this goes out to all my fans who have been writing telling me how much they enjoy the recent minimalist material but that they even preferred my earlier work who’s style was slightly more “colourful” I think was the word one of you (you know who you are) employed. So here goes: The reason I haven’t written much is that not much has happened of the variety that can be set down on paper, metaphorically speaking. We sat around in Bangkok loving it then we sat around in Ko Samet loving it more then we sat around in Bangkok again loving it even more then we sat around in Chiang Mai loving it slightly less but
still loving it then we decided to take some drastic measures and sign on for a three day trek from which we have just returned. It is around this last experience that I have chosen to base this email.

We were a bit split over whether to go or not but in the end thought we really had to. We trucked for a bit then walked a bit then ate then walked some more. It was very hot, like body temerature and there was very little breeze and within a few minutes you’re absolutely soaked through with sweat and you’ve drunk two bottles of
water. Over the whole three days I only had three pisses and drank about 10 litres of water plus soup plus pepsi plus beer (these hill tribes are pretty well equipped). Anyway, we spent the first night in some huts near this fantastic waterfall which just made the whole first day worthwhile. Our guide was very nice but a bit limited in
his conversing abilities by his english but that didn’t stop him coming in stoned on opium late that night and explaining how sometimes he felt lonely despite his girlfriend in Chiang Mai and his other one in Bangkok.

The first hour of the second day made me believe that I was going to roll over and die. For some reason it’s much harder to walk at the beginning of the day than once you’ve got into it. We ate lunch out of a lily leaf with chopsticks cut from a nearby bush. Very tasty it was too. Then we spent the second night in a “hill tribe” village
which is just a few houses in the hills. I assume they used to be tribal and traditional but they can’t be bothered anymore, who can blame them. Then we got to the truck again after a long and painful descent to be carted off to lie on a bamboo raft and be carried down river for an hour or so.

All in all very pleasurable. Anyway, we’ve found this place that does LAN Half-life and ben’s getting a little impatient so I’ll say my goodbyes for now and promise not to keep you waiting so long until the next juicy instalment.

PS Nick’s arriving in bkk on 24th and we’re hoping to meet up which’ll be weird.