Day two in Chiang Mai and we managed to get ourselves out of bed just before midday. We decided that today we would try and experience some Thai culture instead of just letting everything pass by in a drunken haze. We thought it best to rent a moped in order to get around and get to places a little way out of the city! We asked a friendly tuk tuk driver if he knew a place and for 40 baht we were there. 25 minutes later, without showing any type of driving license, we were on the road.. truly an experience! The man in the shop had advised us to head out of the city to the 700 year old temple in the mountains which was about 40 miles away!

We therefore decided to proceed up into the mountains stopping first to fill our tanks up costing us only 100 baht. The road then was pretty much straight all the way and when we arrived at the foot of the mountain a snakey, fun looking road starred us in the face. Surprisingly the mopeds had a lot of life in them and didn't once struggle as we went higher and higher. On the way we stopped a few times and marvelled at the view of Chiang Mai. Higher and higher we got eventually passing through a rather busy village where the temple was located. Not satisfied with this current altitude we decided to head even further up to the King's Winter Palace, which was 1300m high.

We arrived there a short time after and by now the air had got very thin. Jack stopped in what looked like a garage for a chicken and rice dish costing about 30 baht with a coke thrown in. The palace was 50 baht to get in (50 baht for foreigners anyway, 20 baht to the rest!) and then you could pay 300 baht for a guided tour on a golf buggy which we did. The palace was truly unbelievable with every member of the family having their own house in the grounds which was almost as big as a small city. We went to all the spots in the grounds and the tour guide was more than happy to take photos of us. As we went to the reservoir in the grounds Chiang Mai could be seen almost through the clouds - what a view.

The guide took us back to the entrance where we were treated with a tropical storm lasting around 30 seconds and then amazingly it was warm again. Our long journey back down the mountain started and about 25 minutes later we were at the bottom where we decided to see what the mopeds could do and headed to the northern quarter of the city where we found TESCOS. Amazed by this we went inside where I purchased a big 2 litre bottle of coke, a galaxy bar and a big bag of crisps for 89 baht.. as you can imagine the prices were a little different to those in England. After having something to eat we then headed back to the hotel through the hustle and bustle of the streets and I remembered how to get home.

Jack on the other hand couldn't remember and after missing me turn off proceeded on... 45 minutes later he turned up after in fact ending up at the airport, being forced to pay 150 baht to a tuk tuk, which he followed all the way home. From now on he follows me as my Chiang Mai geography is quite impressive. Martin and Gareth said we should head over to a roof top bar about 10pm so we did. They had not got there when we arrived so after following instructions to take our shoes off we sat on the floor with two girls.. one of them turned out to be Jack's sister's flatmate from first year at Warwick.. what a small world. We chatted to them and then Martin and Gareth turned up with the two girls from the night before. We had many a bucket of Sangsom (Whiskey, Coke and Thai Red Bull) and then closing time came and we headed home. The tuk tuk ride home seems a bit of a blur and the next thing I woke up on the floor of the room at 5am.. Jack all tucked up in bed. I then got into bed and knew I had to get up and take the mopeds back by 2pm. 2pm came and we were still in bed.

Jack unable to move persuaded me to jump on the moped and go across town to pay for another day's rental which I did and then got straight back into bed where I stayed until about 45 minutes ago. We are planning to go and watch some more thai boxing tonight where Jack may even don my Union Jack shorts and get in the ring! Lets hope his childhood boxing knowledge will help him out against the Thai boxer he is put against.