New Year's Eve 2008, Chiang Mai 6.45pm local time, 7 hours ahead of UK.
Planned an early night last night after 3 flights and 27 hour journey but it didn't happen. Invited to NYE party at tour company HQ (held 1 night early, who cares why) by guide Pon. Beer, karaoke, thai food just handed to you (very tasty but can be dangerously hot, nearly called the fire brigade after one kebab), dancing (sort of), lovely people - happy, friendly, generous and good fun to be with. Just have to occasionally chuck 20 baht in a collection dish for beer. Bed - 1am!
Today (is it Wednesday?) collected at 8am for tour with guides from party including Pon. First to Orchid Farm, beautiful blooms, also butterflies but not many of them this time of year. Next we were driven deep into the jungle for an elephant ride along the banks of a small stream, about an hour with regular stops for our asian carrier to consume huge chunks of the vegetation, got some good photos, will try to send some to you but no time today. Fed her with bunch of bananas at the end. The drivers of the elephants (mahmoot?) are mostly from Burma/Myanmar and speak a completely different language to my thai friends. After this, an hour's trek through the jungle to meet our 4x4.
Next I get to drive a pair of oxen pulling a cart containing another 3 tourists, I guess for about a kilometre along the road. I think the beasts had done it before so didn't need to do much thrashing and pulling with the reigns, but an interesting experience none the less.
Then lunch provided by a local family in their porch, very fresh pineapple, plus a spaghetti dish containing I know not what but very tasty and mercifully not spicy.
Another longish drive took us to a river bank and into a rubber raft - 4 of us plus the 'captain'. After donning life jacket and crash helmet and receiving instructions on where and how to sit, how to paddle forward and backward and stop paddling, and the crash position, we were launched into this torrent of white water. Great fun. Got wet of course. For last section of river journey, we transferred to a flat bamboo raft controlled by man with pole on a more sedate part of the river. Got even wetter here. Must have been on the river about an hour.
On the way back, stopped briefly at an establishment that makes paper out of elepnant poo but it was closed so sorry, no samples to bring back.
Now 7.25pm, being collected at 8 o'clock for NYE in a nearby bar. Could be a long night. Will report again when I surface.
All the Best,
John

Chiang Mai and Malaysia

Hello all, it's me again. Just started 6 week trip, now in Chiang Mai northern city of Thailand with lots of history and elephants. Arrived only a few hours ago so nothing to report yet. Malaysia in late January to mid-Feb = Kuala Lumpar then East Malaysia (= north Borneo) based in Sandakan to visit oranutans, proboscis monkeys and egg laying turtles.
In between will be a spell on the beach in Phuket. Keep in touch, all the best,
John