Christchurch

Well - where to begin on this one! I travelled from Queenstown to Christchurch with some German friends who had been on my bus. Prior to this I spent an enjoyable few days working on a dairy farm down near Dunedin - the dollars earnt there certainly came in handy! Upon arrival in Christchurch it was decided amongst the group that we should all head to see a rugby match that evening. It was suggested that I (being the only person in the group who knew a bit about rugby) should point out how the game is played. Canterbury (the local side) easily beat Bay of Plenty in their ITM cup game (something like our FA cup football equivalent). An enjoyable night was had by all after some farewell drinks that evening. Then came the earthquake...

Blimey - what an event. I dont think Ive ever been quite so terrified in all my years. We were evacuated out of hostel amongst a whole lot confusion, wreckage and disbelief at what had just happened. The hostel I stayed in was one of the oldest buildings in central Christchurch - thank goodness for sturdy building design. Four hours later we retrieved our belongings and had to track down somewhere else to stay - whilst being vigilant of any aftershocks (of which there was lots). The centre of town had an eerie atmosphere as police cordoned off areas throughout the day and kept onlookers away. I was due to leave down on the Saturday but was stranded there for what seemed like a lifetime.

Milford Sound

Just before I get going on this one I'm actually writing this from home as I returned about a week ago. Busy times. Well, way back when I travelled up to Milford with some of the crew from my bus. Its a fair hike to get into the heart of Fjordland - a good four hours from Queenstown. In actual fact the scenery viewed from the bus was equally impressive - if not more so than the Sound itself. We stopped at various locations along a road that was only created in the 1940s. We saw some breathtaking alpine views and drank water from the creeks running down from the ice capped mountains. Epic. When we arrived at the ferry pier - the view that greeted us was that of many a postcard that I had seen around NZ. The infamous Mitre peak was instantly recognisable. As soon as the ferry set out, hoards of hungry backpackers (including myself) descended upon a very tasty all-you-can-eat buffet. Unfortunately by the time we reached open water the choppiness of the waves didnt make you feel too great. We spotted some fur seals and saw some incredible waterfalls. The weather was decent throughout the day which makes the trip much more picturesque.

Another world heritage site area of outstanding natural beauty ticked off the list

Wanka and Queenstown

Our journey to Wananka was made all the more enjoyable by a stop at the Bushman Centre. Whilst there some of us saw the deerhunters museum which involved seeing a video of guys jumping out of helicopters to wrestle deer to the ground. The toughened kiwi who ran the joint was also a purveyor of Possum pies which, I may add, were delicous.
The stop in Wanaka was a chance to celebrate two birthdays by going for an Indian and having one or two beers that evening. Wanaka has been described as Queenstowns' little sister and is growing in popularity with serious skiers and boarders.

Queenstown is a fantastic place - as anyone who has been there will agree. Apparently there are over 600 activites on offer there and the place is rammed full of cool bars and clubs. There is of course the famous fergburger which had to be tried at least once. The first night there was an ideal oppurtunity to try out the nightlife which is rather good. I decided to walk off any signs of a hangover the following day by climbing a hill to gain a fantastic view of the Remarkables mountain range which lived up to their name. The town is choc-a-bloc this time of year - lots of trendy Japanese snowboarders and noisy Aussies. After all that I decided to opt for a trip that I hoped would be the highlight of New Zealand ...

West Coast

Aftr leaving Nelson, I rejoined some of my original bus crew who had been hiking in the Abel Tasman - our first stop on our coastal run was to the old coal mining town of Westport. Not a great deal to see/do there - we went out for a meal for a girls' 21st and that was about it. The next day we stopped off at Cape Foulwind and saw some fur seals and a flightless Weka bird which satisfied the need to see a bit of wildlife. We also saw the 'pancake' rocks nearby which were a geological oddity. That night, our bus stopped off a pub in the middle of nowhere - ran by a cantankerous old chap called Les. The highlight of this stop was the requirment for fancy dress (M theme) and I opted to go as Diego Maradonna (photo evidence is prohibited on this one).

The next port of call was to the Franz Josef glacier. I took part in a guided group trek on the glacier which was just amazing. We donned our crampons and crawled through ice tunnels and clambered through towering caverns. Brilliant. The weather was kind to us on that occasion but unfortunately the next day we were unable to see Mt Cook at a photo stop at Lake Matheson due to the cloud.

Nelson

Arrival in the south island - and what a contrast. As soon as I hopped off the ferry the mountains were noticably more stunning than in the north. I decided to leave some of my bus mates behind and chose to stop off here for four days. I stayed with some friends of Mum and Dads who moved here 5 years ago. Nelson is a charming little town (or city as it claims to be) where I felt more at home than elsewhere in NZ. This could be because its a bit of a British ex-pat hotspot which is apparently because Nelson recieves more sunlight than anywhere else in New Zealand. The first day I helped out at a small farm where my hosts heelp out from time to time. I got to have the inevitable farmers chat to find out more about farming on the other side of the world. The next day I went for a days walking in the Abel Tasman National park which was beautiful. So many deserted little beaches to explore, with stunning bays and views across to the mountains. Day three involved going to an eco-event which my hosts were attending - no Dick Strawbridge in sight which was a good thing. In the afternoon I went to see Tasman (the local side) take on Canterbury in the ITM cup. Surprisingly the local team won in a close finish to the match. Saw Chris Jack play who is a player for the All Blacks.

Taupo to Wellington

The bus dropped us off in Taupo for a few days as there's lots to see and do - not so much to see and do if it rains for two days though. Some had booked to do their skydives here as its the cheapest place to do it in the country. Our informative bus driver told us it was because all the aeroplanes used were originally worked as crop sprayers over farmland - random fact of the day. As this was subsequently cancelled most of the folks decided it was better to have a good night on the town to make up for the dissapointment. The next day I went on a bit of a walk around the huge lake which is apparently the largest freshwater one in Oceania (second random fact). Lovely views across to the Northern alps.

The following days' bus ride took us through some fantastic countryside - some of it reminded me of Wales - especially with all the sheep around. That was until you suddenly see a palm in a field and realise the mountains are too high. We stoppoed for a nice walk in Tongariro park where alot of filming for Lord of the Rings took place. We then travelled on through some impressive volcanically-shaped countryside to get to River Valley. The place we stayed in was a really cool little lodge in the middle of nowhere which provided some of the best white water rafting money can buy. But guess what - that was cancelled too. Again, the combined disapointment of the group was made up for with a night on the beer. In the morning, I joined a few of the lads with a round of golf on the lodges' 9 hole course. This was pretty unique in golfing terms as the fairways are grazed by sheep. No need for Mountfields if you're a true Kiwi.

The next leg of the journey took us to le capital - Wellington. It was a visit of the fleeting variety as we arrived 7pm and left at 9am the following morning. From what little I saw of the city I could tell it was small - yet it seemed to be nicer looking than Auckland. Again, more karaoke was on the cards that night and a few us awoke a bit bleary eyed for the morning departure. We took the interisland ferry and said farewell to the north island. The ferry took us through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds at the Northeast tip of the south island. Thankfully it was a smooth crossing as the Cook Straits have been known to be very choppy at this time of year. That almost brings things up to date.

Mercury Bay to Waitomo

After returning to Auckland, I set off on the Kiwi bus to get round the North Island. The bus was really full - mostly with young brits but also some Germans and one or two other nationalities. Our new driver was a rugby-loving part Maori guy who was keen to tell us about his ancestral heritage as we drove along. We stopped at Cathedral cove on the Coromandel peninusula on the first day. Its a lovely stretch of coastline there and the weather was great too - far too warm to be called winter. Anyhow, first overnight stop was at Mercury bay where I got to know some of my new 'busmates'. Going to a ropey karaoke bar was good fun and was particularly enjoyed by some of the German crew. Next day the bus was going south to Rotorua - the place that famously smells of rotten eggs. Whilst there I undertook my first exciting (although not classed as 'extreme') activity of luging. This involved hurtling down a concrete track on a hillside in what was basically a plastic tray on wheels (thankfully included brakes) and was enjoyed by everyone. I decided not to go to the Maori cultural event in the evening as I thought it was too pricey. I need to find some cheaper activites as everythings so expensive when compared to similar activities in Asia. The next day we called in at the Agrodome which is basically a farm park where townies (and oddly lots of Chinese tourists) go to see farm-based activites. Some on the bus were nursing hangovers from the night before - not ideal for anyone who had planned to go zorbing.

Next stop was the famous Waitomo caves where the amazing glowworms live. I went on a 2 hour guided tour and saw lots of impressive stalactites and plenty of bioluminous glowworms. Some people on the bus booked to go on an 'extreme' abseiling and caving trip but it was called off the following day because it rained heavily overnight. Thats the trouble with being here in the winter I suppose.

Bay of Islands to Cambridge

So here I am, yet again well behind on the blog updates. Catch up time. After leaving Auckland (now sometime ago) I headed upto the Bay of Islands on the Kiwi bus. Whilst there I went around the place with a lad from Birmingham and tried to see as much of the surrounding countryside as possible. Unfortunately the weather was pretty rubbish so we decided not to bother with taking a pricey boat trip around the islands themselves. Instead we took mountain bikes from our hostel and explored the surrounding countryside which, when the weather improved, was lovely. Whilst walking to a nearby waterfalls on the first day we met a guy called Frank from the US. This guy was nearly 80, had broken his leg just over a year ago and had one or two hip replacements. Despite this, he hiked along at lightning pace over some rather tough terrain whilst at the same time telling us his life story - quite a character.

A few days later I returned to Auckland and decided to take a seperate bus to see the Nixons (family friends) in a town that was about two hours south of the city. Whilst leaving the hostel to catch the bus I was in a shop to grab a drink when a girl walked in who looked familiar. It turned out to be a girl from the year above in school - small world and all that!

Whilst in Cambridge I was kindly taken around by Colin and Val to several places - including a local pub in the town where Colin and I sampled a fair few of the local beverages. Some old boys propping up the bar heard that I had played bowls back home so I was asked to play for the local club on the sunday which turned out to be a good day (after I regained a bit of form on the green). Cambridge is a nice little town that has a bit of old time charm about it.
On the Saturday, I met up with a lad who was another Welshpool ex-pat who is working on a dairy farm in a nearby town. So we met up and had few beers and talked for ages about 'the good old days' at school. This town turned out to be 'Hobbiton' of Lord of the Rings fame.

So all in all it turned out to be a nice introduction to life in NZ, and I was glad to see a few familiar faces from back home too.

Auckland

So, here I am in NZland. The weather has been pretty messy for the last few days but I hear its getting better (eventually). My first port of call was to the countrys' biggest city - Auckland. My digs were right inthe city centre. Whilst tehre I met up with some fellow backpackers who were to start their bus travel on the kiwi experience, we found out to our surprise that apparently the bus has a bit of a 'reputation' as being the 'party' bus. I doubt il be able to keep up with too many boozy 18 year olds going out all the time (now I really do sound like an old man). My ticket will take me right around north and south island and works as a 'hop on and hop off' ticket which is handy.

On the first day I joined a group visit to the main museum of Auckland. It was excellent inside. It ranged from Maouri culture to the role of kiwis in the war and lots of natural history too. We walked past the iconic sky tower and resisted the oppurtunity to bungy off the side of it. Everywhere you go theres adverts for bungies, zorbing, skydives and any other 'extreme' sport that someone's just made up. When talking to other travellers the general consensus is to head out of Auckland as quick as you can. Then as soon as you've left the concrete jungle behind you can take in some real New Zealand - and there sure is alot of it to explore...

Melbourne

Ahh good old Oz. Wish i'd spent more time there really. I spent two days exploring the uber-cosmopolitan city of Melbourne as a stop-off before going to NZ. I got there early and didnt really sleep on the plane so was rather bog-eyed. After a good power nap I caught a tram into the city centre and took in some of the sites. The National Art gallery provided a good dose of aussie culture. From Aboroiginal paintings to Victorian era artwork of the early European immigrants. It seemed so odd to be down under during their winter - I didnt think Australians actually owned hats and gloves for some reason. The place was very trendy - Levis and Lattes (of the skinny variety) were everywhere. I stayed in the hip side of town in St Kilda which is also where all the backpacker enclaves are.

On Day 2 I took a walk along St Kilda pier. Whilst there I saw some Little Blue penguins hiding under some rocks. They were really tiny. After that I made my way to the spectacular MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) to see a game of Aussie Rules football. The place was packed out with 90000 fans that provided a great atmosphere. Two local teams from Melbourne were playing - it took me a while to figure out what on earth was going on but it was fun to watch nonetheless. The hostel where I stayed was a bit of a noisy young studenty place but I had to get up at 4 the next morning to get to the airport.

Singapore

Apologies for the delay in catching up on the blog, its been tricky trying to get the internet access for more than three minutes at a time. Singapore was a city like none other, thats for sure. Its just incredibly organised and structured. Modern transport, efficient and on-time which is good. The residents are mostly Chinese but there are also loads of peole from Indian decent too.

I stayed at Ulrikas' (Ellens sister) flat on the outskirts of town - it was great to stay in somewhere other than a guesthouse. Upon arrival in the city, I went with Ulrika to go to a nearby Brazilian resteraunt. The food there was amazing - ive never eaten so much roast beef before - they literally pile your plates up (fantastic) - It was great to get away from rice and noodles.
The first day there I took the chance to explore the city centre. I wandered through Chinatown and Little India and then saw the modern side to the city. I entered the IMO shopping centre to observe the Singaporeans no. 1 pastime - shopping. I couldnt find my way out of the place for literally an hour - it was huge! Later on I met Ulrika and went to the top of the Suissotel (75 floors) to take in some great views of the city. We then proceeded onto the infamous Raffles hotel for a Singapore sling (very fruity).
The second day was spent at the zoo as I thought I'd see something a little different. It was very good - lots to see. Highlight was the Orang Utans - you can even have breakfast with them if you're there early enough. Later on I headed over to the airport at the start of what was to be a very 'international' couple of days.

Malaysia

Due to time restrictions, my passing through this country was far too short. Although looking back I managed to see quite alot. It was a whistle-stop tour down the west coast, having bought a boat-bus combi ticket from Ko Tao I found I had been ripped off by the travel agent. Thats another story.

Anyway the first port of call was Penang (or Georgetown to be more specific). The accom here wins the accolade of being the grimiest and roughest night stay so far. Despite this, I had a day and a half to become immersed in the colonial history of the place. As I discovered elsewhere in Malaysia, this town was truly an eclectic mix of ethnicities, religions and cultural traditions. Therefore the food was fantastic and about as cheap as it gets. The museum was very good and learnt plenty about British occupation and what it meant for the Malay people. I visited a mosque later that day and was called away from standing on the prayer mats (bit of a faux pas) and had to put on a full length black robe.

After that I endured a scary bus ride with a bus driver who had the manners of Father Jack and probably the same driving abilities. Our destination was Kuala Lumpur and what a fine little city it is. I met up with four girls from New York who had survived the bus ride before. We went for drinks in the city centre after spending ages trying to find somewhere to stay. The full day there was spent mainly in and around the Petronas towers. It took about 3 hours for us to queue to get our free passes to go up to the skybridge later that day. It was worth it though. The towers have a majestic beauty about them and apparently were designed to incorporate Islamic elements in the design. Really enjoyed it. We stayed in Chinatown that night which was non-stop hawker central.

The following day I took the bus to get to Malacca which I had heard was well worth a visit. And it certainly was. When I got there I met up with a guy from Switzerland and we decided to check out the town. Like Penang there is an abundance of colonial history in Malacca. Portugese, then Dutch, then British and Japanese during WW2. The Stadhuys museum was the place to go for all the info on the past. We went to see the remains of a Portugese fort on the harbour from the mid 1500s, and St Pauls church up on the hill which was another ancient relic. The straits of Melacca were key in the mega wealthy spice trade of the past and that is why the port of the town itself was so highly valued. I wish I had a few more days there to really take in a bit more of the place but time was pressing on...

Gulf Islands

Phew. What a week its been. I got to Koh Samui about 10 days ago and Ive managed to fit in alot - as well as overdoing it on the socialising too. Samui was pretty boring and I certaintly wont bother going back there again - Overpriced, too many swanky resorts and nothing to do within my budget. So I checked out the beaches and moved swiftly on..

Next stop was Ko Phangan and it was alot of fun. Saw Thai boxing, went to the 'half moon' party and met lots of other travellers to hang out with. Also went fishing but my angling skills eluded me. Yet again. At the party I caught up with a pair of girls from Glasgow who I met in Krabi, it was a massive rave with possibly 2000 revellers in attendance. The island was so much more backpacker friendly and it was tempting to stay longer.

Next on the list was Ko Tao which has been great too. I went for a full days snorkelling around the island yesterday and saw some spetacular coral reefs and some rather exotic looking fish too. After that I went out with some folks in my dorm and overdid the Chang somewhat. Its a really nice laid back vibe here thats less frenetic than the neighbouring Phangan. Ive got a night ferry back to the mainland tonight before a marathon bus ride to Penang (Malaysia) tomorrow.
Early nights from now on.

Krabi

Before setting off from Phi phi on the ferry, a couple of fellow travellers told me "Dont bother staying in Krabi" and "There's nothing to see there". I'm glad I didn't take their advice.

The first day there was spent kayaking in a nearby area of mangrove forest on an estuary. It was brilliant, went through caves amongst the karsts and saw some ancient paintings on the side of one cliff. I considered it a good workout for the day as well. The next day i took the plunge and hired a moto for the day. Rather scary at first but was soon scooting along like no-ones business. Got to see some decent beaches up the coast as well as going to the Tiger cave temple. Whilst there I climbed the 1237 steps up to the top of a karst to the buddha statue at the top. That was the lower body workout sorted. From the top there were breathtaking views across the province and out to sea. Well worth it.

So all in all it was a busy few days. Ive crossed over to the Gulf coast and am residing on Ko Samui. Hope this place is as good as Krabi.

Phi Phi Islands

Some places are probably all too often refered to as a 'tropical paradise' but I think this term fits the bill for Phi Phi. I spent two nights on the main island and could of spent many more (but was pretty pricey plus the local mozzies were far too keen on me). I went for a morning boat tour to the uninhabited Phi Phi Le where the snorkelling was amazing. I spotted many rainbow fish, a 'finding nemo' clownfish and a highly venemous banded sea snake amongst loads of others. Our longboat stopped by Miya bay - the setting of the movie which was a bit of a utopia in itself. We called by 'Monkey island' on the way back to which a whole colony of macaques were eagerly awaiting our arrival. One tubby American kid was attacked (in a friendly way) by one and was told off by a guide for running away. I kept my distance.

There were obviousley a fair few fellow tourists around - I imagine it would be heaving in the high season. The beach I stayed at on Phi Phi Don was nice and quiet and away from the port. It also had great views of Phi Phi Le. I could get used to this island life already.

Phuket

Ive just spent the past three days in the international holiday hot-spot that is Phuket province. It has'nt been quite what I expected it to be. Nice beaches and a pretty lively nightlife but far too overdeveleped - even on the smaller beach towns. So I think its time for some island hopping. First on the list are the Phi Phi Islands and from there I get the boat to Krabi. Will hopefully fit in a bit of kayaking and I would really like to see the place they call 'The Beach' beach. In fact, my hotel in Phuket town was apparently briefly used as a set for the film. Its very old and rustic but is as cheap as chips which suits me well.

Adios

Chiang Mai

Just got back from Northern Thailand today - very bleary eyed as the sleeper train wasnt great for sleeping. Had a great week up there. The middle part of the week was spent doing the trek through the jungle. Was fairly hard walking for some of it, although we had two other modes of transport: a ropey bamboo raft and an Elephant. The latter was brilliant and you really have to hang on to the seat - going through rivers and steep slopes was a doddle for these amazing animals. The rafts were great for getting an adrenaline rush - except we were rafting on a flooded river with a few grade 3 rapids in places. Thankfully ours was the only one that didnt capsize - we had a very good 'driver' which helped. The accomodation was staying in longhouse huts in two villages where the Karen and La Hou tribes live. Think i ate twice my body weight in rice and spring rolls at the end of each day. Tried my first fried cricket too which wasnt as bad as I though it would be. I would of liked to have seen a bit more wildlife on the trail - the highlight was seeing a King Cobra (though thankfully just a baby one).

The two days either side of the trek were spent in Chiang Mai itself. We visited the Doi Suthep temple which had stunning views looking down on the city. Also did a bike ride of the old quarter and saw three more interesting temples on the other day. One of which contained a two thousand year old sculpture of buddha. The infamous night bazaar was fun to look round - I didnt part with too much money but its probably the best market in Thailand.

Leaving on another sleeper treain tomorrow night to get to Phuket. Photos to follow soon!

Hue and Hanoi

Today is the last day of the trip - as tomorrow I fly back to Bangkok. Hanoi is a city thats like no other ive ever been to. Its so busy here - apparently this city is the second most crowded in Asia - the streets are incredibly busy with market stalls and motos rushing around everywhere. This morning we visited the mausaleum of Ho Chi Minh. With a massive queue we entered the concrete building that contains the embalmed body of the man himself. Rather strange but it was so strict there - no whispering, walking in double-file and a few of us were told of by guards for having hands in pockets! Afterwards myself and the three Scottish guys went to see Ho Loa prison - aka the Hanoi Hilton Hotel. Very interesting place with a grim past when the French were in charge. We saw pictures of former US pilots who were inmates there during the war. The most notable of which was one John McCain. We also saw the relics of a B-52 shot down over Hanoi in 1972 at another war-related museum. Tonight I say goodbye to the rest of the guys on tour - a few will continue onto Laos.


Hue was an interesting visit - we spent less than two full days there. The first day included a moto tour of the surrounding countryside which included stopping off to see a pagoda, a rice museum and an arena where the emperor of Vietnam would watch an elephant fighting a lion - as you do. The second was spent seeing the royal tombs which were quite ornate.

Got to dash to see a bit more of Hanoi!

Hoi An & Nha Trang

Have just spent a very pleasurable (if somewhat expensive) two days in Hoi An. Its the town where there are about 4 or 5 tailoring shops on every street - and thats no exaggeration. I joined the Scottish lads in ordering a suit yesterday morning. By 4 PM it was ready for fitting, and with a few tweaks and minor adjustments I picked it up today. A dark grey silk-lined cashmere suit for a fraction of the price to be paid back home. As you've gathered i'm pretty pleased with the purchase! The only snag now is carrying it around for 2 months in the backpack.

Hoi An is a charming town thats very popular with visiting westerners. There is a Mediterranean look to the place, and its very laid back with lots of cafes and resteraunts. Today the four of us went to the My Son ancient ruins in the jungle 50km from the town. It was great - ruins of a complex of Cham temples dating back from around 1000 AD. Unfortunately the Americans were responsible for inflicting alot of damage to the buildings during the war - as craters left behind from B-52 bombings were clear to see all around.

The middle part of the week was spent in the seaside town of Nha Trang. This place is the No.1 seaside destination for Vietnamese families and was very busy day and night. The coastal scenery there is pretty amazing - rugged forested mountains perched on the edge of the seashore for miles around. Unfortunately the place is at risk of being massively over-developed. There were numerous multi-storey concrete hotels going up all over town - which is a shame to see. We somehow ended up on a boat tour on thursday with some crazy Vietnamese guys - not much culture was absorbed for the few days spent there. We took the night train on Thursday night and tomorrow morning we take the coastal road to Hue which featured in the infamous Top Gear episode. This has been referred to continuously since being in Vietnam - though we have not come across any damage left behind by Clarkson and co.

Ta for now

Vietnam

Here we are in Vietnam - right in the heart of Saigon. Its a big city - very busy, crossing the road is a rather dangerous subject. Went to Cu Chi tunnels today - very interesting insight into the Vietnam war. Our guide was a veteran and was very informative. Actually went throgh a section of tunnel without too much claustrophobia kicking in! Afterwards some of us visited the war museum which was rather grim but again very educational.

Crossed border on Monday and stayed overnight in Chau Doc. Was feeling ill that day and was literally sick right on the border. Feel lots better now thankfully. Missed out on a motorbike trip but needed time to recover.

Heading off shortly on the sleeper train to Nha Trang so I hope to get some sleep whilst on the move.

Facebook is unfortunately banned here so will have to wait a while to put the photos up.

Andy

Sihanoukville

At the seaside! Beaches around this place are stunning - I just can't get used to being in warm seawater. We arrived last night and found ourselves in Cambodias' party central. There are lots of westerners here and its clear to see why - Lots of peach bars and restaurants in the town and all along the seafront. Today about seven of us took a boat trip to do some snorkelling and to visit some beautiful beaches on some deserted islands. We were provided with BBQd Barracuda for lunch which was delicious. Add in a breakfast and all this for 15 bucks was a bargain. Still find the currency strange here. Dollars (US) used mostly but change is given in Riel (with 4000 Riel to one dollar) so takes a lot of converting. Last night we all headed out for meal and drinks down on the beach. The only downside was that we were moithered non-stop by drunken US Marines (or at least the girls were anyway).

We have a long bus ride to the Vietnamese border in the morning so I will be more than bleary eyed after watching the England match at 1AM!

Adios

Phnom Penh

Well its been a very busy day in the capital. We arrived here around six last night amidst yet another huge thunderstorm. At 8Am today we set off on a coach with tour guide to see S2! or Teol Sleung detention centre. It was pretty horrific to say the least. For it was here that some 30 000 prisoners were deatined and interrogated before facing certain death. Many who denied being educated middle class were tortured with unimaginable brutality. The pictures were awful. We thern headed off down the road to the killing field where all who were kept at S21 were killed before being buried in mass graves.

A much needed break for lunch was needed after a very moving morning. We then visited the Royal palace - very ornate indeed. After that we visited an orphanage that is funded by a not for profit restaurant that we went to the night before. The kids we well educated and i even played football with a couple of lads there.

The city is bustling and not as big as I thought but the culture is very different to Thailand. We leave tomorrow morning. Im off to get a cold shower as its pretty hot here as always!

Cambodian trail

So here we are in Cambodia. Saw the trio of famous ancient temples today - those of Angkor Wat, Prasat Bayon and Ta Phrom (the one off Tomb raider). Was pretty spectacular, particularly Angkor Wat - the worlds largest religous building that covers 1500 metres square. Pretty epic. Started to lash down with rain (as it has most evenings so far) at the last one. Theres fifteen of us in the tour group and its a friendly bunch - mostly Brits. Went out in Siem Reap last night and had a fish foot massage which was pretty weird. It took 8 hours of bus travel to get here yesterday. Border town of Poipet was very rough and the marked contrast between here and Thailand was clear to see, particularly in rural areas. People seem very friendly but you are moithered constantly by street kids trying to sell you stuff. Khmer food is very nice. I might try some of the local delicacies sometime ( I wont mention what they are on here!).
Off to Phnom Penh tomorrow which Im sure will be a lot different still.

Bye for now

Bangkok

Well Im here in Bangkok, which is possibly the busiest place ive ever been to. Staying in a hotel right in the middle of town next to the main train station. Last night was my introduction to the legendery Khao San road. Met up with a group of lads from Glasgow who i met at the airport. They seemed to know their way around so was good to get the lowdown on staying in Bangkok. Think il remember to watch out for the chang beer - its pretty strong stuff!

We went to a club there that put old moltos to shame. After that i got a tuk-tuk home at slept it off today. Its very muggy at the moment and have had thunderstorms at night. In fact our plane flew through one on the way into Bangkok which was a bit scary.

The food is good, massive variety available any time of night and day off the street stalls. It takes a while to work out what to order - but il be wise to leave the shellfish alone from what ive heard.

Heading off ont the tour to Cambodia tomorrow, looking forwatrd to that. Will meet up with the group later on.

Signing off for now

Not long till the off!

Hey there, just a quick note pre-departure. Leaving on thursday night; 10pm from heathrow. Will arrive in Bangkok late friday. One day to get over a bit of jet lag then off to Cambodia and Vietnam! Hopefully will post a few things by the weekend. Watch this space.

Bye for now - see ya'll back in September!

Andy