When travelling you meet alot of people. Its quite normal behavior to sit at a table of random people and talk as if you've known them for years. This i have done as others have to me, and, in the process i have learnt many things. Ive swapped stories, recommendations, and general thoughts on what to do and what not.

Despite having a visa for Vietnam, and despite originally having every intention of going i am rapidly changing my mind. There are a number of reasons for this, some simple, some not. Every travellers horror story and warning that i have encountered in the scenarios mentioned above have been in Vietnam. The general philosophy being, why bother when you can go to Thailand and Laos, both of which have more to offer, both of which are safer,both of which are more friendly.

Yesterday my friend Fon, her sister Nud and Danish husband Dan, her cousin nick named "The boy", and myself went to a waterfall just outside Chiang Mai. Here i was shown how to catch freshwater shrimps with your hands, something more difficult than it sounds. I caught none as did Dan, the others being from a Lisu tribe and having had plenty of practice caught many.

"The Boy" then showed me how to climb a large tree overhanging the water, something more difficult than it sounds, he being from a Lisu tribe did it with ease. I on the other hand dramatically fell out saving my fall with by wrapping my right arm round a luckily positioned branch. This hurt. You know those burns you would always get in PE from falling on that gleaming wooden floor, i have one those. I have the finest example of one of those the size of a cuttlefish on the inside of my right arm and am walking around like someone conducting traffic. This, is my own stupid fault.

You may have noticed the slow down in blogs, the reason for this is a little more complicated the details of which im not going into too much. Except with my parents. Im currently staying just outside Chiang Mai at Fon's house, helping her with things that need doing. Im enjoying myself so much in Thailand that i will probably stay un till the end of my VISA before heading into Laos, skipping Viietnam and moving into Cambodia. I'll be in Chiang Mai for a few more days before heading back to Pai for a while.