Chiang Mai

Hello all!
I am writing this from Chiang Mai, a city in the North of Thailand! We left from Bangkok on an overnight train (12 hours ughhhh) to get here. I basically took tylenol PM and was konked out for the whole ride, otherwise I never could have slept sitting upright on a train. When we got here, it was about 7 am. The city is absolutely beautiful...very clean and surrounded by green hills. The old city is surrounded by a moat and a 700 year old wall which was built to keep out Burmese invaders. I was VERY excited to learn that the climate here is much more mild...about 70 degrees and less humid!
Our first day we decided to go to the zoo and aquarium. The zoo is gigantic, and very much like the San Diego Zoo...except you can get much closer to the animals, and actually feed them!! I got to feed hippos and giraffes! The aquarium is the largest in Asia, and was incredible too!
We have explored the city a lot and have done some incredible things! We visited an orchid farm, where the flowers are grown hydrophonically, so the roots hang down from the ceiling. The orchids were all different colors (even blue!).
We went to an elephant camp, and rode through the river and the jungle. The guy actually let me climb off the seat and ride on the elephant's head, and he let Matt go into the river and swim with the baby elephants! When we came back to the camp I walked up to a baby elephant and it made a kissing noise. The owner said it wanted to give me a kiss, so I let it. It took its trunk and suctioned my face...SO FUN!
We also went bamboo rafting down the river. These are seriously planks of bamboo strapped together with reeds and you row them with a long bamboo pole, sort of like a gondola. It was very relaxing and offered a spectacular view of the river and jungle. We also went to visit the Karen hill tribe who wear brass rings to elongate their necks. I tried on the neck rings and they were extremely heavy (about 5 pounds). They attach the rings when the women are 5 years old, and remove them every 3 years to add more rings. It was really neat to see how this hill trible lives.
After the hill tribe we hiked to a beautiful waterfall! At the top you could slide down and land in the pool below (about 20 feet). However it was surrounded by rocks...so very scary! Scott and Matt went down the slide, but Andre chickened out. I climbed the rocks up to the top at least, but then I chickened out as well and just swam in the pool below.
We also went white water rafting, which I have to say has been my favorite thing thus far! I thought I would be scared (these rapids were mostly level 3 but some level 4), but it was exhilerating! I have not had so much fun in a long time! We are thinking about doing a full day rafting trip in Laos.
Unfortunately the fun ended for me in Chiang Mai here...Scott, Matt and I ate dinner at a restraunt near our guesthouse, and then were walking towards the boxing stadium to go see a Muay Thai fight, when all of a sudden I was hit with a violent strain of food poisoning. I have never been this sick in my life. The boys got me into a cab and took me home. I threw up 14 times in 12 hours, and had dihharhea (at the same time ewwwww). Scott was so nice to me, tucked me in blankets and force fed me water, and didn't make fun of me when I cried on the bathroom floor saying "I want my mom"...until about an hour later when the food poisoning hit him as well. Both of us were up the whole night vomiting about every 1/2 hour. Luckily we had 2 bathrooms! I had nothing left in my stomach after about 5 hours but was dry heaving. Matt fortunately was not hit by it, and was able to go get us gatorade. Andre ate at another place and missed it all together. I am starting to feel better although I am still not feeling great, and neither is Scott. I have kept down about 3 crackers and it has been about 24 hours since it started.
We decided to fly to Laos now because we are both sick, and avoid the 12 hour bus ride through bumpy dirt roads. I think this is a good decision although a little more expensive. Hopefully by the time we fly out tomorrow I will be feeling ok enough to enjoy Laos.
On a better note, traveling with the boys has been a blast. I thought I would be overwhelmed by too much testosterone...but we actually all want to do similar activities. Aside form the food poisoning this trip has been a blast and I am very excited for Laos.
I will try to update soon...but I am going to go try to down some more water and try to feel normal again!