Monday 22nd March - Left Hong Kong for Thailand but not before Derek had managed to leave a big bag of postage (to send home) in a bank. We only realised 10 minutes later when we got to the post office! Sue was not amused :) Derek sprinted up the main street and found it after a couple of heart palpatations.

Plane journey was again with Cathay Pacific who were great . The food was fantastic (for airline food) Derek helped them out with the leftovers from business class - King prawn kebab with spicy vegetable pie, Haggen Dazs ice-cream, huge glasses of French wine - this is the life!

Many rogue taxi drivers at airport charging twice the regular fare but we stuck with the metered ones. Our hotel (which we'd pre-booked on the net) was a bit out of town (about 5 miles) but it was very nice and who cares when it only costs 1 pound to get back from town! Huge cooked breakfast with cereal, fruit, bread, etc. every morning for 4 days - good job we're not staying too long or we'd get well fat!

Tuesday 23rd March - Spent day sorting out next stage of our trip. A bit wiser now after our experience in India! We're off to Chaing Mai in the north of Thailand on the overnight train (in a first-class A/C room for 17 pounds). When we get there we're off trekking for 3 days and 2 nights in the jungle - hope there's not too many snakes! Went to Chinatown in the evening to sample food from the road-side stalls - no flies on the food here unlike in India . Very tasty indeed!

Wednesday 24th March - Sue went "shopping" and came away with 1 new top and 2 pairs of trousers! Nice just to be in an air-conditioned building - it's about 38C here about the same as India but far more humid. Went to see the 'Royal Grand Palace' in the centre of Bangkok in the afternoon which was an awesome sight. So many beautiful colourful buildings and golden structures in one place! Had an idea to got to see Tahi boxing for the evening but declined after finding out the price was 20 pounds each (very expensive for round here)- we weren't that keen! Nevertheless Sue had her best ever dish of chicken and cashewnuts in the local restaurant next door!

Thursday 25th March - Up at 515am to catch the bus to the floating market outside of Bangkok. Everything as the names suggests with people living in buildings on stilts along the canals. Stopped off to see a snake-show on the way back - Cobras and pythons galore - Sue touched the python so it would 'bring her good luck' . As it was an organised tour we were again taken to a government tourist shop. This time there a shop that wasn't nik-nak run of the mill. It was selling the most incrediblly beautiful teak furniture we've ever seen or are ever likely to see. And very reasonably priced too if you've got your own plane to bring it home! We took refuge in the MBK shopping centre - this time for an oil massage and facial for Sue and a Thai massage and foot, head and shoulder one for Derek - all for 22 pounds. Derek could not stop laughing when he found himself kitted out in an outfit that made him look like he was ready for an operation in hospital! And he laughedf even more when bits of his body were being stretched all over the place.

Friday 26th March - Last day in Bangkok - took a trip up the river on a water Taxi to Khao San road in search of dodgy student cards - we are students of life remember! No luck yet! Off to Chiang Mai tonight for some trekking.

Derek has been impressing the locals with his lingual ability of the Thai language from a phrasebook he didn't want to buy (but Sue persuaded him!) in India.

People here never seem to stop smiling - even more so than Hong Kong. They don't think you've been let out of an asylum just because you smile and say hello to strangers ('Sawat Di Kap')

We're meeting all sorts of people from accross the globe - Some French guys who'd lived as chefs in Antartica for a year, a waiter from Nepal who can't afford to go home from India cause he earns such little money , a couple of ladies from the Philippines, students from Slovenia - the list goes on.

We haven't yet been tempted by the Spicy chicken claws and stewed serpent offered on many menus! Passed by a stall selling deep fried crickets and grubs - gave them a miss as well!