World trip

2006-04-10T18:43:00.001-07:00

Monday 20th March
SAIGON HCMC VIETNAM
Visit some of vthe main tourist spots around Saigon HCMC including the War Museum and the re unification palace used by the former South Vietnamese government prior to the War with Northy Vietnam.
We are getting museum and temple fatigue, so decide to take time out from our adventure for a holiday. Somebody told us about a beautiful Island off the South West coast mainland called Phu Quoc. We book flights with Vietnam Airlines and board a small 70 seater plane for the 1 hour flight over the Mekong Delta. Phu Quoc only has a handful of tarmaced roads the rest is dirt track. We manage to find a small resort on the 17kms long west coast beach, which is a beautiful palm tree lined unspoilt white sand stretch of coast. The resort is called Beach Club and has about 12 rooms in bungalow style accomodation right on the beach front. Our rooms are nearest to the beach and the smell and the sound of the sea is arelaxing change from the hustle and traffic fumes of Saigon HCMC. Originally we only intended to stay for 3 days, but the daily swim in the warm crystal clear sea and accompanying landscape outside our front door is so appealing that we decide to stay for a week as island beachcombers and absorb this beautiful unspoilt place.
The resort owner tells us that International Hotelliers are planning to develop the coast and a new airport to accept bigger jets is on the drawing board, so things will change soon, meanwhile if you plan to visit Vietnam try to build this place into your agenda.
We hire motorbikes ( Mike hasn't been on a motorbike since he was 18 so needed a few hours by himself to practice ) and visit the Island to find unspoilt deserted beaches and small fishing villages the main industry for the locals. We find tiny bays and beaches down dirt tracks not on the map.
Tuesday 28th March
Totally relaxed and refreshed head back to Saigon HCMC via Rach Gia and the Mekong Delta by local bus.
Our plan is to head North to Hanoi and across to Hong Kong. We buy a 30 day open tour bus ticket for 18 US dollars that will take us up to Hanoi and allows us to hop off and on the bus at various locations along the main highway that follows the coast along the spine of Viertnam and the South China sea.
We stop at Dalat a cooler climate town high up on the Lan Dong Plateau, then the coastal town of Nha Trang another opportunity to Swim in the Sea. We decide to stay a few days at this delightful town a sort of Vietnamese 'Brighton'.
There are Islands off shore where you can swim and Snorkel, so we book a boat trip for the next day..
Monday 3rd April
8am Board boat with a group of Irish / british travellers. Brits bring a cool box full of beer, by lunchtime the singing and dancing is in full swing much to the amazement of the Vietnamese on board, who are gob smacked at the amount of alcohol consumed and sight of bikini clad white skin on show. Most Vietnamese want white skin and cover up face, arms, hands, to protect from the suns rays, the opposite to most westerners who want bronze brown skin like the Vietnamese. So you have the bizarre sceneario on the beach whereby locals are fully dressed and westerners have virtually nothing and can be spotted from a mile across the beach.
Wednesday 4th April.
Hoi An - A beautiful coastal town with a huge market and french achitecture, with part of the town being pedestrian only. A Unesco world heritage town, hardly touched by the American Vietnamese war, so it still looks much the same as when it was first developed by the french over 150 years ago.
Friday 7th April.
Hue - a university town and another Unesco site. We take a day tour to the DMZ ( demilitarized zone ) between North and South Vietnam where most of the action took place during the American / Vietnam War. Part of the tour includes a visit to the tunnels built by the Viet Cong ( North Vietnamese ) to hide from the Americans. We go underground into narrow long clay mud tunnels to feel what it must have been like - the tunnels run for miles with intricate ventilation shafts cleverly consealed. Hard to believe that people lived undergroubnd like this for the duration of the War apparently 17 babies were born underground while the action was taking place above. American bombing and military action was evident everywhere with deserted helicopters and tanks scattered around the various stopping places on route. The Vietnamese are still discovering land mines and unexploded bombs at some of the sights - thirty years after the action.
Sunday 9th April
A change of mind for the last leg of our Vietnam jouney North - we take the Train rather than Bus.

2006-04-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 14th March
CAMBODIA - Phnom Penh
Having travelled for nearly 9 months we are used to arriving at new destinations and looking for accomodation. We have a set routine and critiera. We select a suitable coffee shop one of us sits with our luggage and we take turns to visit 3 pre selected Hotels from either the Lonely Planet Guide book, or recommendations from fellow travellers we have met on route. Our criteria is based on price, location, noise levels, size of room, facilities, breakfast and/or Internet included, plus a few more comfort zone extras. If a Hotel comes near to the test we jump in a taxi and go for it.
Phnom Penh is situated on the junction of 3 rivers, the Tonle Bassac, Tonle Sap, and the mighty Mekong. Our Hotel overlooks the Tonle Sap near the centre of Town. We decide to visit the darker, sadder side of Cambodia's recent past with a visit to the Tuol Sleng museum, which in 1975 was a school until taken over by the Pol Pot regime and turned into a detention and torture centre. More than 17,000 Cambodians and a few foreigners who were considered a threat to the Khmer Rouge regime were taken here between 1975 and 1977 and interrogated, nearly all were then taken from the prison to the Choeung killing fields to be exterminated. Like the Nazis the Pol Pot regime kept meticulous records of all prisioners ( History repeating itself ) There are numerous rooms in the prison displaying black and white potographs of Men, Women and children, all of whom were later exterminated at the killing fields about 5 kms outside Phnom Pehn.
Later we visit the memorial stupa at the killing fields which used to be orchards prior to 1975. Now it is a field of craters where the bodies have been uneathed from the mass graves. A huge glass tower displays the skulls of nearly 9000 people, many of whom were bludgeoned or hacked to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. Babies were thrown against tree trunks, others were buried alive. All around this very sad place there is still evidence on display like fragments of human bones and bits of clothing scattered on the ground around the disinterred pits.
All in all a very distressing place and an example of mans inhumanity to man.
We atke a tuk tuk around town to see the main sights and reflect on how Cambodia will need a few generations to recover from the suffering caused by the Khemer Rouge and Pol Pot regime era.
Next day we lunch at a restaurant called Friends run by an organisation that helps fund social programmes where some of the proceeds go towards helping Cambodia recover by aiding former orphaned street children with employment in the catering and hospitality industry. Many of the apprentices here, later find work in Hotels and businesses throughout Cambodia.
Thursday 16th March
Bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Cambodias spiritual and cultural centre and the temples of Angkor.
Friday 17th March
Up at 6am onto bicycles and try to arrive at the main Angkor Wat before sunrise, the 8 km journey takes longer than expected and the Sun has risen over the main building before our arrival. However we are lucky to see the best of this mother of all temples and the worlds largest religous building before the tourist buses arrive, and the place gets crowded.
Originally the whole Angkor area was a Kingdom with hundreds of temples and at its peak a population of over a million, when London had a mere 50.000.
The Ankgor period lasted nearly 600 years from AD 802 to 1432 when the temples were built and the Khmer empire was one of the greatest powers in Asia. Our days cycling circuit covers 17km and takes in the main temples including Ta Prohm an atmospheric ruin which has been swallowed up by the jungle and huge tree roots like hands cover the remaining stonework. Everything looks very much as it was when first discovered by explorers. ( It is also the sight used for the film Tomb raiders. ) Next stop Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple. The whole Angkor visit is both breathtaking and somehow difficult to absorb in such a short timespan. Ideally a week would be more suitable to discover the secrets of one of the worlds outstanding temple kingdoms this would allow sufficient time to
experience the magnificence of the sites.
Rumour has it that for preservation reasons within the next 10 years some of the ruins will be fenced off and tourist pathways built. We are so lucky to have had the freedom to explore up close as we have on this occasion.
Saturday 18th March
We fly from Siem Reap to Vietnam Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City ( HCMC )

2006-04-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 1st March
We arrive in Darwin, capital of northern territory, tropical heat and acccompanying humidity - the town is a lot a smaller than the other principal capitals of Australia and the least populated.Mid morning the heavemns open and we are in the thick of a tropical down pour which floods the streets, about 2 hours later the Sun has come out and the streets are almost dust dry again.
The local air con Cinema is a release from the heat so we dive in and watch the latest offering Broke Back Mountain.
We say good bye to Australia and its population of 22 million, which co-incidently is the same as those born in India every new year.
Thursday 2nd March
Tiger airways from Darwin to Singapore, then transit to Air Asia and onward flight to Bangkok. Our second visit to the Thai capital and time to plan the next leg of our journey, our first job is to find the Cambodian and Vietnamese embassies to apply for Visas.
Sunday 5th March
Visit Kanchanaburi west of bangkok for overnight stay to see the famous bridge over the River Kwai, we walk over the bridge and also visit the allied War Cemeteries and Museum. Time for the late night market for some serious shopping as some of our clothes are beginning to suffer from signs of travel fatigue. We buy T-shirts for 1 pound
each, the market also has a great food section with some bizarre edible delicacies like dried stag beetles, large white dried maggots and live frogs.
Monday 6th March
Not deterred by some of the food offerings at the market we attend a days cookery course at Apples guest house, where we try our hand at Tom Yam ( Thai soup ) Phat Thai ( Rice Noodle ) and Thai Green Curry. First stop is the local market for a guided tour with our cookery instructor o the best way to select ingredients. By the end of the course, having consumed most of the dishes we have prepared, we sit like satisfied bloated Bhuddha's content with our performance.
Tuesday 6th March
Train back to Bangkok and a visit to Ayuthaya former capital of Siam and some of Thailands most impressive ancient ruins. In the late afternoon we go to the 59th floor of the Banyan tree Hotel for a cocktail at sunset and absorb the fantastic views from the Vertigo Bar, the highest point in the centre of town.
Thursday 9th March
Yoga lessons for Martine - Mike picks up Visas from embassies. Take overnight train to Chiang Mai, Thailands Northern Capital with over 300 temples, its difficult not to get templed out - so we select a few favourites and track them down. We visit the Wat Suan dok a university for Monks and join in a face to face '' Monk Chat '' where foreigners meet and talk with resident Monks for about an hour. Its an opportunity for them to practice their English and our chance to learn about Bhuddhism and Thai life. ( Fantastic experience had by all )
Saturday 11th March
Open back jeep into the jungle mountains north of Chiang Mai to visit the Karen hill tribe and the Long neck padung villages. The women wear a continuous metal coil, which can weigh up to 22 kg, around their neck and legs. The neck coils depress their collarbone and rib cage, which makes their neck look unnaturally long, some also practice of putting loop rings into their ears so a huge hole appears in the lobe. We also ride elephants through the jungle and during the afternoon go Bamboo white water rafting down a fast flowing river valley.
Monday 13th March
Indulge in a Thai foot massage before taking the overnight train back to Bangkok and an Air asia flight to Cambodias capital Phnom Pehn.

2006-03-31T15:40:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 21st Feb
We stay at the Mon repos beach for a few days, during one of our morning swims, Martine is alarmed to feel something brush alongside her under the water - no it wasn't mike !!! Martine said it wasn't a stinger jelly fish as it was a lot larger more like a fish, we just start to leave the water for the shore when we see a dolphin leap out of the water in front of us, we stay still as it continues to play in the water around us for the next 20 mins, then disappear out to sea.
Thursday 23rd Feb
We visit Bundaberg and the rum making factory and then take a day trip to Fraser Island, one of the worlds biggest sand islands, unfortunately it is too dangerous to swim in the sea, howerver there is a natural lake in the centre where we can swim in the clear water, the sand is white and so fine thet the guide says it si the best for exfoliating the skin if you rub it on your body so along with the rest of the group we jump in the water and rub away !! The silicone sand is also used for cleaning jewelery, it polishes up gold and silver perfectly.
Friday 24th Feb
Noosaville a trendy resort with some of the most expensive property in Australia as the beaches and estuary are perfect for swimming, surfing and sailing - australians national life styles. on the opposite side of the estuary the beaches are part of a national park and they extend for nearly 25 miles up to Fraser island. There are no roads so the only form of transport are 4 wheel drive wagons, the beach is a recognised national roadway and all traffic laws apply. Its relatively deserted as few vehicles take this route, rather than the national highway - we managed to go for a mornings camel riding along the beach.
Sunday 26th Feb
We have driven down to Brisbane to return the Winnebago and taken the opportunity to see the modern capital of Queensland. we also take a trip south of Brisbane to Byron bay a sort of ex hippy place with the accompanying arts and crafts, we are lucky to be given some information about Tiger airways a low cost airline ( Half owned by Ryan air ) which has a route from Darwin to Singapore this is our exit route from Australia and back to South east Asia.

2006-03-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

BBQ, BBQ, BBQ's at Ian and Karens.
Visited Melbourne city centre to see the sights, about midday the heavens opened and the rain came lashing down ,
managed to find a small 7/11 doing a brisk trade in umbrellas. so off we trot via the free city tram to see the main sights.
Next day mike goes to learn the art of squid fishing from Ian and martine joins karin in the art of Yoga, alas no squid today, guess they weren't hungry.
Karins parents came round for Chuck ( chicken )
Tuesday 31st January.
Guided tour of Melbourne with Ian and met up with Karin after work for picnic in the park and watch Aussie version of Shakesperes ' Much ado about nothing ' - saw possums playing in trees behind performers stage.
Tuesday 2nd Feb.
We visit Mornington peninsula wineries for tastings of aussie wine , which was great as Ian chauffered us around allowing us to taste at leisure and not worry about driving, not so good for Ian, although we helped out by buying him some locally brewed beer to take home. During the day we selected compositions for Ian to photograph for our lesson on cyantype photo printing the next day - ( Ian teaches Photography at Art college in Melbourne )
Great 4 hour lesson we manage to print beautiful images using direct sunlight and pinhole technique. Thanks Ian for your patience.
Saturday 4th Feb
2nd visit to Melbourne city centre and the St Kildas annual art exhibition with postcard size exhibits of art including 2 of Ians works. Fantastic examples of Art from all over Australia for this major annual event.
Late lunch at restaurant on promenade overlooking Melbourne bay watching para gliders practising for a major contest the following weekend. They manage to rise about 10 metres above water level while PR photographers take shots with the high rise office blocks of Melbourne as a back drop.
Sunday 5th Feb
BBQ at Ian and Karins with family and friends.
Monday 6th Feb
Day cycling along coast, then back to prepare farewell dinner ( our turn ) Mikes famous fish pie !!!!
Ian and Karin and Marie Anne and Alan - great dinner loadsa good aussie wine.
Tuesday 7th Feb
Aboard Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Cairns in Northern tropical Queensland, the heat hits you full on as you land in this tropical town.we stay in a motel with swimming pool and BBQ facilities about 300 metres from centre. This gave us the opportunity to do our own thing as far as cooking and organising trips was concerned.
Cairns has an outside seawater lagoon just off the promenade which is free for all to use, it is surrounded by BBQ facilities and watched over by lifeguards, so we gathered together our food and after a swim cooked on the BBQ and laisd out a table cloth grass landscaped surround to eat with the locals.
Wednesday 8th Feb
Took mountain railway to Karunda, via the rainforest, uphill all the way, walked along the jungle trek and visited the local exhibition prepared by the national parks explaining about the rainforest, its environment and how it survives. Came back by one of the longest cable cars in the world over the top of the rainforest, numerous rainbow lorakeets everywhere along the route.
Thursday 9th Feb.
Took local bus to visit the coast north of Cairns, sadly this time of year you cannot swim in the sea without a stinger suit to protect you from Box jellyfish that have fatal stings, so you have these beautiful white sand beaches absolutly deserted. Not until April will there be an opportunity to swim in the Sea.
Friday 10th Feb
On board a boat for our first vist to the great barrier reef and a chance to snorkel on the reef albeit wearing a stinger
suit for protection even though the little critters are not found so close to the reef. Amazing views underwater of the coral and wildlife.
Saturday 11th Feb
Mike visits the local market and Martine goes white water rafting in the River Tully - fun had by all.
Monday 13th Feb
We have always fancied the idea of hiring a Winnebago to travel around and luckily one is available at Around Australia motorhomes, so we hire a 5 berth which gave us plenty of room to swing a cat, whats more it was only a few months old so everything was vertually new. After a 3 hour instruction course on how to use the various facilities and told it cant be taken off road ( That would be fun ! ) We head off down the East coast towards Brisbane our destination.
Driving along traffic free roads with the opportunity to stop wherever is great fun and allows you to stop at some of the more remote resorts off the main tourist route, we have 2 weeks in our new home on wheels to explore the coast and countryside.
Thursday 16th Feb
Woodstock, Queensland, visit small farmstead on the edge of the outback inland from Townsville, to learn more about life running a farm in Australia. our first experience is horse riding across some of the 50 acre landscape to muster the cattle and bring them back to the paddock. Sadly, the owner has some sad business to attend to before we start. One of the horses is seriously ill and needs to be put down. This place is in the middle of knowhere and farmers take it upon themselves do most of the unsavoury tasks rather than call out the vet and incur expensive bills.
9.30am silence is shattered by a loud blast of the farmers gun and the thud of the poor creature falling to earth. Obviously, the farmers wife is very upset and we ask if they would rather cancel the days activities on the farm.
They are very tenacious people and insist we continue, so we get kitted out in boots and safety hat and climb aboard our respective horses for the journey into the outback. After 20 minutes instructions on how to ride a horse, ( bearing in mind that these creatures know their way blindfold around the countryside with a tailors dummy in the saddle ) grateful for the instruction we head off. The farmers wife ahead martine following mike making up the threesome.
Along the dirt tracks, across streams in search of cattle, what a fantastic way to spend the next 4 hours, meandering across countryside seeing all the wildlife Kangeroos included. This is rawhide at its best. Yee Haa ! !
Lunch is cooked on an open fire with billy cans to heat the water for the coffee. we are having a leg of lamb from this farm and one of their chickens, it all tasted delicious with as we sit under a huge 150 year old tamarind tree in the early afternoon heat, above us the farmer pointed to a large owl sitting on the branch of the tree, apparently known as a barking owl due to its cry at night that sounds like, guess what - a dog barking.
Our afternoon experience was not for the screamish, our task is to help with branding a young male cow along with taking a chunk from its ear and last but not least castrating the creature. !
Not a happy afternoon for this steer, first the creature is trapped in a metal grid so it can't move then a red hot branding iron is pressed into it's hide, the smell of burning flesh wasn't very pleasant. Next cutting a huge lump from its ear with a pair of clippers the size of a large pair of plyers. Finally, the part that we left up to the farmer as he took a stanley knife and cut open the scrotum and castrated the creature, apparently the animal is Ok after a few hours and back in circulation with the rest of the herd. Next up was sheep shearing, easier said than done, first you have to catch the animal, they are heavy and fast !!! you need olympic athletisium to catch the critters.
Once caucht you have to hold them down in a vice like grip and then use heavy weight industrial clippers powered from an overhaed cable to cut through the 50mm layer of wool coat. It takes a professional sheep shearer about 3 minutes per sheep leaving a clean pile of wool on the groung, it took us 25 exhausting minutes leaving a mix of layers, and scraggy looking dejected animal running off to join its mate, probably saying "look at this mess" !
Monday 20th Feb
We have visited Airlie beach and taken an old 1928 sailing schooner boat out to the whitsunday islands.
Today, of all the places we have visited small and large on our journey down the coast, none has been as exciting and rewarding as Mon Repos, which is one of the worlds major breeding grounds for the loggerhead turtle, a beautiful beach, just north of Bunderburg. We stay on the only camp sight just off the dunes, which is run by the Australian national parks organisation and has strict controls over all activity, to help control the numbers of visitors. We are fortunate to be there during the hatching period November to February.There is no guarentee that we will see any new born, as they break through the sand and head towards the sea on their perilous journey to adulthood.
At nightfall 8pm we gather to be briefed on what to do and not do and to hear about the life of the turtles and what we may expect. We follow the ranger ( who is the only person with a torch ) down a small track onto the beach.
He is in radio contact with other conservationists and rangers already on the beach, who are cautiously looking for evidence of any hatchlings - an hour passes without any activity, the skies are crystal clear with a fantastic view of the milky way which is clearly visible in this part of the southern ocean, the air is also warm and the sea calm.
At about 10pm we are told by the ranger that young have been spotted along the beach to our right, gingerly we tread along the shoreline and up towards the dunes WOW ! under the light of the rangers torch we watch as the tiny heads of the turtles break through the sand and immediately head towards the sound of the waves gently lapping on the shoreline about 40 metres away. We have an opportunity to see them up close as their powerful little arms wave frantically pushing the sand aside in their haste to reach the sea, we follow about 30 of them down the beach helping to guide any straglers back on course, then see them disappear into the water and towards their life in the oceans far away. We are back in bed by midnight happy to have experienced such a fantastic sight.

2006-02-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

Monday 2nd January 2006
We leave Koh Lipe via boat from the Island to mainland Thailand then travel on overnight coach to Bangkok.
Luckily we have enough time to see some of the famous sights of the capital before our flight departs including the main temples.
Wednesday 4th January
Back in the UK for Mikes dads funeral. A big thank you to Rachel, Ben and Adam, who kindly give us temporary accommodation at their home in Rickmansworth for our 2 week stop over in the UK.
Monday 9th January
Funeral in Margate Kent gave us an opportunity ( albeit a sad occasion ) to catch up with the ruby side of the family.
Tuesday 10th January
Time to investigate how we are going to exit the UK, so off we trot to the travel agents in 'Ricky' to check on econmical flights back to Thailand so we can continue our adventure. No luck everthing we were offered was far to expensive, we were just exiting Thompsons when the assistant said they had a few seats left on flights to Australia for 164 pounds plus 30 pounds fuel tax EACH one way only, our bottom jaws dropped along with our shoppingand we asked about the date for the next available flight, which was scheduled for Tuesday 16th January flying to Sydney.
AUSTRALIA now took priority on our tour schedule.
During the we before departure we took the opportunity to visit all our friends and relatives in the UK and wish them happy new year.
We had been wearing lightweight hot weather clothing for our travels in Asia and were not prepared for a visit back to London in the January as all our winter clothing was in the lock up, so we needed to visit the shops and buy a few warmer outfits.
Monday 16th January.
Arrive at Gatwick airport, expecting to help push the plane up the runway ( bearing in mind the cost of the tickets )
No problem! we had seats near the front of the plane and our flight, although long in duration was on time when we landed in Sydney. ( population 4 million )
GOOD DAY BRUCE & SHEILA - We take our time to get used to the language !
Wednesday 18th January
We indulge ourselves by staying in the Rocks district of Sydney - similar to Londons Covent Garden - walking distance to all the famous sights, so we visit the Harbour bridge, the Opera house, Bondi beach, and various other famous sights. No worries mate! and No drama mate! are common phrases amongst the locals.
We love Sydney, the sights the people and the lifestyle.
Our plans are to visit friends in Melbourne so we investigate hiring a car and driving down the East coast stopping off on route.
Saturday 21st January
Leave Sydney by car and travel along beautiful country roads for a visit to the blue mountains just west of Sydney,
the name comes from the blue haze of ultrafine oily mist given off by the Eucalypts trees that abound in the mountains. We see rainbow lorakeets and a mix of wildlife never seen before.
We stop on route at deserted beaches ( Broulee ) and small seaside villages, including the fishing port of Eden famous for watching migrating whales which pass close to the coast. Crossing from the state of the New South Wales into Victoria we stay in the costal town of Mallacoota and then drive via the lakes disrict ( Metung ).
Until you study a map of Australia and drive between towns its difficult to judge the size of the country, We were told that the whole of Europe could easily be superimposed over Australia and there would still be land over.!!!
Driving is sheer pleasure as the roads are empty and well maintained.
Thursday 26th January.
We arrive in Melbourne ( population 3.5 million ) its the national Australia Day ! We drive along the coast just south of central Melbourne to Mornington peninsula and search for our friends home in the town of Mornington.
Ian and Karin live in a fabulous house 2 mins walk across the road from fishermans bay a sandy beach ideal for daily swims.

2006-01-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday 17th December 2005
We arrive in the town of Melacca on the west coast of Maylasia, and manage to get accommodation in China town in an old Perakian style shophouse with antique furniture including Opium den beds, took a bicycle rickshaw around town to see the sights, had dinner overlooking the estuary where we saw Salamanders swimming in the water below, walked back through the lively night market before bed. Next morning we shared a breakfast table with 2 Singaporian /Chinese women who invited us to their cousins restaurant for a specialist hannon chicken dish, this was straight after breakfast about 10.30am - difficult to digest.Took the coach from melacca coach station where the driver in his haste to leave, drove about 5 miles before receiving a call on his mobile from his office to say that he had left half the passengers behind, so we had to go back and pick them up. Got to Kualar Lumpar ( KL ) on time and checked in to our Hotel. Spent Monday 19th December sightseeing Kl including the Petronas twin towers - highest in the world, and the telecommunications tower, fantastic views of Kl and the surrounding countryside.
Tuesday 20th December 2005
Took tourist bus to Cameron Highlands, the bus developed a puncture on route and to our amazement 2 of the Maylanan passengers helped the driver change wheels in under 30 minutes, while we all watched.
Had dinner in Tanah Rata the main town in the highlands, we notice the difference in temperature as we are at an altitude of 1500 metres - a lot colder than at KL. Dinner is a local dish called a steamboat, whereby you cook your own food fondue style with seafood, vegetables and chicken in a central pot of chinese noodles.
Sadly we receive news that mikes dad has died and have to rethink our future travel plans.
Wednesday 21st December 2005
Visit a tea plantation, a strawberry farm and a butterfly park. Cameron Highlands turns out to be more commercial than expected so we decide to make tracks for a small island off the mainland called Pulau Pangkor, we were a bit concerned that we may have difficulty finding accommodation being near to Christmas, but are lucky to find a chalet style room at the Waterfront resort overlooking the beach right in the centre of Teluk Nipah, one of the best beaches on the island. Weather was warm but overcast, however this didn't stop us swimming and having some of the best seafood to date at a small shack on the beach where you selected your own fish from the display and they grilled it for you. We watched large colourful hornbill birds, that frequent the Island, descend onto the trees along the beach and take any opportunity to swoop down and gather any morsels left by the locals.
Spent time discussing with the Insurance company our situation and what options we have for travelling back to the UK for Funeral.
Friday 23rd December 2005
We hire bicycles and cycle around the Island, struggling up the steep hills and walking down others as the brakes on bikes are a bit dodgy, the central part of the Island is all jungle and we hear and see wild monkies on route. At the market in Pangkor town we stop for a breather and have fresh whole coconut from a straw wedged into the top, we then buy some Rambutans, a world first for us these fruits are not exactly attractive to look at, but once you break open the red, leathery and hairy skin you taste the sweetest semi translucent white flesh similar but nicer than lychee. we cycle back soaked to the skin from persparation in the hot humid climate.
Saturday 24th December 2005
Wake up to Christmas carols being played over the Hotels speaker system, they have put up a small fake Christmas tree with lights in reception and a few decorations to make the westerners happy. We take out Kayaks to a some nearby deserted islands good exercise and fabulous views of coral and nature. Its a day for meeting, we meet a German couple also on holiday, an English couple who live and work in Thailand who are on holiday in Maylasia and a foursome from Rimini in Italy.
Sunday 25th December 2005
Christmas day - Our Italian friends tell us about a small Island in southern Thailand that they plan to visit, apparently its very Robinson Crusoe, unspoilt with very few tourists we decide to tag along and prepare to travel with them.
Spend some time contacting all the family to wish them Happy Christmas.
Monday 26th December
Up very early to travel in one of Pangkor Islands pink taxis to the ferry port to catch the first ferry to the mainland and a coach to Thailand, the next 2 days are spent travelling north through Maylasia across the border into thailand and via Hat Yai and Pak Bara to catch a 3 hour ferry across the Andaman sea to one of the most beautiful islands on earth - Ko Lipe.
Wednesday 28th December 2005
We part company with our travelling companions the Italians as they stay at a different Hotel at a different beach on the Island. Ko Lipe has a population of about 500 Sea Gypsies ( who live from fishing and any sea related trading ) and some cultivation of vegetables and rice on the island. The island is only open to visitors 6 months of the year and is still very laid back with peaceful jungle trails and delightful secluded beaches. we stay at Sunset beach, named, not surprisingly for its fabulous sunsets where everyone gathers to photograph the view every evening.
The weather is glorious, hot and clear blue skies, and the sea water is emerald and crystal clear. A footpath joins the other beaches around the Island, walking through the only village with its school and playground for the locals on route. This is heaven !!! We swim out for about 100 metres and still see the sea bed, with coral and colourful tropical fish. Accommodation on the Island is resticted to small chalet style huts, which are dispersed amongst the trees - no high rise concrete blocks, thank god, it will be a major shame if developers are let lose to spoil this paradise of tranquility.
Thursday 29th December.
We meet up with our Italian friends who invite us to BBQ dinner on the beach, as they are going fishing and the small beach bar has offered to cook the catch. Fabulous evening spent around the camp fire on the beach eating freshly caught fish, we walk back to our accomodation in semi darkness and only the moon for light as the batteries are flat in our torches.The Italians were so enthusiastic about the fishing / snorkeling trip, that we decide to book for some of the same during the day of New years eve.
Saturday 31st December
We leave early for a day at sea aboard a long tail boat accompanied by 2 local fishermen, our first experience at snorkelling, which was like turning on a colour TV and seeing a kalidescope of colourful coral and sea shells and underwater tropical fish never seen to us outside a tropical fish tank. Then we sail into open sea for a spot of fishing where Martine shows a hidden talent for catching our lunch, which the fishermen cook on a small fire they make on a nearby beach under the over hanging branches of palm trees skirting another deserted island. Sheer bliss !!!
It's New Years eve and we take a few of the fish we caught during the day and repay the compliment to the Italians as they join us for BBQ on the beach. All along the beach people have lit candles and a party mood is in the air, Thai beer is flowing and everyone is waiting for the Midnight hour.

2005-12-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 13th December 2005 - ( Martines Birthday )
We fly Royal Nepal Airlines overnight on Monday 12th December leaving Kathmandu at 11.45pm, we are upgraded to first class on a 15 year old Boeing 757 and flew towards Singapore via a stop in Kuala Lumpar or KL as its known locally. We land at 6.30am local time ( Martines Birthday ) at KL for a crew change and an opportunity to stretch our legs in the transit lounge, the stop over is scheduled for 45 mins then we are due back on board for the final leg to Singapore. Time passes 1 hour then 2, we look out of the airport lounge window to see a swarm of engineers, plus the pilot discussing the port side engine which by now has its outer casing removed and its guts exposed !! This plane is going nowhere, we are tranferred to Maylasian airlines for the final leg to Singapore. Kuala Lumpar airport is a refreshing change from the airports of Delhi and Kathmandu. A modern complex with all the amenities of Heathrow. We consume a Burger King compliments of Royal Nepal Airlines for the delay. Singapore International Airport is even more high tec than KL with free internet services in the arrivals hall. The imigration officer wishes Martine a happy Birthday as he notices the date on her passport. We take the high tec MRT metro train to our Hotel destination. Singapore being just off the Equator is hot with a constant climate in the late 20's all year. It's also one of the easiest places in the world to navigate as everything is clearly marked and a superb model of how transport in a city should planned and developed. Some say its sterile, we disagree its a fabulous place and well worth visiting. Birthday greetings come in from the Hotel staff as we check in. The heat is a warm welcome from the cold snap of Nepal. We celebrate Martines Birthday by visiting Raffles Hotel for the famous Singapore slinger, then onto a seafood centre by the waterfront for chilli crab while sitting in the warm evening heat overlooking the straights of Singapore towards Indonesia. It is refreshing to have such a selection of culinary delights on offer in Singapore which has a huge mix of Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian foods to experience. We visit Orchard Road Singapore answer to OXford Street in London, we are amazed at the fabulous street decorations celebrating Christmas for the christian sector of the population. The air con department stores and shops are full of christmas shoppers and the sounds of christmas carols ringing out over the PA systems, its a sure reminder of the UK. We visit the night Safari located north of Singapore city taking a silent train through the jungle to see the wildlife, Tigers, Rhinos, Elephants , huge Bats, and an assortment of animals never seen by us outside a textbook or London Zoo, the whole experience is like visiting Jurassic Park albeit with today's creatures. Next stop China town for an open air Christmas concert in a prk alongside the famous China town district. A very enthusiastic group of christian Chinese/Singapore singing Silent night and O come all ye faithful ! very bizarre, onto a small theatre for an introduction into the art of Chinese opera with an explanation of what the performance means, we see actors and actresses in full costume with make up, which apparently takes 2 hours to apply. Finally a meal at one of the many hawker stalls in the street outside the theatre. We only intended to stay in Singapore for 2 days, but liked it so much we are stayed 4, we both agree its a fabulous city and well worth a visit in the future.
Saturday 17th December. On an express coach out of Singapore heading for Maylasia and a town called Melacca.

2005-12-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Kathmandu Nepal - Saturday 26th November 2005
We meet our fellow travellers for the next leg of our adventure in Nepal. Joyce from Canada and Maki from Japan inc ourselves and that's 4 in total. With a smaller group than in India we feel as if we are on a private tour. Ashok our tour guide takes around Kathmandu to see the sights.
Kathmandu is bigger than we imagined and lies in a valley next to the foothills of the Himalayas, it feels like the treking and mountainering capital of the world with numerous shops selling everything you need to walk or climb the surrounding countryside.
We visit Bhudda temples and the famous Durbar square, home to the palace of Kumari devi, considered to be a living goddess. leaving Kathmandu we make our way towards Nargarkot a small village perched on a ridge overlooking the Kathmandu valley. Our Hotel room has the most spectacular views of the Himalayan mountain range and we set our alarm clocks for 6.30am next morning. Straight out of bed and onto the balcony to watch the sun creep up over the eastern end of the himalayas and cast its yellow light as it rises onto mountain after mountain in front of us. We see Mount Everest for the first time, towering in the distance between the other mountains. Slowly the whole panorama of the Himalayas unfolds before us as the sun rises. Down below the Kathmandu valley is shrouded in the early morning mist. The rest of the day is spent on a 6 hour trek along pathways and hillsides as we pass village after village to finally catch the local bus to our next destination. On route we meet numerous children on their way to school along the same hillside paths, they say hello and ask our names ( in perfect english ) and the biggest surprise of all they also ask for our autographs. !!! Whenever we take digital photos the children gather round to see the instant result of themselves on screen. We are lucky with the local bus service and the first bus to arrive has room for us to squeeze into the back seats alongside about 15 sacks of potatoes on route to the local market. The bus lurches from side to side and up and down as it tries to negotiate the humps and bumps of the unmade dirt track road.
Wednesday 30th November.
Bhaktapur our next stop is a medeival town full of narrow streets and squares with pagoda style temples. Cold at night, misty in the morning and warm sunshine in the afternoon. After 2 days visiting various temples and local sights and craft shops ( ideal for Christmas shopping !!!! ) we pack bags and head south by local bus for our second visit to the Chitwan national park and the village of Sauraha. We stay at the Royal Park Hotel which is situated in tree clad grounds with chalet style acccommodation amongst. We are surrounded by by Banana and Papaya trees and other sub tropical flowers and fauna. The jungle and wildlife is just 15 minutes away across the river. We have called our second visit the Elephant experience. We take bikes and cycle to the Elephant breeding grounds where we see an exhibition explaining everything about the Nepal Elephant, it's history, it's breeding conditions and lots we didn't know about Elephants, the highlight is seeing baby Elephants from 1 to 5 years old roaming free and wandering up to us with trunk extended inquisitivly investigating to see if we have anything to offer, which we don't, as visitors are not allowed to feed the animals. they are fascinating to watch as they slowly and gracefully play in front of us, then without notice start to run !! - a sure sign for us to move out of the way as 100 kilos heads straight towards us !!!
Next day its Elephant washing time as we walk to the river and help the Elephant shepherd clean a 35 year old as it obeys his voice commands and rolls over in the shallow river water. We take a large stone from the shore and rub the thick dark grey, leather skin, of the huge Elephants back, then nearly get soaked as it cannons a fountain of water from its trunk in playful mood. We all enjoy Elephant and man at play. Joyce and Maki arrive a few minutes later and are completely doused in water as they try to climb the Elephants back receiving the maximum force of water from its trunk !!
Final day at Chitwan was another Elephant highlight, a 4 hour safari style ride deep into the jungle sitting on a chair high up on the Elephants back. We look from side to side for wildlife over the 2 metre high Elephant grass and the bush beyond. What a fantastic experience as our Elephant bull dozes its way with apparent ease through the undergrowth, suddenly we stop in total silence as we come upon a wild Rhino taking a mud bath in a small watering hole. I nearly drop the camera as I rush to take photos before the Rhino hears us and decides to disappear into the bush.
Sunday 4th December.
We take the bus to Bandipur a small village high up in the hills along a mountain trek. On route we meet a couple of local women who with help in translating from Ashok our guide try to swop husbands with mike. A close shave as he nearly becomes a nepalise hill farmer for the rest of his life. !
Our accommodation is a restored village house where the food and location ( views of the annapurna mountain range ) are superb. It is apparent that Ashok has spent most of his training as a guide in the countryside around the Himalayas as he takes us on a days walking in the local hills, we puff and pant our way up and down countless hills and valleys while the walk for him is like a stroll in the park ! We arrive back exhausted, hungry, and ready for dinner, he could have done it all again without breaking sweat.
Tuesday 6th December
We arrive in Pokhara a small town situated around a lake with views of the Aannapura mountains towering overhead. A few days to visit a temple on a hillside on the other sidfe of the lake and a bike ride to some local caves to do some potholing.
Friday 9th December
Final days journey back to Kathmandu and make our preparations for our departure to Singapore.
How much are Bananas in Europe ? We pay 1p per Banana in Nepal. Just bought 10 for the equivalent of 10p sterling from a street vendor.
Last, but not least we must mention the Nepales spit, starting with a loud throty noise they then bring up whatever and spit it out wherever they are. We are practising this local art and hope to have perfected the style before we we return to UK.

2005-11-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Monday 21st November 2005
We travel overland and say goodbye to India and hello to Nepal, the landscape changes from the flat plains of India as we climb towards the more hilly terrain of Nepal and the himalayas. Just as I ( mike ) thought I had escaped India without any stomach problems I am hit by Delhi belly the morning of departure, luckily it only lasts 24 hours and all is well the morning after on our 1st day in Nepal. Hence I took a break and missed breakfast while the est of the grouptook a cycle rickshaw ride to some local temple inc the birth place of Buddha.I sat outside our room on the verandah and watched the colourful tapestry of local life unfolding before me. 30 mins ater and Yoran our dutch friends in the group arives back before the rest of the group limping badly fom a 10cm gash in his leg, apparently he was helping the rickshaw driver push the cyle uphill and a nail sticking out from the wheel hub went straight into his leg. A hospital visit was required, so we all piled into our mini bus for the next leg of our journey via the local hospital !!!Would you believe straight into the casualty ward at the border hospital in Bhairawa and he is seen, operated on and back out within 2 hours, with 12 stitches ... we travel towards our next destination Chitwan national park for the opportunity to see some of asias amazing wildlife. Accompanied by a local guide we spend a day treking the jungle pathway in anticipation of seeing man eating tigers, elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, monkeys and a mixture of other wildlife. We stopped halfway into the trek for picnic, alas today we only saw plenty of Tiger, rhino and elephant poo !!!! Our illustrated guidebook ' The animal poo of Nepal will be published in 2006 if anyone wants a signed copy please add your name to the list. Luckily we did see plenty of crocodiles along the riverbank and monkies and birds and a fabulous mix of butterflys. After a night sleeping on the outskirts of the jungle in a small local family guesthouse with outside loo and shower we trekback through the undergrowth to our hotel.
Friday 25th November. We journey north towards Kathmandu the capital of Nepaland our final day together with our group before we all go our separate ways - celebration time with an evening visit to a restaurant in the centre of Kathmandu a few street away from our modest hotel, we all exchange email addresses and say our farewells. Yorans leg is healing nicely and he is able to limp along and join us. If any of you guys read this we wish you all a happy and safe forward journey, and thank you for 2 weeks of outsatnding comeraderie and entertainment.

2005-11-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Sunday 6th November 2005
INDIA Population 1.04 billion
One week in Delhi and your senses go into overdrive trying to cope with all the sights, sounds, and smells, imaginable.
The traffic is a mix of every form of transport on mother earth including Elephant, Ox, Lorry, Van,Car, Bus, Bike, Auto rickshaw, Bicycle rickshaw, Stray dogs and goats, and most bizarre of all a group of monkies at a cross road gathering for breakfast standing, lying, sitting, grooming. We have experienced YOGA lessons at the National Institute of YOGA in Delhi which runs courses, our tutor Doctor ( left name in the room ) gave us the basics during our 2 day session, we are fully kharmered out ! Ummmmmmmmm !
Major sights and places we have visited include the Red fort, Humayums tomb, Gandi's home, Qutb Minar, a craft centre, and numerous more not on the tourist trail.
Our hotel the Ashok country resort was on the outskirts of Delhi away from the mayhem of central Delhi, it is amongst farm smallholdings to the south of the Capital. We brave the traffic and take an auto rickshaw ( Tuk Tuk ) to visit the sights and places of interest. The tuk tuk journey can only be described as close to a white knuckle experience, just close your eyes and prey as they whizz in and out of the traffic at speed, not having any doors or windows they make an ideal opportunity for beggars and tradespeople, who approach at the crossroads or traffic lights - should the driver decide to stop !!! The beggars come in all shapes and sizes from small children to mothers with babies in arms. Our most bizarre experience was a naked man who appeared out of the traffic to our tuk tuk with his hand outstretched in anticipation of us passing over our cash. He had one huge testicle the size of a mango !!! we were speechless at first, then relieved as the tuk tuk slowly moved away from the traffic lights to continue our journey, even the driver was amused and they see all sorts of sights in their daily work. To date, luckily we have not been plagued with delhi belly as the food at the Hotel and local restaurants we have frequented has been very enjoyable, bearing in mind that we are now Vegitarians for time being. Fresh juices of Mango, Pineapple, Papaya have been delicious. One place of interes was our visit to the main cultural centre near Lodi park which were showing a photographic exhibition of black and white photos of street children of Delhi, we viewed in silence as the images showed some of the most distressing scenes imaginable of children trying to survive in conditions way below any poverty levels experience in the west.
Wednesday 9th November. we wander into the national institute of YOGA premises in central delhi and via the secretarys office find Doctor ( name in our room ) having his tea break. We manage to to persuade him to tutor us for two days in the art of YOGA . Day one was a 4 hour session in the meditation hall teaching us the rudiments of 48 yoga positions, Day two was more the spirtual, and mind relaxing practices, kharma has descended on our daily life - you need it in Delhi !!! we are now proud recipients of having been taught YOGA at one of the worlds finest establishments.
Saturday 12th November
We leave the tranquility of the outskirts of Delhi and move to the Hotel in the centre of town where we meet the rest of the group who will be our companions for the next 2 weeks on our Intrepid tour called Delhi to Kathmandu overland. Our group consists of 2 dutch, 2 italians and the rest british including ourselves making up a total of 11 plus our tour leader Nitin Dhami a 30 year old from a farming family in northern india near the kashmir border. We spend our first day visiting the place where Gandi lived in Delhi, which is now a museum and then an authentic craft museum managed by the Indian government.
Sunday 13th November. Having got to know everyone in our group, we join the locals on a train to Agra. Indian railways is the worlds biggest employer with 1.6 employees, the total population of India at the last count was 1.4 billion, this doesn't include those nomads living outside the system!!!
Our main attraction today in Agra is the world renown Taj Mahal monument, which was one of the sights mentioned in our book ' a 1000 places you should visit before you die ' The experience lived up to and surpassed all our expectations ! On the advice of our guide we visited just before sunset as the sun was setting in the west as a huge red ball while simultaniously the full moon appeared in the east looking like white marble. In the grounds of the Taj we met numerous Indian families asking us if their children could be photographed with us and the Taj as a backdrop - we felt like royalty and the people were so friendly and polite.
Monday 14th November. Gwalior and a visit to a living Maharajahs palace called Jal Vilas which has amongst its bizarre collection of furniture and artefacts the worlds largest Chandelir - must be a nightmare to clean !!
Tuesday 15th November. Overland to Orcha on the banks of the Betwa river, as well as visiting the palaces and temples we are invited into a locals house for a lesson in Indian cookery - we all sit on the floor in a small room 2 metres square while the owner prepares an array of dishes containing all the spices and herbs which make India famous worldwide for its food. The grandmother was an expert at cooking Chapatis on a 2 ring gas burner positioned at floor level. We sat crossed legged on the floor indian style or in the classic kneeling position in amazement as the food was prepared in front of us, we then consumed every morsel, fantastic.
Wenesday 16th November - Bike riding in the local forest to a small tribal village to mix with the locals, the children loved to see the digital photos taken by the groups cameras and crowd around to see the instant results of themselves on screen. Over night train to Allahabad in an open sleeper compartment - didn't sleep very well due to an
array of snoring, grunting, lights going on and off at random and the air con vent being 6 inches from your face if you are on the top bunk near the ceiling of the train.
Friday 18th November. The highlight of the tour so far in our opinion, we take four boats with four people from each of our group in 3 of the boats an a support boat which is crewed by the kitchen cooks and helpers down the river ganges.After all the noise and constant motion in the towns, this is heaven, we sailunder a canopy and sit on cushions on open deck and relax and soak up all the wildlife and passive activity along the river bank, at meal times the boats would all tie up together mid stream and the most fabulous Indian food was passwed across to each boat. We all took turns to help the two Indian brithers manning our boat to row down river, if the wind dropped and we couldn't use the sail. Great fun !!! At night we moored the boats alongside a sand bank in the middle of the river. The crew erected 2 man tents in a semi circle around a carpet floor and prepared our evening meal on a camp fire, which we enjoyed under the most magnificent sky parading a galaxy of stars and planets, as ther was no background light, after the meal we laid on our backs and tried to plot the various constellations and looked in ore at the fabulous views above. Camping and sailing on the Ganges will be in our memories for a very long time.
Saturday 19th November. Overland to Varanasi to visit the ultimate destination for Hindu pilgrims, we walk the riverbank and see the various ghats ( steps alongside the riverbank ) and absorb the ceremonial burning of the bodies, and watch as small lighted candles in paper saucers float out across the river as the priests chant there homages to their gods. We take a boat at sunrise along the river to watch the people in all forms of washing activity and preys as the sun rises in a huge red ball over the ganges. At sunset we take another open decked boat along with 2 musicians, one playing the Sitar and the other small drums, we sail down river and watch the activity along the river bank with an array of Indian music to accompany us.
Monday 21st November. We travel overland and leave India at the border point of Bhairwa, we are now in NEPAL.

2005-11-05T01:57:00.000-08:00

31st October 2005
Eygpt
We are now half way into our Eygptian adventure, Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones, Tutankhamun and Rameses we have imagined them all.
During our first few days in Cairo we visited the Eygptian Museum displaying the riches discovered in Tutankhamuns tomb amongst other relics dating from over 4000BC !
Temples and Mosques and Tombs we have seen them all including the Pyramids at Giza on the west bank of the Nile. Having done the tourist bit we went off piste and braved the back streets inc the local markets, walts and all, smells good and some bad. Being stared at as if we had just arrived from Mars.
We bought fresh dates and guavas from the market and managed to barter
on the price which is expected by the Eygptians everywhere, so they say 10 Eygptian pounds ( about 1 pound sterling ) and we respond by offering half to 5 and sooner or later we end up agreeing around 6 or 7and everyone is happy.
As other parts of the world the Eygptians love football and down the small narrow back streets they drag out a battered TV with the universal coat hanger as an aerial and watch North african league football. There can be up to 50 at a time watching the match, drinking tea in various forms and smoking Sheesha ( Hubble bubble pipe ). Needless to say its all blokes, the women are elsewhere.
From Cairo to Aswan by overnight train. The ear plugs have proved very useful to not only dampen the noise of the train, but a group of Australian travellers singing into the early hours of the morning. In Aswan we experienced a felucca sail boat journey down the Nile to a Nubian village to mix with the locals. Wednesday 26th October up at 4am to join our armed convoy of buses across the desert to Abu Simbul. Watched Sunrise at 6am on the way. Visited the temple of Rameses 2 very spectacular. Back to Aswan and time to board our cruise boat the Mona Lisa for 3 days and nights on the Nile up to Luxor, stopping to visit various temples and tombs on route. Dress up in Gabalahs ( traditional Eygptian gowns ) for evening dinner on board boat and afterwards watched belly dancing, needless to say Mike was pulled up on stage to join the action, although his version of belly dancing was more amusing than technical !!!!
The belly dancer really did have a belly - big time !
Sunday 30th October arrived in Luxor early to visit the Valley of the Kings and Karnak temple, which must rate as the most impressive sites so far. Evening walk into central Luxor to visit typical cafe with our guide Ahmed and try the sheesha, with lemon tea. From Luxor to the seaside resort of Hurghada on the Red Sea which has crystal clear warm waters, ideal for swimming and snorkelling.
Hurghada is Eygpts Blackpool, a major holiday resort for Russians, not an American in sight !!!
Even some of the street signs are in Russian to keep the visitors happy.
Friday 4th November, we are back in Cairo preparing our kit for the next chapter of our adventure INDIA.
We have enjoyed the ups and downs of Eygpt which has included the occasional bout of Eygptian gip, which we hope will give us some immunity from any Delhi belly !!!

2005-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday 13th October.
Ciao !
Buon Giorno everyone. We have been in Italy for the past week. We took the train from france across the border and along the coast from Nice to La Spezia via Genoa Fantastico !
Stayed 2 nights in Santa Margherita and used the hotel bikes to cycle to Portofino and visit the sites inc Giorgio Armanis villa. Watched pasta ( tortalini ) being made in the local past shop. Took train from Santa Margherita to La Spezia and stayed in Villa delle Palma which we found by chance on a local Italian tourist website. Owned by Signon and Signorita Tono who have lived in the villa since it was built in 1924.
Built on a hilll overlooking La Spezia towrads the sea and the surrounding bay.
Villa has approx 20 rooms and the owners (above) are 82 and 80 years old respectively.
Signorita only started the B&B 2 years ago when she was 78 !!!! because she was getting bored and wanted something to do !
The villa was full of antique Italian furniture and paintings and each room had a very dusty chandalier. Walls in our Bathroom were solid sheets of marble.
Breakfast was taken in the owners dining room with huge windows that gave magnificent views over the bay of La Spezia.
We spent 2 days visiting the Cinque Terre which are 5 small villages perched on the edge of cliffs along the coast, each only accessable by train or coastal paths, the Italian government 4 years ago made the area a national park and all building and development is now restricted.
The houses are all coloured in typical pastel shades of mustard, peach, apricot , burnt umber etc a painting in itself.
The villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Coniglia, Manarola and Riomaggione, if anyone gets the opportunity to visit its worth every moment to savour the atmosphere and scenery.
Sunday 9th October we went to Porto Venere in glorious sunshine and walked the medieval parts of the town inc the fort and church of St Peter built on a rock overlooking the sea.
Monday 10th October came back to France for our last week before leaving for EYGPT.
WATCH this space, its Chestnut season and we have been invited to the local Chestnut festival in Berre Les Alpes. Will let you know details on next posting.

2005-10-02T03:46:00.000-07:00

2nd October 2005.
We are still finding our way arounnd the Blogsite and its potential to date we have not found any Internet cafe where we can post pictures, we hope to rectify this soon when we visit larger towns with more contemporary facilities.
Mixed week of visits and activities .
Most resorts with restaurants on the beach are closing for the season, although we were lucky to visit Papiya beach resport in Eze twice last week toswim in the sea. which was exhilarating as the sea is still warm bearing in mind its October. We have been to Antibes a lovely town west of Nice with a large english community. On our adventure out days we have walked miles around St jean cap ferrat and Nice. We visit Itaty next week watch this space.

London - July 2005

2005-07-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

25/07/05
Mike and I are busy preparing for our 6 months trip abroad. It has taken us a couple of months but we know are agreed as to where we are going although Mike is still working hard on the "how" we are going to get there and what we need to make that happen.

The project is growing apace and the dots on our map of the world are now becoming real places with towns, trains, plans and hotels. In some countries, we are going to join organised tours ( Egypt, India, Nepal, China ) and in others ( Malyasia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam ) we are going to be flexible about time and place.

My job is to make sure that we are ready to leave and that our affairs are in order this includes Visas and vaccinations.

Every day, the trip becomes a little more real and today we booked the trip down the Nile, the tour of India and Nepal and the flight to Singapore. Although our big adventure will start with a stay in France and finally give us the opportunity to enjoy "quality time" at the flat.