Shinsane Guest House Chiang Rai

... to do so up we get and off we go............we were dry for the first 20 seconds.....then the biggest thunderstorm of the year struck.........and the heavens opened....and i mean OPENED!!!!........never ever seen rain like it!!........Turn around and go back??....no way!!.......our handler says we pay for half an hour we stay on for half an hour!!!
I even felt sorry for the elephant!!...So we return to ...

... Swiss army knives. After the majority of the group failing, he was kind enough to make us all cups. We then trekked up the abnormally large hill to devour our noodle lunch. After our lunch we lumbered down the hill to make Thailand’s version of paintball guns using bamboo and using berries as ammo. The group was glad to receive the news of a short walk to the near by waterfall to cool off ...

... we make money too. Everyone is happy. That money should be arriving soon. If anyone else is interested - please let us know, there are still many projects that we can make good money on here, but we won't have enough to do them. Anyway, we are well off. A few years ago we struggled to have money to put food on the table. Now we are struggling to have enough money to buy properties, etc. Not really a problem. Health and ...

... uni. In the meantime the mum has being paying us back the deposit and looking for other buyers. Anyway, they visited us yesterday and gave us some biscuits for New Year and played with Kitty. The girl who is studying English is getting 90% in her results which is great. So we have done some good, and hopefully will get our 20 000 Baht back soon for us to use as well.

... out to be half an hour down the road where a 4x4 meets us. And then we're off on a day trip with Freddo, an altogether nicer chap who is driving us and another guy Luciano to the minor sights round Chiang Rai: * Karen / Akha village (more of a circus side show to see the Long Neck Karen whose women have brass rings put round their necks) * Monkey Cave * Mae Sai town * Golden Triange view * Opium House Museum * Chiang Saen ancient town

... in Lampang (located 600km north of the Thai capital Bangkok) to develop Anantara's camp as an elephant sanctuary. Guests are also offered the rare opportunity to learn to 'drive' an elephant by choosing to undertake a unique three-day mahout training course. As well as learning the mahout commands and some log rolling skills, guests can take their pachyderm charge bathing, partake in mahout camp life and gain a greater understanding of their three-tonne mount from Roberts.

... yesterday a severe storm hit Chiang Rai. Our papaya tree has been blown over and the rice has been damaged. But it is OK and Kanchana has tied it up to help support the plants that were bent over and broken. We hope it will be OK and continue to grow. Both the sticky rice and normal rice plants now have rice grains growing on them. Not much longer and it should be ready to harvest. approx 12 Oct. We have harvested our normal rice. Cut ...

... off with a "maybe next time" comment when told we had a booking but she had given Alison a card. Curiously, I had noticed favourable reports of the place on the web and that it had a garden so we called and yes, they had a room. Our arrival at Baan Bua (879/2 Jedyon Rd. T.Viang A Muang Chaingrai 57000 Thailand +66 (0) 53 718880 bannbua@yahoo.com) was everything one could hope for; smiling faces, people eating and a welcome which was clearly meant; add to that, I had ...

... 30 minutes and I'd been sick 5 times while she'd been gone! I missed most of day one as I just tried to lay down on the floor of the boat and sleep! for ages before we left I would lay on the sofa at home thinking 'I'd love to be on that slow boat down the Mekong right now' and when I doing it I was laying on the boat thinking 'I'd love to be at home lying on the sofa right now' Typical!

... head while our guide napped in the plush seats. So while we didn't do any logging or head into war on the animal, it was a pretty authentic experience. The elephant was in its natural environment in some sense. And it did its own thing, lumbered about, ate a lot, waded through the river and shot water out of its trunk. We both enjoyed it. Check out some photos to see how I look like I was born to ride one of these things.