Thailand - Bangkok, Chiang Mai

We *love* Thailand!  We got here a week ago and it's been great so far.  The traffic is exciting to say the least but we haven't seen anyone die yet so it must work all right!  Just road "suggestions" instead of  road rules... I am a bit worried because I think I am starting to get used to this way of driving.  Our first day we had in Bangkok, and we just wandered round with eyes wide and mouths open.  We did a temple & city tour which was good.  Then the next morning on the plane to Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai is very nice, smaller than Bangkok so a bit less chaotic and a bit better to wander around in - you don't get touts hitting you up everywhere and stuff.  The Thai people are wonderful huh?  Always helpful and willing to try and communicate with you, even if the ones that don't speak much or any English - it makes things very easy.  Even the touts are pleasant enough (in their own way!  But very good at their job!!!)

So, we got to Chiang Mai at about 10am and checked into our four star hotel that costs all of $50 a night (we're staying on one more night tonight).  Again we just looked around on the first day.  That night we met the people we were going trekking with, our guide Dair and our porter/apprentice guide Dee.  Our trekking group you know from the address list I just sent you!  They were a great bunch, we all got on really well, except for Arno and Verena, who were quite quiet and 'couply', plus spoke very little English - by that I mean they were good to travel with but we didn't have much conversation (even the other Germans found that though!)  Anna and Carlos also spoke hardly any English but we had a great time trying to talk to each other and them trying to teach us Spanish.  The other three  Germans were school friends who were now at different Unis around Germany and were lots of fun.  And MeeSook is Korean born, raised in Paris, now living in Wales...!

The trekking itself was lots of fun.  We saw three hilltribe villages - but they were a bit over-visited and mainstream Thai'ised.  The first one even had electricity and cars!  But it still seemed to be genuine people as opposed to something put on for the farangs.  We walked three hours the first day - the hardest day, walking up hills in 35 degrees and 80-90% humidity is, well, interesting!  Then we stopped at the first tribe, the Lisu.

The next day we walked for another four hours in the morning, but easier terrain - just 20min up hill and then just along the top of a ridge.  The countryside was jungly, but not too dissimilar to NZ beech forest in places (aside from the odd palm!!)  Then, after our fine lunch cooked by our guide, we had a 2 hour elephant ride to a Karen village.  A bit daunting at first, being so far off the ground and the seat was pretty minuscule for my Neanderthal legs, but once you got used to it - and the rubber chicken between my legs and the metal bar at the end of the seat, for padding - it was fine.  Elephants are amazingly sure-footed huh?  And when they detour to eat it's incredible - they just wrap their trunk around small trees and strip them of leaves!

When we reached the Karen village we stopped for another yummy dish by our guide, and some photos of the rubber chicken with the villagers. Sleeping quarters for both nights was a thatched hut with bamboo matting floor - hard but comfortable.  They supplied blankets and pillows, so no sleeping bags were needed, though we brought our silk liners for a bit more comfort.

The next and final day was by bamboo raft that Dair and Dee had knocked together.  It was a tame ride compared to rubber-rafting the Shotover or something, but the extra spice of the raft sinking to calf depth in rough water, and the ever-present risk of it coming apart completely added to the fun...!  This took about 5 hours, with 5 people on each raft.  On the way we stopped at a Lahu village (plus a couple of Akha people who had hiked in from their village 2 hours away to sell us stuff!).

Then it was back in the 'van' - a ute with a canopy and bench seats on the back deck - for another hairy drive back to Chiang Mai, sometimes even on the left side of the road once in a while!  On the way we stopped at a Snake farm which was very sad - a really tacky show and a chance to see miserable snakes, birds and other wildlife in small dirty cages.  Never mind.

After the trek we all went our various ways for washing three days of accumulated grime out and met up again at McDonald’s (Martin's choice not mine!!) - eventually it was 2am and we were all at the 'fake' Hard Rock Cafe, agreeing to meet again in a year for trekking in Spain!

Well better go spend more baht at the night market.

London - Camden Market

Packed the car up and we took it back to Avis.

Hopped on the tube to Victoria. Dumped all the gear with Robert and Mum in a taxi and left to go to Camden Market.

Got off the tube at Camden and wandered down the street. Full of stalls and stuff but no cheaper than in town.

Bought some 501s for £45 and Dr Martens for £50.

Karen caught up with Cheryl who is working here for a couple of years.

Back to our hotel for the night.

London - The Tower, Hard Rock Cafe

Got on the train into London. Was midday by the time we got there. Hopped on the Big Bus tour and peeked at bits of London.

Information Centre was full of morons and had no information whatsoever. Karen rang up and got us in at Oxford House Hotel for £54 for a triple room. It is in Cambridge St, Pimlico. Handy to the tube and quite nice.

We went to the Tower of London and looked at bits of English history. Didn't seem anywhere near as good as Edinburgh.

Kicked us out of there and we ate at Hard Rock Cafe in Green Park (Piccadilly St). Yummo! Mike was feeling sick with a bad sore throat and grabbed some lozenges.

Left my bag under the table, but remembered as I was buying the souvenir t-shirts out the front. Whew.

Hopped back on the tube to Ashford at 8:30pm.

Oxford to Ashford

Wandered around the Oxford shops and I bought quite a lot.

Hopped into the car at 12:30pm and drove down to Ashford to stay with Robert's Aunt Helen. She's lovely. Cooked us dinner and treated us well.

Hadrian's Wall, Oxford

Left Edinburgh and headed down the A68. Had a pee(k) at Hadrian's wall.

Hooned down the M1 motorway to Oxford and stayed at the Welsh Pony for £13 each. But no shower. [48 George St, now the OXO Bar http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/oxfordshire/oxford_welshpony.html ]

Oxford looks like a great place. Student town and alive and buzzing with young people.

Edinburgh Castle

Went into town and visited Edinburgh Castle. Great place. Saw the crown jewels. Queenie isn't allowed to wear them. She had her photo taken next to them.

Frank came in from Glasgow and wandered around with us.

Went out for dinner to the Station Restaurant in Castle Road. Quite nice although I preferred the Indian food from John and Vivienne's local takeaway the night before.

Edinburgh Shopping (with all the details)

Picked everyone up at 10am and headed into town for some shopping.

Shopped.