ITS THE FINAL BLOGDOWN!  DOODADOODOO DOODADOODOODOO DOODADOO DODADOODOODOO

Hello to all of our devoted beloved blog followers.  We are sorry to say that this will probably be the final blog in our exciting saga.  Thank you all so much for following!  We hope to do one more blog if possible, but if not, savour the words!

After our time spent in the south of Thailand, we hoofed it up to the north.  We had a lot of fun with the transport, going an entire day and a night on different buses.  We eventually made our way up to Chiang Mai, a beautiful metropolis that has many things to do.  We did everything from a cooking course, (above) to a day of ziplining through the forest. (Below)

We did this very cool ziplining through a jungle in Northern Thailand, just outside of Chiang Mai.  It was called FLIGHT OF THE GIBBON.  You are supposed to see gibbons but we didn't see any.....but we have seen gibbons, just earlier on the trip in Khao Yai National Park.  Anyway, we zipped through through the jungle, very high up...it was a little scary at first considering both Thomas and Michelle are slightly afraid of falling from high heights.  But by the end we were flying though the jungle like gibbons! 

above: Thomas "flying" through the trees....actually there were a few times that he alsmost ran into trees, but he's okay.

In Chiang Mai we enjoyed doing some shopping at the Sunday Walking Street Market and the Night Market.  Thomas was a very good shopper to keep up with very energetic and enthusiastic shopper Michelle.  Above Michelle is pictured walking the streets in Chiang Mai with her new patchwork backpack...that was one of her "special treasures" she found, isn't it great?!?!  

While walking through the walking streets we were able to see many Wats on the way...and, delightfully, right across from one of the Wats was the newly opened chocolate shop.....Our first real chocolate in Thailand, and oh was it delicious!

mmmmmmmmmmmm.........

mmmmmmmmm.......

We had an Iced Chocolate Lattle....very refreshing on a hot day! An amazing Chocoalte Heart Cake....so rich and wonderful, and beautifully decorated!  And a lovely chocolate Fondue....Fon-don't you think that sounds fantastic?!?!? and also complementary water...which was very nice as well.

After a few really fun days in Chiang Mai we headed off to Pai to do some trekking and explore that area.  When we got there we were pleasantly supprised by how much we loved Pai.  It was so relaxed, there weren't many other travellers because it was low season, and the people were so friendly.  We spent a few days exploring the town and the beautiful surrounding area.  If we had have had more time we would have loved to stay for longer, although it is a very small town there was so much adventuring to do in and around.  In Pai we decided to do a two day one night trek.  We had a great guide and it was a lot of fun.... and suprisingly Michelle actually enjoyed the constant hiking.  We met a great girl named Lyn from the Phillipeans who is half french as well....she was a lot of fun, somebody we would definitely want to see again!  Also on the trek were two Israelie girls....Lyn, Thomas, and Michelle had a good laugh over this...you would think that because all Isreali people have to spend two years in the army these girls would be like hard core GI Janes or something, but they were the most physically incompentant people....ever!  It was ridiculous....they sign up for a TREK, and then they get mad at our exteremely nice and patient guide who carried their bags (Thomas also carried on of the bags, very sweet) beacsue they were angry and shocked that they had to walk so much!  We tried so hard to be friendly to them and then they showed no warmth.  And we visited some very friendly and interesting hill tribe villages and they weren't interested at all!  We wondered why they were even on the trek....it must have been just to pose for pictures so they could say that they had gone on a trek or something.  On the last day they just got motorcycle rides back into town...c

razy people!  We're done ranting about them now...sorry.

Here (from left to right) Lyn, Michelle, Thomas....just in case you couldn't figure that out.

This picture was taking in a hut at one of the villages we vistited.  It was a really great trek....and the Isreali girl were sort of like entertainment.

There was a lot of up-hill trekking, but at the top the view was well worth it (even the Isreali girls' complaining was worth it!).

These are "jungle berries" in Michelle's hand...we were happy to taste an almost familiar taste.....hmmmm.....sweet....with a few seeds inside...purple skin.... SASKATOON BERRIES!!!

but not quite as delicious.  It made us excited to go home and hopefully have some Saskatoon's to pick!

Well, after Pai we headed back to Chiang Mai to do a bit more shopping in the evening and then take a night bus back to Bangkok where we head home from.  As we were walking around in Chiang Mai we found one of those Japanese restauraunts where all the Sushi and stuff to make Shabu Shabu rotate around infromt of you while you sit at the bar thing....We were so excited we decided we had to try it, and it was very good!

This picture is supposed to capture Michelle trying to decide from the many things moving past her.

Anyway...we went to the bus station in Chiang Mai expecting to take an ordinary bus....but....we stumbled upon the most fantastic bus ever!  The seats reclined all the way back, Thomas was happy because he could stretch his legs all the way out, there were lots of snack and drinks, and....the seats were MASSAGE SEATS!!!  It was the best 10 hour bus ride ever!  And there were no other foriegners on the bus, which was a bonus.

Back in Bangkok we did our last bit of urban exploring which mostly consisted of eating good food, window shopping at expensive stores, and going to movies in a huge and very luxurious theatre.  That was fun.  We stayed at the same guesthouse we stayed at for our first week in Thailand, Asha Guesthouse, and it was a great way to bring the trip full circle.  We are very sad to be leaving Thailand, but are so happy for all the experiences we had and are excited to come home and have cheese, potatoes, and of course see our beloved family and friends.

We are now writing this from Vancover.  We are back in Canada....it is certainly different than Thailand and it is almost strange to be back.  But we love strange, so it is GREAT to be back.  We have a 23 hour layover here in limbo between home and Thailand and are excited to arrive in home Saskatchewan!

See you all very soon.....

oh, and we might continue with the blog very not frequently after this trip....just because.

Much love and thanks for sharing this experience with us via the wonders of the internet,

T and M