World Tour, 2007

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Introduction

Whilst I am out travelling I intend to occasionally update this journal. I will post things like where I have been and what I was doing there; to help me I'm going to take my GPS with me (it's a Garmin Geko 301 if you're interested). I intend on visiting Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Nepal and New Zealand during my trip. I hope that you enjoy reading my travel journal.

You may subscribe to the Atom Feed to ensure that you are kept up-to-date or if reading things on a computer screen is not your thing then you can download the journal as a PDF. If you want the full mapping experience, and have Google Earth installed on your computer, then you can download the GPS data for this journal in a KML file. Alternatively, if you have a GPS yourself and you wish to load the data into your own mapping software then you can download the GPS data for this journal in a GPS XML (GPX) file.

Albums

Everywhere, Thailand (2007-06-29)

So, here we are, the first photo album from my World Tour of 2007. I spent a month in Thailand starting from Phuket in the very south and finishing in Chang Rai in the very north - enjoy!

Everywhere, Laos (2007-07-27)

Right, my favourite South-East Asian country: Laos. This was the third visit for me but no less because of it. There are quite a few photos in this album, it's quite big: I'm sorry.

Everywhere, Vietnam (2007-08-24)

This also contains loads of photos, this time around from Vietnam. I did the whole length of the country, from Sapa to Cantho. I hope you enjoy looking at the photos of my travels!

Everywhere, Cambodia (2007-10-04)

Cambodia was a short stop so there are only photos from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Most of the Siem Reap photos are of Angkor.

Delhi, India (2007-10-15)

Just a few days in the capital to sort out my plane flights and train tickets so there are hardly any photos of India, enjoy though!

Everywhere, Nepal (2007-10-18)

Right, the pièce de résistance of my World Tour, Nepal - the Himalayas. There are a fair few photos in this album but I personally think they are very much worth it.

Auckland, New Zealand (2007-11-28)

I was only here for a day and a half so there are hardly any photos. New Zealand served as a nice place to break myself back into Western society, it was quite surreal to be honest.

Panoramas

Hotel View, Ko Tao

Taken outside the door of my hotel (Laemklong) room looking down upon the beach of Chalok Baan Kao Bay - 'twas a great place to stay for a week! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Beach, Ko Tao

Taken in the centre of the Chalok Baan Kao Bay infront of all the bars and hotels looking all around the beach. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Central World Plaza, Bangkok

I was too early to be allowed in the shopping centre (I know, how pitiful) so I went for a brief stroll to pass the time. I was so bored that I did this panorama - it's my biggest ever. There are 33 portrait photos here in an array of 11 x 3, not bad eh? Almost 100˚ vertical field of view too! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Inside Central World Plaza, Bangkok

This panorama was taken on one of the floors on the way up to the cinema which is on the top floor. The escalators go up in spirals around the inside which makes it feel like you're on a drill or something! It is a really clean and cool building - an excellent rest from the mayhem that is Bangkok. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi

Taken in the back of a market building on my way to the bridge. It gives a brief overview of the size of the structure and shows that people really do make a mountain out of a molehill. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Ruins Overview, Sukhothai

I thought I'd give a brief overview of the ruins and stupas left at Sukhothai - and this is it! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Wat Khok Singkaram, Si Satchanalai

Taken atop the steps leading to the stupa of Wat Khok Singkaram looking back down at the base walls, it was quite high and the ruins were well preserved. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Vachiratharn Waterfalls, Doi Inthanon

Taken inside Doi Inthanon National Park in northern Thailand near Chang Mai this was perhaps the most impressive waterfalls within the park. The weather wasn't great and there was tons of spray so it's not the best panorama ever, oh well. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Wat Tham Phu Si, Luang Prabang

Taken atop Phu Si looking South South East up Nam Khan, you can see some villages in the distance where some of the monks come from to attend the temples in Phu Si. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

That Chomsi, Luang Prabang

Taken at the very top of Phu Si on a little rocky outcrop I did this 360˚ panorama of the whole of Luang Prabang, it's a pretty good view point. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Tat Kuang Si, Luang Prabang

I think that these were the best set of waterfalls that I saw on the whole World Tour. Seriously, if you are ever near Luang Prabang you must take a tuk-tuk ride out to see Tat Kuang Si, it is about 32kms away. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Pak Ou, Luang Prabang

Housed in a cliff face on the banks of the Mekong is this small shallow cave which is full of little religious relics and statues of Buddhas. The entrance is quite imposing as it is rather steep and just drops into the river. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Plain of Jars (Site 3), Phonsavan

Taken atop the site looking back down to the car park. I loved the moody monsoon clouds and the lighting of the fields, it looked very cool. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Seset River, Tadlo

Taken on the balcony of the recently renovated Sephaseuth Guest House in Tadlo. On the far left, behind the bridge and slightly through the trees you can make out the Tat Lo waterfalls. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Khone Phapheng, Si Phan Don

This is a rather special place for me. I first came here in 2005 and I was blown away by the sheer power and noise of these falls. I also saw a Western traveller who was just sat on the floor with her eyes closed in semi-meditation just listening to the noise. It was quite a humbling sight. I managed to get a photo of her. Ever since then I've wanted to go back and do what she did, sit down, close my eyes and just let the power and the noise of the falls wash over me. It was great. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Citadel Gate, Hué

This panorama takes in the Ngo Mon Gate of the Citadel and the large flag tower overlooking the river. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Garden Path, Hué

Taken within the Citadel whilst strolling around the many temples. I rather liked the tranquillity of this scene. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Memorial, Hanoi

Taken inside the 'Hanoi Hilton' of the memorial for all the Vietnamese prisoners who died when the prison was run by the French. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Mountain View, Sapa

Taken on the restaurant balcony for the Mountain View Hotel, as you can see, the weather wasn't great! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Cat Ba Harbour, Cat Ba Island

Taken on the only inhabited island in Halong Bay, off the small bridge to the north west of the harbour looking back to the harbour and the seafront. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Po Nagar Cham Towers, Nha Trang

These were actually quite good, well worth the visit. Take some water though as the walk from town is quite de-hydrating. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Isolated Bay, Nha Trang

To the right you can see Hon Chong Promontory which was a thorough let down, seriously. It's a boulder, perhaps 2m high. What's the big deal? This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Floating Market, Cantho

I decided to go for the un-traditional photos of a floating market here: a panorama taken from the roof of a market boat, not bad eh? This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Angkor Wat, Angkor

Well, Angkor Wat's situation isn't great, there are lots of walls and cloisters around the main Wat and so you can't get any decent photos of it up close and personal. So, I did this panorama - be sure to drag it up to the very top! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Preah Khan, Angkor

Preah Khan is one of the largest set of buildings in Angkor and some of the trees which overrun the site are quite spectacular to behold. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

East Mebon, Angkor

As with Angkor Wat this one is built to represent Mt Meru. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Pre Rup, Angkor

As with Angkor Wat this one is built to represent Mt Meru. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Kathesimbhu Stupa, Kathmandhu

I was walking to the main Durbar Square of Kathmandhu when I came across this up a side street - a superb introduction to Nepali traditional architecture! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Durbar Square, Kathmandhu

Sat atop Maju Deval looking north at Narayan Temple and Shiva-Parvati Temple in Kathmandhu's Durbar Square. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Dharapani, Annapurna

Taken looking north east up the Dudh Khola and south east down the Marsyandi River. I tried to give you a sense of the height of the place: very imposing! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Annapurna II and Annapurna IV, Annapurna

Taken in Upper Pisang looking south west to the Annapurnas, a simply superb view in my opinion. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Upper Pisang, Annapurna

Taken in Upper Pisang, I decided to do a full panorama so that you could get a good idea of the place: very special. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Nameless Peak, Annapurna

Taken whilst walking between Pisang and Manang on the Annapurna Circuit. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Annapurna II and Gangapurna, Annapurna

Taken in Braga where we did a little side tour to after lunch on our way to Manang to visit a temple: it was very good, well worth it. You can actually see the Circuit and our lunch stop in the bottom of the valley, slightly to the right. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Manang District, Annapurna

Taken at a stupa up one of the spurs of Ganapurna which provides superb views of the whole valley, ;) This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Thorong Phedi, Annapurna

Taken at Thorong Phedi looking back south at Gangapurna. On the far right you can see the start of the Thorong La. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Thorong Phedi, Annapurna

Taken just a little bit above Thorong Phedi on the beginning of the Thorong La looking back down to Thorong Phedi. I decided to take this panorama to show you the unique location of Thorong Phedi: it's amazing in my opinion. (Don't worry, I didn't do the Thorong La when this photo was taken, I did it the day after at 3am). This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Poon Hill, Annapurna

Yes, I admit it, I did the cliché of watching the sunrise from atop Poon Hill - so not worth it! This panorama requires the Java plugin.

The Annapurnas, Pokhara

Taken near the World Peace Pagoda of Pokhara looking out over Phewa Tal towards the Annapurnas. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Bodhnath Stupa, Kathmandhu

Taken on the roof of a café in Bodhnath looking out upon the main scene, it's quite a sight. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

One Tree Hill, Auckland

This was taken atop 'One Tree Hill' in the suburbs of Auckland. 'Twas a bit blustery up here and one could see the swells coming in off the sea, good views none-the-less. This panorama requires the Java plugin.

Journal

Singapore

Oasis Lounge, Changi Airport, Singapore

2007-06-29: N1˚21′20.124″, E103˚59′35.484″

Hello everyone! This is my first real post I guess. I am sat in a lounge in the airport in Singapore, which has free internet. Unfortunately my GPS doesn't work indoors and so I had to do the point for this on the aircraft. I suppose I don't have much to say actually, the flight has gone well, I'm very tired but well fed. I'll get in contact more when I get to Thailand, I just wanted to check whether this worked!

Thailand

On On Hotel, Phuket, Thailand

2007-06-30: N7˚53′1.068″, E98˚23′19.068″

The flight from Singapore to Phuket was pretty cool as we flew around a monsoon storm and I managed to see forked lightning from the aeroplane, which was cool - oh yeah, the pilot was Scandinavian. I am currently staying in the On On Hotel which is the hotel that was used for the filming in The Beach. I have just discovered that number 1 is the fastest setting for the fan, not number 4, the fan now sounds like a Huey! Anyone else thinking of Ride of the Valkyries?

Well, I'm now on a beautiful beach. Jungle approaches at the fringes and the beach is a crescent shape. The colour of the water is like something off a poster and the sand is the same to boot. It feels very touristy though as there are loads of hotels and store fronts - not to mention the miles of deck chairs!

On On Hotel, Phuket, Thailand

2007-07-01: N7˚53′1.068″, E98˚23′19.068″

Today has been a really good (and expensive) day. It was slow to get started due to it being Sunday and therefore hard to find food early on. This puzzles me as it is not a Christian country so what's the deal? - but oh well. I decided to set out and find the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre and Bang Pae Waterfalls. This required me having a three-way conversation with a tuk-tuk driver and a Policeman, during which I did a monkey impression which finally got through to the Policeman, who did an authentic Gibbon impression, who informed the tuk-tuk driver where I wanted to go! The Gibbons were very noisy, buy great to see. I got talking to one of the volunteers out there and it seems like a great set-up, check out their website if you're interested in going out there and working for them (I linked to it earlier).

Walking further into the jungle I came across Bang Pae Waterfalls, which was also like something off a TV add. They were beautifully isolated in the jungle and I tried to take some long exposure shots by leaning the camera against some rocks. There were many Thai kids around playing in the plunge pools.

I then decided that today would be a good day to visit Ton Sai Waterfalls, however, when I got there I realised that they were no where near as good. It was a good experience though as I got there via a motorbike taxi - the first of many I imagine.

Kiwi House, Ranong, Thailand

2007-07-02: N9˚57′22.068″, E98˚38′19.644″

I decided that my skin could not take another day at the beach so I advanced my plans to make my way to Ko Tao. I caught the bus for Ranong which is 300km away from Phuket. Once I got to Ranong I immediately checked into Kiwi House, which is owned by a Thai-New Zealand couple. It was basic, but the woman in charge was priceless, she arranged everything for me. The next day I was to get a boat across the river and visit Myanmar and then get a minibus to Chumphon so I could get the catamaran to Ko Tao, all in one day!

Once I checked in and dumped my bag I decided to walk 2km to the natural hot springs which were nearby. To be honest, they were just like any other set of sulphur springs, however, the thing that was most interesting was that it also went into the river, which coloured it a milky-yellow. This made it appear, at first glance, like the river was made of glacial melt water, which was very off putting against the backdrop of jungle!

Laemklong Resort, Ko Tao, Thailand

2007-07-03: N10˚4′1.704″, E99˚49′29.928″

Today has been hectic (as you can imagine reading my entry for yesterday) and very rewarding. I got a lift to the port at 0730 to meet the Burmese longtail boat to take me on the 30 minute river crossing into Myanmar. (If you were wondering: Myanmar is the new name for Burma. I use them interchangeably here). Once I got there I clambered over the other fishing boats at the port to get to land and immediately went to Immigration. 5 minutes later I was the proud owner of another 2 stamps in my Passport and proof that I've been to Myanmar. The return journey was simple enough, with the threat of monsoon hanging over the big river.

Once I got back to Thailand the woman from Kiwi House whisked me away to the bus for Chumphon which I was now late for - she got the driver to stop and turn around and come back for me! Getting the catamaran was straightforward enough and we were 1.5 hours on the sea in torrential rain blasting our way to Ko Tao. I am now checking into Laemklong Resort on the island.

Ko Tao is a tourist island. There are no native Thais on the island, the only Thais here are for the tourists. However, the island is not big enough for major corporations or hotels and so it has a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere. All the farang (Thai for foreigner) are either Australian or European and all 20-30 years old. It is a great place. The beaches are amazing and I just love the place. I'll hopefully spend a while here. It is a very popular place for diving as well. I'm not sure if I'll do any though, we'll see!

Laemklong Resort, Ko Tao, Thailand

2007-07-04: N10˚4′1.704″, E99˚49′29.928″

Today I decided to have an explore of the island with my camera, the tide was out so I waded out to some dead coral and took loads of photos. I proceeded to make my way to the next beach along. By this time a monsoon came in and everyone darted for cover. It was very impressive; the palms were thrashing about like those clips you see on the news. There was a bit of thunder, but no lightning that I could see.

I'm really starting to relax out here now. I seem to be able to spend, literally, hours sat looking out to sea as the wind blows in. It usually rains at least once a day here, you can usually see the storm clouds coming in.

Laemklong Resort, Ko Tao, Thailand

2007-07-07: N10˚4′1.704″, E99˚49′29.928″

Tomorrow is my last full day on Ko Tao. The day after I am off to Bangkok. For the last few days I have been occupying myself with reading mostly and trying to take photos. Every time I take my camera out, within 20mins, a monsoon comes in. It is a bit annoying.

Today I decided to do some exercise so I walked all the way to the catamaran jetty, along Sairee beach and all the way to the head of the island so I could take photos of the 3 little islands which are just joined by sand off the North West coast. I then walked all the way back, which has tired me out immensely. I have basically walked the length of Ko Tao twice today. I was sweating buckets on the way back, I've chilled out now.

My House Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

2007-07-09: N13˚45′43.812″, E100˚29′41.316″

Well, I'm sweating loads and I'm tired but I'm sat on my bed in Bangkok. The day started out early with me leaving my room on Ko Tao at 0750 and walking the 2km to the pier along the roads, with my 2 bags, so I'd be there early for my 0900 check in time for the catamaran. When I got there I was informed that there was a mix up and that my particular catamaran left at 1015, not 0930. So I sat around for ages, getting bored and slightly frustrated that I'd read all my books. The boat trip was fine and the film was "The Queen".

On the bus to Bangkok I got talking to a girl from Wales who was out doing Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. We got on really well I thought and I enjoyed the company. She's the first person I've met and properly talked to so far. We arranged to meet up one night in Bangkok and go and do something.

I got a tuk-tuk from the bus to my intended guest house but it was full. My second choice only had deluxe suites left so I'm now at my third choice. It is cheap at 190THB for an en-suite, but there are no plugs and the walls are dirty and manky. Tomorrow I need to go to the Vietnamese Embassy and get a visa, wahay!

My House Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

2007-07-10: N13˚45′43.812″, E100˚29′41.316″

Today has been a day of polarities, more later. Firstly I must remember to collect my passport and visa at 4PM tomorrow afternoon from the Vietnamese Embassy.

Today has been a rewarding and frustrating day. I got a river boat taxi to the Sky Train station where I travelled to within walking distance of the Vietnamese Embassy. That was no problem at all. I then decided to travel and find a cinema. I was rewarded by finding this huge plaza with an amazing new cinema complex on the 7th floor. I watched Die Hard 4.0 in English in a very comfy air conditioned seat. There was only one other guy there in the cinema.

I then decided to get some chopsticks and a shirt from Chatuchak Market; it was only when I got there that I realised it is a weekend market. I decided to spend my time by using the deserted Metro system to go to the Grand Palace. I arrived at the palace and got a ticket, it was only then that I was informed that I could not enter because of my attire, I was not amused.

My House Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

2007-07-11: N13˚45′43.812″, E100˚29′41.316″

This morning started off with a close call: I had Cornflakes. Within 10mins I realised my mistake (the milk) and was on my knees in front of the toilet. In the end I did not vomit, but it was a close call. It reminded me of a lesson I had forgot: "Don't eat dairy products when travelling!".

I'm really starting to get bored in Bangkok. This morning I went back to the internet café and sent off some more emails (and Facebook). I then decided that to pass the time I'd look around the shopping centres until it was time to collect my visa. I decided I could pass the time (as it was so cheap) by watching another film. When I got to the cinema I found out that Harry Potter come out today; I immediately got a ticket. I was really pleased, I only had to wait 20mins as well which made me really chuffed. The film was good and easily passed the until I had to get my visa.

Tonight turned out well after all. Just before I got in the shower I got a text from the girl I had met on the bus to Bangkok from Chumphon. We went to go and see Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) at Ratchadamnoen Stadium. It was really good night; the last fight was the best. The guy knocked his opponent out in the last second of the last round with a cheeky move. We then went back to Khao San Road and drank cocktails until her friend came to meet her at 0015. It was a really good night!

My House Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

2007-07-12: N13˚45′43.812″, E100˚29′41.316″

Today, I had decided, was to be a photo taking day. I got up and had toast, which was a much safer option than yesterday's breakfast. I went into Siam Square again and watched Harry Potter again. I made my way there fairly easily using the usual combination of river boat taxi and Sky Train.

On the ground floor of the building was a display of Canon cameras with huge lenses on. I had a play with some of them. There was a 300mm f2.8 lens which was twice the size of my 300mm f6.3! I made my way back to "My House" and went on the internet for a while. Oh yeah, I also managed to get 1,500USD from a bank.

I had the best Pad Thai tonight, it was from a street vendor. I got Pad Thai with egg and 2 Spring Rolls for 40THB.

Jolly Frog Hotel, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

2007-07-13: N14˚1′55.272″, E99˚31′12.288″

Today has been a fairly straight forward day. I got a taxi to the Southern Bus Station in Bangkok and got a bus to Kanchanaburi, followed by a rickshaw ride to the guest house. I have a double bed, en-suite, fan, electricity and a clean tiled floor, which is good at 200THB, much better than the place I stayed in Bangkok.

Tomorrow I'll probably do the museums and bridge. There are a few other things to do, such as go to Tiger's Temple and Erawan Waterfalls. I might also check if there is a direct bus to Chang Mai instead of me having to go via Bangkok! Looking at the guide book Sukhothai Historical Park looks like a good place to go for a bit.

Jolly Frog Hotel, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

2007-07-14: N14˚1′55.272″, E99˚31′12.288″

Today was my history day. I walked down to the war cemetery and walked around for a while. I also went into the adjacent museum, which was surprisingly good. It opened my eyes as to how the Japanese treated POWs. There was an uplifting photo in the collection: a British POW had a pair of earphones stuck into a brush's head. They used to collect bits and bobs to make radios without their captures knowing. They used to call them 'canaries' and the batteries 'birdseed'.

I then walked up the road to the famous The Bridge On The River Kwai bridge and walked over it. There was an elephant on the other side of the bridge so I went and said hello to. I have booked myself on a trip to Tiger's Temple for tomorrow afternoon. In the morning I'll check if (and when) there are any (non-tourist) buses to Chang Mai.

These internet cafés are starting to get on my nerves, the computers are hacked, buggy, infected and usually unstable. I have lost count of the amount of times a PC has crashed whilst I have been typing and consequently lost everything. I might start typing less and just wait until I get home and do it all then, at least I'll then have a PC which works!

Jolly Frog Hotel, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

2007-07-15: N14˚1′55.272″, E99˚31′12.288″

This morning I have already managed to go to the bus station and check out where they go to. There are no services from Kanchanaburi to Sukhothai or Chang Mai. This means I'll have to go via Bangkok. Whilst at the bus station I also check out the times for the bus to Erawan, which seems fairly consistent. My plan is thus: go to Tiger's Temple this afternoon; go to Erawan Waterfalls tomorrow; go to Sukhothai (for Sukhothai Historical Park) the day after. Another note: rickshaws are small, I always have to stoop to sit in them, my head hits the roof!

Tiger's Temple was not what I expected. It was really touristy for a start. The entire place is an animal sanctuary. Between 1PM and 4PM the tigers are brought to a tiny quarry and chained up. Visitors queue up and are escorted around 3 tigers by someone holding their hand. Another guide takes your camera and takes photos of you. It was good to get up close and personal but I was disappointed I couldn't take my own photos. I understand why though, too many times I have tripped up because I have been looking through the lens and not seen where I was going. God knows what might happen if tigers were around!

I had got talking to a guy from Denmark and we walked around the place together. We came across an area where there was a tiger cub which we could have placed on our lap; he/she was absolutely beautiful. It was a bit feisty but amazing to see so close up. I got a little scratch on my arm - yay!

I have not yet made up my mind if I think it is a good place or not.

...Just want to say that today I held a tiger cub in my lap and looked into it's eyes as it was teething on anything in range. Me and the Danish guy joked in the pickup on the way back, but now, thinking about it, it is certainly possible: if I ever have grand children; the only tigers left will be in zoos. It is very upsetting, at least I have photos to show them. Today really moved me, I suppose.

Jolly Frog Hotel, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

2007-07-16: N14˚1′55.272″, E99˚31′12.288″

I got the 0940 bus to Erawan which lasted 2 hours on a local bus which kept on stalling and not starting. It even had to be pushed at one point. The falls themselves are stunning and stretch for over 1km upstream. Some of the plunge pools are big enough to swim in. I swam in the first major one I got to (tier 1 or 2); it took a while to pluck up the courage to go in as the water was milky-blue so I had no idea of depth. Secondly there were loads of fish. This on its own didn't bother me; it was just that they kept on biting me! I swam across and stood on the rocks underneath the curtain of water, it was very cool. I trekked through the forest to some of the other tiers. I don't think I reached the end as it was too far away and I was dehydrated.

I got back at about 1530 after not eating anything since breakfast, which was just toast. I wolfed down a tuna baguette had a shower and finished my current book. So far I have read The Godfather (Mario Puzo), Fury (Salman Rushdie), The Long Way Round (Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman), The Runaway Jury (John Grisham) and an Agatha Christie book. I sat and had diner with the Danish guy from yesterday and an Irish guy who was on his way home after 5 years of working abroad.

I've decided to delay my plans a day and go to Sukhothai the day after as I'm tired and could do with a day of doing nothing.

Garden House Hotel, Sukhothai, Thailand

2007-07-18: N17˚0′29.952″, E99˚49′0.732″

I didn't get much sleep last night for some reason. I was up before my 0630 alarm and I walked out of Jolly Frog at 0700. I was lucky enough to find a tuk-tuk and get a ride to the bus station, it was 2km away and I didn't fancy walking. The bus for Mo Chit left at 0730 with me on board, no problem. I then got a bus to Sukhothai which left at 1100. At one stop a Thai girl got on and we talked a bit during the 8 hour journey. I also finished Red Dragon (Thomas Harris), which now means I have to go and find something else to read.

Getting to Garden House was fine; so much for the 'sawngthaew Mafia'! My room is good: double bed, fan, electricity, en-suite, tiled floor, flushing toilet and hot shower. This is a bargain at 150THB.

Garden House Hotel, Sukhothai, Thailand

2007-07-19: N17˚0′29.952″, E99˚49′0.732″

This morning I had a superb lie in, nice and lazy. I had my usual breakfast of toast, jam, butter and coffee, which was good. Today I had decided to go to Sukhothai Historical Park: it was 30 minutes on a bus which was really slow and stopped all the time. It only had to go 14kms!

Walking around the ruins was pleasant enough, they all seemed to be made of brick, which isn't very impressive if you consider the fact that they were built in the 13th Century. The place is roughly a square mile and only took me a couple of hours to walk around and see everything, including the museum. I took loads of photos, but once you've seen one set of ruins you've seen them all so they're probably not very good. The daily downpour happened on the way back when I was in the bus, which was convenient.

I have 2 more nights paid for, tomorrow I'll go to Si Satchanalai-Chaliang Historical Park and the day after I'll get the 6 hour bus ride to Chang Mai, direct.

Garden House Hotel, Sukhothai, Thailand

2007-07-20: N17˚0′29.952″, E99˚49′0.732″

Well, I'm back in my room after visiting Si Satchanalai Historical Park. Getting there was an adventure in itself. A small bus took me to the bus station where I got a bus to Si Satchanalai. After about 1 and a quarter hours the conductor told me to get off and I was dumped at the side of the road. I certainly wouldn't have seen the sign if I was driving. At the side of the road I hired a bike for 20THB for the day. She said it was 3km away so I put it in my GPS. When I got to the entrance (via a wooden suspension foot bridge) the bus stop was only 300m away!

I was presented with a map and was shown where I was. She was about 1.5km wrong! Within 10 minutes I sorted myself out. The ruins here are a lot more ruined that in Sukhothai, yet they were far less tourists and the ruins were spread out more, much more. I'd say the site was at least 4 times the area of yesterday's. It was pleasant cycling around between each ruin. There were also hundreds of white stalks (or cranes), very cool. I took a fair amount of photos but I think my artistic enthusiasm is running out for ruins; I'll probably only spend 5 minutes at Angkor when I get there in a few months time.

Golden Fern Hotel, Chang Mai, Thailand

2007-07-22: N18˚47′11.508″, E98˚59′23.496″

Well, I'm in Chang Mai. It is a lot cooler up here and much less humid. For the first time on my travels I had to get into the cotton sleeping bag liner because I was cold, not because of bugs! I appear to have acclimatised to Southern Thailand enough to feel cold in Northern Thailand. Its a lot more cloudy here and it rains frequently too.

The bus journey up here was uneventful. 'twas a simple matter to get a tuk-tuk into the Old City to my desired guest house. Fortunately there was room for me as I didn't fancy walking around with 2 bags looking for somewhere else in the rain. Having said that, I immediately dumped my bags and set off around town to look for Harry Potter book number 7 which came out on the 21^st (the day I got the bus here). The bus arrived at ~1400 so I had plenty of time; that wasn't the rush. The rush was I doubted I'd find an English copy in Chang Mai before someone blurted out the ending. Fortunately I found a copy (after retracing my steps). This is the reason why there is no entry for yesterday; I was busy reading Harry Potter!

I have not seen anything of Chang Mai, "The City of Culture", apart from looking for food. Having finished the book at ~1700 I may start to pop out and see the sights. There is a bazaar, a museum and a few temples I wish to visit. Also, Doi Inthanon is nearby (the highest point in Thailand at 2595m) it'd be rude not to summit it, as I still call myself a mountaineer.

I have not decided where to go next i) Nong Khau to Vientiane ii) Chang Khong to Huay Xai; now I don't need to go to Bangkok again both options are still open to me.

Golden Fern Hotel, Chang Mai, Thailand

2007-07-23: N18˚47′11.508″, E98˚59′23.496″

This morning I went in search of linen shirts as I'm running out of clean clothes. I made my way to Warorot Market which is the first decent sized market I've found on this trip. I got myself 2 linen shirts and a satchel so I don't have to stuff things in my pockets any more. I also sold off some of the books I've read. It offset the satchel I bought, finance-wise. Laundry was submitted after getting changed. I started to find my way around Chang Mai. Its harder to do than Bangkok as there are no landmarks or Sky Train.

In the afternoon I went out and had a look at a few temples around Chang Mai. They are less sparkily than Bangkok and appear to have Chinese influences, with red painted timber and gold stencils. Walking around I also got talking to a monk, he started when he was 7 and has been a monk for 19 years.

I also managed to get on the internet today and update my site so that they now know I'm in Chang Mai. I shot off a few wall posts too. The plan is to go to Doi Suthep and the Tribal Museum tomorrow then Doi Inthanon the day after. I'll probably go to Laos via Huay Xai as it means I won't have to retrace my steps in either country.

Golden Fern Hotel, Chang Mai, Thailand

2007-07-24: N18˚47′11.508″, E98˚59′23.496″

Today I went to Doi Inthanon National Park. Doi Inthanon is the highest peak in Thailand at 2595m. To get there the plan was to get a bus to Chom Thong then a sawngthaew into the National Park. The first part went smoothly, no problems. The second part was rubbish: there were no public sawngthaew going to the National Park (that I could see) and so I had to charter on for the day at 800THB. This was a rip-off as my daily limit is 960THB and the hour long bus journey cost 34THB. I was no happy. To add insult to injury, the entrance fee to the National Park has mysteriously doubled since the guidebook was written, only a year ago. They weren't even subtle about it: two 200THB tickets were stapled together!

The peak of Doi Inthanon was unspectacular. Cloud was everywhere so visibility was ~50m. There was a road to the summit, with a car park and a radar station on top. It was pleasantly cool up there. We stopped off at some waterfalls and a temple on the way back down. If the visibility was good it might have been a nice place to go but I'm still in shock of today's cost. Tomorrow I'm not going to do anything - just read and walk around, not spending any money!

Golden Fern Hotel, Chang Mai, Thailand

2007-07-25: N18˚47′11.508″, E98˚59′23.496″

Today has been good. I've hardly spent anything which will hopefully lessen the effects of yesterday's issues. I've occupied myself by reading today. About mid morning I walked around the moat of Chang Mai and took loads of photos. Chang Mai is supposed to be beautiful and I felt that I've missed out. It turns out I haven't missed out, I've got the photos to prove it. I also managed to find a great (and cheap) place to have lunch. I've settled my bill at the guest house and I believe that I've got enough cash to last me for my remaining time in Thailand. Tomorrow I'll get the bus to Chang Rai and stay the night. I'll then get a bus to Chang Khong followed by a boat to Huay Xai where I'll have my first night in Laos! I haven't figured out where I'm going in Laos yet.

I've just returned from the Night Bazaar: it was so touristy it was unbelievable. I could not spot a single stall which was not aimed at farang. Why do people travel if only to go to places which change to be more like home? Why leave home in the first place?

Garden House Hotel, Chang Rai, Thailand

2007-07-26: N19˚54′23.4″, E99˚49′29.784″

I ended up getting the 1015 VIP bus to Chang Rai. There is a 2^nd class bus at 1315 but I can't be arsed to wait considering I got here at 0900. Looking at some of the buses leaving all the earlier ones to Chang Rai are full. It wouldn't surprise me that the VIP one is the first one with a free seat. Also, the 'hostess', is a ladyboy and going to the toilet is a laugh as the roads are bendy and the driver doesn't slow down at all. Its like the closing scene from "The Italian Job" with the bus swaying everywhere. I had to lean all the way into the corner for some stability!

Garden House is going to be Mozzy Central as the room is not sealed. There is a dead cockroach on the floor and larger black ants scurry around. Stamping on them doesn't kill them unfortunately, you have to really rub them into the floor. The bungalow is a lot nicer than what I'm making it sound like, honest!

I went for a walk to the river (1.5km way) which was much smaller than I'd imagined. Its smaller than the River Wear in Durham. There's nothing to do here except crash on the bed before getting the bus and ferry to Lao tomorrow. There aren't enough lights in my room as a storm is coming and I'm finding it hard to read my guide book. We'll see what its like at night!

I've discovered another light and removed the heavy lampshades. Charters'd call it 'atmospheric' or 'ambient'. I had a good cheap meal tonight, 35THB, including pudding!

I'm a bit bored at the minute so I'm reading through some old texts, one from Jo cracked me up, it just says "Loser" and I have no idea why!

Laos

BAP Guest House, Huay Xai, Laos

2007-07-27: N20˚16′37.884″, E100˚24′40.716″

When I left in the morning, at 0720, all the sawngthaew were full. There were school kids everywhere! The bus journey was OK, quite cool. I was in my favourite seat next to the open side door.

Immigration was simple enough, I got a 30 Day Visa, which is one up on the guide book which claimed only 15 Day Visas were possible from a land border. The town is really really small, smaller than "The Bailey". My room is great, I have hot water, electricity and a TV. I have not tried the TV yet, I'm out having lunch, 2 sandwiches with fried egg in them and a can of coke, 'tis good!

I've watched a lot of TV in my room: some baseball; BBC World; "Flashback"; "The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift". The only thing I have to do in Huay Xai is go to the port tomorrow afternoon and book a place on a slow boat to Luang Prabang: it'll take 2 days. For now I'm enjoying the cheap beer, cheap food and the good accommodation.

BAP Guest House, Huay Xai, Laos

2007-07-28: N20˚16′37.884″, E100˚24′40.716″

I'm certainly relaxing out here. I've just got back from sitting on some decking, sunning myself whilst watching the Mekong go by. It always amazes me how big it is, how fast it flows and yet how silent it is. This morning I walked along the road both north and south to see what is here. Not much is the answer. I checked out the boats that go to Luang Prabang and then bought a ticket for the trip at the Guest House.

I've had a good evening. Nice meal (including fried peanuts as starter and a pudding). I then took my camera and watched the sunset from the bank of the Mekong.

Doukkhoune Guest House, Pak Bang, Laos

2007-07-29: N19˚53′35.808″, E101˚7′51.744″

Well, they appear to be delaying the boat departure so that they can get some of the falang that are crossing from Thailand this morning. This also means that they are going to fill the boat. I heard that the journey is 6 hours today. You don't have access to your bags whilst en route, lucky I bought and packed my satchel!

We departed 1 hour late, with almost every seat full. Its certainly crowded. Got talking to a girl from LA, which was good. She's only in Laos for a week, all in Luang Prabang but doing other countries on her trip.

The other day, for the first time on this trip, I started doing PHP in my head. Now, bored on the boat, I'm thinking of Physics, the need to do Maths and things to make my brain think. Its making me think as to what type of job I'm going to get when I go home.

Well, the boat journey was OK. The scenery was good but a bit repetitive after 6 hours. Got to Pak Bang fine and I'm in a slightly sub average room in a Guest House, but its only 25,000LAK so I can't complain. The toilet is a squat. For the first time on my trip I've been offered drugs, I wouldn't have thought it'd be Laos! Really wouldn't, would've thought Phuket or Ko Tao seemed like the place.

I walked around Pak Bang and met some children and took photos of them, they didn't smile on camera but when I showed them the photos I'd just taken they giggled and laughed so much, it was great.

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-07-30: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

Well, last night was entertaining. My room had lots of cockroaches which scurried around, even on the Mozzy Net which was over my bed (the first time one has been provided by the way). One even managed to get on the inside and make a venture onto the bed, I managed to shoo him off. They make dodgy noises squealing noises at night. I woke up at 3am for no apparent reason and I didn't get a solid amount of sleep after, there was a rooster doing his thing which was a bit off putting. During this time I heard the patter of a rat on my lino floor running past my bed. I'd seen one earlier in the restaurant that night. Probably the worst accommodation I've had so far.

Well, the boat left an hour late for no apparent reason. The journey was 7 hours. I must listen to "The General" by "Dispatch" when I get home (apparently it's good).

Just to let you lot know, most of my journal is now written as notes on my phone. It's more spontaneous as I can just reach for my pocket and jot down whatever is on my mind. You may have noticed this as my verbs are now being in the present more often.

I have a nice clean room with hot water and electricity for 60,000LAK, which is good. Tomorrow I'll just mill around and perhaps buy some second hand books as I haven't read in a while. I'm really tired so I'm going to have an early night (2030).

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-07-31: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

Today has already been a productive day. I bought two books to read, which should pass a few days. I also spent over an hour (almost 2) in an Internet Cafe updating my blog, emailing parents and wallposting on Facebook. Thunder rumbles in the distance and dark clouds obscure the hills. I'll spend the rest of the day reading and eating I think.

Well, I'm a third the way through "The Da Vinci Code", its all I've done since return from the Internet Cafe.

I have just got back from "Malee Lao" which is a restaurant in the guide book. I had fried fish and it was amazing, thats the only word to describe it really. One of the best, if not the best, meals I've had on my trip. It was basically battered fish segments with a dipping sauce.

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-08-02: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

Well, today has been a semi-productive day. This morning I woke early and decided that today was to be the day I ventured out and saw all the temples of Luang Prabang, on both sides of the Mekong. There are quite a few around here. The view from Phu Si was great, I've got many photos including an attempt at a 360 panorama. Once again I managed to get talking to a monk for a while, this one a 17 year old orphan with remarkably good English. I also enjoyed Wat Xieng Thong, was rather good and didn't look as tacky as most temples out here do, although it was still covered in gold leaf and coloured glass mirror tiles in mosaics. I had my lunch in the old quarter and then the daily pattern set in...

As its monsoon season and Luang Prabang is low down and surrounded by mountains, at about noon it starts to rain very lightly. It does this on/off until evening. At some point in between it absolutely buckets it down a few times as thunder sounds. Consequently you can't do much in the afternoon here. This meant that today I was unable to cross the Mekong to see the temples on the other side. This means I'll need at least 3 more days in Luang Prabang: 1) See the remaining temples; 2) go and see the caves and temples at Pak Ou; 3) see the waterfalls of Tat Kuang Si. Then I'll intercept the bus to Sam Neua from Vientiane. That is the plan at least, however, as Helmuth von Moltke the Elder said:

"No (battle) plan survives contact with the enemy!"

As this afternoon got cancelled, predictably, I went to the internet café again, predictably. Now I'm reading "The Master" by Colm Tóibin which is a lot heavier to read, it'll take me a while even though its only 359 pages.

Its worth saying that last night I went to "Mr Hong's Coffeeshop and Restaurant" and had my meal and watched a film. Tonight I went to "Tum Tum Cheung Restaurant" and had Fried Fresh Spring Rolls for starter, Lemon Mekong Catfish for main and a glass of red. The food was really good and the whole thing only cost 85,000LAK. It was great.

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-08-03: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

I hired a tuk-tuk to take me to Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls. It was about a 30km journey through smooth winding roads passing by paddy fields and small villages. When I got there I was the only falang in the park. There was also an 'Asiatic Black Bear' Sanctuary and a Tiger enclosure. I couldn't see the Tiger but there were plenty of bears to see.

The waterfalls themselves were absolutely amazing, probably the best I've seen so far. They were really tall with plenty of water gushing over them. I was glad it was monsoon season and that I'd remembered to bring my mini tripod as I took loads of long exposure shots. As my driver was waiting for me I didn't go swimming, but I did walk through the jungle to find some more falls, but to no avail. The water was a real milky blue and the jungle appeared set-back from the water's edge. I'd really recommend going here in monsoon - an amazing set of falls.

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-08-04: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

After checking out boat times and fares yesterday I made my way to the Mekong early this morning for the trip to Pak Ou. I paid 50,000LAK for the trip, some companies were offering 150,000LAK! Our boat had 5 falang and took almost 2 hours to reach the caves. On the way we stopped off at "Whisky Village" which used to be a normal Hmong village, now, however, it is a heavily visited tourist village just because the inhabitants make rice whisky. It felt wrong walking around as the wooden huts were being replaced by concrete homes with huge satellite dishes and house fronts have all be replaced by identical fabric shops. The village had clearly changed a lot from the traditional way of life. Upon seeing the village, and my fears thus confirmed, I was glad I haven't been trekking to see other ethnic minority villages on tours, such as the ones offered in Chang Mai or Luang Prabang. It clearly erodes away traditional life when villagers realise they can get more money by selling you a pack of crisps than learning a trade and living in the community. OK, rant over.

The cave at Pak Ou was OK, I was more impressed by the limestone cliffs that plummeted into the Mekong which the cave was set in. Basically, at Pak Ou, there is a cave which houses an awful lot of Buddha statues and a few shrines. The statues are tiny household sized ones, not the monstrosities one finds in Bangkok. I took some photos but not many as it was darker than a jungle in there.

Just a note about photography: in jungles I'm having to go down to f4.0 and an ISO of 800 to get an exposure of 1/40th of a second, sometimes 1/20th! For those non-photographers out there this means 3 things: 1) Jungles are dark; 2) The photos might be noisy; 3) The photos might be blurred. There's nothing I can do about it except buy a lens which goes to f2.8.

I think that I've been in Luang Prabang too long now. It feels like I'm living here, not visiting here. After returning to my room and having a shower I got a tuk-tuk to the Northern Bus station to check out times for the bus to Sam Neua. According to the ticket guy it arrives at about 1600/1630, sometimes 1700. The ticket is 100,000LAK and the bus arrives at Sam Neua at 12 the next day which I think means midnight, not noon as Sam Neua is not that far away!

Well, reading the guide book, it is, :(. Apparently, buses from Sam Neua to Luang Prabang are 15 hours. I assume it is no different in the other direction. Even as the crow flies it is further away than Huay Xai. Looks like I'm going to have to buy supplies. I went and settled my hotel bill. She said that I have to be out by 12 but that I can leave my bags in reception until my bus, which I'll do. I went and bought another book just in case I finish the current one before Sam Neua.

Jaliya Guest House, Luang Prabang, Laos

2007-08-05: N19˚53′3.912″, E102˚8′6.576″

Well, today I got up fairly early and went and got supplies (3 sandwiches and some sweet pastry things). I spent my time before the bus reading outside or on the internet down the road, I figured that I might be out of contact for a while so I'd better email people and stuff.

I see what they say, you must be patient when travelling in Laos: upon arrival at the station the bus departure has changed to 1730/1800 not 1600. Fortunately the bus arrived at 1715 and I'm loving it! It is the most clapped out bus you've ever seen. Its fairly full and the aisle is piled up to the armrests with large plastic bags of possessions. They are the kinds of bags you get sand in from the builders merchant. The only free double seat was the backrow so I had to clamber over everything with my two bags and food. The seat is falling apart and there are large gaping holes in the walls. The horn is very loud and the driver uses it to blast his way through cyclists. The bus is a lot faster than it looks, the driver must think he's in "Speed" or something, he stops for no man! A guy in front of me is blasting out Thai pop on his phone, its priceless I tell you, its the kind of thing you'd get in a novel. I'm not sure what to do when I'll need the toilet, the window looks like the best option. I'm grinning all the way! This is what travelling is all about, the journey is a bigger adventure than the place you're going!

Khaem Xam, Sam Neua, Laos

2007-08-06: N20˚24′49.248″, E104˚2′57.876″

Well, I grew tired of my adventure. I have concluded the driver is insane. We arrived at 0900, thus on the road for 16 hours. We stopped once for 20mins. The driver didn't change over at all. He drove way too fast. We went on single lane, yet two way traffic, roads for hours with cliffs on one side and he was uncomfortably fast and severe on his taking of bends. I'm still swaying now as if I've been on the ferry to Norway. Three passengers were travel sick for the whole journey, I got no more than an hours sleep in intervals of 10 minutes, maximum. When it was all over I was so glad, I have never been on such a dangerous road journey, he was a mad man.

We arrived at a different bus station than the one outlined in the guide book. It was very cool: there is a ridge which falls down to Sam Neua, they appear to have widened it and put a bus station on top. It is so exposed and offers commanding views of the region.

I watched "The Spy Who Loved Me" in the morning after I had a hot shower and ate a filling meal, which I needed. Tomorrow I'll go to the bus station early for some photos of the clouds, whilst I'm there I'll also check bus times because no doubt they've changed. In the afternoon I'll walk around, take photos and figure out how to get to the Pathet Lao caves for the day after.

Khaem Xam, Sam Neua, Laos

2007-08-08: N20˚24′49.248″, E104˚2′57.876″

Today I implemented 'the plan' and went to go and see the caves of the Pathet Lao in Vang Xai. I got a sawngthaew from the bus station to Vieng Xai with no problems. It was rather full with the typical Laos style of travel: when a person travels they seem to take all their earthly possessions with them. At one point a guy, who wasn't a soldier, got on with an AK-47 which had a folding stock and a partially snapped off muzzle. No one bat an eye lid.

When I arrived I bumped into a girl from Ireland who had got on the bus to Sam Neua at Nong Khiaw, she was just leaving her guide for the caves so I hopped on the back of his motorbike to the visitor centre. I ended up having a different guide for the 2 hour tour but he had equally good English. The caves were occupied by the Communist leaders between 1964 and 1970 when the Americans were dropping more bombs on Laos than were dropped in total on Europe in World War Two. Between 1970 and 1973 the built houses outside whilst they waited for a peace treaty to be signed in Vientiane.

The caves had impressive ingenuity in their design and were impressive. Some had classic Soviet memorabilia. For now I'm back in Sam Neua and just want to chill out until my 0800 bus tomorrow to Phonsavan, for the Plain of Jars.

Dok Khoun Guest House, Phonsavan, Laos

2007-08-09: N19˚26′59.028″, E103˚13′9.084″

Well, the bus to Phonsavan was uneventful. The seat was too small for me to sit straight (a common occurrence out here) but apart from that it was a classic Laos bus journey with loud horn, crazy driver and vomiting passengers. Two Americans were on board: Curtis, from Washington, and Josh, from Arizona. Got chatting to them throughout the 8 hour journey which was good. We've ended up staying in the same Guest House. We had a dinner together and tomorrow we've got ourselves a private guided tour of the Plain of Jars and surrounding area, which is good. 40USD for us 3 in an air conditioned van, pretty good value.

Dok Khoun Guest House, Phonsavan, Laos

2007-08-10: N19˚26′59.028″, E103˚13′9.084″

Today has been enjoyable. The trip around the Plain of Jars sites with Josh and Curtis was good. If you click on the point on the map and zoom in you can actually see some of the jars at Site 1, off to the NW a few hundred feet. Storms threatened for most of the day so there were some awesome cloud colours for backdrops. The jars themselves are very random, scattered all over the countryside in little clumps. They are large jars made from stone ranging from 2 feet to 6 feet high and they are all empty. No one has any idea of their purpose. It was a good experience to see all the warnings related to UXO, bomb craters and hills with no trees due to some of the chemicals which were dropped. We also went to a whisky village and an old Russian BMP. The colours of the fields were vibrant too, so hopefully the photos will be good.

Perhaps the best thing about today was that I found a decent Internet Cafe and sent off some wall posts. I didn't edit my blog or send any long emails as I didn't trust the connection that well. I'm looking forward to Vang Vieng just for some Westernisation. I might not spend too long there as I still want to go to Tadlo and I have under 2 weeks left on my visa!

Malany Guest House, Vang Vieng, Laos

2007-08-11: N18˚55′30.252″, E102˚26′55.356″

The VIP buses in Laos are really different to ones in Thailand. VIP in Laos gives you a head rest on your seat and a chance to maintain your personal space. The aisle was still full of luggage and the journey time was stretched to 6.5 hours. I'm getting a tired of bus journeys so I may stay in Vang Vieng a while, not sure, we'll see. Its touristy with falang cinema bars, lots of internet and loads of Guest Houses.

My blog has stopped letting me update it. As I haven't touched the page code (I mean, how can I? - I'm in Laos FFS) I blame EasySpace for messing it up.

Malany Guest House, Vang Vieng, Laos

2007-08-12: N18˚55′30.252″, E102˚26′55.356″

I feel obligated to describe what Vang Vieng is like. Its a small town next to a river in a valley surrounded by limestone jungle covered hills. Vang Vieng has no inherent local trade, no natural resource and no attractions. It exists solely for tourists. By day you can float down the river on a tyre inner tube and by night you can watch a film/Friends/Family Guy whilst eating a burger. Its reason for existing is circular.

Saysouly Guest House, Vientiane, Laos

2007-08-14: N17˚57′50.904″, E102˚36′21.78″

Whilst packing my bag for the bus this morning it appears that someone was transporting dead animals in the hold of the last bus as some of my Guide Books have been damaged by leaking blood. The India one is worst off with Nepal a close second. It is pretty annoying because all the pages appear like they've gotten wet, except the photo pages which have definite blood stains. I just hope it wasn't birds, but judging by what I've seen on other journeys, it would have been.

I got the 1000 bus to Vientiane which was supposed to arrive at 1330 but actually got here at 1430. I got a tuk-tuk to my Guest House and was disappointed to find that for 7USD I don't get an en-suite, however, the shared bathrooms are clean. I went for a brief walk to Nam Phu in search of lunch. On the way I noticed (I hardly couldn't notice) that Th Setthathirat (one of the three main roads in Vientiane) was dug up and in the middle of being resurfaced. This is going to make walking more difficult as it is cordoned off - I got away with it though!

Lunch was taken at the "Scandinavian Bakery" where 2pounds 16pence gets you a glass of water, an iced coffee, a slice of chocolate brownie and a foot long chicken Tikka and salad baguette sandwich in an ice cold air conditioned room with a newspaper. I felt like I earned it, no idea what for, but it was gooood. I went for a walk around Vientiane to get my bearings back and found that a single in the B&P is 18USD and that the 'French Restaurant' isn't open in the afternoon, so I couldn't check out prices. I may brave it one night, just because. Tonight I'll go and see Patuxay (aka "Arc de Triomph Rip-Off" or "The Vertical Runway") lit up which will leave the 'Morning Market' and Pha That Luang for tomorrow.

Saysouly Guest House, Vientiane, Laos

2007-08-15: N17˚57′50.904″, E102˚36′21.78″

A lot of money has been spent today. I walked to the Morning Market and bought presents for people back home. The prices seem to have increased since last time I was in Vientiane. In the afternoon I walked to Pha That Luang which tired me out, on the way back I must have been staggering like a drunkard. Pha That Luang was actually better than I thought it would be, more modest, which was welcoming. I've also finally finished the Henry James book so I'm now ploughing my way through Mario Puzo, which is much easier to read. I might exchange/buy books tomorrow and then buy a ticket for the overnight VIP bus to Pakse.

Saysouly Guest House, Vientiane, Laos

2007-08-16: N17˚57′50.904″, E102˚36′21.78″

On the pick up from the various Guest Houses of Vientiane I got talking to a girl from Ireland who's also going to Tadlo, which is cool. The bus is a Thai style double decker coach, it is awesome. I managed to sleep a fair amount of the journey. We left at about 2130 because we had to swap buses as the air conditioning was broken on the first one, I wouldn't have minded, the fact that I had leg room for the first time in 3 weeks was a novelty anyway.

Sephaseuth Guest House, Tadlo, Laos

2007-08-17: N15˚31′58.908″, E106˚16′24.78″

We arrived in Pakse at 0700 and secured a tuk-tuk to chase our bus down - its the emptiest ordinary bus I've been on - its good, there are no dead chickens either!

Tadlo doesn't match the mental picture I had - but I love it! I am so glad I decided to come here. There's just me, the Irish girl and an Aussie guy all staying in the same Guest House as we got the same bus and walked in from the road together. Tadlo is a little village arranged in a line along the banks of a river. The Guest House we're staying in is no longer a wooden shack (as the Guide Book said) but a modern concrete and clean Guest House. Its cheap and clean, I have a balcony and an en-suite with hot water for 60,000LAK. From the balcony I can easily see Tadlo Falls - which are very powerful. I could jump into the Sest River from the balcony and you can hear the water crushing down over the falls from my bed. This place is so peaceful and beautiful - its exactly what I wanted/needed. Today we just took lots of photos of the main falls, chilled out and chatted. The Aussie guy has a Canon 10D and a few lenses, including a 100mm-400mm which he has let me use today.

There was a kingfisher by the river which I have a few snaps of and then a lot of the waterfalls. You could just stay here and watch time go by. Tomorrow we'll go on a 4-5 hour circular trek to take in some more falls and villages.

Sephaseuth Guest House, Tadlo, Laos

2007-08-18: N15˚31′58.908″, E106˚16′24.78″

The only word to describe today is "awesome". Rich and I left the Guest House at 1100 for the 4 hour circular trek to the "Big Falls". For the first hour we were beating our way through jungle with a big stick (it became my 'comfort blanket'). After a few minutes we came across an awesome set of waterfalls which were on a par with Tadlo's. It was really good being in the jungle trying to follow paths that clearly hadn't been used in ages. We came across a HUGE spider in the middle of the path. He had decided to spin his web across the path, but high up - it only came down as low as my shoulders. The spider's body was about 3 inches long and his legs were another 4/5 inches front and back. We were both really scared of it - it was that huge! We darted under the web and turned around to take photos. Rich got his big lens out and got some good shots, I, however, couldn't zoom very far and neither of us wanted to go any closer so I've only got 2 mediocre shots, one of which isn't focused particularly well. It made us all rather jittery for the next 10 minutes, any butterfly or dragonfly made us jump out of our skins! This was why I got the big stick - to wave around in front of me to make sure there were no more cobwebs!

After about an hour we came across a tribal village whose huts were arranged in a circle. All the women were sitting around smoking huge rolled cigarettes. Later in the day we found out it was marijuana. They wouldn't let us take photos of them - which was a recurring theme for the rest of the day. For the next hour and a bit we were walking through fields and plains in search of the waterfall. In the end we enlisted the help of a boy in a field to set us on our way. We eventually came across another village - which had a road! This is the one on the GPS. Some kids and a guy, whom we met on the path, took us closer and closer to the waterfall.

Depending on where you read about them they are either 80m or 120m tall. They were superb, really huge, wide and powerful. It was an absolute mission to get to them. We approached the river (which was a large, deep raging torrent of water) and dumped out boots and proceeded to wade in up to our knees and then walk up stream by the bank to get a better shot. The foliage was so dense that it was impossible to walk on the land, so the river was the best shot. Ideally we wanted to get on the opposite bank to get a clear photo of the falls, but this was impossible, it would have been silly to try. We therefore decided to stand on a rock in the middle of the river so that we could get a clear, unobstructed, photo of the falls. This involved me wading up to my hips in extremely fast water. If I hadn't been able to hold on to rocks, people or trees then there'd have been no way I could have stood in the river. After a lot of effort Rich and I, with our 3 guides, were able to stand on a large boulder in the middle and take shots of the waterfalls - our cameras got drenched by the spray. It was certainly an adventure, a really great day, it had everything!

We then walked back to Tadlo along the road (3km) and arrived at the Guest House at 1830-1900 after eating no lunch and only drinking 5 small bottles of pop - I'm knackered!

Sephaseuth Guest House, Tadlo, Laos

2007-08-19: N15˚31′58.908″, E106˚16′24.78″

Last night I slept like a log, it was really good! Today has been spent eating, drinking water and sitting on the balcony reading the Guide Book about Vietnam and Cambodia. I'm just about to start packing my bags for tomorrow. I plan on getting up early and getting the bus to Pakse, then getting the bus down to Muang Khong on Don Khong, which is the largest island in Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands). I should easily be able to do it in a day.

Souksabay Guest House, Don Khong, Laos

2007-08-20: N14˚7′6.78″, E105˚51′21.276″

The bus to Pakse arrived at 0740; I'd been at the road waiting since 0650. It must have been the 0700 from Salavan. I didn't eat breakfast this morning as I didn't want to be late and I was unsure if anywhere would be open at that time.

The bus doesn't actually stop at the bus station(!?) and after much confusion and annoyance I manage to get to the station and board a sawngthaew to Don Khong which leaves at 1100, god knows how long its going to take and what mood I'll be in when its over. I decided to get a sandwich to calm my nerves before the journey. By the time it left I had been joined by Rich and the Irish girl (who's name I've forgotten). A girl from Holland, Helen, also got on and after an hour a Spanish guy got on who I didn't get a chance to speak to. There were about 20 people on the sawngthaew making it really uncomfortable, after all, a sawngthaew is just a pickup truck with benches on the back! The Lao don't seem to understand the concept of 'personal space' or 'travelling light'. I got dropped off at the river crossing and got a longtail across to Don Khong.

I've secured myself a clean room with working hot water for 50,000LAK which isn't bad. Tomorrow, I'll hire a motorbike and do the 2 waterfalls, Don Det and the Dolphin viewing place - assuming I learn how to ride a motorbike OK and how far I can get on the islands via bike, I may leave it on the mainland. There's a bus from Don Khong to Pakse which I'll get and then go straight through to Savannakhet.

It is clear that Don Khong has invested a lot in itself to gain a foot in the tourism door. A lot of the establishments in the Guide Book have been either renovated or completely rebuilt, with the island making itself more up-market. However, whether due to it being low tourist season or whether less tourists are going to Don Khong than what they planned on, they are trying to sell their services very hard. Walking 100m gives you 3 conversations asking if you want a boat tour. They are not the touts one finds in cities, they are polite, but still, it can be frustrating to be bothered so often still.

Souksabay Guest House, Don Khong, Laos

2007-08-21: N14˚7′6.78″, E105˚51′21.276″

Today has been pretty cool and adventurous. I hired a 125cc motorbike to go to Khone Phapheng and Don Det. This was adventurous as I've never ridden a motorbike before, so I had to learn on the job as it were. I didn't crash it, fall off it or drop it once in the entire day, a fact I'm proud of! Setting off was a bit embarrassing as first gear is a bit feisty, 5 minutes later I was fine and 15 minutes later I felt as though I'd been riding bikes for years. It was easy. As I was navigating by a map from the Guide Book I took my GPS with me and inputted various landmarks along the way so I could find places. The roads were deserted and the weather was perfect. I even managed to get sunburnt! Even though I was only cruising along at 50kph (31mph) it felt really good and I felt like listening to "The Eagles".

In total I drove about 75km. Thats about 10km more than the route on the GPS because I went down to the Cambodian border checkpoint, but didn't mark it. My first major stop was at Khone Phapheng Waterfalls which are the biggest falls in South East Asia, measured by volume. They aren't pretty at all but they are very impressive as a large portion of the Mekong just drops by about 10m and, as its the 4th largest river in the world, thats a pretty major event. I was disappointed to find the place more touristy than the last time I was here. There are loads of restaurants and all the roads are tarmacked. A few kilometers north of the falls was a sign for a resort boasting that it had a golf course, in Laos!

I then drove back north on Highway 13 to Ban Nakasang to see if I could get to Don Det. The 'ferries' were just longtail boats, so I couldn't take my bike. I decided therefore to give it a miss, this meant that I couldn't catch up with the people I've been with the past few days.

Working my way back north still I saw signs for another waterfall and thought 'what the hell, why not?', so I went to check it out. I think they're only falls in the dry season as there were no waterfalls and just a hint of rapids: I assumed that they were engulfed by the Mekong in the wet season. I did manage to get lunch though, which was good.

I then just made my way back to my Guest House with the added adventure that the main ferries weren't crossing, as there wasn't enough traffic, so I had to take my bike across on 2 longtails strapped together - which was 'exposed'. All in all today has been fun exploring around on my own on a motorbike, a good laugh.

I'm finding that I'm needing my French skills on Don Khong, a few of the Guest House owners and tour operators speak French. Its good because I'm pleased that I still remember how to speak French and think on the spot.

Savanbanhao Hotel, Savannakhet, Laos

2007-08-22: N16˚33′38.34″, E104˚44′53.736″

I'm afraid that tonight will be my 2^nd night on this trip with air-conditioning. I'm staying in the Savanbanhao Hotel in a 'Fourth Class' room which is the cheapest they do (at 45,000LAK) and it still has air-conditioning, although it is Soviet! In Vientiane you'd have trouble finding any room at that price.

For whatever reason in Laos there is usually only one bus a day on a route and it inevitably is slow. Consequently all buses seem to leave at 0700. As I'm staying in Guest Houses all the time it makes it impossible to have breakfast before a bus journey. This could be one of the reasons why I don't like Laos buses: I'm always starving!

Vietnam

Van Xuan Guest House, Hue, Vietnam

2007-08-25: N16˚28′10.848″, E107˚35′38.868″

Well, I'm in Vietnam, woo! Right, well, let me take a few moments to say how I got here yesterday. Well, the bus from Savannakhet to Dong Ha, in Vietnam, was OK. There was only one other westerner on it - the rest were a 50/50 mix of Laos and Vietnamese. I'd bought supplies of crisps and water but it was no where near enough, I'll get it right eventually. The border crossing was cool, there was a huge concrete arch over the road going into Vietnam, it looked really Soviet - I managed to snap a photo of it on my mobile as we went under. It was the kind of thing James would love to go and see. At the checkpoint things were simple enough except another concept the Laos don't appear to get is queueing, it was a mad brawl at the kiosk, no sense of order at all - terribly un-British, I'd say - lol

I was still presented with the problem of what to do when I got to Dong Ha as it's not in the Guide Book. I'd decided that I'd get to the train station and get an overnighter to Hanoi. However, as Helmuth von Moltke the Elder said, the plan got shot to pieces when I actually arrived in Dong Ha. As soon as we arrived a tourist bus bound for Hue arrived, so I jumped on that instead. Hue is in the Guide Book and it is an old historical town. I'd underlined it as one of the places I was going to go to, now I'll do Hue then get an overnighter to Hanoi and continue 'the plan'.

A few observations about Vietnam: they clearly have a lot more money than Laos. There are no shacks, the roads are in better condition, the bridges look nice and the border crossing was a large open plan glass building that even the most modern of modern architects would be pleased about. Having said all that, they are a lot more 'in your face' and a hell of a lot more eager to sell you something or just get money out of you.

Upon arriving in Hue I realised I had no money and that all the banks were closed at it was 1730. Luckily Vietnam has ATMs, and lots of them. It's fairly westernised here. I had a large dinner (as I'm starving again) in a tourist bar which was fairly empty, however, the best thing was the music - Western music, oh how I've missed it. None of that Thai pop rubbish, they played U2, Stereophonics, The Eagles, some R&B and even a Metallica song, it was awesome, I really needed it. I'll probably go back there tonight as I really do miss my music. Having said all that, in the Internet Cafe in Savannakhet I managed to download some free music from Last.fm which included 3 songs from an unsigned German Indie band called 'Museum' - free!. For The Very First Time is my favourite and I listen to them all on loudspeaker often as I really miss my music collection. I'm really annoyed I didn't bring an iPod, I could do with it on those long bus journeys or nights in dull towns.

Today I'll just mill around and then do tourist things later. I managed to walk around the south bank of Hue taking some photos with the polarising filter which look very good on the camera screen, there were no clouds so I got some awesome shades of blue. I also got my hair cut - a Number 1 this time - breezy! Tomorrow I'll walk around Hue's (outer) citadel wall. I can see myself spending some time here, it's nice and there's a lot to do.

Van Xuan Guest House, Hue, Vietnam

2007-08-26: N16˚28′10.848″, E107˚35′38.868″

This morning I got up and walked around most of the perimeter of the outer citadel walls, about 8km. It was really good as it avoided the inner palace so there were no tourists around, I basically got to see raw Vietnamese life. I used a circular polariser again as the sky was so clear and bright, looking back through the photos was good. It's really hot in Hue and I was dripping whilst I was walking around. I got back to my room just before midday.

Lunch was a BLT and Earl Grey made with lemon and actual tea, no tea bags at all! It was a surprise and well worth it!

Van Xuan Guest House, Hue, Vietnam

2007-08-27: N16˚28′10.848″, E107˚35′38.868″

This morning I went and walked around the Imperial Enclosure with the citadel walls, which is basically the inner citadel. I really enjoyed it as the architecture was influenced by the Chinese hence it is very different to all the ruins, palaces and temples of Thailand and Laos. It made for a refreshing change and I enjoyed taking photos of the intricate patterns, I even attempted a 5 shot HDR piece of some 'cloisters' - we'll see what they're like when I get home.

Instead of coming straight back I went to the train station to check out tickets and prices for Hanoi as I'd much prefer it to a bus even though it's more expensive. As I was at that end of town I dropped in to see Bao Quoc Pagoda which, compared to some of the sights I'd seen earlier today, was fairly unimpressive.

I've booked a ticket for a boat tour to see the Royal Tombs and Thien Mu Pagoda tomorrow. Once I've done that then that's about it for site seeing in Hue so the day after I'll get the SE4 train to Hanoi.

Van Xuan Guest House, Hue, Vietnam

2007-08-28: N16˚28′10.848″, E107˚35′38.868″

I'm back in my room listening to Museum out of my phone, taking a breather after today's activities. The boat trip was fun, there were 16 other tourists on the dragon boat. The first stop was perhaps my favourite - and it was free! It was Thien Mu Pagoda which is a nice tower overlooking a bend in the river. It was all Chinese architecture and it appears to be plastered as all the walls were painted a light yellow which gave it a very neat aura. Pine trees were in the grounds and it was nice admiring all the intricate Chinese writings which were etching into marble slabs. The boat also visited 2 tombs which were like mini palace complexes, very pretty and full of features and out houses. At the minute I'm like all the Chinese influences - it's making all the photography a lot more interesting to do. I think because there are so much more interesting details. I had a go at making my own incense sticks at a village at one site, I wasn't particularly good, I think by the amount of incense I was rolling on it'd fumigate and kill anyone in the same room.

Van Xuan Guest House, Hue, Vietnam

2007-08-29: N16˚28′10.848″, E107˚35′38.868″

I realised a few weeks ago, but forgot to mention it, that I've packed 2 combs by accident - if you know how short my hair is you'll realise it's a mystery as to why I packed even one! On leaving the Guest House the owner gave me 2 green mini bananas for the road, classic!

Well, travelling is all about experiences and this train will certainly be an experience. It looks nothing like the photo on the ticket but the air conditioning works and the bed should be comfortable enough to sleep on. There's enough room to put my bags at the side of my feet and I think the other people in the cabin object to my smelly feet (or their amazing tan lines) as they keep on giggling at them - I'm laughing because they're the ones who're going to have to put up with them for the next 14 hours! Who's laughing now, eh? Random Vietnamese piano music is playing quietly in the cabin and the inside of the cabin is painted in the classic mint/pea green colour of all Soviet manufactured things. As we amble through villages I feel like I'm flying the flag of Communism, it's such a twee journey! Can't you just picture it? lol

I got talking to a guy who is travelling with his family to Hanoi. He is travelling with his 2 year old son. Most of the conversation was in French, it's amazing all the different scenarios and places that I'm finding myself speaking French in. You just wouldn't have thought it!

Camellia Hotel 5, Hanoi, Vietnam

2007-08-30: N21˚2′4.776″, E105˚50′54.816″

I managed to get some sleep on the train, it didn't help with everyone else in the cabin going to sleep at 2000 and waking up at 0400 - it must be the norm for Vietnamese. After a farce in getting to my hotel (involving being taken to a different hotel after being told that mine was more expensive than what it actually was) I was delighted to find clean white sheets, air conditioning, hot water and ESPN. It's actually turning out to be quite difficult to find 'shoestring' accommodation in Vietnam, which might be a problem as it's going to be expensive. There just aren't any budget options, at least not on the scale of Laos. There is free internet in the foyer and I was amazed to be able to access my site again, it must've just been a Hue thing, I suppose I'll never know...

Camellia Hotel 5, Hanoi, Vietnam

2007-08-31: N21˚2′4.776″, E105˚50′54.816″

I forgot to mention that yesterday I managed to exchange and part buy some books for the first time in ages. I am now the proud owner of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" and a double book of John Grisham's "The Firm" and "Pelican Brief" which should keep me going for a while. I'll probably start reading one today.

This morning I went for a walk around Hanoi to see whether it is this hectic all over and to see how easy it is to navigate given the seemingly chaotic road arrangement. I had decided that I wanted to see the Lenin Monument, find a cinema, walk around the Temple of Literature and check out the Botanical Gardens. It actually wasn't that bad although I bet I looked like a proper tourist with Guide Book in one hand and DSLR in the other. Some xe om drivers were ridiculous but it's comic if you call them up on it, such as "Do you understand me?" - "Where you go?", they don't give up. The Old Quarter is certainly more hectic due to it's narrower streets and more concentrated collection of shops.

The Lenin Monument was fairly easy to find and was typical of such propaganda pieces, I was surprised that there was no guard of honour - or is that me being too cynical? Next up was the cinema which turned out to be MIA unfortunately, looks like I'm going to have to wait to see The Simpsons movie. Apparently it's good so I'm a bit disappointed that I'll have to wait. The Temple of Literature was easy to find - but it's entrance took a bit more walking. The Entrance Fee was ridiculously cheap at 9% the Entrance Fee of the attractions in Hue. Inside it was Chinese architecture, a fact I'm starting to assume for Vietnamese structures. The grounds were nice with dappled morning sunlight on the walls. Around the main courtyard were a series of tortoises with marble slabs inscribed with Chinese writings, like the ones at Thien Mu Pagoda, which were impressive as there were numerous examples. Last up was the search for the Botanical Gardens, this took me past the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex (which was closed) so I took some photos. Around here I got whistled at twice by guards: 1) I took a photo (I didn't see a sign against it) 2) For stopping outside a gate and looking at the building behind it (I couldn't work out whether it was the 'stopping' or the 'looking' he didn't like). The Botanical Gardens were a disappointment, I was hoping for some flowers to do a Macro photo shoot but all I got was some benches and a roller blade rink. Disgruntled, I set off back to the hotel. In total I reckon I walked about 5.5km. Just take it easy and use a map and Hanoi is fine!

For the rest of the day I'll just read my nook and see if there's anything on HBO I think...

I think I'm warming to Hanoi, I'm starting to like it. One can walk for only 2 minutes and find one's self in a completely different place, both physically and in terms of 'vibe'. For example, my hotel is on a busy close street with lots of hardware stores selling anything from padlocks to baking trays with noisy traffic hurtling by. A few blocks away one finds a plaza around a large Cathedral and lots of fashionable clothes shops and cafés surrounding it with rows of parked motorbikes - it felt highly continental.

Camellia Hotel 5, Hanoi, Vietnam

2007-09-01: N21˚2′4.776″, E105˚50′54.816″

Yesterday I started reading Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" and I find myself disappointed after I enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code" so much. One particular passage frustrated me and almost made me discard the book completely, here it follows:

"Matter from energy? Something from nothing? It's practically proof that Genesis is a scientific possibility."

He is referring to particle jets from high energy collisions in the LHC at CERN. The argument is that this shows creationism and hence proof of God's existence. Now, as a graduate of the University of Durham with a First Class Honours degree in Physics, I ask: "Isn't energy something?" After all, isn't that what Einstein's famous equation E=mc² says? E=mc²? Matter is energy? Surely Dan Brown has heard of this equation? It was the result of his paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" which was published in 1905. I shall continue to read it and highlight any other infuriating ignorances.

This morning had two objectives: 1) Go to prison 2) Buy a train ticket. The prison in question was Hoa Lo Prison which American POWs referred to as "The Hanoi Hilton". The French initially built the prison to house Communist rebels during their colonisation. Later it was used to hold US POWs during the Vietnam War. One of the most interesting things is that they had a guillotine left over from the French. The site is now nothing compared to what it used to be as most of the grounds are now occupied by the 'Hanoi Towers'.

The train station was fair enough. I've got tickets for an overnighter to Lao Cao for tomorrow so I can make my own way to Sapa. This evening I'll go and watch some Water Puppetry (what ever that is) and then have dinner at 'The Jazz Club' as some live music would be cool I think.

Mountain View Hotel, Sapa, Vietnam

2007-09-03: N22˚20′1.14″, E103˚50′25.26″

The train journey to Lao Cai was a slight let down as I was expecting a bed like the overnighter from Hue, instead I got a coach seat which was slightly too small for me and no matter how I sat I couldn't get to sleep without hurting my neck. My head literally spilled over the back of my seat, not good when your journey is 9 hours through the night. Lao Cai was an eye opener, it clearly exists solely for the minibus trip to Sapa 30km away. There was an army of them in front of the station. Sapa was even worse: I had LOTS of touts trying to get me to go to their hotel. It took me a while to orientate the map with what I was seeing (there's clearly been a lot of development since the map was last done), thus gaining me more attention. I always had at least 2 people talking to me at the same time, sometimes 4. They weren't rude - which is rare. Some were even on motorbikes idling next to me as I walked to Mountain View, carrying my bags.

Once I got here I was so glad about my choice. The staff all speak superb English and they have rooms for 6USD. My room is amazing: double AND single bed, TV, en-suite, hot water, mozzie net and veranda.The room even has coordinating bet sheets, it's a really nice homely room. I love it and it was only 6USD!

Mountain View Hotel, Sapa, Vietnam

2007-09-04: N22˚20′1.14″, E103˚50′25.26″

Sapa is chilly. I've been unable to find a thermometer but there's a definite chill in the air, if a breeze blows I get goose bumps. It's probably only 20 degrees, but after having about 30 degrees for the last 2 and a bit months you notice the change. I decided to check out how high it actually is using the GPS. It gave me 1433+/-12m ASL, the reason why the error's so big is that I was only able to get 5 or 6 satellites, not the usual 9 or 12. Amazingly the barometer was only 1m off! There is a dense cloud today and visibility is poor. It's drizzling so I didn't go for a stroll with my camera this morning like I'd planned.

Sapa is nice, but I'm not sure if I agree with it, it's one of those places that tourism has destroyed. Outside each hotel about 4 tribal women sit on the steps dressed in their eye-catching colourful garb. They are waiting until a tourist comes out of the hotel and then they try to get them to buy a weaving or silver trinket. It's degrading and sad to see. You can't walk 10m from your hotel without a local (non-tribal) asking you if you want to hire a motorbike for the day. There is an endless procession of minibuses back to Lao Cai or going on day tours honking their horn at people in the street. They're usually 17 seat Transit vans with air conditioning. I fear Luang Prabang, Sam Neua and Chang Mai will be like this soon. Chang Mai is, it's just diluted by the large city population. Strangely it's Laos that is leading the way with 'Eco-Friendly', low impact trekking - but I fear it's not enough, it's still happening, just slower. In a few years there'll be no such thing as a tribal village that doesn't make most of it's money from tourism. It's like a Darwinian diagram of the evolution of man from chimps, they are in different stages but the end result will still be the same. There's no turning back for them.

You also need to look behind the scenes. It's the women and children out begging for tourists to buy stuff - the men are back in the village sitting in a circle drinking and smoking (usually marijuana) together. That's the harsh reality. The kids start begging as young as 4 years old and by the time they're 14 they're usually prostitutes (if they're in a big city like Vientiane or Hanoi) as it pays well. This is what happens when you have no social infrastructure and tourists flaunt/dispense money for the merest whim. There's no hope, in my eyes.

Overnight Train, Vietnam

2007-09-06: N22˚20′1.14″, E103˚50′25.26″

The sleeper train is better than the one from Hue, there are only 2 beds in each column, not 3. Unless I have passengers from Hell it'll be much better than the train here because I can at least lie down and get some sleep.

There's no classical piano music playing this time, just Vietnamese pop. I forgot to mention that the train line from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (which passes through Hue) is called "The Reunification Express", no wonder it felt so idealistic!

Hoang Huong Hotel, Cat Ba, Vietnam

2007-09-07: N20˚43′26.472″, E107˚3′0.396″

Well, there was a slight change of plan this morning as the train got into the main station at Hanoi, not the one round the corner. It also got in at 0500 which meant I was able to get the 0600 express service to Haiphong instead of having to go to Long Bien train station. Sorting out the boat to Cat Ba was simple enough, I also managed to buy my outward ticket as well, so today has been a bit expensive but it'll even out in the end, I hope!

Cat Ba is much less developed than I expected, the town is only diddy but fairly modern. My room has large windows looking out at the harbour, it's really good. Some sort of eagle is flying about too, they chased the hydrofoil in. I was going to change into clean clothes but when I opened the carrier bag I realised they hadn't been washed - one of my linen shirts had gone mouldy! It smelled 'special'. We'll see what it's like after it's been washed.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Hoang Huong Hotel, Cat Ba, Vietnam

2007-09-08: N20˚43′26.472″, E107˚3′0.396″

Well, the clothes returned dirt- and moss-free, I'm now cool, minus the mould. Yesterday I went for a walk to check out Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2 (they are some local beaches, Can you guess what the other one is called?). They're pretty small but pretty and clean. They had a nice gradient change in the colour. At about 4PM they filled up with locals and it felt like a resort. I found some internet but it was slow and intermittent. I was unable to update my site too. I've booked a tour of Halong Bay for tomorrow, I'll see if the American girls go or not as it may affect my ticket price. I think for the rest of today I'll just chill out on Cat Co 2, assuming it's not packed.

Hoang Huong Hotel, Cat Ba, Vietnam

2007-09-09: N20˚43′26.472″, E107˚3′0.396″

Well, the hotel manager is a money grabber. Today I went for a half day boat tour around Halong Bay which cost me 320,000VND. Not a bargain, but at least I've seen Halong Bay. Perhaps the places down the coast will even out the spendage. Halong Bay is beautiful really, there are so many peaks and islands climbing vertically out of the sea, it really is a sight. However, I couldn't get the image of fjords out my mind either, it just felt familiar. If it had been less cloudy I would have got the nice turquoise waters, so I'll just have to settle for average photos I guess.

I had amazing shrimp spring rolls this lunch too at Hoang Y -it's the second day I've been there, really good seafood. Tomorrow I'll get the lunch time boat back to Haiphong and hopefully catch the 1810 train to Hanoi so that I can get an overnighter to Danang.

Camellia Hotel 5, Hanoi, Vietnam

2007-09-10: N21˚2′4.776″, E105˚50′54.816″

Looking at the map and calender it looks like I'm going to run out of time in Vietnam to see all the things which I want to see. At the moment I'm thinking that I might extend my visa so I can see all the places I want to and then just go to Angkor and Phnom Penh before my flight to India. We'll see though as it's 5 weeks away, a lot can happen in between, like, "Who'll win the Rugby World Cup?"

Well, today's plan got scrapped due to me being so hungry that it felt like my stomach was going to implode, honestly, I was almost bent over double in pain. I managed to get the train to Hanoi that I wanted from Haiphong OK. I was having doubts as the whether I should go to Danang or not as it's only a museum which I'm planning to see, it'll take only one morning. My other option was to blast through and go to Nha Trang's beaches and social life. I had been hungry all day, even though I ate more than usual. Perhaps seafood meals on Cat Ba aren't as nutritious, I don't know, but either way I was starving. It got so bad that when we arrived in Hanoi I couldn't be bothered to get a motorbike across town and get the next train as I didn't have any supplies and I had no idea how long it would take to get to Nha Trang as it's so far away. So, after much debate I decided to ditch the idea and have another night in Hanoi then get the ticket in the morning so I'd have time to buy supplies before the train in the evening. This paid off doubly as I managed to finally have dinner in the Jazz Club when there was live music on stage!

It also feels good to be back in Hanoi, I don't know why but I appear to have missed it. Just walking the streets to get food felt good. Perhaps it's just the fact that it's the first time on the trip that I've actually returned to a place, perhaps it's just because it's familiar to me, I don't know. Or it could be I've got a decent bed or that I can visit this excellent little bakery round the corner that sells great cheap tasty custard tarts, I don't know, take your pick of reasons!

Overnight Train, Vietnam

2007-09-11: N21˚2′4.776″, E105˚50′54.816″

Well, today I've kind of taken one for the team as I've had to buy a hard sleeper ticket to Danang. After breakfast I walked to the train station and found out that of the 2 trains leaving for Danang tonight, one doesn't have any soft beds and the other one's are all full! So, I had to buy a (thankfully cheaper) ticket to Danang with a hard bed - I'm expected a plank of wood as that's what a hard seat is like. I chose the train that got there the quickest so that I'll have less time on the train, consequently I'm leaving Hanoi at 2300. This will give me plenty of time to eat well and buy supplies for the journey, perhaps even a drink in my favourite café...

Stopping off in Hanoi has been triply good as not only did I have jazz last night but I have managed to squeeze in a performance of water puppetry today which I was unable to do last time as it was full.

Well, I managed to have my lunch and dinner in my favourite café along with 4 Earl Greys in total, it was good. I've also managed to get tons of supplies (inc. a small bag of Kettle crinkle-cut Salt and Pepper crisps, Who's the Daddy?) so even if my bunk is like a coffin at least I can eat to occupy the time. If I'm hungry after all this then I must have worms!

The hard bed isn't as bad as I was thinking at all, it has some padding and is very sleepable. It's also a good job I've been caving before as if I lay on my back I can get my elbows to touch the ceiling - cosy!

Nhat Liah Hotel, Danang, Vietnam

2007-09-12: N16˚3′52.632″, E108˚13′14.376″

Danang is rather nice, there are beautiful beaches and it's not mayhem. The section of the train journey from Hue to Danang was beautiful. There were countless azure colour beaches and great vantage points of the coast, I really recommend taking the train for that section of any Vietnam tour.

Guesthouse 34 has turned itself into a restaurant so I'm forced to have a night in expensive accommodation again. It's a nice room though with loads of ornate wooden furniture. I also bumped into an Easy Rider but declined his offer of a tour as it was a bit expensive. His wage would have been 50USD/day. I've heard they're great but I only have 30USD/day as my budget!

I'm now going to head to the train station to buy my ticket to Nha Trang for tomorrow - scratch that, I got a train ticket for the earlier train as the one I wanted was full. I'll only have a few hours at the museum - it better be worth all this effort. They've just started tarmacking the road outside the hotel so I'm not going for a photo session yet, I'll do it in the morning when I go to the museum which opens at 0700, the train leaves at 1150 so tomorrow is going to be another hectic day. I've spent a lot of money this last week what with me moving around so much and not settling down anywhere. Hopefully my daily average will fall again when I get to Nha Trang as I intend on staying there a few days.

Ha Huong, Nha Trang, Vietnam

2007-09-13: N12˚14′32.712″, E109˚11′31.02″

The Museum of Cham Sculpture took only 20 minutes, the pieces were nice but a stroll around was all that was required. I've got some chill out time before the train leaves. I've still got some supplies left over from the previous journey, I just want to find some bananas - jackpot, I found some takeaway sandwiches too, bonus!

I think the train gets in at 2200 so it's going to be a mad dash for a room and food in Nha Trang. As it's not overnight I got myself a seat not a bed. I just hope that there is no hassle at the other end because I'll be tired and no doubt hungry.

I've enough food to eat tonight without going out and I've got a room in the place I wanted. He was reluctant to give me a cheap room but he gave in in the end. I'll now watch "The Da Vinci Code" on HBO then crash on the bed, even though it's late I feel like staying up, I'll stay here for a while so there's no rush.

Ha Huong, Nha Trang, Vietnam

2007-09-15: N12˚14′32.712″, E109˚11′31.02″

This morning I decided to visit the Cham Towers and Hon Chong just north of Nha Trang. The weather was clear skies and sunny so I returned back to my room rather tired and wet. Po Nagar Cham Towers were pleasant enough to see, they seemed in remarkably good condition to say they were built between the 7th and 12th centuries. Their position on the hill afforded decent views of the array of anchored fishing boats in the harbour below and of the rest of the bay in front of Nha Trang. It was good just to sit in the shade a while too.

Further round the coast was a collection of rocks called "Hon Chong Promontory" which were actually a bit disappointing, I was expecting a more impressive arrangement. Clearly the guide book author is not a regular visitor of the Peak District. It was fairly tranquil but such an arrangement on a British coast line wouldn't get a second glance. I attempted to climb the largest boulder only to be hindered by my lack of chalk and consequent sweaty hands in the blistering sun. It was good to scramble around though.

I have been frustrated by my inability to access my website again. So far in Vietnam I've only been able to access it in Hanoi and Sapa. Certainly Nha Trang can be added to Hue and Cat Ba as a place where it is blocked by some sort of firewall, whether national or local I do not know. In cities where it doesn't work I check it at different cafés and still got the same results, it annoys me.

Ha Huong, Nha Trang, Vietnam

2007-09-16: N12˚14′32.712″, E109˚11′31.02″

Today had been quite relaxed. I was supposed to have a day on the beach but I got a bit pink walking around yesterday so I decided to chill out a bit today instead. It's currently tipping it down as a storm has come in so it's not made much difference anyway. Tomorrow I'll sort out my books and go to the beach then get a bus ticket to Mui Ne for the day after. I'll probably only stay there 2 nights and then head to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City or HCMC).

Australia

Tribal Travel, Brisbane, Australia

2007-09-17

Just a note from a friend known as Sam: Guymer is having problems with accessing the internet in Vietnam, the country has a firewall, like China, blocking him from accessing many pages on the internet. He says that he is OK, doing just fine and having tonnes of fun.

He will update again when he can, signing off from Australia,

Sam

Vietnam

Bao Tran, Mui Ne, Vietnam

2007-09-18: N10˚57′15.192″, E108˚14′11.724″

Well, the coach arrived in Mui Ne at 0230 and dumped us at a resort. Luckily they had cheap rooms and I'm right next to the sea, the waves are crashing about 10m away, I've had quieter rooms in the bowls of ferries!

Bao Tran, Mui Ne, Vietnam

2007-09-19: N10˚57′15.192″, E108˚14′11.724″

Well, the beach is huge! It is in a large smooth crescent shape with clean smooth sand. It's a bit cloudy so there aren't the nice colour gradients in the sea but I think I'll go for a swim as soon as I've done my teeth and GPSed where I am.

Swimming was great, the waves were powerful and the sun was behind clouds so it was not burning. I feel almost rejuvenated after all that. I'll now grab some lunch and see about a trip to the dunes.

One of the hotel staff took me on a motorbike tour around to see a fishing village and the sand dunes. We were initially going to see white and red ones but it started to rain on our way to the red ones so we went back to the hotel. The white dunes were cool, they looked very surreal just apparently dumped in the middle of no where. You get large bits of flexible plastic and slide down a dune on your belly head first. It's really good fun but wasn't as fast as you might think. It was really hard work climbing back up to the top again, like the worst loose scree you could imagine. The slope was about 45 degrees. I managed to get a thin layer of sand all over my skin making me look like a sidewinder (the snake not the missile) and a few burns on my knees and elbows bit it's all good. It was a good laugh. I didn't get many photos as I didn't take my DSLR onto the dunes for fear of sand getting in. The only shots I have are from a distance. Doing the red dunes in the rain probably wouldn't have worked, even if it did I'd just be covered in about an inch of sand so I told the driver to skip it and head back.

Earlier I laid in a hammock and continued reading my book, I think I'll do that tomorrow morning whilst I wait for the bus to Saigon. It's nice and relaxing here, I like it, this is exactly what I imagine Phu Quoc to be like, except this is way more developed (I hope).

Things are about to get very busy soon I've realised. After leisurely touring around by land for the past 80 odd days I'm going to be running around trying to complete my destinations and sightseeing before my flights leave for the remaining 80 days. Luckily I've got 20 days of easy land to cover in the mean time.

Xuan, Saigon, Vietnam

2007-09-20: N10˚46′10.812″, E106˚41′38.904″

Well, the bus took us to the main backpacker place in Saigon but every place that I went to try and get a room at had added about 10USD on top of the guide book price. This put them all way out of my league and so I had to sniff out a cheaper place. I've got all the usual stuff and it's clean. I even have a bath! However, It is probably only big enough to bathe a Labrador, but still, it's a first!

Happy Birthday Grand Ma!

Xuan, Saigon, Vietnam

2007-09-21: N10˚46′10.812″, E106˚41′38.904″

Well, it's been raining all morning but I've managed to submit my passport for a visa extension. I won't be able to collect it until 1^st of October. This means I can go to Cantho and Phu Quoc, come back to Saigon, get a tourist bus to Phnom Penh, get a bus to Siem Reap, do Angkor then return to Phnom Penh for the flight to Delhi. This gives me more chill out time in Vietnam. Today I'll get a shower and go on the internet to see if I can access my site. Clearly I was able to, it took me over 3 hours to type up all the stuff I've been unable to do, I hate internet censorship!

Xuan, Saigon, Vietnam

2007-09-22: N10˚46′10.812″, E106˚41′38.904″

I think the plan is to go to the Reunification Palace and War Museum this afternoon then go to Cholon and the bus station tomorrow to suss out tickets to Cantho for the day after.

Yesterday I met a Japanese girl called Midori in the Internet Cafe and today we met up for lunch. It was good to sit and chat for a while, I don't appear to have been meeting many people in Vietnam, not compared to Thailand or Laos at any rate, so it was good to talk to someone for a bit. I also re-stocked on soap and toothpaste, the soap is fragranted with Rose Petals and the toothpaste is Menthol Tea flavoured. When I start to use them I'm going to smell absolutely priceless.

Well, the Reunification Palace is just a 1960s concrete monstrosity and is nothing remarkable. I expect it's value lies in it's sentiments, not it's architecture or anything else noticeable to a non-Vietnamese. The War Museum was good. In the entrance were numerous tanks, planes and a Huey left over by the Americans. There was even a daisy cutter. Inside were countless harrowing B&W photos of the effects of the chemicals which the US dropped on Vietnam including napalm, defoliants and white phosphorus. It was very humbling.

Xuan, Saigon, Vietnam

2007-09-23: N10˚46′10.812″, E106˚41′38.904″

After breakfast I got a moto to Cholon. I found out that Cholon is actually Chinatown and I had to walk about 1km to the nearest temple as I was dropped off at a huge market. The temple was good, a nice small red and gold Chinese affair. I couldn't find the other two as my map wasn't a decent scale and the moto drivers in the street were distinctly unhelpful. I then got another moto to a bus station and bought a ticket for Cantho tomorrow. This will be the first local bus that I've been on since Laos. It leaves at 1000 and I think it is a 5 hour journey so I'll need to get supplies. For now I'm just going to get some lunch and settle my hotel bill, then supplies and internet call I think, before Midori at 1800.

Hien, Cantho, Vietnam

2007-09-24: N10˚1′46.272″, E105˚47′9.528″

Well, it appears that yesterday I bought a ticket to Cantho for a minibus not a bus. It only cost me 7,000VND more than the bus ticket so it's pretty good. It took 4 hours to get here so that was OK too.

I managed to secure a place in the guesthouse that I wanted and also sort out a tour of the floating markets for tomorrow. It is a bit expensive but it's much better than me trying to do it on my own as it'd take 2 days, not the 1 that this tour is. I also checked out the onwards transport too and it looks like getting to Rach Gia is going to be quite easy. With me staying here for only 2 nights and hopefully not sleeping in Rach Gia then it'll mean I have 5 nights on Phu Quoc until my visa is ready in Saigon. Even if I don't like Phu Quoc I can certainly while away the time back in Saigon without spending much money!

Hien, Cantho, Vietnam

2007-09-25: N10˚1′46.272″, E105˚47′9.528″

Getting up at 0500 wasn't that hard as I didn't sleep that well anyway. The boat guy was prompt and we departed at 0545. The whole trip was good and I got back at 1330, so a rather full day. I'll spend the rest of it just thinking about my plans and possibly a power nap, I'm not too sure.

I visited both the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets. They were good to see but not on the same scale as Damnoen Saduak (near Bangkok) which was a good thing as they were less touristy and more authentic. They were also on the Mekong itself instead of little canals so the boats were a lot sturdier making it less homely. I also went to a fruit farm and a house where they make rice noodles. My driver/captain/guide seemed really intent on teaching me the names of every fruit we saw in Vietnamese, after 5 minutes I would forget. I also went on endless canals twisting their way through villages and palm swamp-type places.

It's a good job I got back when I did as it's absolutely tipping it down at the minute! I've got a minibus ticket for Rach Gia for tomorrow including pickup from the Guesthouse at 1000 so that's all sorted. It's looking like I'm going to have to spend a night there and get a hydrofoil at 0830 the day after.

Phuong Hong, Rach Gia, Vietnam

2007-09-26: N10˚0′42.192″, E105˚4′43.716″

My breakfast was good, I had 2 mini baguettes and a bushel of large red grapes. Rach Gia feels a bit like Sam Neua (in northern Laos). It's got more people and it's more lively but it's just as hard to get food. I haven't found anywhere for tonight so we'll see how I do - probably noodle soup. I'm glad my boat is early in the morning, it's 0730, as there ain't a lot to do here. My TV is half tuned into CineMax and half into the CMB and I can't improve it. At least today will be cheap so it can counterbalance the trip to the floating markets in Cantho.

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-09-27: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

The boat journey was fine, a little bumpy at times but OK. The vast majority of passengers were Vietnamese which surprised me. I checked out two places to stay and decided to opt for the bungalows on the beach instead of the inland bungalows with TVs which were a dollar more expensive. It's nice here with palms, good beach and hammocks.

I'm going to stay here 4 nights before I go back to Saigon for my visa and bus to Cambodia.

Phu Quoc is good, there are nice clean long beaches running for miles and I have nice cheap accommodation - a large bungalow with en-suite and 2 double beds really close to the beach. I can hear the waves from my room but they're not deafening. I'm defiantly liking it here, the beach is nicer than Ko Tao and the accommodation is cheaper so no complaints from me! (Except the nightlife isn't as good.)

I returned to my bungalow to find a large spider in the far corner of my room on the floor. It turns out I am rather good at launching my sandals in such a way that they land sole-down, from a distance. Guymer 1 : Spiders 0. Living in my room was a step too far I think. I can handle them in trees from afar, covering the path in front of me is the upper limit, staying in my room "Unacceptable". Within 30 minutes the spider's body was being transported away by a squad of ants. I have photos. First they tried taking the spider into the bathroom whilst I was having a shower, now they're taking it down the wall which means that whilst I was reading on the beach they got it up the wall in the first place. They really are quite strong, I just don't know what they plan on doing with it. As long as they don't calve a path across my bed I'll be OK.

Now there's a toad in my room, he decided to hide under my other bed. As long as he doesn't croak all night then I don't care about him.

Happy Birthday Mummy!

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-09-28: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

I woke up this morning to the faint sound of thunder and when I walked to the restaurant for breakfast I found out that it was raining slightly. I accept it though as it is the monsoon season. Upon returning to my room I found a small beetle. It was dealt with. Another spider, this one the size of a large UK house-hold spider was also dealt with, Guymer 2 : Spiders 0.

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-09-29: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

Today I am half way through my proposed trip. I'm enjoying Phu Quoc. It's very peaceful in the low season. I hadn't taken many photos up until today but I managed to blast through 2GB from mid-afternoon 'til end of sunset, of just random things. Mostly a coconut and the sunset, it was a good little photo shoot. I've been occupying my time by just reading in deck chairs or hammocks and gazing out over the sea. I finished my latest John Grisham last night so I went for a stroll down the beach to fill the time. At lunch I had spotted a Jack Higgins book and had finished it by dinner - it wasn't very intellectual.

After breakfast I also played 2 games of chess with a 77-year old who'd been playing since he was 19. Needless to say he bludgeoned me, twice. I also proof read a draft contract for a bungalow written by a German guy in English before dinner. It certainly is relaxed here, I like it.

For a while now I've been thinking about cutting my trip to New Zealand by over a week so that I'd be home for Christmas and save money. It also felt unfair that New Zealand was allocated 5.5 weeks, which would be the largest time for one country. This was of course until I extended my visa for Vietnam. I've been bored and slightly homesick a few times now and I've been constantly re-evaluating my situation. I've been missing simple things like friends, music, films and computers. Don't get me wrong, this hasn't hindered me from having a good time. However, it took me until today to think of another alternative: ditch New Zealand altogether. It's the only country on the trip without a specific reason to visit AND it's the last. Each other country has a reason to visit it, New Zealand is only on the list just because I could visit it with my RTW ticket. I decided to go to my room an inspect the guidebooks about prices. It turns out dorm beds are 17USD and twin rooms are 56USD, in the YHA no less! This is scandalous. My daily budget (as I'm sure you're all aware of by now) is 30USD. As Thailand was over budget and Laos had presents bought I could certainly do with the cash. The original plan was spend half the daily budget in SE Asia and the Indian sub-continent so that I could over spend in New Zealand and average out OK for the whole trip. This has not happened, I'm now only averaging ~30USD a day, certainly not under. Money aside it'd also mean I could go home, chill out, see family and friends. However, as with all major decisions on this trip, I'll mull it over for a few days so that I don't rush into anything I might be unable to revert.

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-09-30: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

I woke up this morning to the sound of heavy rain. I got absolutely drenched going to breakfast and I was rewarded by feeling queazy as soon as I got back to my room. It passed without incident so I'm able to keep my vomit-free record still.

As it's been raining all morning I decided to get out the guide books and check out the other countries in the plan to see if it's still all feasible. Looking at Nepal things are still looking good. According to LP the budget for trekking is 10USD to 20USD which is fine as it's below 30USD. This'll enable me to cover the cost of a guide and a hot shower every now and then. India is still looking good as I only plan on doing the Golden Triangle. The problem is New Zealand. My plan was to be under budget in Asia so I could be over budget in New Zealand, it's certainly looking like I'll annex New Zealand and head home. I only want to go for the scenery - which can wait until I have a job I guess.

Even though it has stopped raining now the hotel guy said a typhoon is coming and may delay my departure by anywhere between 2 days or 2 weeks if I leave by boat. To use an internal flight in Vietnam you must have a passport, not a photocopy, which rules out flying out of here. We'll see if the boats are running tomorrow.

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-10-01: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

When I arrived at reception this morning I was informed that the boats were not running today due to the high winds associated with a typhoon (it turns out it was Typhoon Lekima, it was rather big.). To be fair, it was raining slightly and there has been a decent wind the past few days. He said that it'd probably be 2 days until they're able to leave. I cannot fly out of Phu Quoc as I don't have my passport so I have no choice but to wait it out. I can barely afford 2 days as it is time-wise, I hope it doesn't turn out to be more or else things are going to get very hectic or disappointing with regards to Angkor. He gave me a discount for the bungalow, which was good of him. It's now tipping it down by the way.

You may think that being stuck on a tropical beach island is heaven, it's not when it's raining! The sea looks as hospitable as the North Sea, it feels just like home in a way! There is sediment washed into the sea staining the first 30-odd metres out to sea a vivid tan colour. At least this island is dirt cheap due to me lounging about the place and not really doing much. I've got through a few books whilst I've been here and I've certainly enjoyed my time here, it's just time for me to leave and I can't.

Nhat Lan, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

2007-10-02: N10˚11′32.604″, E103˚57′53.208″

I woke up this morning and was informed there would be no boats today. It's raining. I just hope it doesn't take another day for the typhoon to pass. Sitting looking out to sea I can see large patches of blue sky, the first I've seen in days. Perhaps it's looking up for tomorrow. Most of the morning has had large patches of blue sky but at lunch it tipped it down again, the weather is defiantly improving but as to whether it gets good enough by tomorrow remains to be seen. It looks dubious.

The staff at the resort seem to think I can catch a flight with only a photocopied passport. This runs against the information I was given by the staff at the travel agency in Saigon who are extending my visa. If the boats aren't running tomorrow then I'll try to fly because this is getting ridiculous. They say it's only 17USD to Rach Gia which I can certainly afford due to my low average on Phu Quoc. I just can't afford any more time.

Xuan, Saigon, Vietnam

2007-10-03: N10˚46′10.812″, E106˚41′38.904″

Well, the boats aren't running today so I decided to chance the plane. My provisional driver's licence and a colour photocopy of my passport (without visa page) seem to be able to work, which I'm very pleased about. I have a through ticket to Saigon so I'll be there in plenty of time to sort out a bus to Phnom Penh for whenever. I had remembered to take out my Leatherman from my bag but I forgot about my medical scissors in my First Aid kit and was duly caught. In a massive breach of security I was allowed to go to the secure area of the airport (with unarmed guard), find my already checked in bag and put my scissors in it! Can you imagine that happening at Heathrow? You'd be mowed down just for suggesting it!

The flight was only 50 minutes and I immediately went into town and booked a seat on the bus to Phnom Penh for 0800 tomorrow, I then went next door and collected my passport (with extended visa) and then I went around the corner and booked myself into the same hotel I'd used last time I was here for the night. Things are good. I've had a hot shower and I have 3 movie channels, Western food and internet. Go me! We'll see how Cambodia is tomorrow.

Cambodia

Tat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-10-04: N11˚33′26.676″, E104˚55′0.192″

The border crossing was as inefficient as to be expected. For the record I didn't need any photos for my visa. I was forced to pay 25USD but my visa says only 20USD on it. Luckily the guide book told me about the corruption so I wasn't too bothered.

My accommodation in Phnom Penh is good and a bargain at 6USD. I immediately got a bus ticket to Siem Reap which'll pick me up from the hotel. By pure coincidence the owner's brother has a guesthouse in Siem Reap, I was a bit dubious at first, but a quick inspection of the guide book says it's #1. She also said it's the same price as here for the same facilities and that I'll have free internet and that if she rang her brother then there'd be a sign with my name on it in Siem Reap for a free ride into town from the bus station. Quite frankly, a bargain all round. I'm liking Cambodia already! Let's hope it stays this way. Now I just need to find some food and drink and then it's just chill until the bus in the morning. Hassle free...with a Beer Lao and a Chuck Norris film, get in!

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-05: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

Things may start to get a bit confusing round here. 1USD ~ 4,000KHR but no one uses riel, they all use dollars. You pay for something in dollars and get change in a mixture of riel and dollars at the same time. For small things you can pay in riel but this duality is going to make keeping a mental idea of my spendings very difficult.

As we pulled into the station I saw the tuk-tuk driver holding my sign which was a very welcome sight. There were so many moto drivers there that a policeman was beating them back with a cane so that I could get off the bus without being mobbed. My room is more expensive than the one in Phnom Penh but it's an awful lot better quality. I have furniture and decorations with silk hangings and bed cover! I'm going to grab a shave and shower then some lunch and just chill out. My room even has English-type plug sockets!

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-06: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

I tried to book my Indian trains but my card kept on getting rejected for some reason. It's annoying because trains in India get full weeks before they depart sometimes so if I have to get my ticket in person it's going to be difficult and disastrous to my travel plans for Nepal.

In other news, England vs Australia is on my TV in my room!

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-07: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

Today I walked to Angkor Wat from my room (6km) as I don't have enough money for a moto driver for the day really. It is 40USD for a 3 day pass. Consequently I only have 1.67USD left for my evening meal tonight which ain't going to happen.

Angkor Wat was impressive not because of it's size or towers but because of the carvings in the outer wall. They were amazingly detailed and in remarkably good condition to say that they were done in the 12^th Century. I really did like them.

How do they measure that Angkor Wat is the biggest religious building in the world? It's got to be floor space including cloisters and possibly outer wall too, as the central bit ain't that big. Right now I'm exhausted after walking all day!

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-08: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

Well, last night I slept like a baby as I was so tired from walking the day before. I'm hoping it was due to the heat or else I'm screwed with regards to Nepal. As I already had a ticket for today for Angkor I wasn't going to waste it. However, I wasn't in the mood for more walking especially as I now have a blister on my right heel. So, I decided to go bankrupt and get a tuk-tuk for a trip round the place. It was worth it as I saw loads , much more than if I'd been walking. We stopped off at 6 different temples. Some were just knock-offs of Angkor Wat scaled down but others were really cool. One in particular was over-run with large trees.

Angkor as a whole is very impressive and you certainly need to spend a few days looking around. Tomorrow I'll go to Angkor Thom and walk around then nip back to Angkor Wat and then grab a moto back to Siem Reap.

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-09: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

Once again I decided not to walk to Angkor. This time I did not go via tuk-tuk but moto - and not on a tour either. I got dropped off at Ta Prohm which is one of the most popular sights as it is completely at the mercy of huge trees which engulf most of the stone work. It was used in the film "Tomb Raider" incidentally. I then walked to the centre of Angkor Thom along the road stopping off at Ta Keo and some random towers that didn't appear on any map. Ta Keo had some really narrow and high steep steps to get to the 50m high summit. I got talking to one of the guards / wardens and found out that he works 15 days-a-month and gets paid 20USD per month - only just above the infamous "dollar-a-day" mark.

Tomorrow I'll not do much as my pass for Angkor has now expired except save money. One of the things which caught my eye was a butterfly place. I'll probably drop in and blow both memory cards on them if I can. The day after I'll get a bus back to Phnom Penh for my flight to India.

Smiley, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2007-10-10: N13˚21′39.42″, E103˚51′10.728″

This morning I went and checked my emails and discovered that my dad had managed to purchase my Indian train tickets for me, which is a huge relief. It means I don't have to wait around days or even weeks for an empty train seat to appear. I then zapped off a couple of emails to try and reserve rooms in India so my travelling will be easier.

I had an awesome lunch which included a 'vanilla ice cream, yoghurt and red berry smoothie' - it was great! I then went and took 284 photos of butterflies. It's been a good day. At 0730 tomorrow I'll return to Phnom Penh.

Tat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-10-11: N11˚33′26.676″, E104˚55′0.192″

Despite the assurances of the staff and the sign on the wall, the restaurant didn't open at 0515 and still wasn't even open when I left at 0630. Consequently I'm going to have another bus journey where I'm starving. I should get into Phnom Penh at about 1330 which should give me plenty of time to confirm my flights today. This has to be done 72 hours before each flight I take, I might try phoning them or else I'll have to go down to their offices - a bigger expense.

Tat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-10-12: N11˚33′26.676″, E104˚55′0.192″

I went for a little walk this morning to find a movie place but I was unable to find it. I'm certain I was in the right place but it just wasn't there. One of the buildings on the street was like a building site so I can only assume it's getting renovated.

In other news, my hot shower is really good (as good as the UK) so I'm enjoying a clean streak at the minute. This afternoon I'll probably go to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek for a wander around. Tomorrow I'll do S-21 and the day after I'll do the National Museum and the Royal Palace.

I've been unable to confirm my flights as the offices are closed due to some national holiday. According to the hotel owner things will only return to normal on Monday - which is the day I leave, so I can only hope that confirming one's seat is a minor requirement.

Well, I've just returned from the Killing Fields. It was very moving. It was smaller than I expected but just as powerful. There is a large white stupa which contains lots of glass shelves rising almost 10 metres in the air. Each shelf is covered in skulls excavated from some of the surrounding mass graves. They were separated into approximate ages going down to some tiny ones for 15 year olds. A few had obvious bullet holes with a fair amount indicating that the victim was beaten to death. However, most showed no obvious damage. It was quite a sight and made me queasy after a while. I then strolled around some of the small fields and identified clothes sticking out of the ground from victims who's bodies have been left buried. I even photographed a bone fragment sticking out, it's all rather depressing. I overheard a guide say that there are over 300 Killing Fields across Cambodia but that this one is the biggest.

Tat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-10-13: N11˚33′26.676″, E104˚55′0.192″

I remembered to post Midori's postcard today. Let's hope it gets there, I'm not confident though as she used a stamp and didn't get it franked.

I've just got back from S-21 which is only a 10 minute walk from my room. It was a school which was converted into a prison and interrogation centre by Pol Pot's regime. It has been left in the same condition it was in since it was last used.The cells and interrogation rooms have been left intact giving the whole place an eerie and macabre aura.

It's only just settling in that the day after tomorrow I'm leaving SE Asia and heading to the Himalayas. I've got a mental picture of the whole transport plan all the way to Kathmandu sorted. I know which plane, train and bus I'm getting. I know where I'm sleeping. I just haven't prepared myself for any possible culture shock, so we'll see how that goes I guess.

India

Hotel Hindustan, Delhi, India

2007-10-15: N28˚38′30.156″, E77˚12′44.532″

I have come to think that the security personnel out here are idiots. At the airport there was a sign showing a car battery with a red line through it. Now, I take this to mean "No big batteries" or, more specifically, "No liquid batteries" (correct lingo is 'wet-cell' apparently), which is what you see at places like Heathrow. It even says "No wet cell batteries" in my flight ticket information from Sheffield. Apparently, here it means "No batteries whatsoever". I only found this out after I checked in for my flight. My bag then got X-rayed twice and searched - she was looking for batteries. She took out my camera and put it aside, not checking to see if it's battery was inside. She then searched the top pocket of my bag and missed 5 loose batteries and the ones in my GPS and head torch. She then searched the main pocket and missed the 2 spare camera batteries, she missed the PSD and it's battery. She then missed the 2 spare PSD batteries which are the size and shape of sticks of dynamite. She even picked one up, frowned at it, then put it down, apparently satisfied it wasn't a battery. I didn't say anything during this. The only thing I said at all was "Not really" when she said "You have battery?" at the beginning of the comedy. In total she missed 17 batteries. For the record, none of them were wet cell and so they all are allowed on flights. I'm certain their rules were wrong as they can't expect no one to have their mobile, or iPod or even a laptop in their pocket or hand luggage.

I enquired about changing my flights in Singapore but apparently I have to leave the secure area of the airport to get to the airline desk, I can't be arsed to do this so I'll have to wait until I get to Delhi. As it is I have 5 hours for my flight to Delhi so I'm a bit bored. I have chocolate though.

I'm now in a budget hotel in Delhi. The toilet smells worse than a public toilet but I'm only here for 2 nights so I'll get over it. It looks like I'm back to slumming it again though. Oh yeah, I arrived at 2330 to find the main road closed due to a festival and cows were roaming the deserted streets - deserted that is, except for the copious amounts of litter fluttering by.

Hotel Hindustan, Delhi, India

2007-10-16: N28˚38′30.156″, E77˚12′44.532″

This morning I walked to Connaught Place to attempt to rearrange my flights home. Two first impressions of Delhi which I can say: it's dirty and it's smelly. Everywhere I walked today I could either smell fetid garbage or pungent urine, it ain't nice. I managed to locate both offices for Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand after a bit of confusion with the addresses. I have successfully managed to rearrange my flights to bring them closer, which is good. Even better is that I didn't have to pay a penny! I'm now leaving Delhi on the 27^th of November and I'll eventually arrive in London on the 1^st of December. This means my trip will have been just over 5 months instead of over 6 months. I'll actually have a day in Auckland as the flight I wanted to London is full so I have to take the same flight but just the next day. All I have to do now is rearrange my coach from London to Sheffield and I'm sorted.

In other news an Indian thought I was Kashmiri - which was cool.

Overnight Train, India

2007-10-17

I've come to like "Masala Chai". This is a good thing as I think it is Nepali so I can have a lot of it in the coming weeks. It's tea made from boiled milk, not water, and then flavoured with nutmeg. I've spent the majority of today drinking it whilst reading to pass the time before my train this evening.

I'm now lying on my bed on the train after some initial confusion as I arrived at the train station before the manifests had been put up so I had no idea which was carriage B2. I'm now on and sorted, I'm just sweating buckets as the fan doesn't reach the top bunk and the air conditioning isn't on - I'm basically melting in a tin can here.

I've just noticed that the mobile network that my phone is choosing to be a part of is called "Hutch". You'll only get that if you're a recent Hatfielder.

Two things I've noticed about long distance journeys: why is there always a crying baby? Why, after becoming acclimatised to the heat, is the air conditioning so cold you can't sleep because you're shivering? The locals are the same, piling blankets on top of them to keep warm.

Nepal

Hotel Glasgow, Bhairawa, Nepal

2007-10-18: N27˚30′24.876″, E83˚27′6.66″

The train got into Gorakhpur at 1130 after leaving on time, which means that it took just over 18 hours. It wasn't that bad actually, pretty similar to the long Vietnamese journeys. The only difference is that they don't announce the next destination and as it was an hour late to arrive I was very aware that I may have missed my stop.

I'm now sat on the bus waiting for it to depart for the border. Donkeys and cows roam the streets mixing it up with the hawkers and rickshaws. You could grow potatoes in the dirt that is washed up in the corners of the bus' floor - it's that manky. Also the seats are 2-3, not 2-2, which means I'm squished sideways again. The duration also doubled en-route. We must have done a big detour because after 3 hours we were only 40km closer to Sunauli (the border town). We stopped off to have some food at 1600 and I was pleased to find some decent chai.

The border crossing went well and the few Nepali I've met seem friendly and smiley. Tomorrow morning I'll get a tourist bus to Kathmandu at about 0700.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-19: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

I just realised that I significantly overpaid both the rickshaw drivers who shuttled me from Bhairawa and Sunauli, oh well.

All I can say is: "Yes!". I'm on the bus to Kathmandu and we're passing streams and waterfalls that are made up of glacial melt - I'm grinning so much. The hills around us are small as they're covered in trees, but the little streams have carved rocky, boulder strewn paths and I can't wait to get up amongst it all!

Kathmandu is quite surreal, that's all I can say. It's exactly like the mental picture I had in my head: clear blue skies, still cool air, near perfect silence. Many times on this trip I've walked down the main road of a town exhausted after just finishing a long journey with both bags on my back looking for somewhere to kip - I can honestly say this is the first time I've done it with a smile on my face! It's just so mountaineering-ly twee. Thamel's streets are narrow with half the people being foreigners wearing Tech-Ts. Gear shops line the streets with signs on the sides of buildings advertising trips and tours. It's similar to Khao San Road, in Bangkok, just minus the majority of the hawkers and touts. The whole place has a mountaineering aura - it feels good to just let it wash over you. I can tell I'm going to like it here.

My hotel has a rooftop garden and I just sat there in the sun, not being hot for the first time in ages, looking out at the other buildings, soaking it all up with little home-made kites rustling up high above me and the prayer flags on the adjacent roof occupying my gaze.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-20: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, which doesn't bode well, and a bit chilly - even though I slept under the covers - which also doesn't bode well. Let's hope both of them get solved pretty soon!

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-22: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

For the past few days I've had a cold. In fact I'm still a bit bad at the minute. Dasain Festival is currently going on in Nepal. It lasts for 15 days and most things are shut which has made it hard for me to sort out my trek. As it is I've decided to do my trek through a trekking agency as you don't know how reliable guides are - especially independent ones. You can check out the Annapurna Trek if you like. My trek is a bit expensive but it includes all my guide's things and all mine too, such as wage, accommodation, food and transport. This means it's easier for me as I don't have to budget or anything - he does it all. I leave in the morning of Friday the 26^th.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-23: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Today I took my first meaningful photos of Nepal. I went and walked to Durbar Square in the centre of Kathmandu, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are loads of old wooden temples with stupas all around. It's fairly large and randomly arranged. It was good to get out of Thamel and see some proper things for a change. One surprising aspect of these temples was that some of them had erotic wood carvings on them. There seems to be some debate as to why you need sex scenes on a temple but never the less I was laughing at the audacity of some of them. There was one of a woman pleasuring herself, there was a spit-roast and one contained so many limbs I couldn't figure out how many people were involved. Pretty unorthodox since most were built in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, with some being even earlier.

However, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the morning was a stupa I stumbled upon on my way to Durbar Square. It's called Kathesimbhu Stupa and it is simply a large white stupa set in a square surrounded by buildings. The most picturesque aspect was all the prayer flags stretching from all the buildings across the square to the stupa's top spire. It just looked amazing, like your stereotypical Himalayan postcard. It was really peaceful and I stopped off there again on my way back to Thamel.

Tomorrow I'll sort out my gear for my trek and see if there are any little things I need to buy. I also need to go to the bank and get all the money to pay for it. I'm already charging my electronic kit and emptying my bags. I also went to KEEP and filled in a registration form for the British Embassy so they know where I'll be. They now have my insurance and medical details so they can sort out a helicopter from the Nepalese Army to come get me, if need be.

As regards to my health, I'm now feeling much better. I'm no longer cold at night and don't need to sleep with my liner as well as the covers. I should be back to normal by Friday, no problems!

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-24: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Today has been slightly frustratingly unproductive. Due to this festival everything of use is still shut. I haven't seen any evidence of any form of festival apart from shutters over building fronts. Needless to say I had difficultly in withdrawing money to pay for my trek. The only banks which are open won't do cash advances. I had to resort to repeated ATM visits but my card stopped working after 4 sets of 10,000NPR which is the limit of one withdrawal. Ideally I still need to withdraw another 40,000NPR.

I have, however, managed to get some thermals and finally send off my postcards. I just hope a bank is open tomorrow or that the ATM has rebooted or something.

There is the potential for a lot to go wrong after I return from my trek. I am assuming I can get a flight to Delhi without any problems. If I can't then I'll have to get a bus to Sunauli, then to Gorakhpur and then a train to Delhi again. Getting a train ticket might also be a problem.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-10-25: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Today has been rather depressing. My card still doesn't work in an ATM and no banks would give me cash advances. This forced me to pay for my trek with my card with a 3.1% commission. Then, I tried to sort out transport home. All flights to Delhi are booked until the 6th of December. This means I'm going to have to get the train from Gorakhpur. Oh, and a 10NPR note didn't get accepted in a shop.

I met my guide today at 1700 - it's amazing how one's emotions can suddenly turn around! He's a 26 year old Nepali with average English and a face that shows he was born in the Himalayas and that this is going to be a piece of cake for him. This is going to be great I can tell!

Bhulbhule, 900m, Nepal

2007-10-26: N28˚17′26.52″, E84˚22′14.376″

Last night I also dropped off my book-laden hold-all at the trekking agency for safe keeping and I collected a sleeping bag too. Therefore, I was all set when I woke up at 0600 to start this trek. We got a taxi to the bus station and were early for our bus. It took us almost 1hr and 30mins to get out of Kathmandu as there was a massive traffic jam. They appear to fill buses way more than in Laos and I thought they were taking the Mick then! We arrived in Besi Sahar at around 1530 and then got an even fuller/un-safer bus to Bhulbhule. We crossed the river and stayed there that night. On the 2^nd bus I met a guy from London, Max, who is also doing the circuit - but on his own. In my opinion he'd bitten off way more than he could chew by doing this, both in terms of experience and equipment.

Jagat, 1500m, Nepal

2007-10-27: N28˚24′49.644″, E84˚24′19.728″

This morning we set off walking at around 0730 and Max accompanied us. We left him behind after about 2 or 3 hours. The Annapurna Circuit is bustling with life. Every 30mins you walk through a village with restaurants and "hotels". All along the path are groups of Westerners doing this trek and locals either carrying outrageously large loads or in charge or a squad of mules who ferry supplies everywhere. It's not remote yet. The views are fantastic, the hills are steep and prominent. The valley walls are below the tree line for the moment. We've walked to a village called Jagat which stands a bit higher than Ben Nevis. Today was hard work as my sleeping bag is heavy (even though it's down) and the there were some pretty steep ups and downs on the way. We arrived in Jagat at around 1545. This morning was doubly hard as, according to a guy's Suunto watch, it was 32 Degrees Celsius. It was boiling and my face and forearms were drenched with sweat. After lunch it became overcast so it was OK.

Dharapani, 2000m, Nepal

2007-10-28: N28˚31′29.424″, E84˚21′14.544″

I've just had an experience which may convey the sheer size of these 'foothills': I couldn't fit them into a portrait shot at 18mm! Today has been good, we set off at 0715 and arrived at the lodge at 1400. My shoulders were starting to ache as my bag is a bit heavy. My legs and enthusiasm are fine though. The Austrian architect-teacher just walked past me as I was writing that last bit so I've made good time today. I first met him at lunch yesterday and we got talking, he then walked past Jagat and stayed at Chamje, which is about an hour further along the path. I think we passed his guide in the last hour at a restaurant - but then again, I'm not sure he even has a guide. It's a bit chilly here as the sun sets at around 1300 on this side of the valley and there's a breeze too. Today's scenery has been jaw dropping at times, my particular favourite was the view from a mini hill looking up the valley at Tal, which was the village we had lunch at. The valley bottom was wide and flat with lots of brilliant white chalky sand. There was also a huge snowy peak jutting out on the horizon too. This was just after my first encounter with the Maoists.

3 guys dressed in (probably fake) decent outdoor gear had set up a chair and table 5 minutes from the aforementioned vista. They had a red flag with the hammer and sickle on it. They demanded a fee of 1300NPR (100NPR/day) and gave me a receipt for it so I don't have to pay them again should I encounter any more of them. They were unarmed and had a cocky aura about their actions. Personally I think they are cowardly immature idiots. 'Cowardly' because they hide in the hills; I took a photo of some propaganda which supports the 'immature idiots' bit. They demand money off tourist - forgetting that tourism (and aid) are the biggest influxes of cash into Nepal and that because of their actions tourism to Nepal has been in steady decline in recent years. This only makes the poor poorer - which helps no one (apart from getting a few more poor villagers to vote Communist). This is not to mention their disastrous impact on the tiger and rhino populations in Chitwan National Park. I had to sign my name on the receipt under the word 'Donor' which was ironic to say the least.

Before dinner I played Badminton with a few Nepali which was a good work out. I then tried a bit of nettle soup after my meal, it was OK, better than I thought it would be - very gloopy too.

Chame, 2700m, Nepal

2007-10-29: N28˚33′9.9″, E84˚14′29.148″

Today we've made good time as we arrived at our lodge at ~1345. Once again we set off at 0730. I like setting off early as there isn't much Sun and so it's easier for me to walk. In the Sun right now it's burning, in the shade it's cool and gets icy when a breeze passes. Today has been the most beautiful day so far as we've been able to see both Manaslu and Annapurna II for most of the day. Each one is a jaw-drooping-ly awesome huge rocky snowy peak. Unfortunately both peaks are just obscured by the valley walls right now so I can't see them from my room. They're in completely different directions but my rooms is on the end of the building and I have windows facing West, South and East. There's also been some trees turning orange so I've hopefully taken some decent photos. No Ansel Adams worthy photos yet as we're mostly way above water - except now, though no peaks!

This morning we came across a porter lying by the side of the path. He'd broken both of his legs and had been left behind. He was in pain. He said his group was going to get help - but still he had been left alone. He also said he had been there overnight too. As we stayed with him any passing Nepali continued on regardless, any passing foreigner stayed and after a while there were about 30 of us. We gave him water and painkillers and got some people to carry him down to the next village. Still, it was an event.

Chame is the capital of Manang district and there is a Red Cross hospital, post office, Internet (of unknown quality) and all sorts. It's still your typical mountain village though!

Lower Pisang, 3200m, Nepal

2007-10-30: N28˚36′51.588″, E84˚8′54.456″

It's now become 'the routine': up by 0630 and depart by 0730. The only difference today was that we arrived at our destination by 1100 - 'twas amazing. Some of the scenery today was spectacular - it really was. A lot of today was spent walking through pine forests so it was nice and shady. The paths were smooth and wide too so it was easy going. You can tell that now we're getting higher because the landscape is getting arid, less green, more rocky. The plants are changing too, they are less luscious, more hardy-looking. When the Sun's behind a hill it's cold and if you're stopped you may shiver. I'm still only in a T-shirt and trousers so I'm not worried - I've still got my thermals and Rab to go yet.

Pisang is split into two: Upper and Lower. Lower Pisang is by the river in the valley bottom and is more substantial. It's also where the trek goes through and it's where we're sleeping. Upper Pisang is about 100m up the northern valley wall and is heaven. It's small, the houses are primitive, it's quiet, the stone work blends into the hillside and every building has it's own set of prayer flags. If it wasn't for the odd telegraph pole then it'd be the classic cliche filled postcard. It is beautiful. I just slowly sauntered around, climbing past houses to the small monastery at the top. From this poetic vantage point one could see the full length of the valley in both directions and also the vista that is the ridge connecting Annapurna II with her companions. The Sun was belting down so my photos of Annapurna II may not be great - but the rest of the valley should be OK. The Marsyandi River is getting smaller and smaller now - only a few metres wide. I'm still enjoying the trek, the views are superb, the walking is tiring but not exhausting and daal bhaat (a local rice dish) is good. My shoulders and hips ache from the bag but it's not that bad and doesn't distract me. At about 1300 the first clouds usually appear and by 1500 the peaks are usually obscured. It means that the time frame for postcard perfect photography is narrow - at least I see it with my eyes though. For the record: sleeping here will be like sleeping atop Vignemale.

Manang, 3500m, Nepal

2007-10-31: N28˚39′54.684″, E84˚1′24.888″

Today's walking has been good and I've seen some decent things. Today we were able to see Annapurna III for the majority, indeed, I can see it now as I write this in Manang. We started at 0730, as per usual, and arrived in Manang at ~1300. We had lunch while walking and also visited a monastery - more later. I decided to take the "easy way" to Manang as I want to save my energy for the Thorong La. This keeps to the south bank of the river and doesn't involve as many ups and downs as the parallel northern route. This meant that we walked through Hongde which has a runway with flights to Pokhara 3 days a week for 80USD. It was quite a surreal deserted little town but one of the flights came in as we stopped for a rest. It was one of those "you don't get a second attempt at landing" runways as the valley is steep and deep. I imagine you'd have to be on final approach before you could see the runway - initial definitely. It felt a bit weird as the whole place was dusty and made of stone - it felt really remote and abandoned.

We then walked to Braga, which is only 30mins from Manang and had lunch. I had decent daal bhaat and then we left our bags and walked up the hillside to the top of the village where (according to the warden) Nepal's oldest monastery is located. My guide went and found the warden whilst I admired the spectacular views. The warden unlocked the doors, we removed our shoes and entered. It is an amazing place: small, modest and humble, but intricately decorated in bright colours and clearly old and loved. It was built in the 15^th century and was superb to behold. The warden was talking to my guide but I couldn't understand - it was soothing though. There were lots of books high up on shelves and I wouldn't be surprised if they were the originals. I made a donation and the warden gave me a braided string necklace (red, yellow, black, green and white) and a beautiful white silk scarf which he tied around my neck and told me it was for good luck. I am supposed to tie it in a clean place atop Thorong La as a blessing but afterwards my guide said I could keep it if I wanted to . I am not sure what I'm going to do, but it was certainly a special moment. It was really great, one of those moments which pass you by and you could never hope of doing again whilst making it just a special. For now the scarf is in my bag and I'm wearing the necklace thingy.

In Manang I had my first shower since leaving Kathmandu and I'm wearing my thermals. It's absolutely boiling in the sun but I'm just getting ready for the next few days. Tomorrow I think we're going to head up to a glacier and come back down for our acclimatisation. Not too sure yet, just taking it bistari bistari. It was also frosty in the morning and we walked past our first bit of snow - a sign of things to come no doubt!

Manang, 3500m, Nepal

2007-11-01: N28˚39′54.684″, E84˚1′24.888″

Today has been our acclimatisation day. After breakfast we walked past Gangapurna Lake and up the moraine to a view point for Gangapurna Glacier. It afforded cracking views of the whole valley from Manaslu along the Marsyandi River, past Manang and up to Tilicho Peak. There were some prayer flags and a stupa on the vantage point also. We saw a huge vulture perched on a rock, silhouetted against the morning Sun. After lunch we walked up the northern side of the valley to a monetary where a 91 year old monk lives with his blind 90 year old wife. For 100NPR you can have a cup of tea with him and get blessed. I've now got two of those string necklaces - so I'm doubly blessed for the Thorong La. I should find it easy now! lol. Whilst we were walking up to the monastery some vultures were following us and up close they're even bigger. I wouldn't be surprised if their wingspan was ~2m. Their bodies are the size of sheep! I think tomorrow we've only got a few hours walking to the half way point to Thorong Phedi, it'll be short but it's important not to do too much for acclimatisation. I've got about 150 photos left until I have to back them up and wipe them. Annoyingly this will most likely take place at Thorong Phedi which is the highest place I'm sleeping. It's annoying as high altitude ruins hard drive lifetime.

It's also November - I start my journey home this month! There is a 'cinema' in Manang and tonight the New Zealand-Australian couple and I watched "7 Years In Tibet" which is really good. Walking back to the hotel for dinner I glanced up and saw the Milky Way - which was awesome, it really was a sight, the night sky was so clear. Consequently, after dinner we walked up out of Manang to have a gander as our eyes adjusted. There were so many stars - it was amazing. Having studied Astronomy I was able to comprehend some of it (more than a few years ago at least) and it is amazing to have some of it fit into place. I couldn't find a single things as there were so many stars, I was hopeless at picking out ones I knew. We also saw some shooting stars and we heard the bangs and crashes of avalanches on the adjacent glacier in the still night air.

Yakkharkha, 4100m, Nepal

2007-11-02: N28˚43′21.18″, E83˚58′25.5″

Today's walking has been easy and short but this was necessary for acclimatisation. We started at the usual time and checked into the hotel by 1000. I'm not having any problems with altitude so far: I'm feeling fine and I'm not showing any symptoms of AMS. The only thing is that I'm getting out of breath quicker (I soon get it back during a rest though) and that it's floppin' freezing in the shade if you're not moving. Yakkharkha isn't on the map so I got Dawa (my guide) to write it down for me so I could spell it correctly. I also got him to write down "bistari" and his name for the same reason. It was then that I found out that he is a Sherpa. His full name is "Dawa Gelgen Sherpa" which I find cool.

I have an awesome view down the valley of Gangapurna from my room. Also, Dawa just called me as a herd of Blue Sheep were on the hillside, so I've taken some shots of them. Also, Natalie and Paul are staying in the same hotel, so that's good too. Tomorrow it's only a few hours to Thorong Phedi and then the day after it's the Thorong La, which'll be good. Just outside the village we crossed a tiny stream which had twigs covered in ice in the style of wb-skinner, such as:

• Fusion
• A Flower for Winter
• Winters Garden

I went back down and did an impromptu photo shoot but I'm not too hopeful due to the back drop, still, it's good to have seen it though.

Thorong Phedi, 4500m, Nepal

2007-11-03: N28˚46′37.02″, E83˚58′21.756″

Today's walking has been brief, we set off at around 0715 and arrived at Thorong Phedi at 0915! It was a fairly straight forward climb across paths which cut through scree slopes. Thorong Phedi is in an amphitheatre, surrounded by low mountains. This is the closest we've been to the valley walls and it gives the place a whole new perspective. I can see the large scree slopes which mark the start of the Thorong La - I understand though that I am seeing a false summit. Today, during the mere 2 hours of walking, my bag felt fine and neither my shoulders nor hips ached. I'm feeling good and really enjoying it all. Tomorrow is going to be D-day as I think we'll set off around 0500 which will start us off for the 900m climb and 1600m descent to Muktinath, via Thorong La at 5416m. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do for the rest of today as there are no near-by villages to walk to and I don't want to do too much as I'll need to save myself for tomorrow. I'll probably get very bored!

For most of the afternoon, until dinner, I've had a throbbing headache, which I've attributed to AMS. It's the only symptom I'm showing. Paul and a Danish guy both have headaches too. I'll still attempt tomorrow's climb but if it gets any worse or if I start to show any other symptoms then I'll turn around and stay another night at Thorong Phedi.

The French Canadian couple and I started talking to the lodge owner and he said that in the 25 years which he's been here he's seen a Snow Leopard once, in 1989. An adult was playing with two cubs in the snow on the opposite valley wall. After hearing this I walked 100m uphill to a quiet vantage point off the path to scour the landscape for movement. All I saw was some huge eagles miles away, a flock of crows fluttering around and a stoat-type thing 1m away as it bounded from bush to bush in it's effort to run away from me - oh well!

Muktinath, 3800m, Nepal

2007-11-04: N28˚48′55.548″, E83˚51′44.532″

I'm knackered. My knees are stiff and I can hardly stand. We left Thorong Phedi at 0415 to find that already there was a train of head torches along the path. It was rather eerie as all the snow on the mountains appeared to be glowing in the moonlight. The moon and stars were all out in force - I comforted myself in being able to locate the North Star for the first time on this trek. I think I'm getting better at sorting out the wheat from the chaff in these overcrowded night skies. It was hard work climbing up, but we still managed to overtake groups. Once we got to the snow the wind picked up and made everything very cold. I still had my headache but it hadn't deteriorated so I continued on. The way to Thorong La is filled with false summits, I resorted to not looking more than 2m infront of me so I wouldn't get too disappointed. After about 30mins on the snow the sun rose and about 30mins later it showed it's face above the surrounding mountains. We arrived at the top of Thorong La (the highest mountain pass in the world) at 0715. According to Trailblazer's guide book:

"You're now standing on the equivalent of four Ben Nevises, 2¼ Mt Kasciuskos, 1½ Mt Cooks and you're 938m / 3077ft above the Matterhorn and 608m / 1998ft higher than Mont Blanc!"

I think that's pretty cool. By this time we were only the 4th team up there that morning. I took a few photos of the large sign and me and a few of the mountains, but I wasn't in the mood for a prolonged stay as I was cold and I still had my pulsating headache which seeming to throb whenever my foot came down hard on the scree / frozen snow. Consequently we left fairly quickly with the typical moral induced brisk walk off the summit. 5 minutes later we were the 1^st group of the day. The change in pace quickly warmed me up. For the record I still had my insulation jacket in my bag if I needed it. What followed was uncalled for quite frankly.

The 1600m descent on the other side was in the style of zig-zagging paths entrenched in scree slopes. These get annoying and tiring after a few hundred metres along so the prospect of 1600m down wasn't motivating. I found it hard work, hence the opening comment about my knees. I took it all slowly and tried to save what little energy I had left. We stopped off at a teashop for a major rest after about 2 hours and consequently we were the 3^rd team into Muktinath by 1100. Still, we shaved over 2 hours off the standard time - quite good I think. Muktinath is lower than Yakkharkha so my AMS symptoms are disappearing pretty fast. This side of the pass is very cold and desert like - hardly any vegetation what-so-ever. You can also see Dhaulagiri which stands at 8167m, very impressive. This afternoon I'm going to take it very easy as I still have a week's worth of walking before Pokhara. Dawa took me to the temple at Muktinath which is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. There is a natural gas vent coming out of the ground which is alight, close by is a stream. Hindus find this Holy as they see it as the location of 3 elements together: earth, fire and water. There is no wind there as they've built a temple on top if it.

Marpha, 2700m, Nepal

2007-11-05: N28˚45′6.624″, E83˚41′12.12″

Today had 'the routine' and we ended up in Marpha by 1330, not a bad day I think. We had lunch in Jomsom with the occasional sound of a motorbike. There are now large tracks all the way to Muktinath which carry motorbikes and the odd 4x4. The landscape has been stunning. The mountains are very dusty and brown whilst the valley bottom is flat and covered in pebbles with the river meandering by. If you walk up the valley north for a week you'd be in the ancient kingdom of Mustang. It's a 700USD entry permit though. The skyline has been dominated by the trio peaks of Niligiri (North, Central and South). Dhaulagiri has been covered in cloud all day. As promised at 1200 in Jomsom a major wind picked up along the valley which chills you and blows large clouds of dust into your face.

Today's walking has been easy but my legs still ache from yesterday's descent. The hotel I'm staying in is very quaint. It's got a little courtyard and the rooms are cosy - mine's a triangle. I've just walked down to the ACAP water place and it's starting to rain, only spitting - like fine mist - but still, this is the first time on this trek. Let's hope it stops for tomorrow. I have just discovered that this hotel has a Western-style toilet! This is the first one since leaving Kathmandu. I've also swapped my thermal top for a T-shirt (I removed the thermal trousers in Muktinath). I've also changed my inner socks, the first time since Kathmandu too. Aren't I the clean one? Still only 1 shower! I don't smell - honest. I was talking to Paul about it and he said it's because we're eating clean, simple, local food - no chemicals.

Ghasa, 2700m, Nepal

2007-11-06: N28˚36′21.132″, E83˚38′22.56″

My legs were still tired this morning but they soon loosened up, my thighs hurt if I squeeze them but it's OK. Today's walking has been OK, we set off at 0715 and arrived at Ghasa at 1345 which is pretty good going. It's been cloudy for most of the day which has made it not too hot. Having said that, just after sitting down to write this 2 loud crashes of thunder reverberated up the valley - I hope it only rains when I'm not walking. We've mostly been walking along the valley bottom, occasionally on the pebbles. I can't think of much else to write really, the views have been limited by cloud and the walking easy. Another day in the Himalayan foothills. Today probably had two of the largest mule trains so far, but that's about it. Coincidently, the Swiss guy is staying here and we've agreed that this side of the circuit is boring and not as special due to the increase in tourism. It feels like it could be anywhere. Tal to Jomsom was the best bit I think. Also, I thought Nepal was supposed to be devoid of creepy crawlies. Evidentally not as there was a large furry spider in the toilet just now.

Tatopani, 1200m, Nepal

2007-11-07: N28˚29′50.244″, E83˚39′16.416″

This morning the weather wasn't looking too good as it was very cloudy and humid, you could tell it really wanted to have a downpour. We set off walking at the usual time and it wasn't long before we were walking in the cloud with visibility of around 50m. Most of the walking was done on paths in dense forest, which, when mixed with the cloud and humidity, made you think you were in jungle again (or a cloud forest). There were even some annoyingly loud insects buzzing away. There's one really close to me now and it's LOUD. The views have been good today, mostly of steep rapids in the valley bottom and lush forests on either side with the odd striking waterfall plunging down. It looked like concept art for Naboo at some stages (I would provide a link for some but I can't find any on Google ... god knows how I got some on my PC ...). It was good today; not too boring. The heat has also picked up too and I was sweating buckets at some stages in the day which hasn't happened since before Dharapani I think. We arrived at Tatopani at around 1215, once again we made good time. As we arrived at such a decent time I decided to unpack proporly and get my towel & soap and go for a wash in the river. The water is all glacial melt and I believe this gorge holds the record for the steepest in the world - hence the rapids. The water was very cold and I think a Bender quote sums it up best:

"What's this water made of?! Ice?!"

It was, however, very good as it's only my second wash since Kathmandu and I'm now smelling of rose petals no doubt. I also managed to proporly dry out my socks which was useful as the sweat doesn't evaporate very well if it's cold. Today was also the closest I've come to being knocked off the path by a mule. There seemed to be loads of them today which coincided with this narrow section of path which had given way in a few places.

Sikha, 2000m, Nepal

2007-11-08: N28˚26′40.956″, E83˚40′10.668″

Today's walking has been brief. We left at 0730 and arrived at Sikha at ~1030, this included a fairly lengthy stop in a tea house to shelter from the rain. During this time I had a cup of 'sour milk' which tasted like fresh yoghurt, or something like that, but with the consistency of watery milk. The walking today has been constantly uphill in, or around, clouds for most of it. As I eluded to earlier, it rained for probably around an hour (only light rain). I have no rain gear with me to speak of and the down sleeping bag is strapped underneath my rucksack. Fortunately it didn't rain hard. The contents of my rucksack are safe as I invested in a thick plastic liner of the type you roll up, twist the top and buckle - like those bags for kayakers. There have been no views to speak of as the peaks are all in cloud. Tomorrow it is 4 hours to Ghorapani where, according to a German guy, there are more Maoists either side of the village. I shall try to contain myself and politely point out the word "voluntary" on their slip, I'm not sure how successful that will be. Neils, the Swiss guy, crossed out "Donor" and wrote "I was forced to pay" on his slip, so they tore it up and gave him a clean new one - that was at the checkpoint near Tal. They have no shame for their lies.

It's noticeably chillier in Sikha too, my socks aren't drying out and my feet are getting cold. I'm wearing my hat as I write this but I'm still in my T-shirt, not for long though as I'm feeling the urge to Rab up. It's 1445 and we've just had a major downpour, there was even some thunder. I may have to pack my camera in the waterproof liner for the next few days. It'll mean I take less photos but at least it keeps it dry. This place also has a Western-style toilet. I've come to notice that, toilets aside, the closer to major civilisation one gets there are a few things which change: 'small pots' of tea are smaller; there is more chance of getting a poppadom with your daal bhaat; you get given servings of jam instead of just the jar.

Ghorapani, 2900m, Nepal

2007-11-09: N28˚24′10.584″, E83˚42′0.072″

The walking today has been brief. The routine was implemented and we arrived at Ghorapani before 1000. This morning had clear skies so I didn't have to arrange my bag for the walk. It's been uphill all the way and even though it's chilly I'm drenched. Ghorapani itself offers panoramic views of the whole area. It's just disappointing that the peaks are shrouded in cloud. Hopefully that will change at sunrise tomorrow morning for the cliche of watching the spectacle from Poon Hill. About 5 minutes before Ghorapani we encountered more Maoists. Today is the last day my receipt is valid so they didn't 'ask' for any more money. I didn't say a word during the encounter and maintained a visage of contempt. They had two red communist flags, one flying - the other draped over a wall. Lying on top of it was an actual sickle. I laughed at it/them and felt better for it as I walked off. Once again there were 3 of them, unarmed and male, but this time younger. I feel like I need some decent daal bhaat.

Sometimes I long for:

• safe and comfortable transport;
• listening to an album on my big headphones whilst lying on my bed;
• being able to sit in a comfy chair and watch a film;
• walking around in some nice clean clothes after having a hot shower;
• enjoying playing HL2:EP2 for the first time without interruption; and
• sitting down and organising and processing all the photos I've taken. *

These thoughts may be bourgeois or materialistic but I think the one thing which I can take from my travels is the right not to be judged. Failing that, I have no shame for my desires which I realise are so far out of reach of the majority of the people whom I've met. Perhaps this goes against the ethos of travelling - that I still value my material possesions back home. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed my travelling and indeed the best, or most memorable, moments money, truly, couldn't buy. I just long for some R&R, some 'me time'. That may be unfathomable; "but you're on your own, surely it's all 'me time'?" you may say, but I stick by it and I don't care. I may long to be back 'on the road' soon after I get back but all I can do is what I think is right at the time - then I can have a clear conscience as a result of my actions.

* You many be thinking "but what about people?" In the original draft I bracketed "share a laugh over a drink with some friends". The reason why this didn't make it in was that we're not all in Durham anymore and it's thus harder to arrange. Consequently it is buried deeper within my mind as I cannot have it easily upon my return. I will, obviously, be very glad to see my family when I get back. I think that is one thing which is universal though: love. It sounds soppy and cheesy but to see a grandmother playing with her baby grandchild in a dilapidated dirty wooden shack half way around the world in the same way such a scene would play out in the UK makes you realise that we are all the same and thus somethings do not need to be said.

According to Lonely Planet because my guide's name is Dawa it means that he was born on a Monday. It also rained for the majority of the afternoon.

Tarapani, 2700m, Nepal

2007-11-10: N28˚23′47.292″, E83˚45′55.98″

This morning I was up at 0445 so that we could do the typical traipse up to Poon Hill to watch the sunrise and illuminate the Annapurna Range. Just like doing Thorong La, the way was already marked by a train of headtorches. What once probably started out as a few hippies getting stoned on a hill as the sun rose after they'd done 'the overland route' from Europe in the 70s has now turned into a major tourist event. Over 200 people attended the spectacle. There is a teashop, an array of benches and someone has even built a large watch tower - just incase Poon Hill isn't high enough at 3194m. It was absolutely freezing up there and I was there for over an hour. I could hardly operate the camera towards the end. Quite frankly, the sunrise was nothing to write home about - there are better colours in a Norwegian sunset. The best bit was after the sunrise and you could actually see things - thus affording panoramic views of the Himalaya. If you really want to go to Poon Hill then my advice is to go around 0700 or 0800 when everyone is leaving and you can actually see things.

We had breakfast afterwards and set off around 0815. If you want my honest advice then forget Poon Hill altogether, have a lie-in, set off at 0830 for Tarapani. After around 30mins you'll end up atop a small hill (it's obvious which one) which affords much better views of the Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri with no one else in attendance. It was superb and much better than the odd pink peak for a few seconds. If you're doing it as a little side trip then Dawa says that the hill is called "Deaurali Danda" - should you need local help. Just head to Tarapani from Ghorapani and you'll soon get to a grassy summit with a stupa and chautaras (stone ledge for sitting on). You can even see across to the ridiculous tower on Poon Hill. If you time it right (like we did) a flight from Jomson to Pokhara will fly beneath you between yourself and Poon Hill, over Ghorapani. Obviously, any attempt at achieving panoramic views from anywhere will be thwarted by cloud. We were lucky.

We arrived at Tarapani at @1215 after having a long lunch en route. It's boiling in the Sun as I write this. Tonight'll be my penultimate night in a lodge before steak and beer in Pokhara. WOO! I suppose the detox of not having any alcohol whilst trekking will counter-balance the 640ml (~1.1 pints) I had as a minimum every night in SE Asia! Tarapani has great views of Annapurna South apparently, but it's in cloud at the moment. There are some langurs in the trees but they're very camera shy. I also saw a bizare stoat-type thing (I later found out it's a 'Yellow Throated Marten'). It's head and front torso were yellow which changed to black for the lower torso and tail. It looked surprisingly clean too. I've come inside now as it's started raining. Apparently tomorrow is only 2 hours and the last day is 4. Nothing compared to Manang district but it's still good to be out in the countryside. I think I'll only stay in Pokhara for a few days and then I'll finish my Nepali leg of the trip in Thamel. I only want to go to the World Peace Pagoda, the Gurkha Museum and take the classic panorama of the Annapurna Range reflected in Phewa Tal. Theoretically that could all be done in a day. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in Thamel - I still haven't been to Bodhnath Stupa on the outskirts yet. That'll only take a few hours so God knows what I'll do until the 25^th - hopefully cheap things! It's now proporly tipping it down. I may go to Bhairawa early and nip to Lumbini to see all the temples at the birthplace of the The Buddha but I think my enthusiasm for adventure is dwindling with the end being so close.

Ghandrung, Nepal

2007-11-11: N28˚22′35.976″, E83˚48′27.612″

First of all, a little note regarding the spelling of Nepali villages. I'm using the spellings on the map, which is German in origin. It's made by a team from Munich and is the de facto map series for Nepal. Some comparisons are shown below:

Map's Spelling	Lonely Planet's Spelling
Jomosom	Jomsom
Tarapani	Tadapani
Ghandrung	Ghandruk

With the exception of Jomsom, I've used the map's spelling. I assume the differences arise from translitterating the Nepali script. Today we set off at 0730 and got here at around 0930. The walking has been easy, mostly downhill through forests. The path also cut across streams this morning. The sunrise this morning was better than Poon Hill as we could see the horizon and thus the colour changes in the sun itself. At Poon Hill we could only see the changes in the sky as the sun was hidden behind hills - another reason to ditch Poon Hill. I guess its popularity stems from a mention and a photo of a Nuptse clad trekker admiring the view from the top in the Lonely Planet guide book. The photo is amazingly composed considering its direction and lack of benches or watch tower. I'm currently burning in the sun admiring the views of the snowy peaks as I wait for the rooms to be cleaned in the hotel. Ghandrung has some solid buildings - indicating its prosperity.

I've just gone to my room and was delighted to find that it offers panoramic views of the Annapurnas - cash back! This village has excellent placement. I've just nipped to a Gurung museum. It was about the ethnic group and contained everyday objects and tools of the people. The room was small and dark as the electricity was off so I went around with a dim torch. It was classic. Afterwards I had a cup of local 'wine'. It was basically watered down lao lao and gave me a headache just sniffing it. I only managed 3 sips as it brought back bad memories from Uni.

I'm warming to the idea of going to Lumbini now. I can stay in Bhairawa and just take a bus there. As I have to confirm my bus seat to Sunauli when I get back to Kathmandu I'll see if I can rearrange it, at no extra cost, for a day earlier. Sitting in the sun dappled shade under a tree a the birthplace of The Buddha should be relaxing I imagine - as long as there are no Maoists.

Orient Youth Hostel, Pokhara, Nepal

2007-11-12: N28˚12′17.784″, E83˚58′0.156″

We set off this morning around 0715 and arrived at Naya Pul by 1000. This included a stop in Birethanti for some tea and festival bread. Before Birethanti we encountered Maoists again. Once again I didn't say anything and my receipt was accepted even though it has expired by now. Their flag was flaccid, which hardly arouses anyone's spirit of comradeship. Naya Pul sits on the side of a tarmaced road which goes to Pokhara. There were a few taxis in attendance; we got a minibus back. It had 13 seats and I counted 25 passengers in it by the time we reached Pokhara. I may have missed a few as my visability was limited. This type of payload is typical of my travel experiences. We had lunch in a back street restaurant in Pokhara and then walked to the hotel I had picked out. I said Goodbye & Thank You to Dawa and started settling in. I didn't give him a tip as he's kind of getting one already. I paid for 19 days and we did 18 so he's getting an extra day's wages. He said he gets 1000NPR/day which is what tip I would've given him anyway.

I've had a hot shower and sealed all my clothes in a plastic bag for laundry. I'm looking forward to my celebratory steak and beer tonight at 'New Everest Steak House' - it's only 1508 now! I've really enjoyed my trek and I had a superb time. I was literally stuck for words to describe the views, my mouth opening and closing like a goldfish at some points. I think my most used words were:

• beautiful;
• awesome;
• unbelievable; and
• wow.

I'm now really tired and I feel like a powernap. I'll hang on and wait though as I'll have dinner early and then sleep proporly with a lie in.

Well, I had 2 steaks and 3 beers and sat talking to a guy from Northampton called Andy until 2200 - was gooood. I also bumped into Paul and arranged to meet him and Natalie at 1000 at my hotel to go to the Mountaineering Museum. Pokhara is a small town and it's remarkably quiet - almost eerie.

Orient Youth Hostel, Pokhara, Nepal

2007-11-13: N28˚12′17.784″, E83˚58′0.156″

Pokhara seems to be quite good. I've allowed 3 days and I have to do the Mountaineering Museum, the Gurkha Museum and the World Peace Pagoda / Phewa Tal. My hotel is in a very quiet idyllic backstreet and is just what I need after 2 weeks in the hills. This afternoon I'll also go to an internet café and send off some emails and wallposts on Facebook. I think I'll leave my blog until Kathmandu as it'll take ages to type up. Tomorrow I'll walk to the Gurkha Museum in some freshly laundered clothes. I've decided to change my bus ticket when I confirm it in Kathmandu on the 16^th. The rest of my time in Kathmandu I'll probably spend walking or cycling around the valley area visiting some of the UNESCO sites, as well as copying my journal to my main book. It'll take me a while to do them all and should keep me nicely occupied - that and with becoming a semi-permanent resident of an internet café. The trick'll be just drinking tea and leaving the beer so that I save money and don't have to use my card until Auckland - if it still works. I'm still anxious to find out my bank balance too. It'll directly influence me as there's an Amazon order I want to place, I need to buy the Orange Box too and then there's train tickets to be bought.

I'm going to have to get a part-time job again when I get back - I can tell. Hopefully not Sales but we'll see I guess. Perhaps (fingers crossed) it can wait until after New Year.

I've just come back from the International Mountaineering Museum. It was quite good, it had some superb photo displays - really awesome. It's good for passing an hour or so. I'll now nip round the corner for the internet I think. See what's been happening in the world. I'll have to do the World Peace Pagoda tomorrow and the Gurkha Museum the day after as the Gurkha Museum is closed Wednesdays.

Orient Youth Hostel, Pokhara, Nepal

2007-11-14: N28˚12′17.784″, E83˚58′0.156″

This morning I was up early - perhaps I'm still in Expedition Mode. I set off via the 'Scenic Route' to the World Peace Pagoda early so that I would arrive before the peaks get covered in cloud. I found the start of the path OK but it vanished after going behind a temple. Consequently I made my own way through the open forest for 2km along the ridge to find the World Peace Pagoda. I was hot and I kept on getting covered in cobwebs. The World Peace Pagoda was a bit disappointing as the base seemed to be in the middle of construction and you couldn't go up the steps or walk around the walkways. The view of the Annapurnas was great as the weather was perfect. You can even see Dhaulagiri and Manaslu. I took a few photos but the roofs of some of the lower buildings were destroying any decent shots. The reflections in Phewa Tal were good though. The best photos were to be taken from a teashop just outside the entrance archway. I had some tea and took some proper photos, including a panorama which I hope will come out nicely. I got talking to another Australian couple and we walked to Devi's Falls (and then back to Pokhara) together.

Devi's Falls were average but good to see as it's been a while since my last set of waterfalls. It's rather hot here and I was taking the walking bistari bistari. I've booked my bus to Kathmandu for the 16^th so it's 'chilling out time' today and Gurkha Museum and packing tomorrow. My ticket is expensive but it's a tourist bus (which usually drive safer) and it includes lunch. It also should take me to Thamel, not the bus station, which should save me a taxi fare too.

Orient Youth Hostel, Pokhara, Nepal

2007-11-15: N28˚12′17.784″, E83˚58′0.156″

Today has been quite tiring as I think I've walked around 32km. I set off around 0800 to go to the Gurkha Museum which is on the northern outskirts of town, around 8km away. I was also going to stop off at Bhimsen Temple and Bindhya Basini Temple on the way. Bhimsen Temple is MIA which is perhaps due to the fact that there are no road signs in Pokhara. Bindhya Basini Temple was easier to find as it was on a small hillock above the park. The walking was pleasant as it was cool in the morning air and the terrain was flat. The Gurkha Museum is actually housed on the perimeter of the British Army base there which is still used for recruiting Gurkhas even today. The museum was very good and any Briton finding themselves in Pokhara must go to it - even if you have no interest in them. Quite frankly, they've been everywhere and done everything. Reading the commendations for the VCs was particularly hair raising. On a lighter note, seeing them all on BMXs to patrol the hills around Hong Kong was cool too.

They also sold official British Army issue khukuri knives - much better than the ones in Lakeside or Thamel. It is for this reason why I walked so much today. I didn't have enough money on me to buy one so I had to walk all the way back to my hotel room and then back to the museum again. By the time I got there the second time the sun was out I was dehydrated. I'm blaming Sam! :) They'd run out of the standard knife so I got the ceremonial one used for Buckingham Palace guard duty. It's oiled and wrapped in Nepali newspaper. I just have to get it through customs now and I'm also over-budget for the day but at least it's one less thing to worry about. I just have to buy some prayer flags for me. I settled the hotel bill so I just have to pack my bag and then I'm ready for Kathmandu. I've decided to read Harry Potter in Kathmandu as it'll pass the time and mean I spend little for a day of so.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-16: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

The bus journey was fine today. It was a little cramped as every seat was full but it was much better than a local bus. We stopped off for lunch at a resort on the side of the river in the middle of no-where. Lunch was posh daal bhaat which was fine by me. I saw the odd raft go by down the river too. Lunch was free, as promised. There was a large traffic jam on entering Kathmandu again which delayed us by over an hour. As promised, the bus went to Thamel and I knew where I was so I didn't need a taxi - which was good. It also felt good to be back, perhaps because, like returning to Hanoi, I already have been there so it felt familiar. I'm in the same room in the same hotel in Thamel too. I asked for a discount as I'm here for a while so he knocked off the tax - good man. I should have asked last time too, I just didn't know I was here for so long back then.

I went and collected my bag from the trekking agency and returned the sleeping bag as well. I now have all my gear back. I also went and changed/confirmed my bus ticket to Sunauli. The bus company only runs on alternate days so I'm going 2 days earlier. No problem really, I seem to remember that Hotel Glasgow has TVs - I haven't had one of them since Phnom Penh so I can have something to do after Lumbini.

Tomorrow I'll start typing almost 4 weeks' worth of entries. Then I'll read Harry Potter to save money. After all this I'll have time to visit some of the UNESCO sites in the valley - I really want to go to Bodhnath.

For some reason I'm really tired so I'll just get a pizza and then go to bed. There's no rush now, plenty of time. My feet are already loving the return to Tevas and I'm sure my body'll thank me for the shave and return to linen shirts and ¾ length trousers tomorrow.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-17: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Man Down! I've been hit! For the first time on this trip I've gotten ill. I think it was either the banana lassi I had last night with my pizza OR the the buffet-style posh daal bhaat at the coach's lunch stop. By the time I got back to my room I had stomach cramps which I've still got even now. There was no vomiting but at 0300 the diarrhoea started. I'll try and play it safe today. I just bumped into Max on the street, he said that he did the whole circuit so kudos to him!

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-18: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

I'm still ill but not as bad as yesterday. I've started reading HP as it was getting boring writting up all my journal entries. I also bumped into Andy on the street and we've arranged to meet up for dinner.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-19: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Well, I think I'm better. I don't think my bout of diarrhoea was due to anything serious. I've also finished HP today so it's back to copying up all the journal entries now - what fun! I'll probably leave typing until I get home.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-20: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

That settles it, I'm not going to do anymore typing up of my blog until I get home as the facilities are shocking and I'm worried I'll lose it all. It means I can do it all at home, locally, after I sort out the & issues. My health is back to normal so tomorrow I'll go to Bodhnath and Pashuptinath. The rest of my time here I'll spend writting up my journal and sorting out my stuff for going home.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-21: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

I finally finished writting up the journal entries today - yay! I set off early this morning for Pashuptinath and the walking was easy with straight forward navigation. Just ignore the roadsigns because they're wrong - trust your map! :) I don't think I'd read enough about it before I got there. It is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal and accordingly it was popular. Non-Hindus aren't allowed in the main temple so I went to the river. The river is also holy and a lot of washing takes place here. The temple backs onto the river. As the temple is so holy it is the location of choice when cremating your loved ones. There were numerous pyres in the open on the Western bank of the river which was quite a solum sight. One of them was north of the footbridge which apparently is reserved for royalty only so I think they were breaking the rules there. I saw one body out in the open which was being prepared for cremation. River water was ladled over the clothed body and then it was wrapped in cloth. I didn't see what happened then as I'd moved on. I watched all this from the terrace of stupas on the Eastern bank of the river - which is about the only place a non-Hindu can be. I also took a couple of photos of some sandus who had awesome painted patterns. There were a lot of monkeys there too.

I then walked to Bodhnath which was everything I expected it to be - and more. It was an amazing place and I enjoyed being there. The atmosphere was just so calm, happy and peaceful. Perhaps it was just because it was in such stark contrast to the funeral pyres of Pashuptinath. I walked around the stupa clockwise and then had tea on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the main stupa.

Afterwards I walked back to Thamel and I was in my room by 1300. By the end of the walking the pollution was making my nostrils sting so I was glad for the end.

I spent the rest of the day on the internet and copying up all my entries although I finished them today so this one went straight into the right book. Tomorrow I have to do a spot of shopping and then pack my bags. I'm going to pack them as if I'm not going to touch them until Sheffield - which seems like a very foreign idea at the minute.

Hotel Red Planet, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007-11-22: N27˚42′56.628″, E85˚18′38.52″

Queen's Who wants to live forever? came on the stereo at the restaurant tonight: I can see I'm going to do a lot of crying when I get back and listen to all my music (it's my main emotional outlet I think).

Hotel Glasgow, Bhairawa, Nepal

2007-11-23: N27˚30′24.876″, E83˚27′6.66″

As I've occasionally done on this trip when I'm bored I've read some old text messages. Most of them are petty friendship politics but some of them are crucially important, such as this example from Sam: Do you want to go to tea at six? followed by: Sorry, fell asleep.

Hotel Glasgow, Bhairawa, Nepal

2007-11-24: N27˚30′24.876″, E83˚27′6.66″

I didn't get a great amount of sleep last night because it's really noisy here, lots of activity on the road. I dread to think what it's like sleeping in Sunauli! Also, it's a lot hotter then in Kathmandu or Pokhara and I'm not used to it anymore.

This morning I got a bus to Lumbini. It only took an hour whereas the guide book said 1½ hours; I think it's the only time the guidebook has been wrong by giving a time that was too long. I started off riding on the roof which was something I wanted to do to escape the cramped insides. The terai is nice and flat so there wasn't much danger. However, after half an hour we got pulled over by the police and I was told to get down. The next 15 minutes I spent hanging out the door as it was so full inside. I enjoyed it for the same reason. However, as soon as a seat was free I was forced to occupy it, even though there were plenty of other people standing up. I've come across this a times times now, people treat you differently because you're a foreigner and you end up worse for it.

I don't know what I was expecting of Lumbini but it was different. It was very hot so I was slowly walking around, trying to stick in the shade. I bumped into the American guy from the bus here too.

There were some ruins from the 2^nd century BC all around the place. The main set are housed in a brick building which had lots of pilgrims heading towards the main section. I only stayed on the perimeter as I felt a bit like an imposter. Outside was a pool which apparently is the pool the Buddha's mother bathed in before she gave birth. There were people splashing the water over themselves. Nearby was a large tree which was covered in prayer flags and which always had a throng of people performing prostrations infront of. It seemed really important and I can only assume it was the tree under which the Buddha was born, however, I found no information about this. Certainly the tree was close (~2m) to where the actually tree would've been if it's not there anymore. It was a very peaceful place with pilgrims and monks everywhere. It wasn't busy though so it was pleasant. I did sit down in the shade under a tree for a while but I wouldn't say I was contemplating the nature of the universe or anything.

Afterwards I walked up to the World Peace Pagoda through the rest of the park, which seems like it was abandonned in the middle of construction. The Pagoda was nice and I sat on one of the levels for a while. I didn't visit any of the other temples, I'll leave that for tomorrow I think if I decide to come back.

For now I've just had a shower back in my room and I'm just passing the time until dinner. I really cannot imagine being back in my room in Sheffield in a few days time, it seems like a different world.

Hotel Glasgow, Bhairawa, Nepal

2007-11-25: N27˚30′24.876″, E83˚27′6.66″

Today I went back to the World Peace Pagoda. I just sat on one of the walkways again, in the shade, for almost 2 hours. It was very peaceful and I enjoyed the simplicity and solitude of it. I had chow mien out here again and then got the bus back. I've now got plenty of time to waste. I just need to find some supplies for tomorrow and that's it really, lots of bags of peanuts I think is going to be the best choice.

India

Overnight Train, India

2007-11-26

So far things are going well. I got a rickshaw to the border OK and was able to exchange all my Nepali rupees without a hitch. I got a waiting bus to Gorakhpur which was OK as far as local buses go. It dropped me off at the train station and I was hours early.

I'm now lying on my bunk waiting for the train to depart, it's 1½ hours late but I should have plenty of time to spare for my flight - fingers crossed.

It doesn't feel like I'm going home, it just feels like I'm moving to the next town. I don't think things phase me as much as they might've before. Just take things one step at a time and, slowly but surely, you'll get there. I'm looking forward to the meal on the flights though along with the music and the films, although it can be a bit hit and miss with regards to quality sometimes. At least there's free alcohol.

Overnight Plane, India

2007-11-27

It also hasn't triggered that it's almost December, it just seems like another week. The train arrived at 1340 and the taxi to the airport took over an hour! It wasn't busy - just far away. You can't enter Delhi airport over 3 hours before your departure so I've had to pay to gain entry to the Arrival's Lounge!

New Zealand

(Doorsteps of) Duke's Midway Lodge, Auckland, New Zealand

2007-11-28: S36˚54′51.912″, E174˚46′9.984″

It felt a bit weird too on the planes as they had Christmas decorations: I'm completely lost with respect to 'normal' life, things just don't trigger anymore.

I filled out the Immigration form honestly and went through loads of baggage checks because of it. Half of it was for my walking boots, the other was for Sam's knife - luckily they let me in OK. I think this was because the security guard that checked my knife had actually been on exercise with the Gurkhas and so he knew what a Khuri-Khuri was. I got a taxi out to my motel and found out that it isn't open 24 hours-a-day so I've got to wait outside on the concrete for 7 hours until it opens at 0730. The airline pilot had said that it was 15 degrees here but it's actually OK because there's no wind and there's a roof over the doorway. On the plus side it means I save a night's accommodation fees which is crucial as New Zealand is expensive.

The taxi was good too as the roads were smooth and it made a difference to be travelling at speed smoothly - the perfect antidote for local buses. This was especially true as it was at night so the motorway was deserted and so we just burnt down the outside lane. It was great, no bumps at all and plenty of space for my knees, it was like I was sat at home playing NFS:MW.

Duke's Midway Lodge, Auckland, New Zealand

2007-11-29: S36˚54′51.912″, E174˚46′9.984″

I'm looking forward to a shower, some clean boxers and solid 10 hours of sleep - after getting directions for a cornershop and pigging out on Western junk food of course!

I ended up getting the food after the nap. I felt very lost when walking down the street to the supermarket. This is the first Western country I've been in 5 months.

For the record, I've got 2 strings of bed-bug bites which I'll bet money on occurred in Bhairawa.

Overnight Plane, New Zealand

2007-11-30

I think that today all I'm going to do is go to One Tree Hill and try to take a panorama of Auckland. Then it's off to the airport for going home. I've thought about it a bit and it still just feels like it's going to be another place, nothing special: we'll see what it's like when I actually meet someone I know, like my mum at the coach station.

I ended up also spending a lot of time walking around downtown Auckland too - I even went to the cinema!

England

Home, England

2007-12-17

Hi, this is just a little note to say I got home OK on the 1^st of December. I am currently spending my time typing up my blog and sorting through all the 6,438 photos which I took on the trip along with thinking about what sort of job I want from my life. If you are interested in the last few days of journal entries then hold on - they're coming! I'll then get round to uploading some photo albums and interactive panoramas for you all. Thank you for your continued interest.

As I said, I took 6,438 photos whilst I was away. Here's a breakdown of them:

Country	Total Number of Photos	Number of Photos	Number of HDRs	Number of HDR Pieces	Number of Panoramas	Number of Panorama Pieces
Thailand	1,162	997	0	0	23	165
Laos	1,524	1,400	0	0	21	124
Vietnam	1,853	1,726	2	18	20	109
Cambodia	832	720	5	65	10	47
India	36	36	0	0	0	0
Nepal	999	747	0	0	39	252
New Zealand	32	16	0	0	2	16

Not bad eh?

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