40 degrees centigrade (104 in old money!)

Really, it was on Wed 13 March and the "coolest" it gets overnight is 23 degree C (74 F).  I must admit it's lovely not to be bungled up with thermals and 3 pairs of socks.  I put my washing out on the balcony dripping wet and it's bone dry in an hour!

Wednesday evening 13 March
Went to the Square of Despair ...... not its official name!  Westerners who live in Chiang Mai have given it this descriptive name as, apparently, after about 2 in the morning, you will see why!  This delightful place is wall-to-wall bars arranged - yes you've guessed it - in a square.  We went to see a Spanish guitarist making music with a young Thai lad playing violin.  They were superb.  But it all went a bit downhill for me after that with live heavy rock bands - but it was good  see Amy and her friend Rosie (who Amy originally went to live in Thailand with) letting her hair down.  no doubt Dai would have shown them a thing or two about head banging!

Thursday 14 March
Quiet day sewing & reading & contemplating

Friday 15 March
Went to Chiang Mai Zoo.  Lovely day.  The zoo is spread over 100s of acres so cos of that and boiling hot day, we purchased tickets to ride from section to section on a "hop on, hop off bus"'   Highlight of the day was the Panda House with 3 pandas.  Other good bits were the rhino, elephants & baby, giraffes & baby, big cats.  At  most places you could pay to feed the animals (including giving the jaguar a lump of raw meat on a stick).  I cannot agree to doing this personally but plenty of people were - including a monk feeding the jaguar.  I could have spent loads more time in the Bird Garden - so many beautiful, so colourful birds.  Amy made me say that she took all the photos ;)

Saturday 15 March
Ordered and paid for a crushed ice coffee without Amy - first time!  Lots of  smiles and sign language.  Delicious and cost about 50 pence for what we would call "large".

That evening met Amy, Andy &Rosie and went to an Italian restaurant for their "drink as much wine as you like" night.  unfortunately only from 6.30 till 8.  However, of course, we managed to drink our five pounds worth each quite easily and jolly quaffable wine it was too!   Wine in Thailand is very expensive so you can't pass on an offer like that now, can you?  we all had pizza to eat.  Outside under a canopy in the restaurant garden.

What about the mossies, I hear you shout.  Yes, the bitey buggers are about (especially dusk to dawn) but the malaria carrying ones are not in most of Thailand, so I am not having to take anti-malaria drugs.  Have had to be vaccinated against tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A & B.  Next hep jab in 2 weeks and then third & last in August.   The private hospital Amy took me to for jabs is very efficient and cost me 4 pound to see the doctor for vaccinations prescriptions and he spoke pretty good English.

It's quite odd about the mossie bites though.  Yes I have them, but nowhere as many as I feared but even odder is that (apart from one) they don't itch!  Now, for me, that's really odd!

I can't let today go by without mentioning the rugby.  You know, when Wales smashed England 30 to 3 in Six Nations final !   Dai would have been ecstatic!  His bottle of Welsh single malt would have taken some hammering   Proud Dragon indeed!!!!

Electrician at work, 3 stories up.  Health and safety... what!?

How sad it is that Thai girls spend money on trying to whiten themselves while we  English folk spend money trying to get a tan!  When buying toiletries, you have to be careful not to buy those with bleach in!