Day 1 started with a drive up to a high altitude Hmong tribal village with our guide Bammie, where we visited the school and met the kids learning English. Considering the people live in huts with no windows and there are no roads up there, the school is surprisingly well-equipped, with 20 computers donated by an Indian businessman - although they can only use three or four at a time usually as they rely on solar power. Then on to the Chang Khien coffee plantation for a grande skinny mocha latte (only joking, it was just coffee, and at 15 Baht it was better than any Starbucks I’ve ever had). My fillings survived the ox-cart journey via Baan Pang Mai Daeng and through the rice fields back to Lisu village - we met the local Shamen there who gave us home-made whisky (lethal), followed by a pleasant night under bamboo and grass roof at the Lisu lodge. Local dancers and musicians came to entertain us after dinner. On the second day we cycled out to an elephant camp, and an elephant took us through a jungle trail for an hour. Very steep ... no idea how we stayed on it! Then it was by raft through the rapids (which were actually pretty gentle, we only got a bit wet) to our lunch stop. The second night was spent at the Khum Lanna lodge, a beautiful traditional teak house on stilts - we had Thai cookery lessons and then ate our own efforts for dinner - delicious!. Had a Thai massage, and slept like a log. This morning it was out at 5.30am to cycle to the markets at San Kwang and Phrao to pick up pork spare ribs and other bits - Mr Apu at the lodge showed us how to prepare them Thai-style, then we barbecued them in the garden for lunch.