Road, met a few English people. Thursday went to check out a few temples, took a ride in a tuk-tuk, the driver wanted to take me on to a gem place, after much persuasion and 40baht I managed to get rid of him and walk back to the hotel - bad idea. I kind of had an idea where I was going but just kept walking, got majorly lost, streets I couldnt even see on the map, had to get a taxi back, turned out I was 10km away from the hotel.

Friday met up with a guy from New York, we went to visit the Grand Palace, although somehow managed to get lost from him. Sat morning checked out of the hotel, had to find a guesthouse. The room was so small, the length of the bed with like 30cm at the end and a sliding door, and the shower, did I miss it, there was a hose. By Sunday Bangkok was really pissing me off, I booked myself on the next flight to Chaing Mai.

Ghaing Mai

Arrived in Chaing Mai on the 17th, alive. The flight was awful, was shaking all the way along the runway, and then nearly tipped over as it took off. Was also shaking all the way to Chaing Mai, was expecting it to fall out the sky at any second. Checked into a really nice guesthouse - The Rose in the old town, the room was huge compared to the place in Bangkok, 100baht a night and breakfast included. I booked myself on a 3 day trek in the Pai area, a 3hr drive from Chaing Mai, 1800 baht for 3 days, 2 nights, all transport and accommodation, quite a good deal.

There was 12 of us, guide included. Our guide thought I was only 15, much to everyones amusement. First day we set off, first stop was a market to buy the food, were they were selling maggots and cockroach, to eat. There wasn't much walking on the first day, only around 2 hours, the first village we stopped at we tried some tobacco in banana leaf. Next village we stopped at we stayed the night, one of the guys in the village was offering more than tobacco, but we just stuck to their homemade whisky - not as good as the Scottish stuff. Next day after breakfast we set off for the next village - too much walking.

Our guide said there would be a party there that night, great we thought. Our not so tough guide, pointed out a baby iguana on a tree although crapped himself when he went to touch it and it moved. We had to walk through a pitch black cave, not much fun when we only had 2 torches between the 12, we walked through some fields where they grow opium, and one of the guys in the next village was offering it for 50baht a pipe. We arrived at the village, after dinner, the guide says the party is over there, some people dancing around a tree, beating a drum, was no party to us Day 3, we were woken at 4am, by the chickens outside the hut, thankfully there was no walking, just going down the river on a bamboo raft, we were on the rafts for about 2 hours, going over rapids almost falling off. Our guide says there a 40 foot waterfall coming up, we didnt believe him, and then we saw the water disappear, not quite 40feet, about 15 feet down a slope of rock. After that was off for ride on an elephant, 3 of us on 1 elephant, hanging on as it charged across the fields.

I also met up with Lisa who Id been emailing from back home. She was also on a trek in Chaing Mai; dont think she enjoyed it as much as I did. Also met up with her on Phi Phi (more later). I left Chaing Mai on the 22nd, back to Bangkok

So after my 3-day trek in the hills in Chaing Mai, headed back to Bangkok on Thursday night. Took the overnight bus, 11 hours. No seatbelts in this bus, not very reassuring when a Swedish girl I met that day said her friend was in a bus crash in Thailand and spent 3 months in hospital. Met a guy from Yorkshire on the bus called Matt, he was also doing a trek, seems everyone just goes to Chaing Mai to do a trek. Also had 2 Japanese guys asking if I knew Mel Gibson, they knew Scotland from Braveheart, for some bizarre reason thought I knew him.

So I headed back to Bangkok 2 weeks ago to celebrate my 21st. Checked into The Royal Hotel again. This time had a much nicer room, and no noise. Little did I know that my 21st was on the same day as a religious festival in Thailand - Buddha Day. I turned up at this bar to be greeted with the words 'No Beer', no beer I said, "Religious festival, no beer in all of Thailand". FUCK! Ordered a coke, and decided to head off to find a place serving alcohol. After a long walk, all of 10 seconds along Khao San Road, we managed to find a few places selling beer.