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London, England, United Kingdom

SUNDAY 07 June 2009 - DESTINATION PINGYAO - After a farewell lunch with our travelling companions we boarded an overnight train to Pingyao. It was a pleasant journey and we arrived in Pingyao at 5.30am the following morning. Our guides, Julia and Peter, met us at the station. They held a piece of paper bearing our names, but it wasn't difficult to spot us. Only three people got off the train - a local and us two! We were staying in the Jixian Hotel located within the city walls. It is a traditional courtyard house - wooden floor, walls painted black and red, high ceiling and a large (comfortable) brick bed.

Two hundred years ago Pingyao was a vibrant banking and trading centre in the Qing Dynasty, but failed to prosper in the modern age. During the 1960's and 1970's it didn't have the funds to participate in "revolutionary" development programmes underway in most of China's cities. Pingyao officials had planned to demolish much of the town and build new roads, but decided to leave it untouched. In 1996, the Chinese Government decalred Pingyao a national historical city, which provided it with state protection and funds. Eleven years later it became a World Heritage City. It is now a welcome relaxing counterpoint to China's bustling modern cities. Its delicacies include: red dates, yellow wine, vinegar and braised beef. We sampled the moon cakes - a hollow and crispy sweet pastry that melts in your mouth.



Over the next few days with the help of Julia and Peter we explored Pingyao inside and out, literally. It is a quaint place and is like stepping on to a film set. Old grey buildings with tiled sloping roofs, red lanterns hanging from the ornately carved eaves, narrow streets lined with shops filled to the brim with dusty curiosities. The locals sit in clusters in the middle of the streets playing cards and mahjong (upturned cardboard boxes doubled up as card/mahjong tables). All of this is framed by the City Walls originally built during the Zhou Dynasty. The rammed earth and brick structure makes up an unbroken circuit of 6.2km around the city in the shape of a turtle - the six city gates represent the head, tail and limbs.

We visited Armed Escort museums (housing relics used to carry huge sums of money from one place to the next); Draft Banks; Financial Institutions; The Chamber of Commerce Museum; The Newspaper Museum and The Confucian Temple. We also stumbled on preparations for a wedding. A street was adorned with giant red and yellow inflatable pillars. We were invited into the wedding house and got a glimpse of the groom,as well as the wedding presents (they had got a plasma tv). The wedding bed had six duvets (six being a lucky number). One day we witnessed another gaily coloured procession headed by a band - unfortunately, it was a funeral!

We ventured outside the city walls on bicycles and cycled 7kms to Shuanglin Temple, a fortress-like structured Buddhist temple complex originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (220-265AD). It was more hairy cycling within the city walls than outside of them. Motorcyclists and cyclists whizz out of the side streets without looking!

FRIDAY 12 JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION LUOYANG - We boarded an overnight train at 1.30am along with a young German couple travelling independently. We awoke at 7am - the Chinese National Anthem was blaring out over the tannoy system. We arrived in Luoyang at 9.30am. Tian, our guide, welcomed us and took us to the hostel, or so we thought. We cringed as we pulled up outside a shady looking apartment block on the outskirts of the city. It was a "homestay" - Tian's flat, which he shared with Chifan, his 14 year old son. It was very clean and we had our own room. We spoke via an interpreting programme on the PC! With no time to waste, Chifan kindly took us to a local restaurant for lunch (steamed dumplings) and then went back to school!

We used Luoyang as the gateway to Longmen Caves (aka Dragon Gate Grottos) and the Shaolin Temple.

LONGMEN CAVES - The grottos are regarded as the most famous treasure houses of stone inscriptions in China. There are over 2,300 holes and niches, 2,800 steles, 40 pagodas, 1,300 caves and 100,00 statues. Most of them are the work of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. Most of them,however, are in a poor state having been decapitated and destroyed in the cultural revolution.



SHAOLIN TEMPLE - We had to haggle the price for the bus ride to the Shaolin Temple. Luckily for us, Tian had written the going rate in English and Chinese on a piece of paper. Not sure what else he had written, but the bus driver backed down and we got the going rate! En route to Shaolin we visited Mount Songshan Scenic Area, which included Zhongyue Temple and Songyang Academy. Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the home of Kung fu,is situated in the beautiful Songshan mountains. It was established in 495. Bada, an ancient monk came to Luoyang to spread Buddhism. Emperor Xiaowen was a believer of Buddhism, so he decided to build a temple in the Songshan mountains to house Bada. Damo, the legendary indian monk and creator of Chinese Zen arrived at Shaolin temple in 517. But he was not welcomed, so he sat in a cave facing the wall for nine long years. An image of his shadow was left on the wall. The cave is now called Damo cave.

There is a saying that all martial arts come from Shaolin. The long tradition of martial arts at Shaolin began when an armed group of monks was assembled to protect the temple from wars or riots. The temple was built during the feudal age when warlords divided and ruled each region of China separately and murderers, bandits and thieves were commonplace. The monks, however, soon found favour with China's emperors. In 620 AD, 13 Shaolin monks saved Li Shimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and thereafter Shaolin soldier-monks were employed to defend the honour of the chinese nation.

We watched a Kung fu show where the soldier-monks performed hand technique and kick and feet technique. They displayed various weapons including the famous shaolin stick.They broke pieces of wood with their bare hands, smashed swords in half over their heads and popped a balloon with a needle through a pane of glass. They also performed movements representing animal behaviour, e.g. tiger, snake, dragon and monkey. Burning incense filled the temple grounds. One temple houses 500 Buddha statues painted in garish colours, some of them very grotesque.

We were well fed in Luoyang thanks to a young girl. She saw us looking bewildered and showed us to a good restaurant. She helped us order food before she excused herself. She was very kind and so genuine.

SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION XI'AN - we said goodbye to Tian and Chifan and caught an eraly morning train to Xi'an. During the journey one of the guards sat with us for over an hour to practise his English. He also taught us some chinese. It was rather comical, but he did very well and now speaks English with a Lancashire accent!

We arrived in Xi'an at 2.30pm and booked into our hotel. That evening we met our new travelling companions for our journey along the Silk Road.



JOURNEY ALONG THE SILK ROAD
This was our second visit to Xi'an is the space of two weeks, but a poignant moment. We cycled to the monument that marks the starting point of the Silk Road. We pedalled through the hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter, squeezing past carts and tuk-tuks. The sandstone monument is slap-bang in the middle of a busy highway and depicts travellers and a camel train. We also viewed the Small Goose Pagoda, a 15 storey pagoda built in 707. It is said that a violent earthquake in 1487 split the pagoda from top to bottom, but another in 1556 brought the two sides back together!



TUESDAY 16 JUNE 2009 - BANISHED TO JIAYUGUAN - We still had time to explore Xi'an before embarking on the Silk Road. We met Spark and his Mum, Muriel (who had just finished a whistle-stop tour of Beijing and Xi'an) and visited the Shanxi History Museum. Some imposing Terracotta Warriors were on display, as well as ornate artefacts, including engraved wine flasks. A particular striking one is in the shape of a saddle-bag etched with horses holding cups in their mouths. We parted company with Spark and Muriel at the nearby Great Wild Goose Pagoda.


We boarded the overnight train to Jiayuguan and to our surprise found ourselves in soft-sleepers (first-class). Our journey took us through the Hexi Corridor (the geographical boundary between China proper and the West). The landscape was fabulous - arid desert, green oasis and black-hued mountains.

Jiayuguan and its fort represent the wild west frontier of Ancient China. In centuries past there were many levels of capital punishment, the highest being death by decapitation or strangulation. The next level of severity was banishment for life. This was further sub-divided in severity by 5 levels, each measured in li ( a Chinese distance measurement), the worse the crime, the higher number of li you were sent from Beijing. Jiayuguan was the worst of the worst, being in the land of barbarians and criminals.

We visited Jiayuguan fort, which was built in 1372 to defend a pass between Qilian Shan and Heishan. At the Jiayuguan Pass Gate the pain of banishment was etched onto the walls by scholars, heartsick at being separated form all they knew and loved. In the adjacent museum we met Michael, a 7 year old Chinese boy who spoke very good English with an American accent (he had learnt English by watching movies). He delighted in guiding us round the inner and outer ramparts of the fort pointing out the bowmens turrets and pavilioned watchtowers. The outer ramparts once housed barracks, storehouses, a temple to the God of War, a theatre and a freshwater spring. The whole fort was also surrounded by a defensive ditch. We had a go at shooting arrows from the turrets. The targets were two sack dummies in the coutyard below. We would not have made the bowmen squad! We also dressed up as soldiers in full battle regalia and brandished our swords and spears.

We climbed a section of the Jiayuguan overhanging Great Wall, the north-west extremity of the (ming) Great Wall. The wall is now completely restored and starts at desert level climbing steeply to the Heishan (Black Mountains). We got a panoramic view of the area and saw and heard the 'goings-on' in a nearby military firing-range.

FRIDAY 19th JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION DUNHUANG - In the early days, Dunhuang was a key trading post along the Silk Road. The name means "blazing beacon" and is very apt - it definitely gets scorching hot there! Following the victory of Chinese generals over the Xiongu, Dunhuang was turned into a fortress and settled by the Chinese. Trade continued and the city propsered. It was taken over by Tibetans in the 7th Century, but they were driven from the Hexi Corridor a century later before becoming territory of the Uyghurs. Two more takeovers ensued: by the Mongols in 1227 and once more by the Chinese Qing Dynasty in 1760.

HIGHLIGHTS OF DUNHUANG

Camel riding at the Mingsha Sand Dunes was out of this world. We got up at 5am to experience scenery just as you imagine the Silk Road to be. We mounted camels and rode to the crest of the silky smooth dunes and watched the sun rise. It was magical. Only the bells on the camels broke the silence. The crescent moon gave way to the golden sun, the rose tinted sky turned a China blue and white, wispy clouds got in the act too. After dismounting the camels we climbed to the top of a higher dune via a man-made wooden walkway and then slid down it on wooden trays! Our footwear left a lot to be desired - we had to wear orange calf-length sacks over our shoes. We looked like scarecrows!


Swapping camels for bikes, we cycled to Dunhuang Ancient City 20kms southwest of the city, right out in the desert. It is actually a film set less than 10 years old, and rather tacky, but is firmly on the Chinese tourist trail. We had fun getting there. Sections of the road were being resurfaced and the tar melted in the heat of the sun. It was like pedalling through treacle. We had to ask for directions a couple of times. One lady flagged down a taxi and the driver attempted to put Dan's bike into the boot of the taxi, thinking we wanted a ride!

The top attraction of Dunhuang is the Mogao Caves - the richest known source of ancient Buddhist relics in the world spanning back over a millennium. The caves lie in a tiny valley oasis at the foothills of the Mingsha Mountains, 25km southeast of Dunhuang City. Most of the richest were taken by foreign archaeologists, aka "foreign devils". Still, many of the caves are in a decent condition. We saw murals, painted sculptures, big buddhas, manuscripts and paintings. One of the caves had only opened to visitors on 01 June 2009 and we were fortunate to be allowed access.

The "market" life in Dunhuang is fascinating. There is little pressure to buy in the attractive souvenir market, so we browsed at leisure. There are loads of handcarts piled high with a wide variety of dried fruits and the colours are great. The local market sells fish, chickens, donkey and camel. The speciality foods include, camel tendons and stir-fried hump, and noodles with donkey meat. We dined al fresco at one of the foodstalls in the night market. It was firece competition - a lady from a rival stall urged us to defect, but we daren't break the rules and stayed put!

The White Horse Pagoda is a 9 tiered structure dedicated to the steed that carried a monk from Kucha along the Silk Road.

MONDAY 22 JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION TURPAN - Turpan lies in the second deepest inland depression in the world. It is the hottest city in China. Anciently called Huozhou (land of fire) its climate has not changed. It is extremely hot in summer (highest record in history is 49.6). The rainfall is low (average annual precipitation is 16mm). When it does rain it doesn't touch the ground because of the high evaporation, hence the name "dry rain"! Although the climatic features are extreme, a 2,000 year old irrigation system has kept Turpan alive. The Karez ("well") is a vast system of hand-dug underground channels that funnel the melting snow of the Tian Shan Mountain into Turpan. The unique natural environment gives Turpan a gift of producing a variety of fruits (e.g. grapes, sultanas and melons). The grapes have the highest sugar content in the world (up to 26%).

Turpan's history is one of constant struggle between the barbarian hordes of Mongolia, Central Asia, Tibet and the sedentary dynasties of China. The area was converted to Islam in the 14th Century. This increased the tensions with China and even now the city is divided into two sections: the Han dominate the new town; and the Uyghur population live in the traditinal areas. Many western archaeologists (foreign devils) came to Turpan in the 1900s attracted by the area's historic offerings and took tonnes of treasures and antiquities back to Europe.

Over the next couple of days we explored the delights of Turpan:

We visited a traditional Uyghur family house and had a cooking lesson. The house consists of a large square-shaped outside area, its walls and roof made from grapevines wrapped around trellises. The grapes were still green and would be ready in 15 days. Bad timing! We watched the lady of the house make noodles. She kneaded dough, shaped it into long strips and hand-rolled these into thin worm-like strips. It was very labour intensive. The daughters of the house prepared the vegetables and the man of the house watched over the pollo (a mixture of rice, carrots and raisins cooked in a huge wok). We sat on the floor at a low-set tables and tucked into a veritable feast. Afterwards we lounged on the carpeted floor and one of the daughters danced for us. Wearing a traditional outfit she looked very elegant and danced beautifully. Her father then did a chicken dance! He summoned Gary to the dance floor and we cheered as he strutted his stuff.

We also visited the Uyghur village of Tuyoq where we saw how the locals live. A man was barefoot and ankle-deep in mud, making mud-bricks. Other villagers rode round on little trucks, beds stood outside the houses (it is too hot to sleep inside).

The spectacular flaming mountains are a sight to behold. The red sandstone hills are most famous as the setting for episodes of the chinese show, "Journey to the West" (better known to us as the Monkey Magic TV show). Under the blazing sun, the red rock glows and hot air curls up like smoke as though it is on fire. It is breathtaking and looks like a painting - there is a green oasis in the foreground, the flaming mountains behind and all of this framed by snow capped mountains - a masterpiece!

We entered the Bezeklik Thousand Caves, once an important centre for Budhhist worship. In their hey-dey there were up to 70 caves here. Unfortunately, many of the caves were desecrated by the Muslims, then the foreign devils and the Cultural Revolution. There are still things to see and the fantastic mountain setting makes it worthwhile. Outside one of the caves was a man strumming a small rawap. He sounded like a Chinese George Formby!

We trekked to the ancient city of Jiaohe, which is perched on top of a raised land segment (shaped like a huge ship) at the confluence of two rivers. Under the heat of the blazing sun we toured the remains of streets, houses, courtyards, a monastery and an infant cemetery.

WEDNESDAY 24th JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION - HEAVENLY LAKE - It was a hot and windy day and the wind turbines were turning at full pelt. We made a detour in Urumqi and visited the museum, which houses some mummies - very interesting. We arrived at our destination at 6pm, but the cable car to the lake had just closed, so we took a golf-trolley. As we walked up the last stretch to the Yurt camp we were speechless. A jade coloured lake, green forested hills and snow capped mountain peaks greeted us. It is like an old-fashioned chocolate box cover. For a split second we thought we were in Switzerland, not China! We settled into the yurts (big circular tents with a tiled entrance area and a raised living/sleeping area). The only blot on the landscape was the shared toilets, i.e. a field overlooking the lake accessed via a hole in a barbed wire fence. At least we got a good view! That evening the rain clouds moved in and it rained for a while. Then a glorious rainbow appeared stretching from one side of the lake to the other - fairy-tale land. That evening our dinner was rudely interrupted. Michael and Maria had to leave the group and go into hiding because they had registered their presence with photocopies of their passports rather than originals (the originals were at the consulate in Urumqi for visa purposes). The police insisted they leave, so they were driven to a safe house 3 hours away!

The following day we explored the lake, i.e. the gushing waterfall and the Western Goddess Temple. The weather took a turn for the worst and it hail-stoned. We sought shelter in the warm kitchen of the lady who ownned the Yurt camp. The fugitives also returned safe and well with passports and visas. That evening Judith celebrated her birthday a day early. She was overwhelmed because the group had gone to alot of trouble to make it a special occasion. They presented her with a cake of mini cupcakes complete with a candle and some beautiful gifts.

FRIDAY 26th JUNE 2009 JUDITH's BIRTHDAY - DESTINATION KASHGAR - We left the Yurt camp in the early hours. Goats were being herded up the mountain by men on horseback. One of the men had a goat slung across his lap and two kids in the pockets of his saddle-bag.

We boarded the train to Kashgar at 12.57pm and settled own for a 24 hour journey! We marvelled at the scenery as the train snaked its way through the Takelamakan desert. At one point you could see both the front and back carriages of the train. We whiled away the hours with a few glasses of wine. A little girl on the train sang "Happy Birthday" to Judith. She was very sweet, but the cupcake that Judith gave her seemed to give her a sugar rush and she was still awake long after we had gone to bed!

We arrived in Kashgar on the 27th JUNE and at the hotel were serenaded by singers and dancers - a nice touch. Kashgar is fascinating and we enjoyed our stay here. It is a blend of old and new. Our HIGHLIGHTS included:

Strolling round the streets of the Old City where shops sell shiny pots and pans, and the aroma of freshly baked bread and bagels fills the air. The bread is displayed on shelves outside in the streets, resembling huge dinner plates resting on welsh dressers. Men were having wet-shaves and their beards trimmed on the pavements. Women sported mono-brows. There are many 'tooth gaps' in the streets because the Chinese Government is demolishing the Old City and rebuilding new apartment blocks in an attempt to modernise and to withstand earthquakes. On one occasion we stumbled on a wedding and were invited to join the party. A man was cooking a huge dish in a huge wok outside in the street. We declined politely, but accepted huge chunks of juicy water melon.

Sipping tea in a traditional tea-house. It was a far cry from the Ritz, but authentic. We climbed up old stone steps into a large room with a grubby stone floor. We sat outside on an old wooden balcony and watched the world go by. We were served bright yellow tea from old teapots. It was very sweet and went down a treat. From our vantage point we could see a real sleeping policeman in his van!

The Sunday Market is billed as the most mazing market in Central Asia. An assortment of people flood into the city to buy, sell and trade horses, sheep, camels, clothing, boots, hats, food, furniture and miscellaneous stuff. We saw butchers chopping up cows - their heads and intestines in piles under the stalls; goats tethered to a line standing side by side; cows and bulls being herded to designated areas; people baking bread; animal troughs made from wood and tyres; and a wide variety of vegetables. Traders tried to sell us knifes, whips and bells.

The Bazaar is also worth a visit. There are rows and rows of stalls selling all sorts of paraphanelia including: material, scarfs, hats, pots and pans, knifes, mirrors, dried fruit and nuts.

Lake Kalakuli is a good trip. We went by jeep and enjoyed the drive. Huge flaming mountains are on all sides and are a multitude of colours that change according to the sun and the time of day. We saw different hues of reds, greens, browns and purples. At the lake we were mobbed by locals to go on a camel ride (1 yuan per minute). Burly men dressed in green padded overcoats and furry hats asked us to pay an entrance fee of 50 yuan each (5 pounds). It was a scam - one man whispered in Judith's ear that he would let us both in for 50 yuan! Our driver was on the ball and drove us further down the road and out of sight of the ticket sellers. We got out of the jeep and explored the lake unnoticed. The wind swept into our faces as we walked and it started to snow (it was like being back in Lancsahire). It was stunning - rocky terrain, sand dunes, wild straggly haired camels roaming free, yurts dotted here and there, snow covered mountains periliously close, and of course the huge expanse of the lake. We spoke to some locals building a yurt from camel and yak hair. They invited us to stay the night and offered us a ride round thge lake on a motorbike (for a price). We bumped into two young lads who looked frozen, their faces were very chapped, but they were still smiling.


We had a fabulous trip to the Ouyitage Glacier (120kms from Kashgar). The surrounding countryside is very alpine-like. We walked through the little village at the foot of the glacier
where people were going about their business on donkeys, horses and motorbikes. The motorbikes whistled down the hill (engines turned off) and children were having donkey ride races up and down the one path. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to walk on the glacier, but we climbed up to a high ridge where we sat on a huge rock and ate lunch. We had the best table in the house - the view was magnificent - rolling hills, fir trees, mountains, snow, blue sky and sun.

The Apak Hoja Tomb (5kms from Kashgar) was built in 1640 and is one of the key cultural relic sites under state protection. Apak Hoja, a great missionary in the 17th Century, Aji Muhammad and Yusuf his father, as well as five generations of Hoja, numbering 72 people are buried here. It is said that Xiangfeil, one of Emperor Qianlong's imperial concubines is also buried here.

The Id Kah Mosque in Id Kah Square was built in 1442 and is one of the largest mosques in China with courtyard and gardens capable of holding 20,000 people. We watched hordes of people entering the Mosque on Friday, the Sabbath.

The People's Park is a good place to relax. Opposite the park is a large statue of Chairman Mao. Watch out for the fake trees though!

We also enjoyed the fair. We had a spin on the ferris wheel and a ride on the dodgems.

Food and funny goings-on in the night - We enjoyed the food. We dined at the ORDA restaurant and sampled giant kebabs. We had almost finished and had had our fill, but somehow had managed to order the same meal again! We managed to cancel the second order, much to the consternation of the confused waitress! Our last supper in Kashgar was a hot-pot affair. We sat outside at a pavement cafe and cooked meat and vegetable kebabs in a pot of boiling water laced with chillies and spices. We washed this down with beer and taught the waiters to say "cheers"! It was a great night to end our travels on the Silk Road. It was even better when we got the bill - £5.00 for the both of us!

We didn't enjoy as much the late night phone calls from ladies of the night and their pimps. At one time they knocked on our door! Apparently, it is common practice in China.

SATURDAY 04 JULY 2009 to MONDAY 06 JULY 2009 - DESTINATION UK, VIA SHENZEN and HONG KONG
We had a 'bit of a to-do' with the taxi driver who took us to Kashgar airport. We paid him what the meter read, but he wanted more and wouldn't unlock the boot until we paid him. We refused and he caused a stir, attracting quite a crowd. Judith took his car keys from the ignition, but that didn't work. Eventually a kind policeman offered the driver the extra money, but he wouldn't take it, but he did unlock the boot and gave us our bags!

The taxi driver in Shenzen was more amenable (we agreed on a price and he kept his word). We landed in Shenzen in the early hours of 05 July and after some negotiation, shared a taxi with two very nice young men. We checked in at the Shenzen Loft Hostel at 3.30am. It was raining heavily - there had been a typhoon that day!

On Sunday (05 July 2009) we said farewell to Mainland China and crossed the border into Hong Kong. We checked in for Monday's flight to London Heathrow at the Airport Express terminal on Hong Kong Island. It is a 'super-duper' system and meant that we were "bagless" - we would be reacquainted with our bags in London! After lightening our load we visited our usual haunts in Hong Kong. We had a picnic on the roof of the IFC Shopping Mall overlooking The Peak. In the evening we drank beer overlooking Hong Kong harbour.

We bedded down for the night in Hong Kong airport. Our flight to the UK was scheduled to depart at 7.35am Monday 06 July 2009.

The seats in the airport aren't conducive to a good night's sleep, so were bleary-eyed when we boarded the flight to London Heathrow at 7am.

The twelve hour flight gave us plenty of time to contemplate our trip. We left the UK on 06th August 2008, have travelled through sixteen fabulous countries and have returned with great memories and friends to last a lifetime. We have lived a dream and our heads were still in the clouds, but then at 1.15pm on 06th July 2009 it was back to earth with a bump (literally) - OUCH!



THE END

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Beijing, China

SUNDAY 17 May 2009 - Reluctantly we checked out of the YWCA and made our way across the river to the West Hotel in Kowloon (Hong Kong). Once there we discovered that Mark Jackson affectionately known as "Spark" was to be our tour leader for our "Essence of China" trip. We have known Spark for over 20 years and haven't seen him for two years, so it was very good to see him and spend some time with him. We were also accquainted with our new travelling companions (seven of us in total). We celebrated the occasion with a curry in downtown Kowloon.

MONDAY 18 MAY 2009 - DESTINATION - MAINLAND CHINA - Laden with bags, we took the clean and efficient Metro to Shenzhen where we said "goodbye" to Hong Kong and "hello" to mainland China. In no time at all we found ourselves on the overnight train to Guilin. It was very comfortable and we were tucked up in bed by 10pm (when the lights went out).

We arrived in Guilin at 6.42am the following morning. We stayed in our berths whilst the locals alighted the train. We were such a novelty to them. They smiled and stared at us as they walked by - some even came back for a second look! We piled into a waiting minibus. We headed south to Yangshou and en route passed a funeral procession. The mourners wore red armbands and walked in unison behind the coffin. Fire-crackers were let off at regular intervals.

YANGSHOU ANTICS - Yangshou is a beautiful place and the first country in China to be appointed as a national tourism area. It has a population of 300,000 and is located in the Guanxi Autonomous Region on the Li River. For centuries, Chinese poets and painters have immortalised the region's strange beauty. Since opening up to the Guanxi Autonomous Region on the Li River. For centuries, Chinese poets and painters have immortalised the region's strange beauty. Since opening up to the West in 1978, foreigners are finding reason to do likewise as they explore the areas stunning scenery and natural beauty. In this county alone there are over 20,000 limestone karsts (steep, tree covered mounds). There is lots to see and do, so we wasted no time:

First on the agenda was COOKING SCHOOL. Before being let loose with a meat cleaver and wok, we went on a tour of the market. It was fascinating, a huge array of vegetables, tofu stalls (no photos because the tofu lady goes crazy), butchers selling beef and pork, a livestock section selling chickens, rabbits, cats and dogs! Cute and fluffy dogs were huddled together in cages ready to be sold, butchered, cooked and eaten! The unlucky ones were already cooked and strung up in front of our eyes. Not for the faint-hearted! Onwards to the kitchen. Aprons on, we stood to attention by our workstations. Some time later we had concocted: steamed chicken with mushroom; egg wrapped dumplings; eggplant Yangshou style; green vegetables with garlic; and stir-fried pork with vegetables and oyster sauce. It was "hands-on" and great fun and even better when we tucked into our creations.



We rounded off the day in Bar98 where Spark taught us some Chinese. We then won the pub quiz. The prize of 8 bottles of beer went down a treat!

A GUIDED TOUR OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE BY BIKE woke us up and cured our hangovers! Farmer Tang was an excellent guide. He is famous round these parts - he guided the chef, Gary Rhodes for his TV programme, "Rhodes around China". We cycled through some stunning scenery. The limestone karsts fall into the fast-flowing Li River, buffalos work the fields and fishermen cast their nets. We cycled to Moon Hill, so called because of the an arched shaped rock at the top resembling a half moon. We climbed to the top - a little precariously in our flip-flops! We ate a tremendous lunch at a villager's house. We sat on small stools round a low-set table. It was like a scene from The Borrowers or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs! We cycled off-road through tiny villages, dodging the odd cow here and there. It was a great tour.



KUNG FU - Gluttons for punishment. Straight after the bike ride we had a Kung Fu lesson. After working up a sweat during a tiring warm-up routine we punched, snap-kicked and tiger clawed. We practised the moves over and over. Our teacher said that if we practised every day for a year we would get fit and be masters!

SHOPPING - Judith has lived in two pairs of flip-flops for the past 9 months, so bought some converse pumps, necessary to trek the Great Wall!

We had two very long days and nights of travelling by bus and train from Guilin to Liuzhou and Yichang. The train journeys were a great experience. They were ram-jam full and we were the only Westerners. During one journey, salesmen came down the aisles demonstrating and selling their wares, including a gyroscope, a torch, a rubik-cube style puzzle and indestructible socks! In between trains we had a quick look around Liuzhou. It was hectic getting off the train. People started piling on as we were getting off, so Judith used her bag as a battering ram to get on to the platform - it worked a treat. Liuzhou is the real China and has little tourism. People shouted "hello" to us and one man counted in English and exclaimed, "there are seven of them!"

We arrived in Yichang on 22 May and Fay, our local guide, took us to a park where we headed towards a childrens playground, but on closer inspection we discovered it to be an outside gym. Afterwards we had our first taste of a chinese banquet and learned about dining etiquette, e.g.

Don't order individually - everyone shares the food
The rice is served last as a filler
You must not stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice because it resembles incense burning in a bowl of sand, as in ceremonies to the dead
You must not wave chopsticks or use them to point at people
Always leave some food - it is a sign that you've had enough

After our banquet we boarded a SLOW BOAT DOWN THE YANGZI RIVER, our home for the next three nights.

22 MAY - 24 MAY 2009 - YANGZI RIVER + THE THREE GORGES + THE LESSER THREE GORGES + THE THREE GORGES DAM PROJECT
The Yangzi River is the third longest river in the world after the Amazon and the Nile. It cuts through the heart of China and is regarded by the Chinese as marking the division of their country into North and South, both geographically and culturally. The river originates in the far western part of China and flows through eight provinces before emptying its waters into the Yellow Sea.

We had a great adventure on the Yangzi. ON BOARD ANTICS INCLUDED:

• Spark teaching us how to play mah-jong, which is played with domino-like tiles and is a mixture of dominoes and cards.
  
  
  
  
  
• Early morning wake-up calls, i.e. tunes blasting out over the tannoy system, e.g. "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"!
  
  
  
  
  
• Sailing through shiplocks. It was both impressive and eerie as we got sandwiched between the 850 tonnes metal gates with the water level rising higher and higher. On one occasion we ate dinner encased in a brick tomb filling with water. At one lock we winced as our boat and another squeezed through side-by-side. When the gates opened to reveal blue sky and mountains it was like being released from a prison.
  
  
  
  
  
• Fraternising with the Chinese tourists who welcomed us with beer and snacks. They took lots of photographs. One man said that Judith looked like a Bond Girl - don't think he meant "M"!
  
  
  
  
  
• The Penguin Dance - jumping round in a circle like a penguin to a catchy tune!
  
  
  
  
  
• Karaoke nights where we blasted out songs by the CARPENTERS, THE EAGLES, BOB DYLAN. Afterwards the Chinese tourists presented us with plastic bunches of flowers!
  
  
  
  
  
• Performing two acts at the talent show - a balancing act and a rendition of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" in English and Chinese. The crowd went wild - they really did.
  
  
  
  
  
• Judith representing "Intrepid" in a game of musical chairs. In the second round Judith was in a play-off with a Chinese lady. She won despite the dirty tactics of her opponent who pulled the chair from underneath Judith just as she was about to sit down. Luckily Judith was too quick for her and got seated. Unfortunately, she didn't make the final, but it's the taking part that counts.

THE GORGES ANTICS INCLUDED:

• The Xiling Gorge - the longest and historically the most dangerous of the Yangzi gorges.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Wu Gorge - a 40km long gorge, which traverses Sichuan and Hubei Provinces. The "Gorge of Witches" is generally considered to be the most enchanting of the Three Gorges. So sheer are the 200m cliffs that it is said that the sun rarely penetrates.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Qutang Gorge also known as the Box Gorge, is the shortest, but grandest of them all. Its widest point is only 150m. The river rushes through the narrow entrance pounding the perpendicular cliff face on either side of the gorge. Many honeycombed caves, which once housed suspended coffins, adorn the cliff face. The 10 Yuan note depicts the view of the Qutang Gorge.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Lesser Three Gorges - Emerald Gorge; Misty Gorge and Dragongate Gorge. We sailed down the river on a smaller boat and saw the new towns built to relocate people following flooding from the dam. Steps carved into the steep forested slopes lead from the river to the towns. Steep ladders cling to the cliffs and are used for navigation purposes. Using our imagination and being prompted by our guide, we looked up at the rock formations and saw: an upside-down sleeping beauty (her hair being the green trees sloping down the cliffs); a wedding cake decorated with green icing; an elephant's head; a lion's head with a bushy green mane; a mushroom that also looked like a martian. We also saw "suspended coffins" resting on ledges in caves way up high in the cliffs. They are up so high so that the deceased are closer to heaven. It is a mystery as to how the coffins got to their resting places. Some say that persons scaled the cliffs and winched them up with ropes. Others say that the coffins were hauled up ladders made from chopped down trees. Others say that natural forces (ground movement) positioned the coffins where they lay now. Rhesus monkeys and goats scampered mischieviously up and down the rocks. Some children were making their way down the cliff to a waiting boat. They were going back to school (Mon-Fri) after a weekend at home.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Three Gorges Dam Project - still under construction. It was thought that this hydro-electric dam would provide at least 10 per cent of China's power needs, but due to the increasing population, it only provides one per cent. Proponents of the dam envisage rapid regional developments, safer navigation, flood control and better living conditions for the millions forced to relocate. There is still much work to be done before the dam's completion in 2015.

25 MAY 2009 - BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - DESTINATION CHENGDU - In traditional Bank Holiday style we spent the day travelling (by road and train). We made our way from Fengdu Port to the train station in Chongqing (apparently the largest capital city in the world). We had four hours until our train to Chengdu, so we ate pot noodles and entertained the locals! They peered over our shoulders as we read books. One lady combed Judith's hair and offered her a mirror and a packet of cigarettes! We had a pleasant journey to Chengdu and left the train to the tune of "Auld Langs Ayne"!

PANDEMONIUM IN CHENGDU - Built in 316BC during the late Warring State Period, Chengdu boasts a 2300 year history. It is the capital of Sichuan Province in Southwest China. Over thousands of years it has been known for its history of silk brocade manufacturing. It is also renowned for its history in lacquer ware making, woodblock printing, irrigation techniques and tea drinking culture. Now Chengdu is the centre of science and technology, commerce, finance, as well as a leading hub of transportation and communications in Southwest China.

Over the next few days we fully "embraced" Chengdu and mingled with the locals, some a bit cuddlier than others!

We visited the PANDA BREEDING CENTRE - it was PANDAMONIUM!

PANDA FACTS

• Giant Pandas are found only in the mountains of central China.
  
  
  
  
  
• Only about 1,100 giant pandas still survive in the wild.
  
  
  
  
  
• Pandas (especially those in captivity) have such low sexual desires that it is threatening their future, prompting workers to turn to artificial insemination. There is also Panda Porn. Steady doses of lurid panda porn is shown to the pandas on their den walls to rouse the dreary desires of captive male giant pandas who are famously indifferent to female panda overtures.
  
  
  
  
  
• The giant panda is a member of the bear family and is most closely related to the spectacled bear of South America.
  
  
  
  
  
• The panda is a national treasure in China and is the symbol of peace.
  
  
  
  
  
• The panda's digestive system is that of a carnivore, so it is unable to digest cellulose (main constituent of bamboo). Therefore, the panda must consume enormous quantities to get enough nourishment. The average panda eats between 33-66 pounds of bamboo leaves, stems and shoots a day, spending as many as 10 - 12 hours feeding.
  
  
  
  
  
• The panda has 5 fingers and a false thumb.
  
  
  
  
  
• A newborn Panda is about the size of a stick of butter. Much of its development occurs after birth. At about 45 days it will open its eyes; at about 75 days it begins to crawl and starts to grow rapidly; at 5 months it begins to eat bamboo; at 18 months it adopts a solitary lifestyle; sexual maturity occurs at 7 years; at 18 years the panda becomes old and sluggish; its average life expectancy is around 21 years.

Strolling through the Centre we saw giant pandas slumped over wooden decking, paws hanging limply over the edge, sleeping off their breakfast. Others were chomping on bamboo. Some of them looked like they had black cardigans on back to front. We also saw some boisterous baby pandas who were wrestling, pushing and shoving each other against the door to their den and fighting over a swing. We spotted red pandas, sometimes called the lesser panda. It is a racoon-sized mammal that lives in the same kind of habitat as the giant panda, but over a larger area in Asia. Its fur is reddish brown and most of them have scars and bits missing because they are always scrapping.

Q: How do you tell difference between a male and femal panda? A: Easy. A male panda is black and white, a female panda is white and black! (Judith's Jokes Again)

We visited PEOPLE'S PARK and relaxed at a local teahouse. Teahouses are a central feature of Sichuanese social life. Judith had a Chinese massage sitting in a chair and whilst sipping her tea. She declined to have her ears cleaned. The huge silver prongs and the long earbuds didn't look clean! We walked through the park and witnessed the locals at play enjoying the simple pleasures in life. People were playing chess, others were ballroom dancing dressed in their finery, and some people were doing tai-chai and aerobics.

Tianfu Square marks Chengdu's centre and is overlooked by a huge white statue of Chairman Mao. The Tibetan Quarter just off the Square is a myriad of colourful shops stocked to their roofs with clothes, amber, tourquoise jewellery, knives, prayer wheels and other temple accessories. The aroma of the foodstalls in the quaint Jinli Road wafted our way. There was some weird stuff, but we walked on by and sampled Sichuanese cooking with a speciality "hotpot". This is a social dish eaten everywhere from streetside canteens to specialist restaurants. Yoy get plates of meat, boiled eggs and vegetables, which you then cook at the table in a bubbling pot of stock liberally laced with chillies and cardamon pods. The people on the next table were very raucous due to having consumed copius amounts of rice wine and beer.

We had the pleasure of going to the Sichuan Opera where we saw a variety of stunts including: a clown sketch (the rolling lamp); table balancing; a hand-shadow show; a stick-puppet show; a musical Erhu solo and spitting fire and changing faces. In the spitting fire and changing faces the performers turn around or wave their arms and somehow change their faces with masks. It is very colourful and cleverly executed.

WEDNESDAY 27th MAY 2009 - DESTINATION LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA and EMEI SHAN - The Leshan Giant Buddah (known to locals as Dafo, Grand Buddha) is the biggest carved Buddha in the world. It took over 90 years to carve and was built to calm the spirits in the tempestuous waters around the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River. The impassive and gargantuan Buddha is carved deep into a niche in the sandstone cliffs. He peers out from under half-lidded eyes and is comfortably seated with his hands resting on his knees. BUDDHA FACTS: 71m high, fingers 3m long, ears 7m long, toes 8.5m, instep 8m long, shoulder 28m and his coiled hair contains 1,021 buns!

Behind the Buddha is Lingyun Temple, which houses gold-plated statues of Sakaymuni, the 5 bodhisattvas and 18 arhats. Legend has it that you walk round the temple and stop at the arhat that corresponds with your chinese age (the number of birthdays that you've had plus the year in which you were born), and he is your guardian angel for the year. Our trouble was that we didn't know whether to walk in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, so we have got two guardian angels!

MONASTERIES, MONKEYS and PANCAKES - Emei Shan is a magical kingdom - lush mountain scenery, tea plantations, temples and monasteries. Daoists began erecting temples on Mount Emei in the 2nd Century AD. As Buddhism gained popularity, in the 6th Century AD it became one of China's four holy Buddhist mountains. Over the centuries most of the temples have been destroyed by fire, war or revolution, but they have always been rebuilt. Patrick, our local guide, took us to our accommodation, the Baguo Monastery. It is the largest monastery on the mountain and is one of the best examples of classic Buddhist architecture. To get to our bedrooms, we had to walk through a temple with our rucksacks and later, with our dirty washing! The rooms were spartan, but full of character -ours overlooked a courtyard where monks were playing table-tennis. The showers were coal-fired and a little rustic, but very hot.

The following morning we awoke at 5am to the sound of chanting monks and gongs. Soothing, but not that early! At 7am we congregated on the verandah outside the rooms and ate fried egg doorstopper sandwiches. Just the job for our forthcoming ascent of Emei Shan. Laden with overnight bags and monkey sticks we embarked on yet another great adventure. The monkey sticks were to ward off the gangs of aggressive monkeys who threaten you for food with teeth bared! We took a bus and then a cable car to the Golden Summit Temple (aka Jinding Peak). We found ourselves in monkey territory, so had to hide our food and water bottles and remember not to fiddle in our pockets. We were somewhat fortunate because the monkeys were in hiding. It was a liitle misty at the temple, but then the wind came and dispersed the clouds to reveal the magical and mystical scenery. It was stunning and reminded us so much of Macchu Pichu (Peru). The thousands of padlocks engraved with names and motifs (e.g. hearts) affixed to the handrails outside the temple rattled in the wind. They symbolise love, security and wealth. On rare occasions you can see the phenomena known as Buddha's Light when rainbow rings produced by refraction of water particles attach themselves to a person's shadow in the cloud bank below the summit. Devout Buddhists, thinking this was a call from yonder, used to jump off the cliff of self-sacrifice in ecstasy!

We trekked along a river bed, through monkey territory and through a series of steep gorges. The monkeys had just been fed, so didn't bother us. The sting in the tail was the climb up the thousand or so steps to reach the Hong Chun Ping Monastery. Hong Chun Ping is an 18th Century temple named after surrounding hongchun (toona) trees. It commands a great position on the mountain nestled amid the forests and tree plantations. We stepped over the threshold and fell under its spell almost immediately. It is old, enchanting and so atmospheric. It reminded Judith of her convent schooldays! We climbed an old wooden staircase to the second floor and walked along the creaky floorboards to our rooms, which oozed character. The communal showers and toilets are primitive, but the view from the loo is out of this world. You have to go there to see what we mean! A word of warning though - watch out for wandering monks! We had no trouble sleeping, the beds had warmed up nicely - each one is equipped with an electric blanket!

Once again we were awoken by chanting monks. We had breakfast at the Hard Wok Cafe, which is perched on the mountainside and run by Betty and Harry (an ex-army cook). Betty's "sandwich" pancakes filled with chocolate, honey, apple and banana are simply devine - CHINA WOKS! With our bellies full we made the three hour long descent to Baguo Monastery. On the way we encountered some menacing looking monkeys, but we adhered to the monkey code and they kept their distance. A a scalding hot coal-fired shower was just the tonic, followed by a night on the town. We had to be back in the monastery by 9.30pm otherwise we would have to scale the walls. We only just made it!

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 30th and 31st MAY 2009 - DESTINATION XI'AN HOME OF THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS - It was a long and unpleasant train journey to Xi'an (10.15 am 30.05.09 to 5.30am 31.05.09). The open-plan berths provided little privacy and the stench from the toilets was overpowering. A lady mopped the floor in our carriage, but in her wake left a vile, pungent odour. She had used the same mop to mop out the toilets!

Xi'an (western peace) has a population of around 6.8 million. It is the starting point of the Silk Road where the great trade caravans made their way to Central Asia and Europe. As one of the six ancient capitals in China, it served as the seat of 12 imperial dynasties. It is one of the few Chinese cities where ancient walls are still visible (14kms of Ming wall surround the city).

XI'AN HIGHLIGHTS

• The Muslim Quarter comprises of backstreets and has been home to the city's Hui community for centuries. We embraced its charm and original character as we strolled past the many market stalls selling souvenirs, bags, clothes, dried fruits and nuts. Many of the shops have hidden backrooms. We were ushered into one of these -an Aladdin's cave full of fake designer bags and watches!
  
  
  
  
  
• The Great Mosque located in the Muslim Quarter is one of the largest and most fascinating mosques in China. It has been heavily restored and is still an active place of worship. It is a blend of traditional chinese and islamic architecture. It is built in the shape of a rectangle and is divided into four courtyards. We saw some impressive buildings, platforms, pavilions and halls many with upturned eaves and decorated with ornate carvings and glazed rooftiles.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Bell Tower - 36m high and dating fro 1384 marks the centre of the city. In the past a large iron bell would be sounded to mark the time. Now you can pay to ring it at any time of the day!
  
  
  
  
  
• The Drum Tower - similar to the Bell Tower is a smaller building which marks the boundary of Xi'ans Muslim Quarter. It was first erected during the Ming Dynasty in 1380.
  
  
  
  
  
• Cycling round the City walls - We had 100 minutes in which to complete a lap of the city walls (14km). On rickety bikes with no gears it was a bone-shaking ride. It was very scenic - the path is littered with bins keeping in character with Xi'an, i.e. bulbous shaped torsos of terracotta warriors atopped with dragons and serpents. Pretty red lanterns also hang from the lamposts lining the path. The only other traffic was rickshaws and golf buggies. We made it back with time to spare.
  
  
  
  
  
• Nightlife - We witnessed an amazing nightime spectacle. The river, illuminated by the red lanterns on the city walls, provided the perfect backdrop. A small band burst forth and locals armed with coloured fans danced spontaneously on a raised square. They were joined by a lady dressed as a boat complete with oarsmen dancing and waving shovels. Another lady was dressed as a donkey! The chinese people have no inhibitions and knowhow to enjoy themselves. A choir across the road was also in full voice. It was great. We also experienced the LOCO CLUB. It was very male dominated and we were hit upon almost immediately. We had to stifle our laughter as (sweaty) chinese men gyrated awkwardly in front of us. Robotic dancing was all the rage, as well as rapping - two girls dressed in basketball vests and baseball caps rapped "kevin and Perry" like!
  
  
  
  
  
• Great food - We sampled lovely food, especially the street food in the atmospheric Musim Quarter.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST.....
The Terracotta Warriors. In 1974, in the course of digging a well not far from Xi'an, some farmers made an astonishing discovery - the buried terracotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huagdi (259-210BC), the first emperor who unified China's divided territories into one nation and standardised its written language. In 246BC King Zheng became ruler of the state of Qin and shortly afterwards work began on the construction of his tomb. As the conqueror of all other states of the period, the man who took the title of First Emperor wanted an exceptionally splendid burial. Chinese records speak of a tomb chamber made in the image of the world, as it was known, with a vaulted ceiling encrusted with jewels to represent the stars and a floor with rivers and seas of mercury. The site of the tomb has always been known, but even today the tomb chamber has not been opened because of the high content of mercury in and around it. The discovery of the Terracotta Army (about a mile from the tomb) was startling because there is no mention of the army in historical accounts of the tomb. Since 1979, when the first pit was first opened to the public, two further pits have been opened and work is still in progress. We watched a short video depicting the unification of China's divided territories, the making of the Terracotta Warriors and the uprising and subsequent destruction of the warriors after the emperor's death. Two of the farmers who made the startling discovery in 1974 were at the museum signing books.

We visited three vaults. VAULT 1 is the largest. About one-fifth of the area has been excavated revealing around 5000 figures. The sight of the warriors standing guard is quite staggering. Their bodies and limbs are cast, but their heads and faces are each individually crafted. Facial features are truly representative of the real men. Originally the warriors carried real bows, swords, spears and crossbows, more than ten thousand of which have been found. They were originally painted in bright colours - red for luck and blue to ward off evil spirits - however, over the years that they have silently stood guard, the colour has faded and worn off.

TUNIC INFANTRYMEN wore knee-length tunics, short trousers, carried crossbows and their hair was wound in topknots and some had beards.

ARMOURED SOLDIERS 189cm in height, a sword in left hand, heavily armoured with a brown cape and a red cap and green shin guards.

ARMOURED GENERALS 197cm in height, 2 layers of robes covered by coloured plated armour.

KNEELING ARCHERS held a crossbow against the right hip to keep it steady prior to firing.

STANDING ARCHERS in a position for an assault on the enemy.

CAVALRYMEN 180cm in height hold horses reins in the right hand and a crossbow in the left. Thought to serve as messengers during battle.

The HORSES each have sixth teeth, an indication that they are in their prime.

Amid the restored warriors lie a large number of smashed and broken figures resembling the aftermath of battle than the preparation for one.

Spark told us an anecdote - a German tourist dressed up as a Terracotta Warrior and stood in the pit with his stoney-faced companions. He went unnoticed for some time, but eventually was picked out by the cameras. He was arrested and deported, but what a claim to fame!

VAULT 2 contains crossbowmen, charioteers, cavalrymen and infantrymen. It was easy to let your imagination run riot and wonder how many more treasures are still buried underfoot.

VAULT 3 appears to have been the headquarters where 68 figures and a chariot have been found.

03 JUNE 2009 - DESTINATION BEIJING - After an overnight train journey we descended on Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled in Beijing. Over the centuries the city has been expanded, destroyed and rebuilt many times.

BEIJING HIGHLIGHTS (in no particular order)

• The Great Wall Most people travelling in china now know the saying, "You are not a real person until you have climbed the Great Wall". We relished the challenge to be "real persons" and embarked on a 10km trek. We tackled the section from Jinshanling to Simatai, which is recognised as one of the most breathtaking parts of the wall. It stretches 10.5kms from Longyukou in the west to Wangjinglou in the east. The constructin of the wall began during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and Warring States period (475-221 BC) during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. States at that time built walls to defend their own territories. After the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty crushed all rival states he founded the first centralised and unified dynasty in chinese history. To consolidate the country and ward off invasion by ethnic minority tribes in the North, he had the walls linked and extended, giving rise to the 5,000km long Qin Great Wall. Later dynasties from Han to Ming kept building and improving the Great Wall, extending it more than 1,000km. Apparently, it is NOT visible with the naked eye from space. We zig-zagged our way along the wall encountering numerous beacon passes and watchtowers. It is steep in parts and sapped our energy. In other places the stones are broken and it is like walking on mosaic. The sun was blazing and, fearful of hitting the wall too soon (sorry), we went at a steady pace. We marvelled at the surrounding countryside. It is outstanding - high mountains on all sides and so green. After lunch in one of the watchtowers we picked up the pace. Near the end we traversed a string bridge, which swayed ever so slightly under our weight. After a breathtaking 5 hours we reached Simatai - a wonderful experience -out of this world.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Silk Market and Jose The SilkMarket has a large array of stuff displayed over 6 floors: designer clothes, shoes, sportswear, bags, silk, jewellery and souvenirs (mostly fake, but good quality). You have to bargain hard as we found out! Also, if you are lucky and keep your eyes open, you might bump into a celebrity. We spotted Jose Mourinho browsing round the stalls! Dan shook his hand and Judith had her photograph taken with him. He is very handsome (slim, fit and tanned).
  
  
  
  
  
• The Night Market is fascinating. Foodstalls selling scorpion kebabs and starfish kebabs. Judith opted for a fruit kebab! Souvenir stalls sell anything and everything. Impromptu opera singing resounded from a rooftop overlooking the many cafes.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Summer Palace is a vast public park, two-thirds lake, with palace temples, gardens, pavilions and corridors. It covers an area of over 290 hectares and has been likened to a fairyland sceme. It was originally named, "Garden of Clear Ripples" and was built by Emperor Qianlong in 1750 to celebrate his mother's birthday. It was later used as a pleasure garden for emperors and empresses. In 1914 the Palace was opened to the public as a private property of the Qing imperial family and was formally opened as a park in 1924. We visited: The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity,the place where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu held court and administered state affairs; The Garden of Virtue and Harmony, which houses a great stage; The Marble Boat built in 1755. It is 36m long with a hull made of massive stone slabs. The saying goes, "water can carry a boat, and it can also capsize a boat." By following the allusion, the Marble Boat was built to mean that the Qing Dynasty would be as solid as a rock and never fall; The Long Corridor that runs along the Kunming Lake. It is 728m long with 14,000 pictures painted on its ceiling; The Tower of Buddhist Incense which stands high on the hillside facing south, looking down at the misty and rippling water in Kunming Lake. The trek to the top of the hill was worth it. The tower 41m high, is a three storeyed octagonal structure with four tiers of eaves. It looks like a giant music box. Strolling through a picture - a real canvas of lush and tall ancient pines and cypresses. We exited the Palace via the North Gate where Emperor Qianlong's mother used to come to watch the cavalry exercises of the Vanguard Battallion stationed outside the gate.
  
  
  
  
  
• Tiananmen Square occupies an area of 122 acres and is big enough to hold half a million people. It has witnessed the Chinese people's struggle against foreign aggression and reactionary rule at home, most notably during pro-democracy rallies in 1989. Workers and students gathered in Tiananmen Square to press ever escalating demands for political reform on the beleagured past leadership. After imposing martial law on the capital, Deng Xiaoping sanctioned the forcible disperal of the demonstrators. Hundreds were killed in the surrounding streets as the army cleared the Square late on 03 June and in the early hours of 04 June 1989. Our guide was quite reticent in the Square. Secret policemen disguised as photographers and tour guides pound the Square and eavesdrop! The Chinese national flag flapped in the breeze under the watchful eye of Mao. His portrait hangs in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace at the northern end of the Square. On 01.10.1949, Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China here.
  
  
  
  
  
• The Forbidden City, so called because it was off limits for 500 years. It is the largest and best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China. It was home to two dynasties of emperors, the Ming and the Qing. We explored the ceremonial buildings via the Gates of Heavenly Peace, Duan Gate and the Meridian Gate. We crossed the Golden Stream shaped to resemble a tartar bow and spanned by five marble bridges. Three great halls are at the heart of the city: THE HALL OF SUPREME HARMONY - used for ceremonial occasions; THE HALL OF MIDDLE HARMONY - a transit lounge for the emperor and used to receive ministers; THE HALL OF PRESERVING HARMONY used for banquets. The halls are painted gold and red symbolising royalty and happiness respectively. Ornate statues of dragons adorn each corner of the roofs to protect the buildings from fire and to signify the importance of the place (the more dragons, the more importance). We finished our tour in the Imperial Gardens - a classical chinese garden of landscaping, rockeries, walkways and pavilions.
  
  
  
  
  
• Hutongs. These charming narrow alleyways are home to nearly one quarter of Beijing's residents, but are disappearing fast as roads widen and apartment blocks are built. They are full of character. Stacks of black coal (circular in shape) are piled high in many of the hutongs.
  
  
  
  
  
• Food and drink - we frequented the 12sqm bar and cafe, Beijing's smallest bar. There's not much room inside, so we sat outside under a tree in the moonlight and supped our drinks (so romantic). We celebrated climbing the Great Wall with a Peking Duck experience - the poor duck didn't stand a chance, we were ravenous. We had dinner at a restaurant owned by a cousin of Chairman Mao. The waitresses wear military style shirts and the walls are covered in pictures of Mao. A huge bust of Mao sits on a windowsill overseeing proceedings.
  
  
  
  
  
• Beijing Huiling is a unique non-profit community organisation. It is tucked away in a narrow hutong and offers innovative services to youths and adults with learning disabilities. Residents range from 16 years old to 45 years old. Older residents are palced on farms. Judith would have to be "farmed out"!!! We were treated to lunch courtesy of the residents and then a musical performance. We joined in with "Jingle Bells" and "the Macarena". The residents also acted out comical sketches, "the sweet girl and the donkey", and the "matador and the bull". It was good fun and a joy to watch the residents thoroughly enjoing themsleves. One lad caught Judith's eye - he was watching from the sidelines and clung on to a football. When the music started he jumped up to dance and placed the ball under his chair. When he sat down he looked lost for a second or two because he couldn't remember where he had put the ball, but then he saw it and his face broke into a grin. We had a calligraphy lesson and were let loose with pens and ink!
  
  
  
  
  
• Karaoke. We celebrated the end of our ESSENCE OF CHINA trip in a karaoke bar. It was a huge place comprising of a maze of corridors and private rooms. It was midnight when we arrived, but what the 'eck, we hired a private room for 4 hours! Along with a karaoke machine, a big screen and microphones, the room was equipped with musical instruments and free Internet. Soft drinks were on the house. Judith had smuggled on her person a bottle of Rice Wine, which went well with the free mixers! We sang our hearts out (ABBA, BEE GEES, THE CARPENTERS and KUNG FU PANDA). We left at 4.30am and were dazzled by the daylight!

MORE CHINESE ADVENTURES TO FOLLOW.....
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Hong Kong, China

SATURDAY 09 MAY 2009 - DESTINATION HONG KONG - After almost six weeks it was time to say farewell to Thailand! We boarded the 12.05pm flight from Krabi to Bangkok and then the 16.30pm flight to Hong Kong. We arrived at the YWCA on Hong Kong Island just after 9pm. Without even asking, we were upgraded to a 'superior' room. It is a great hotel in a great location - very clean and modern and equipped with a gym and a swimming pool. The view from our floor to ceiling window was magnificent. We looked out at towering skyscrapers and the zoological and botanical gardens (we could see the top of the gibbons' cage). The only drawback is that the hotel is at the top of a steep hill. We have a knack for booking into hotels perched on hills!

Apparently Hong Kong was just a "barren rock" housing a collection of fishing villages when it was claimed by Britain in 1842 following the First Opium War with China. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking. The Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island were handed over in 1860 and a 99-year lease was granted on the New Territories, comprising the area north of Kowloon up to the Shenzhen River and 235 outlying islands in 1898. Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty on 01 July 1997, and is now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China operating under "one country, two sytems" principle. Today Hong Kong has a population of more than 6.9 million people.

Hong Kong in a 'nutshell': COMPACT; ACCESSIBLE; FULL OF SKYSCRAPERS; PICTURESQUE HARBOUR; BEAUTIFUL SKYLINE; CLEAN; EFFICIENT; GOOD TRANSPORT SYSTEM; A SHOPPER'S PARADISE; SANDY BEACHES; GOOD FOOD; BUT RATHER EXPENSIVE (ESPECIALLY AFTER THAILAND!).

We spent eight days here and cracked most of it:

We discovered the IFC shopping mall (one of many) where there are some very, very classy shops. Our mouths gaped when we saw the prices of the Rolex watches - they are worth more than our flat in London! We enjoyed the rooftop garden view, which looks out over Victoria Harbour, and watched the ferries and junkboats plying their way to Kowloon and the neighbouring islands. We watched "Angels and Demons" in the IFC Palace Cinema - verdict: okay - a little far-fetched - not as good as the book.

We rode on what Guinness World Records calls the world's longest covered escalator. It is a 20 minute ride through a section of Hong Kong Island (mainly through Soho). We alighted at the zoological and botanical gardens and saw different species of lemurs, gibbons, orangutans, racoons and tortoises. The fountains in the gardens are like huge dandelion clocks and look impressive when they are in full flow.

We took the Star Ferry across the harbour to Kowloon and got a great view of the skyline during the 10 minute crossing. At the ferry port we managed to dodge the timeshare touts and the tailors and made our way along Tsim Sha Tsui promenade to the AVENUE OF STARS. This attraction pays tribute to the stars of the silver screen and the people who make the magic happen. There are plaques, handprints, sculptures including a two-metre tall statue of Bruce Lee. It is also a great vantage point to look out across Victoria Harbour. We were 'approached' a few times by giggling teenagers and asked to complete a questionnaire about Hong Kong. We duly obliged and posed for photographs afterwards.

Another mode of transport we experienced was the Peak Tram, which has been in operation since 1888 and takes people up an incline so steep that buildings look like they are leaning at a 45 degree angle. The views from the top are said to be the best of Hong Kong's skyline and harbour. At the top we made our way through one of two shopping malls (it's amazing - there are shops everywhere), bypassed Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and reached the outside viewing area. We did a circular trek round the Peak and got some fabulous views of the city. We also saw some flashy houses nestled behind high wrought-iron gates. We took the tram back down the hill and got off at the halfway point, i.e. MacDonnell Road where the YWCA is located. It was a little precarious getting off because the tram came to a standstill on a steep incline!

A 30 minute ferry ride got us to nearby Lantau Island where we jumped on a bus to the culturally themed Chinese-style Ngong Ping Village. We climbed the steps to the Giant Buddha - the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue. It is impressive, sitting serenely atop Ngong Ping plateau amid spectacular mountain scenery. It was atmospheric, made even more so when it was shrouded in a thin layer of cloud. We wound our way to the "Wisdom Path" - an outdoor wooden replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, i.e. one of the world's best known prayers that is revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists alike. The Sutra is made up of 38 wooden rectangular beams, which together form the symbol for infinity (a figure 8). Each beam has a portion of a 260-word prayer inscribed on it. Next stop was the Po Lin Monastery - a majestic building housing golden Buddhas. The oustide is richly decorated with ornate stone sculptures. The return journey took an hour because it was a freight ferry. Among the passengers were Buddhist monks - some were on their mobile phones, others were taking photographs and others munched on chocolate bars! Another passenger (a keen photographer judging by the size of his camera) stood beside us and marvelled at the jetfoil boat coming from nearby Macau. Back on dry land, we did some shopping for our evening picnic in the park. The supermarket offered wine-tasting in miniature cups. We, however, found the Bollinger champagne. Judith filled her cup and merrily glided round the aisles! The evening was warm and we enjoyed our picnic in the park overlooking the dandelion clock fountains. At 8pm we witnessed a small section of the "Symphony of Lights". Every evening at 8pm at the flick of a switch more than 40 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour are decked out in lights. We watched the myriad of colours unfold. It was kaleidoscopic!

Stanley Market by bus was another adventure. The guidebook states that it is famous for its relaxed ambience and bargain buys. We didn't buy anything, but had a relaxing time strolling along the promenade and Blake Pier. We spent the afternoon sunbathing on the beach at Repulse Bay - a beautiful crescent-shaped stretch of sand.

We explored Hong Kong Park - very pretty and houses a Museum of Teaware, which we skipped - not really our cup of tea! We visited Golden Bauhinia Square where we saw the "Forever Blooming Bauhinia" sculpture and the "Reunification Monument". These mark the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrtaive Region on 01.07.1997.

We enjoyed "dim sum" (literally meaning to "touch the heart") at Maxims. These special Cantonese snacks are chosen from steaming bamboo dishes and are paraded past on trolleys pushed by waitresses. You just point at what you want. They were tasty and went down a treat!

Last, but not least, we got our China visas. It was a relief to get a 90 day visa rather than the usual 30 day one.

We'll see you in mainland China very soon.
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Krabi, Thailand

MONDAY 30th MARCH 2009 - BANGKOK - A day of "farewells". We said farewell to Nicole, our GAP tour leader, to Marilyn and Cam and Jin and Dipna. It was our last night in Bangkok.

TUESDAY 31st MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION KOH SAMUI - BUSES, TUK-TUKS and FERRY - After checking out of the Royal Hotel we went to a hairdressers on Kao San Road. Whilst we were being groomed the heavens opened outside. The huge downpour caused the cockroaches to make an appearance. It was like a plague as hundreds of them scurried around outside trying to get into the shops! The rain was relentless - roads flooded and the tuk-tuks came to a standstill. We managed to hail a taxi, which took us back to the Royal Hotel. At 5pm we made our way across the street to catch the overnight bus to Koh Samui. It was a strange journey and an experience. We were escorted to a shabby market place and each given a yellow sticker to put on our shirts. It was chaotic - loads of travellers going to different places, but all seemed to get on the same bus! We got seats on the top deck. It was a little cramped, but we watched two DVDs, although the ending was missing from one of them! At 11.40pm we pulled up outside a roadside restaurant. Other buses were also there. Hoardes of travellers came, ate and went. Our bus, however, came, went and didn't come back for 90 minutes - we then had to wait until the driver had eaten!

APRIL FOOL'S DAY - No joke and still on the overnight bus. Surprisingly, we got some sleep. At 7am we got off the bus at a cafe and waited. A tuk-tuk came and took 10 of us (bags and all) down the road to another cafe. After 10 minutes we boarded a bus, which took us to the ferry port. We boarded the ferry - Koh Samui was in touching distance. It was a good crossing and at the other end we took a songthaew (a kind of pick-up truck) to Fisherman's Village, and then a taxi to the Sundays Sanctuary Resort and Spa - our home for the next 15 nights. It is a very nice place hidden in a tropical garden. We had a 'mountain (building site) view' room - a little rustic, but clean and spacious - a design based on earth and water elements. The resort had a spa and a superb black infinity swimming pool. It was boiling hot as we strolled into Fisherman's Village, although sections of the roads were flooded due an earlier downpour. A chap on a moped screeched to a halt in front of us and introduced himself as Kurt. Alarm bells started ringing and it soon became apparent that he was selling timeshare apartments. He gave us each a scratchcard - Dan didn't win, but Judith did. Kurt was astonished because nobody ever wins. He was a very good actor, but we didn't fall for his charms. We resisted the temptation to take a taxi to claim our prize, and an angry Kurt sped off into the distance. We had a tasty lunch at 'The Pier' overlooking Bophut Beach and the sea. Our first and lasting impressions of Fisherman's Village is of a quaint and small place adorned with restaurants, pubs, shops and boutiques.



REUNITED WITH JULIE AND PAUL AFTER EIGHT MONTHS - An overcast day was brightened up with the arrival of Julie (Dan's Mum) and Paul. We waited for them at the Peace Resort in Fisherman's Village. We asked the receptionist if we could hide behind the reception desk and surprise them, but she said "no". She did, however, let us hide behind a wall made from bamboo! They arrived at 11pm - a little jetlagged - but were pleased to see us. After eight months we had lots of catching up to do, but after a quick brew in their villa (affectionately known as the shed) we decided to let them get some sleep. We trekked back to Sundays - a good 30 minute walk with a sting in the tail, i.e. a steep hill at the end! However, it wasn't only the steepness we had to conquer - there were yapping dogs jumping out from the darkness, giant spdiers dangling from the telegraph wires, and once inside our resort we had to dodge the frogs sat on the decking singing and croaking at the top of their voices!

We spent the next couple of days with Julie and Paul at the Peace Resort. It is a great place located on the beach. We took a songthaew to Tropical Murphy's Bar in nearby Chaweng and met up with Amy and Rory (friends from the Indochina trip). It was teeming with rain and Judith got drenched because she had to stand and ride on the back of the songthaew. The only consolation was that the rain was warm! After lunch the sun came out, so we headed for the beach via the plush Library Resort. The reception is known as "contents" and the rooms are called 'Page I, Page II' etc. The red-tiled swimming pool overlooking the beach looked inviting, but it is only for residents, so we parked ourselves on the lovely beach. That evening we returned to Tropical Murphy's and settled down to watch Blackburn Rovers v Spurs. In the first half Spurs were awarded a penalty - Robbie Keane placed the ball on the spot and started his run-up, but just as he was about to strike the ball there was a power cut! When the power eventually came back on it was no surprise that Rovers were losing 0-1! We had faith and by the end of the game were jubilant - Rovers 2 Spurs 1. After the game we said farewell to Amy and Rory who were off to Koh Phangan (a neighbouring island) before heading for Australia via Singapore.

SUNDAY 05 APRIL 2009 - REUNITED WITH CAROLINE AND PHIL AFTER EIGHT MONTHS - A bright day, which we enjoyed at the Peace Resort. We ate corn on the cob and freshly cut pineapple prepared by a man on the beach. We became regular customers of his over the next two weeks, so much so that he referred affectionately to Paul as "Papa". Caroline and Phil arrived in the afternoon and had brought the good weather with them. It was good to see them again after eight months and they were in fine spirits after having spent a few days in Bangkok.

We spent the next few days relaxing and enjoying Koh Samui. One afternoon we had a game of football golf - it's the same as golf, but you kick a football! It was a 18 hole par 66 course with a free soft drink thrown in. It was good fun - the variety of holes were challenging, but hard on your feet. Judith somehow managed to get a hole in one at the 18th, so bought the customary round of drinks in the bar afterwards.




WEDNESDAY 08 APRIL 2009 - Caroline's birthday, so Julie kindly treated the ladies to a thai massage. It was very good - our bodies were kneaded, stretched, pushed and pummelled. Our legs reached heights that we didn't know were possible! In the evening we had a slap-up meal at the Cliff Restaurant. We sat outside, high up on a mountainside looking across a picturesque bay to a tropical headland. The sky was a myriad of colours - the sun was setting and storm clouds were raging in. When the rain came we moved inside. The food was delicious and the chocolate brownie birthday cake was heaven. We enjoyed after dinner drinks outside on the terrace in the moonlight.




FULL MOON (09 APRIL 2009) - when hedonists flock to Ko Phangan island for a Full Moon Beach Party. There is also a HALF MOON PARTY and a BLACK MOON PARTY - it never ends! We decided to forego the Full Moon Party and stay put on Koh Samui. We took an island tour and visited various sights including, THE BIG BUDDHA, BIG BUDDHA BEACH (named after phallic and suggestive rock formations), NAMUANG WATERFALLS ("muang" means purple in Thai) and refers to the huge purple rocks that create the waterfalls. People rode on elephants to the falls, but we trekked there. A dip was out of the question - the water was gushing and it was a strange dirty brown colour.



SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2009 - DAY TRIP TO MALAYSIA! We rose and shone at 4am, staggered to the bottom of the hill and were ferried to the port. There were 23 of us going to Malaysia to extend our Thai visas. It is crazy - you can only get 15 day visas if you enter Thailand overland, which we did via Cambodia. After the ferry crossing to the mainland we were herded into minibuses and driven to Satun. En route we had chicken and rice for breakfast. Most of our fellow travellers had done this journey before - we were in the minority, but it had to be done. At the border we got STAMPED OUT of Thailand, walked across NO MAN'S LAND, got STAMPED IN to Malaysia, walked round a brick building and got STAMPED OUT of Malaysia, walked back across NO MAN'S LAND, got STAMPED IN to Thailand. After a quick lunch we were back in the minibus to the ferry port. We arrived in Koh Samui at 8.30pm.

The next day we took a fabulous boat trip to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. The weather was perfect (hot and sunny and clear skies). We boarded a speedboat, which was a little cramped, but the service was very good - unlimited soft drinks and sea-sick tablets! We snorkelled in the warm waters at Koh Tao, one of the world's most famous areas for underwater sightseeing. We saw some giant coral and colourful fish. Koh Nang Yuan is 3 islands connected by a white powdery sand beach - a miracle of nature. It is idyllic.

"SAWADEE PEE MAI" - Happy New Year - April 13 is the start of the traditional Thai New Year also known as "Songkran", which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. It is celebrated over a few days by the Thai people from the old to the young and from the royalty to the ordinary people. Before the celebrations people clean their houses to cast away any bad luck of the old year, so that good fortune will slip into their new lives instead. In some northern rural areas explosive sounds and loud noises are made to chase away the ghosts. Candles are lit and piles of wood are burned in front of houses on New Year's Eve to shine the way for the spirits, which old people believe will come out of their places on that night. We had no choice but to join the Thai people and experience Songkran, especially in the well-known "water-throwing feast" - used as a means of greeting, blessing and showing respect! The Thais in the olden times held that water was a pure thing, which was able to wash away all kinds of evil and misfortune and bring good luck and happiness with it. We had great fun walking from the Sundays Resort to the Peace Resort. The man in the laundry at the bottom of the hill turned the hosepipe on us. In Fisherman's Village we were drenched with water from giant water pistols and buckets from pick-up trucks loaded with water. Our faces were also smeared with white paste made from talcum powder. The Thai people were very sweet and apologetic as they carried out their actions! Judith tried to retaliate with a rather small and pathetic water pistol. We arrived at the Peace Resort looking like two drowned rats and got some very strange looks! Later in the day, the staff at the Peace Resort paraded round the grounds and inevitably ended up in the pool fully clothed! Two guests who had just arrived got caught up in the middle of all this. They didn't look too pleased because they and their luggage got wet as they made their way to their "shed". In the evening things had calmed down and we celebrated Julie's 70th birthday, albeit prematurely, at the Sea Wrap restaurant (Peace Resort). The sea was literally wrapped around us as we tucked into a slap-up buffet style meal on the beach sat on giant bean bags. We were entertained by a singing duo, fire-eaters and cocktail waiters juggling Tom Cruise style. Julie was presented with a huge birthday cake and other diners joined in with a Thai rendition of "Happy Birthday". It was a good night. Judith later lit a lucky lantern in memory of her Mum and watched it soar high into the night sky above the sea and sand.

TUESDAY 14 APRIL 2009 - JULIE's 70th BIRTHDAY - We gave her some birthday gifts - a scarf, a bag and a purple beach dress. We spent the rest of the day sunbathing and swimming and then had another birthday meal in the White Elephant restaurant overlooking the sea.




THURSDAY 16 APRIL 2009 - DESTINATION PHUKET - After the departure of Dan's family it was time to move on, so we made our way to Koh Samui airport for our flight to Phuket. Samui airport is lovely - it resembles a holiday resort - lots of quaint shops and restaurants surrounded by beautiful scenery. We took advantage of the courtesy corner whilst we waited for the gate to open (had free soft drinks and Thai nibbles). The flight was on schedule and we arrived in Phuket at 6pm. We took a 'shared' minibus and toured Phuket before reaching CC Blooms, which is perched on top of a very steep hill and which would make a good ski slope - a black run at that!

In the next couple of days we explored Phuket including the lovely Kata Beach and the livelier resort of Patong. We also went to the PHI PHI Islands. A minibus took us to the Phuket Marina where we climbed aboard a speedboat. It was a hot day and the sky bright blue and cloudless -just perfect. After a while Phi Phi Ley, an uninhabited island, came into sight and we were greeted with spectacular limestone cliffs - magnificent. We anchored at Maya Bay made famous when it was used as the backdrop for the film "The Beach" starring Leonardo Dicaprio. It is a beautiful spot - gorgeous white sand, turquoise water and huge cliffs rising out of the sea. We walked along the beach - it was like walking in flour - and swam in the sea. The only thing that spoilt the moment was the morning rush hour! Every boat and tourist under the sun seemed to be there (slight exaggeration, but nonetheless too many boats and people). Although a conch shell would have been more appropriate, our captain blew on his whistle, our signal to get back on board the boat. We made our way to Loh Samah Bay where we swam and snorkelled. It is so pretty and we saw many species of tropical fish. Our next stop was Monkey Beach, but our search for monkeys was in vain. They didn't want to come out and play with us. We sailed past Viking Cave, a natural limestone cave, which has been a place of activity since prehistoric times. More recently the cave has been used primarily for the harvesting of swallows nests (a chinese delicacy). We had lunch at Phi Phi Don Island and then made our way to Khai Island ("khai" meaning "egg" in Thai). We did some more snorkelling there before heading back to Phuket. The return journey was fast and furious. The boat cut through the waves at an alarming rate. We were thrown backwards and forwards as the boat rose high and dipped low. Eventually we reached dry land with our stomachs intact!





DESTINATION PATONG - We spent three days in Patong said to be the centre of all the action. It has unlimited shopping opportunities, restaurants as well as hawker food stalls and bars. We embraced the myriad of sights, sounds and smells, including Bangla Road in the heart of Patong. It is pedestrianised after 5pm every evening and is a hive of activity bustling with bars, restaurants, ladyboys, pole-dancers, go-go and ping-pong shows. Very entertaining!




THURSDAY 23 APRIL 2009 TO FRIDAY 08 MAY 2009 - DESTINATION AO NANG (KRABI) - After a hurried breakfast we took a minibus to Rassada Harbour. We got some strange looks because we were the only people with rucksacks. When more people boarded the bus the driver had to fasten our bags on to the roofrack. At the harbour we were each given a purple sticker that bore the name, "Ao Nang". We were ushered to a large ferry where other people had purple stickers. It was a pleasant trip across the Andaman Sea. The sun was beating down on us and the scenery was stunning. The huge limestone rocks in the sea shone brilliantly - some look like jigsaw pieces turned on their side and others like oversized biscotti dipping into a sea of dessert wine (how does Judith think of this stuff?)! We arrived at the passenger port in Krabi located near to Noppharat Thara Beach and jumped aboard an open-air bus to Ao Nang, the main tourist hub in the Krabi area and situated 20km from Krabi Town.

Krabi has it all - towering limestone rocks (aka karsts), world class beaches, idyllic islands, temples, sumptuous food, night life and shopping. And the people are so genuine - they smile at you for no reason and greet you with the traditional "sawadee". Thailand is built on the attitude of "Mai Pen Rai", which means, "It doesn't matter", and this is the underlying principle of everyday life in Krabi. So, for the next 16 days we ate, drank, relaxed, smiled and enjoyed paradise. Here are some of our highlights.

Hut Number 11 "Yu Hoo Massage" located on Ao Nang Beach. On our first day here we were befriended by "Na" who took us to her massage hut. It is a good set-up - the beach and sea on one side and many numbered 'huts' (offering massages, manicures and pedicures) on the other side. Na gave us beachside seats (plastic chairs) and a beach mat weighted down by sand in plastic water bottles. We spent many hours here soaking up the sun and Judith had quite a few Thai massages - exceptionally good, but "ouch"! Ni, one of the masseurs, 'mended' Judith's left foot, injured when she went over on it walking down the street in broad daylight! We also swam in the warm, shallow sea and were amazed at the view from the sea. A stunning palm-fringed beach watched over by huge limestone cliffs, some covered in trees and others bare and rugged. We also played with Na's 5 month old niece - Phi Phi Na who is gorgeous - lovely brown eyes and brown skin. A family from Norway (regular visitors to Hut 11) kindly bought a pram for Phi Phi Na. Her parents were elated, although not sure about Phi Phi Na - she cried as soon as she was put in it!

"Khao Hom" restaurant, where we had breakfast every day. The owner and her two young staff are so sweet. As soon as we went in they switched on the BBC News for us. One afternoon Sopreni, the owner, showed us how to make Thai Green Curry and then dished it up to us for free. Talking of food, we were spoiled for choice in a country that worships the very fact of eating. As well as Green Curry, we devoured Red Curry, Yellow Curry, Tom Yam, Phad Thai, Fried Rice, Sticky Rice and Pancakes. We manage to resist the lure of McDonalds and Pizza Company, but must own up to having a latte or two from Starbucks!

Longtail boats to pretty much anywhere you like to go leave from Ao Nang, so we took a longtail boat to Railay Beach. It is not, however, like getting onto a bus - the boats don't leave until they have at least 8 passengers, so we had to wait a while. West Railay Beach is a beautiful, but rather small and narrow, so we took the path to East Railay Beach, and from there made our way to Phranang Bay. We pitched our towels on the beach in the shadow of the Phranang Cave, which looms high above. The cave has a shrine notable for its phallic statues and dedicated to a deity known as Sri Kunlathewi who, according to a legend, was an Indian princess wrecked on this coast in the 3rd century BC and has been called upon by fishermen ever since to provide them with a good catch. The locals were selling their wares (food, drink and clothes). One of the ladies selling drinks was wearing an old Blackburn Rovers shirt (a yellow coloured one). Judith had her photograph taken with her, but the poor woman didn't know why her shirt was the centre of attraction! After enjoying the sights and sounds of Phranang Beach, we took a longtail boat back to Ao Nang Beach.



Cycling round Krabi province. The owner of "Champion Bike" was over the moon when we hired two bikes because business was very slow. We pedalled hard in the hot sun taking in the scenery of the "real" Thailand - lush green forests, limestone mountains, traditional villages and houses. We even passed a few elephants. We stumbled upon Klong Moung Beach where 5-star resorts line the main road interspersed with restaurants and bars, including another Irish Bar - "Paddy's"; spent an afternoon at Tup Kaek Beach - a sandy and deserted beach overlooking the Andaman Sea and the Hong Islands. It is a paradise - there were only a handful of people on the beach, but we did see hundreds of tiny crabs scuttling in packs across the sand. We also cycled 'Beach to Beach' i.e. Ao Nang to an unknown deserted beach further North where we idled the day in hammocks.




Huai To Waterfall located in Khao Phanom Bencha National Park - 34kms from Ao Nang. We cycled there and sweated profusely as we negotiated our way through Krabi Town and to the one road that leads to the waterfall. A friendly Thai policeman chatted to us briefly saying that there was a 20% chance of rain. Undeterred, we pedalled on dodging ferocious dogs that seemed to be laying in wait on either side of the road. Then the rain came forcing us to seek shelter under a wooden hut built on stilts and with a tin roof. Eventually the sun came out and dried up all the rain. We arrived at Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, the only National Park in the Krabi province that is located on the mainland. The Park's gorgeous waterfalls, caves, cliffs, brooks and natural scenery are one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Krabi province. We locked up our bikes and scrambled over the slippery rocks to Huai To Waterfall. It is a magnificient 11-tier waterfall known for its large pools with crystal clear water. We stopped at the second tier, but other people were climbing further. The cycle back was a little easier because there were more downhill sections, although in Krabi Town we found ourselves running across the tarmac and over the grassy central reservation to get on to the right side of the road!

Sccoting round "unseen" Thailand on a moped. It was a little scary at first on the unfamiliar roads, but Dan drove carefully. Judith balanced on the back saying the "Rosary"! We visited Wat Tham Seua, or Tiger Cave Monastery, billed as one of South Thailand's most famous and interesting forest temples. There monks live, meditate and worship within a maze of natural caves in an overgrown jungle valley. Many Thai women live out their old-age there as nuns. One of these nuns tied a piece of string round Judith's left wrist for good luck. We laughed at the cheeky monkeys running around - some were in their playground complete with tyres hanging from trees, others were sat on mopeds (stationary ones). In the midday sun we climbed 1,237 steps up a limestone tower. At the top a giant golden Buddha statue looks out over the magnificent view, which includes pockets of lowland forest and rugged cliffs hugged by trees turning them into huge upturned jelly moulds. It was late when we arrived at the Emerald Lake and the eight pounds entrance fee was too steep, so this sight remains "unseen"!




Frequenting the Irish Rover the only blot on the landscape was the resident singer and a couple of sidekicks who just happened to be in the bar. They insisted on singing. Perusing the shelves in the "Used Bookshop" - Judith liked to peruse the large collection of used books, but one day realised that you can't always have what you want. She picked up a book by Joanne Harris (one of her favourite writers), but had forgotten her purse, so put it back on the shelf. As quick as a flash, the female member of a couple who had followed Judith into the shop picked up the very same book and didn't put it down. Worse than that she bought it! Of all the books in the shop, why did she have to buy that one?
Being blessed by glorious weather, although there was the odd shower to cool us down. On our last day we watched a dark blanket of cloud sweep across the islands out at sea. Luckily it didn't sweep in our direction.

That's it for our adventures in the Land of Smiles. We will see you in Hong Kong.
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Bangkok, Thailand

20th FEBRUARY 2009 - DESTINATION - SINGAPORE - We landed in Singapore at 9pm and jumped on the efficient MRT (Massive Rapid Transit) and then took a taxi to the Sapphire Hotel. Lots of pretty young girls were stood on the street outside the hotel - it was slap-bang in the middle of the Red Light district! We had a beer in a local bar and soaked up the atmosphere. It was very busy - bars and restaurants were choc-a-bloc, fruit stalls were still stacked high with colourful fruits, and clothes stalls were still open.

We spent the following day exploring. Singapore is billed as "a unique and dynamic city, rich in contrast and colour, where you will find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture. Located in South East Asia, it continues to embrace tradition and modernity today." We had arranged to meet Lindsey (a friend from our trip in South America who lives and works in Singapore) at 1pm. Our time was limited, but Lindsey was the perfect guide and showed us the sights. After lunch at Clarke Quay we strolled down Orchard Road and window shopped in the fashionable shopping malls. We then visited the Botanical Gardens, which are beautiful. We saw bonsai, banana trees, and a ginger garden. It was raining, so we were given rain ponchos from a park ranger - very thoughtful. Our next destination was the Grand Raffles Hotel. A doorman in full Indian regalia opened the taxi door and welcomed us with a smile. After the customary photographs, we made our way to the Long Bar and ordered three Singapore Slings - it just had to be done! The bar was impressive - beautiful decor and the floor underfoot crunched because of the discarded peanut shells scattered on the floor. The 'slings' went down very well, so we ordered Mojitos! Legend has it that in 1902, the last wild tiger in Singapore was shot dead in the billiards room of the Raffles Hotel. We ate dinner in a tapas bar overlooking the Singapore River. It was a pretty area, made even more special by the twinkling lights of the river boats and the neighbouring towers and skyscrapers.




SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2009 - DESTINATION BANGKOK - We arrived in Bangkok at 3pm and caught a taxi to the Royal Hotel. The taxi driver thought he was Lewis Hamilton. He was racing another taxi driver, weaving in and out of the traffic and using the hard shoulder and braking at the last second! At the hotel we handed over our passports and payment to the resident travel agent, so that he could arrange our visas for Vietnam. The following day we decided to be culture vultures. We visited the Grand Palace, which used to house the Royal Family. On the way to the palace we were approached by a man who told us that the Palace was closed for a ceremony, but he would arrange for a tuk-tuk to take us elsewhere. The alarm bells started ringing - this is a well known scam and luckily we had been forewarned, so didn't fall for the trip to a fake gem store and/or a tailors! The Palace is magnificent and houses the renowned temple of the Emerald Buddha. There are also some stunning structures and superbly crafted statues, e.g. a sandstone model of Angkor Wat (the famed Cambodian temple), pagodas covered in mosaic gold, beautiful spires, mythical creatures, impressive demon giants who guard the entrance gates, eight "prangs" dedicated to different Buddhist precepts, and a delightful bell tower. The statue of Goddess Kun Iam (Goddess of Mercy) sits outside the Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha. We entered the Chapel barefoot and saw the Buddha enshrined on a golden traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded carved wood, known as a "Busabok". The Buddha is clad with one of three seasonal costumes (summer, winter and rainy season). His costume is changed three times a year in a ceremony presided over by the King of Thailand. The Buddha is carved from a block of green jade and was first discovered in 1434 in a stupa in Chiang Rai. At that time the image was covered with plaster and was thought to be an ordinary Buddha image. Later, however, the abbot who found it noticed that the plaster on its nose had flaked off revealing the green stone underneath. The abbot thought that the stone was emerald and thus the legend of the Emerald Buddha began.



Our second stop that day was the "Reclining Buddha" - a peaceful Buddha with large magnificent feet, i.e. they are decorated with mother of pearl motifs! Along one side of the temple stands 108 bronze bowls. Judith dropped coins into each of them for good fortune.




The following day we caught a public water taxi. It was great fun mingling with the locals as we sailed down the Chao Phraya River. We alighted at Central Pier and jumped on to the clean and efficient skytrain (an elevated metro system). We noticed the sign above a priority seat, "Give this seat to a monk"! We stopped at a shopping mall and then made our way to Lumpini Park for some peace and quiet and a place to breathe. Afterwards we strolled through the famous Patpong Market. It was early and the stallholders were just setting up, but we got the gist. We got invited to a ping-pong show, but declined the offer!

Armed with our Vietnam visas we crossed over the city to the FuramaXclusive Hotel from where we explored further. A very smart hotel with a rooftop jacuzzi and a free Happy Hour every night! We sampled this as well as the small gym. We ate dinner at "Cabbages and Condoms", a very good restaurant. It gets its name because the owner feels that birth control should be as accessible as vegetables from the market.

Jim Thompson's House is a must sight, so we hopped on a junk boat. It was certainly an experience - crammed full and standing room only. We held on tight to a kind of washing line until our stop. We took an enjoyable tour of the Thai home of Jim Thompson - an American who was born in 1906. After World War Two he was sent to Bangkok as a military officer and fell in love with Thailand. After leaving the US Army he decided to return and live in Thailand permanently. The hand weaving of silk captured his attention and he devoted himself to reviving the craft. Highly gifted as a designer and textile colourist, he contributed substantially to the industry's growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai silk. He constructed his house by combining six teak buildings, which represented the best in traditional Thai architecture. In his quest for authenticity, he adhered to the customs of the early builders in most respects. The houses are elevated a full storey above the ground - a practical precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season. Also, the bedroom doors have high frames at the bottom to stop the bad spirits from sliding under them! On 26.03.01967 Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Not a single valid clue has turned up in the ensuing years as to what might have happened to him. His famous Thai house, however, remains as a lasting reminder of his creative ability and his deep love of Thailand. After lunch we hit the shopping mall for a pair of sunglasses and a rucksack!

In the evening we sat ringside and watched nine Thai boxing bouts in the space of four hours. The boxers were young, lean and mean, the heaviest weighing 9.5 stone! Their outfits were brightly coloured and before each bout they performed a ritual, which comprised of prayers and a dance. The first few rounds of each fight were slow, but the final two rounds were fast and furious. They threw punches, kicked using their feet and knees and elbowed. By the end, their backs were red and bruised. It was an experience. On the way back to the hotel we took a detour down Soi Cowboy, a street full of seedy bars and beautiful girls - get the gist? All of a sudden and quite unexpectedly, an elephant came trudging down the street!

MONDAY 02 March 2009 - INDOCHINA ENCOMPASSED. We met up with our new travelling companions for our Indochina Encompassed Trip. There were 15 of us, including Nicole our guide. It was a good bunch and we were in for a trip of a lifetime.

The following morning we all jumped into a longboat and sailed down the Klong Canal. It was a great tour. We passed traditional Thai houses built on stilts - the wealthier ones are built from teak. Some had rows and rows of washing strung up outside. We saw a floating market, which sold anything and everything. At Wat Po we took another boat to Wat Arun (The Temple of the Dawn), a Royal temple dedicated to the 2nd reign of the Chakki Dynasty. It has a most elegant pagoda and is one of the landmarks of Thailand located on the banks of Chao Phraya River. It was blazing hot as we climbed the steep steps up the central prang, but the view from the top was awesome.



That afternoon we headed to the station to catch the overnight train to Chiang Mai. The station was organised chaos, but we managed to board the right train. We were pleasantly surprised - it was clean and spacious and the food good. We plied the waitresses with beer, so much so that when it was time to convert our seats into beds they were too drunk and couldn't find the key to unlock the mechanism! Eventually the key was found and we managed to get some sleep.



We arrived in Chiang Mai at 7.15am and put our trucks into a red tuk-tuk and followed on behind in a minibus. The traffic was busy and our luggage bounced around in the back of the tuk-tuk! With no time to spare we dumped our bags into the Mandala Guest House (a lovely place) and then went for an elephant ride. We balanced precariously on a rickety seat on an elephant's back. We rocked to and fro as it climbed up a hill and then down the other side. We fed it bananas - it was a guzzler and kept lifting its trunk begging for more food! Our guide invited Dan to have a front seat, i.e. astride the elephant's head.



In the evening we visited a temple and got a birds eye view of Chiang Mai. It was a lovely evening and thankfully a little cooler. We had to climb over 300 steps to the temple. We saw a white elephant, the hermit doctor and huge bells inscribed with names, which people ring for good fortune. We rang one three times and made a wish. We got blessed in a small chapel where the men were allowed to approach the monk. The women, however, had to approach a "lesser" man who tied a piece of string round our left wrists for safe travels. Rumour has it that you must keep it on until it falls off! We also saw the nine statues representing the Buddhist days of the week (there are two for Wednesday and a general one). We had our fortunes told by throwing numbered sticks! At 6pm we witnessed the monks chanting in prayer. We followed them into a chapel and knelt down with our feet pointing away from the Buddha. It was very moving.

We enjoyed our second day in Chiang Mai on two wheels. We cycled through the narrow and dusty streets inhaling a mixture odd aromas (e.g. thai cooking, sticky rice and washing powder). Our guides were excellent and stopped the traffic so that we could cross the roads! We visited temples and a former leper colony, which is now used as a rehabilitation centre. We saw women and men at work making cards, ornaments and wooden nativity scenes. There was an impressive wood carving of the Last Supper. It was very intricate and detailed. After lunch we rang a giant gong at a temple - the noise was deafening. We then ended up at a dead end - a crematorium! Three stone structures were visible - a small open crematorium, a modern crematorium painted white, red and gold, and a larger crematorium within walls. People of Chiang Mai prefer to use the smallest one, i.e. two brick walls charred on the inside. The space in the middle of the walls houses the coffin. The area was full of leaves and is never cleared because it is bad luck (don't want to tempt fate). It is only cleared and cleaned when there is a customer! Moving on swiftly, we returned to our guest house and after a quick power-shower piled into minibuses and headed for Chiang Kong.




Our hotel in Chiang Kong was in a beautiful spot overlooking the Mekong River and Laos. We sampled the local food and danced the night away and got an added bonus as Jack (our friend from Colorado) sang us a song.



SLOW BOAT DOWN THE MEKONG - An early start and a tuk-tuk ride to the border. We got stamped out of Thailand and took a long boat across the Mekong River to the Laos border. There we got our visas and after another tuk-tuk ride reached our boat for our trip down the Mekong. It was a family-owned long boat. Seats were situated both at the front on a raised deck and below on the lower deck. There was also a dining area and a bar. We had to be barefoot except for when we used the toilet - we wore communal slippers! We watched the world drift by - the scenery was stunning. The sun belted down on the forested hills and the sandy banks. Fishermen were hard at work, children played on the riverbank and water buffaloes wallowed in the shallows. After a superb lunch on board the boat we moored at a small village. The sand was blistering hot underfoot. Lots of children came to greet us. They were a little shy and curious at first, but soon their big brown eyes shone and their faces lit up with great big smiles. Dao our guide) showed us round the village which has 30 houses and approximately 200 people. The wooden houses are built on stilts and only one has a TV. We took photographs of the children and they just loved looking at themselves. Dan took a video of them, which reduced them to fits of laughter. Then someone kicked a deflated football - a common denominator all over the world. We had a kick about with the children and they took delight in mimicking our actions and words. Some of the boys were very skillful. These children have nothing, but their smiles said it all - they are happy. When it was time to go they followed us down the sandbank and waved us off. It was a good experience, but somehow didn't feel right - encroaching on someones else's life, staring at them and taking photographs.




We idled away the afternoon on the boat and arrived at Pakbeng (Laos) in the early evening. Young boys scampered to the boat eager to carry our bags up the steep sand bank. ONE of Judith's bag weighs a ton, but the young boy was stronger than he looked and was delighted with his payment, i.e. the going rate of 50p! We followed the makeshift bamboo path to the top of the sand bank. It was like a scene from an Agatha Christie film "Murder on the Mekong". We booked into the Phet Sokxai Hotel and then strolled through the small village. Shops, restaurants and market stalls lined the road. A little boy on a meat stall wafted a stick with a plastic bag on the end to keep off the flies. After dinner we went to the village open-air party. Women got up one by one and stood beside a pole in the centre of the circular dance floor. Men paid for the privilege of a dance. The dancing was rather sedate, but we joined in for one dance. At the party, we also saw the young "bag boys" gambling away their bag money on a sort of slot machine made from large wooden bricks. On the way back to the hotel Dan and Rory each bought a football. Rory had a kick about in the street with some local boys.

DESTINATION LUANG PRABANG - We awoke to a beautiful sunrise. Four little "bag-boys" appeared at the hotel. We had a quick game of football with them and then gave them the ball. They were over the moon. We waved to them as we set sail once again on our long boat. In the afternoon we visited Pak Ou caves, which are set high in the cliff that housed Buddha temples. We climbed more steps to an upper cave. Small children littered the steps holding tiny cages housing tiny birds. They were selling them to people to set them free for good luck. We arrived in Luang Prabang at 5pm. Unfortunately, there were no boys to carry our bags, so we heaved them up the hill to a waiting "jumbo" (a large tuk-tuk). Our home for the next three nights was Villa Tavandens. Luang Prabang means "Great or Royal Holy Image" and is the oldest city in Laos. It is located in a basin surrounded by mountains and hills at the confluence of the Nam Khan and the Mekong River. The city is on a peninsula 250m wide and 1km long formed by a curve in the Nam Khan river. We strolled through the night market - a pretty and colourful sight with rows upon rows of stalls selling jewellery, silk scarfs, silk shirts, trousers, t-shirts and hats. Judith treated herself to a brown and blue silk scarf. At the corner of one street people tried their luck at popping balloons with darts.

We spent the next morning visiting the National Museum in Luang Prabang, which was once the Royal Palace. It was built between 1904 and 1909 during the reign of King Srisavangvong. It contains a collection of personal artefacts belonging to the Royal Family as well as gifts received from abroad - they are still awaiting gifts from the UK! There is some beautiful and ornate furniture on display. Judith took a shine to the large wooden beds and wardrobes. It's a pity that they won't fit into our one-bedroom flat in London!

Afterwards, we jumped into a jumbo for a 40 minute ride to the Kuang Si falls. On the way their Jin's hat blew off into the dusty road. Rory, however, was a gentleman and stopped the jumbo and rescued it for her. The falls were high and located in a forest. Undeterred, we hiked up the slippery and worn steps to the top to take in the view. The descent was worse than the ascent, but we eventually made it and made our way to a "swimming" pool. Dan, Rory and Jack swung from a rope attached to a tree and jumped into the pool below. We then dared each other to jump from a waterfall about 10ft high. Judith and Jack stood on the edge for an eternity. Judith kept saying "me legs, me legs, they're shaking!". Jack encouraged her by saying that she'd kick her ass if she didn't jump! Eventually on the count of three Judith leaped off - Jack followed her almost immediately. Amy and Dipna went next and made it look so easy!


In the early evening we climbed the steps to Phousi, a hill 60m high. At the top we got a panoramic view of the town and the vast mountains rising steeply out of the rivers. We also saw the footprint of Buddha and lots of Buddha images. We sat and watched the sunset, but it was hazy and the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Nevertheless, it was still a beautiful evening in a beautiful place. After dinner we joined some of the others for cocktails in the Hive Bar. Our enjoyment was curtailed - everything closes at 11pm.



The following morning we skipped breakfast at the hotel and ate in town. Feeling somewhat energetic, we hired some cycles and headed off for the old part of town. We passed shimmering temples and crossed the Nam Khan river via the old wooden bridge, used only for motorbikes and push bikes. It was single file, so we had to pedal like mad so as not to hold up the traffic. Our route took us past the airport and through small villages where people were getting on with their lives preparing their evening meals. The aromas were very tantalising. It was hard going because the sun was hot and the roads dusty and undulating. Afterwards, Judith had a Mystic Lao Massage where they use a stretching and pressure point technique to increase blood circulation and promote a feeling of well being. It certainly did the trick for Judith!

TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION VANG VIENG - We took a private bus along the scenic Route 13 to Vang Vieng, which lies along the bank of the Nam Song river. En route we were introduced to the dramatic Lao mountains and the homes of the Hmong and Yao hill tribe groups. The Government has been encouraging the people of the mountains to relocate to the lower plains to allow for integration and better access to health and education services. We also saw all sorts of livestock careering down the middle of the road, e.g. cows, pigs and goats. The houses were built on the roadside, which doubled as the childrens playground! Hoardes of school children were cycling home, men were having their hair cut by the roadside, sat on rickety chairs, one man had a wicker basket strapped to his back and suddenly a head popped out of it. It was the head of a cute child - big round face, big brown eyes and a tuft of thick black hair. In one place plucked chickens were strung up on a line like a row of clean washing.

We arrived at Thavonsouk Resort just as the sun was setting. It was very pretty and peaceful and offered a panoramic view of the dramatic limestone mountains that fall into the Song River - it was stunning.



The next day was free to go exploring, so we opted for floating down the river on a giant inner-tube! At the start little girls were swinging across the river on high ropes and jumping off large rocks. We threw our inner-tubes into the river and hurled ourselves ungainly onto them and set off downstream. Bamboo bars lined the route. The owners hollered at us to stop and have a drink or two. We floated sedately past the first few bars, but decided on one with stone tables and seats set in the riverbed. We meandered further downstream until we came to another bar. A chap threw us a rope and hauled us in one by one. We welcomed the cold beer. Further on we passed some buffaloes wallowing in the mud, but managed to keep a safe distance. After four hours of messing about on the river we returned our inner-tubes, had dinner and retired for the evening.

THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION VIENTIANE - We departed at 8am for Vientiane, the sleepy little capital of Laos. Vientiane means the City of the Moon whose crescent evokes the curve of the Mekong River on which the town is built. It was very hot when we reached the Mali Namphu Guest House, so we rushed to the Joma Bakery for lunch. Refuelled and refreshed, we set off to explore the city, which became the capital of Laos in 1563. It's fortunes rose until sacked by the Siamese in 1827. Fifty years later the French found it abandoned and overgrown, but because of its position on a bend in the Mekong River amidst fertile alluvial plains, they set out to rebuild it. It is a laid back city with many interesting Wats (temples) and lively markets. We strolled past the Presidential Palace and found ourselves at Wat Si Saket - the oldest and most important Wat in Vientaine. It was built in 1818 in early Siamese style and is the only wat in the city to survive the 1828 Siamese attack on the city. The central temple has a Thai style five-tiered roof and is surrounded by a square cloister whose galleries house over 300 seated and standing Buddha images. The wat is estimated to contain over 6,000 Buddhas each of which are ritually cleaned at Laos New Year and later "fed". From here, we walked up Lane Xang at the end of which stands the Patouxas, which is built out of concrete meant for an airport runway! It is "The Arc de Triomphe" of Vientiane. It is impressive from the outside and closely resembles its Parisian cousin, but is ornamental in Lao style. However, it is a disappointment on the inside - it is unfinished and is cold and bare. We climbed the steps to the top to get a good view of the city, including the Patouxas Park and its fountains. That evening we enjoyed cocktails at a bar overlooking the Mekong river. We looked across the dry riverbed and could see Thailand. After a delicious steak dinner we had more cocktails at the Martini Bar.


FRIDAY 13th MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION HANOI (VIETNAM) - We had a few hours to explore before our evening flight to Hanoi, so we shared a tuk-tuk with Dave and Diane and visited Stupa That Luang - the national symbol of Laos. It is said to contain a hair from the Buddha. It is gold in colour and each level represents different Buddhist doctrines. People walked round one level holding their hands in a prayer-like fashion and clasping incense sticks and flowers (for offerings). A small cemetery stood beside the stupa. It was a little tatty and overgrown, but the ornate stupas gave it some presence. We shopped in the market next to the stupa and Judith bought a "dressy" watch for three pounds (it is still going strong). At 4pm we boarded our flight to Hanoi and touched down in Vietnam after one hour. It was noticeably cooler, but we soon warmed up with supper at a noodle bar, before retiring to the Nhat Tien Hotel. Some of the group dined at another establishment and were joined by some furry friends (rats)!

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM! - A day to embrace the culture and street life of Vietnam. It was fascinating and chaotic. Crossing the road is a nightmare. We thought Brasilia was bad, but Hanoi is much worse. You step into the road and have to keep walking and hope that the cars and the motorbikes dodge you! Hanoi is full of history, tradition and legend and traces its origins to 1010 (the emperor Le Thai To called the city Thang Long - Soaring Dragon). We visited Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and saw his embalmed body, which is watched over by solemn and stern guards. We also saw the house-on-stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from May 1958 to August 1969. The house has been preserved as it was in his life. He declined to live in the nearby Presidential Palace claiming that it belonged to the people and it is now used for official functions.





The Temple of Literature was our next destination. It is Hanoi's best preserved ancient site and dating from the 11th century, is Vietnam's oldest institution of higher education. It is dedicated to Confucius. We strolled round the five walled courtyards and the gardens. In the afternoon we took a stroll the Old Quarter and experienced the "real" Hanoi. It was like an opening scene from a James Bond movie. The traffic was chaotic, women wearing conical hats carried fruit balanced in large silver wok-shaped bowls attached by string to either end of a horizontal bamboo pole, people sat on chairs on the pavement and chatted noisily. At one time the Old Quarter was known as the area of the 36 streets because of guild names were given to the streets of their trade, e.g. Silk Street, Paper Street, Basket Street, Medicine Street. Today the area does a flourishing trade in all manner of handicrafts and souvenirs. Emerging unscathed from the Old Quarter, we found ourselves at the Hanoi Hilton - the former prison where thousands of patriots and revolutionary fighters were imprisoned and tortured, both physically and spiritually. Many Vietnamese sacrificed their lives here to secure the independence and freedom of the nation. Between 1964 and 1973 the prison was used to detain American pilots whose aircraft had been shot down over Hanoi whilst bombing or attacking the North Vietnamese people. The Americans nicknamed the prison "The Hanoi Hilton". The prison's inmates included John McCain (US Senator). It was pretty gruesome and eerie. The cells that confined prisoners with chains and leg-irons were tiny. We saw the guillotine that "cut" many patriots and revolutionists, as well as part of the underground sewer doors through which some prisoners escaped. An impressive black and white memorial monument in honour of patriotic and revolutionary combatants stands in the memorial courtyard. In the late afternoon we saw the "Water Puppet" show - traditional Vietnamese entertainment! Not really our cup of tea - a small orchestra provided the music as gaily coloured wooden puppets emerged from underneath a makeshift pagoda into a small pool of water. They were comical looking - rather like coloured skittles. That evening we welcomed Chris and Jean our new travelling companions. At dinner we had a cake to celebrate Dipna's birthday for the following day. It was also Lindsey's last night (or so we thought), so we had a few drinks in the Dragonfly Bar.

SUNDAY 15th MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION HALONG BAY - A birthday that Dipna will not forget! We set off early for a three hour drive to Bai Chai harbour for an overnight trip on beautiful Halong Bay. At the harbour we boarded a romantic, traditional wooden junk boat named "Huong Hai". Much to our surprise, it was very plush. The ensuite cabins were comfortable and featuring wooden decor and had hot showers. The rooftop sundeck was spacious, the dining area was first-class and the food exquisite. We were treated like Kings and Queens. We feasted on fresh seafood including stuffed crab, lobster, shrimps and clams, and the food kept on coming and coming. The boat set sail and the scene before us was magnificent. More than 3000 islands and rocks rise from the waters of the Bay. Floating villages are interspersed on the water. It is said that this area is undoubtedly Vietnam's greatest natural wonder. "Halong Bay" is literally translated as "Bay of descending dragons". Legend has it that "Long ago" the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the mother dragon and a herd of child dragons to help the Viet fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky. They spat out innumerbale pearls that, in a moment, were changed into jade-stone islands linked together to form citadels that checked the enemy's advance and smashed their vessels into pieces. The Viet won and after the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her child dragons did not return to heaven, but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long.

Later we visited some awesome caves and then went kayaking. We paddled across the Bay under wonderful rock formations and had a great time.



MONDAY 16th MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION HUE - After a hearty breakfast we anchored at a small beach and climbed over 300 stone steps to a pagoda on a hilltop. The panoramic view of Halong Bay from the top was magical and idyllic. Wooden junkboats, some with billowing sails, glided gently through the still waters. It was so tranquil and picturesque - another world - a dreamworld. Halong Bay was an unforgettable experience (in more ways than one). In the afternoon we made our way back to Hanoi and then set off for our next adventure - the overnight train to Hue. The train was basic, but adequate. It was four people to a cabin and we shared with Jin and Dipna. The squat toilet took some skill - the ladies had to hold on to a pole as the train jerked and shuddered along! We whiled away the journey playing cards and doing crosswords. We managed some sleep before arriving in Hue in the early hours of 17th March. Hue, originally called Phu Xuan was built in 1687 and became the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty. During that time it was the cultural, religious and economic centre of Vietnam.

We got a warm welcome from the staff at the Asia Hotel and devoured breakfast served in the rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. In the afternoon Joe, our Vietnamese guide, took us on a boat trip down the Perfume River. Judith modelled a shirt and black silk trousers from the on-board shop, and bought the shirt! We visited the Tien Mu Pagoda (a Mahayna Buddhist temple on the banks of the Perfume river). Built in the 17th Century it is the oldest monastery in Hue. It houses the car in which the 66 year old monk, Thich Quang Duc, was driven to Saigon in the early morning of 11 June 1963. He sat down in the lotus position and meditated as fellow monks doused him in petrol and then set light to him. Onlookers prostrated themselves before him. By the next morning the grisly event had grabbed the world's headlines. More self-immolations followed. It was a protest against the Government's stance against Buddhism. We also saw young monks studying. Their heads were shaven except for the front part where their hair grew long. We then made our way to the Imperial Tombs of Minh Mang and Tu Duc. The tombs are modelled on those of the Chinese Emperors. The roofs are a golden colour (the colour of royalty) and looked like vertical rows gold coins (rather like the "penny falls" in an arcade). Minh Mang reigned from 1820 to 1840 and Tu Duc from 1847 to 1883. Tu Duc's tomb is enclosed by high walls and features pine woods and a lakeside pavillion where he fished, listened to music and wrote poetry. However, it is not known whether he is buried here. A large solid wooden gate stands at the top of 31 stone steps (the age Tu Duc was when he became Emperor) and the story goes that he is buried underground somewhere behind the gate and under the forested hill. It is a beautiful place - serene and shrouded in mystery.

WEDNESDAY 18TH MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION HOI AN - After a morning tour of the Old Citadel, modelled on the Beijing's Forbidden City, we had a 4 hour bus drive to Hoi An via the scenic Hai Van Pass. The hotel was posh, posh, posh! Wasting no time, we jumped into the free shuttle bus to town where we strolled through the Old Quarter located near the waterfront. Hoi An is an ancient port town on the Thu Bon River. Today, tourism has taken over as the town's major industry. The architecture is a mixture of French, Chginese and Vietnamese. It is such a beautiful place. The streets are lined with shops selling silks, ceramics, paintings, woodwork, stoneware and lanterns. One of the main tourist attractions is the tailors - there are about 300 tailor shops! You can design your own clothes and have them made in a couple of days. We got back to our hotel on push bikes, which we hired for a few days. It was frantic, but fun. The many cars and motorbikes honked their horns at us, but we kept our composure and soon got used to the roads! In the evening we had a romantic meal at the Mango Rooms - the food was gorgeous.

The next couple of days were "free" to relax and soak up the atmosphere. One day we cycled to Ciu Dai Beach. En route, Rory had a ride on a water buffalo through a rice field! We parked our bikes (for a fee) and then set up camp on the beach. Almost immediately, the vendors pounced - they were very sweet and sat down beside us for some time. Sara taught us some Vietnamese phrases (which now escape us) and also had a go with Rory's exercise ropes! She was selling trinkets, sweets and sun-tan lotion. Eventually we put her out of her misery and bought a bat and ball set and a small Buddha. We spent the rest of the day frolicking in the South China sea, which was warm and inviting. On the evening of 19 March we celebrated Dave's 50th birthday in style at "Cargos". Diane had kindly bought some champagne, which went down very well. The food was very good and the birthday cake awesome - chocolate and passion fruit. We ended the night in a cocktail bar.

SATURDAY 14th MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION SAIGON - We bade farewell to Dave and Diane who were returning to Canada (it was sad to see them go). We spent the morning shopping in town and then headed for the airport. We arrived in Saigon in the early evening. Officially renamed in 1975, Ho Chi Minh City remains know to most as Saigon. During the 1960s and the early 1970s, Saigon boomed and flourished under the American occupation. Today it is the largest city in Vietnam and is still growing. During the course of the Vietnam war, as refugees spilled in from a devastated countryside, the population of Saigon almost doubled from 2.4m in 1965 to around 4.5m by 1975. With reunification in 1976, the new communist authorities pursued a policy of depopulation, believing that the city had become too large and parasitic, preying on the surrounding countryside. The population of Saigon today is around 7m and rising fast as the rural poor are lured by tales of streets paved with gold. After booking into our hotel we dined in Ben Thanh Night Market where the food stalls are plentiful and cheap. We had an evening stroll to Lam son Square where the Rex Hotel stands tall. It was a pre-liberation favourite with US officers and the scene of the daily "Five O'clock Follies" where the military briefed an increasingly sceptical press corps during the Vietnam war. We also saw the impressive and grand Opera House and the yellow and white coloured City Hall now home to the People's Committee. It was all lit up and resembled a Disneyland Castle. The Continental Hotel, built in 1880, is situated near the square and is an integral part of the city's history. Graham Greene stayed here and the hotel features in the novel "The Quiet American". The old journalist haunt, "the Continental Shelf" was described as "a famous veranda where correspondents, spies, speculators, traffickers, intellectuals and soldiers used to meet during the war to glean information and pick up secret reports, half true or half disclosed."

We spent the next two days exploring Saigon with our guide, Hau. Our first stop was the Cu Chi Tunnels. Begun by the Viet Minh in 1948, these tunnels were later expanded by the Viet Cong and used for storage and refuge. The original tunnels were only 80cm high and the width of the tunnel entry at ground level was 22cm by 30cm. The tunnels are too narrow for most Westerners, but a shorter section of the 250km of tunnels has been widened to allow tourists to share the experience. Cu Chi was one of the most fervently Communist districts around Ho Chi Minh city and the tunnels were used as the base from which the Viet Cong mounted the operations of the Tet offensive in 1968. When the Americans discovered the tunnels they pumped CS gas down the tunnel openings and then set explosives. They also pumped in river water and used German Shepherd dogs to smell out air holes. The Vietnamese, however, smothered the holes in pepper and garlic to deter the dogs. We clambered down some of the tunnels. They are dark and claustraphobic. It is hard to imagine people scurrying through them with guns. Judith bought a small scarf typically worn by the Viet Cong and used for wiping the face, carrying rice and as a face mask. We were given tea and manioc (tapioca) - typical refreshments of the Viet Cong. We then saw the various booby traps that the Americans encountered and fired a M16 rifle at a firing range. We each fired two bullets and the noise was deafening. We had lunch back in Saigon, but Judith was rudely interrupted. Just as she was tucking into her noodles, a babe in her mother's arms projectile vomited across the table and into her food! It was baby creosote from Monty Python!

In the afternoon we visited the War Remnants Museum, which was pretty grim and gruesome. All of the horrors of the Vietnam war from the Vietnamese perspective are piled from floor to ceiling. The photographs are haunting and upsetting and some stick in your memory more than others. A black and white photo of a Vietnamese mother crossing a river with her four young children to flee from American bombs was graphic and shocking. The expressions on their faces was one of pure fear - just hope that they made it. Another photo is of a horror struck, burning, naked young girl running in the middle of the road, her hands in the air and her mouth agape. Fortunately, this girl survived to tell the horrific truth. The courtyard outside the museum is filled with tanks, bombs, planes and helicopters. There is also a room dedicated to war photographers and their photos. It is a requiem to those who died pursuing their craft. That evening Marilyn and Cam treated us both to dinner (to say thank you to Dan for jumping into Halong Bay after Marilyn). It was a kind gesture and we were spoiled rotten at the Temple Club - a beautifully furnished restaurant serving scrumptious food. Later we joined the rest of the group in the Saigon Saigon Bar at the Caravelle Hotel, one of Ho Chi Minh's top hotels. We sipped cocktails in the rooftop bar and enjoyed the view of the city. We also welcomed Joules our new travelling companion.

The next day we enjoyed a boat trip on the Mekong Delta. The Delta has 13 provinces and one city with an area of 40,000km and about 18m people. The weather is always warm (average 27 degrees) with two seasons - dry and wet. We sailed through the Cai Be floating market and witnessed the daily activity of buying and selling. Longboats were laden with all sorts of things including, pineapples, sweet potato, rice, melons and coconuts. You can't buy one item, you have to buy in bulk (at least ten). Each stall has a sign to advertise its wares, e.g. a melon tied to the end of a stick at the front of the boat! The children on the boats don't go to school because this is their way of life and they grow up to carry on the business. We stopped at a cottage industry village and saw how they made coconut candy and pop rice. We then jumped into small canoes - three in a boat. Local women stood at the back of the canoes and rowed us down the river. They were of slight build, but very strong. We moored at an orchard and as we disembarked the front end of our longboat, which had followed us down the river, careered into Cam and Hau and knocked them into the river! The water was shallow and thankfully they emerged unhurt although they were soaked to the skin and filthy!

TUESDAY 24TH MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION CAMBODIA - We boarded a public bus at 7.15am and headed for the border. It was all very straightforward and we found ourselves in Phnom Penh in the late afternoon. After a quick change in the hotel we jumped into cyclos for a whizz round the city. It was one person to a cyclo (a kind of tuk-tuk attached to a bike). It was quite scary joining the busy traffic and weaving in and out of lanes. Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital and is situated at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonie Basaac and Tonie Sap rivers. In 1975 chaos tore the city apart as the Khmer Rouge forced all of the city's residents into the countryside as part of a radical social restructuring programme. Phnom Penh's recovery has been slow, but today the City is developing rapidly. After our frenetic cycling trip we recalled the days of colonial extravagance with a happy hour cocktail at the Foreign Correspondent's Club.


The next morning was harrowing and emotional - we visited "Security Office 21", one of the secret prisons used by the Khmer Rouge to torture and execute hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes. In 1975 Pol Pot was the Prime Minister and in a bid to create an agrarian utopia, all urban dwellers were forcibly evacuated to the countryside to become agricultural workers. Money became worthless, basic freedoms curtailed and religion banned. Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes were tortured and executed in special centres. Others starved or died from disease and exhaustion. the total death toll over three years is estimated to be at least 1.7 million. It is a chilling place - in the cells the iron beds lay empty, but pictures on the wall tell the horrific truth. People were shackled to the beds and tortured. The toilet was a small ammunition box! Some prisoners were hung upside down on gallows which still stand in the outside compound area. Some of the cells were tiny brick cubicles built side by side. Iron shackles used for communal torture are still fastened to walls. Photographs of prisoners are on display, their faces paralysed with fear. It was very upsetting. A photograph of a small boy still haunts Judith - he was a lovely looking lad with chubby cheeks and big eyes, pure innocence, but he wore a startled expression. He could do nothing about the fate that awaited him. It is atrocious and beyond comprehension. There were seven survivors from S21. One of these was an artist and his paintings depicting the atrocities hang on the walls in S21. The stark reality literally jumps out from off of the canvas.




Our next stop was the Killing Fields - the main Khmer Rouge extermination camp containing 119 communal graves. Of these, 86 have been exhumed revealing the remains of 8,985 people, many bludgeoned or stabbed to death to avoid wasting bullets. Bone fragments and remnants of clothing are still scattered in the pits and over 8,000 skulls are arranged in a memorial stupa, erected in 1988.



We broke for lunch at "FRIENDS" - a not-for-profit tapas style restaurant run by former street youths. It was a delight to see the young people in the kitchen learning to cook and serving the food. They were very friendly and enthusiastic. Afterwards, we visited the National Museum and the Royal Palace. The museum displays over 5,000 objects including Angkorian statues and other artefacts. The Royal Palace is very grand and has been constructed twice. The first construction took place in 1434 and the second in 1866. The compound contains the Royal residence, the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda. The buildings are characterised by many tiered roofs and topped by towers, which are symbols of prosperity. The Silver Pagoda is magnificent. It is named for its floor of over 5,000 silver tiles weighing a kilo each. About 60% of the contents were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge years, but there remain some spectacular pieces including an emerald Buddha and a lifesize 90kg gold Buddha decorated with 9,584 diamonds.




In the evening we piled into tuk-tuks and were taken to a village. We alighted at a house and climbed the wooden steps and entered a large room. The house is home for 30 people! We sat down on mats that covered the wooden floor and were treated to a sumptuous feast. Our hosts had pulled out all the stops. The dessert was a mixture of fried tarantulas and frogs -urrggghhh! The man of the house recounted tales of his life and the times under the Khmer Rouge regime. Some of his siblings had died of starvation and disease during this period. He told us that nowadays people do not seek revenge, most follow Buddhism, so accept what has happened, although they will never forgive nor forget.



THURSDAY 26TH MARCH 2009 - DESTINATION SIEM REAP - We spent the morning traipsing round the Central Market. The area was a lake until it was drained and the market constructed in 1935-39. The entrance is lined with souvenir merchants, hawking everything from t-shirts and postcards. Inside there is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. We ate lunch at a cafe whose owner supports around 23 orphans. About a year ago in December, someone left a baby boy in a box on his doorstep. He was too young to be taken into the orphanage, so the owner and his wife took him in as their own and named him December. He is a "bruiser"! In the afternoon we drove to Siem Reap - the gateway to the magnificent temples of Angkor. "Siem Reap" means "Thais defeated", in reflection of the various times the ownership of Agkor fell to Thai kingdoms and was subsequently retaken by Khmers. Most of the town's development has only occurred in the last ten years. The town and its people still retain their countryside outlook and wonderful sense of Cambodian hospitality.

We visited lots of temples. The main temples were built between 802 and 1432, a period when the Khmer Empire was consolidating its position as one of the great powers of South East Asia. Our first temple was Angkor Wat - the most popular and well known of all the temples of Angkor. It is thought that it was constructed as a funeral temple. It is the only temple in Cambodia that faces the West - the direction of setting of the sun and symbolic passing into the next life for the King. It is certainly impressive - its five towers loomed over us as we entered the temple through the back entrance. The principal structure is a three tiered pyramid topped by five towers and is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru. We exited the temple via the impressive causeway built across the 200m wide perimeter moat.



Our next stop was BAYON TEMPLE where the giant stone faces of BAYON are everywhere. Intended to embrace all the religions of the kingdom, it was consecrated as a Buddhist temple. When the state religion reverted to Hinduism the Buddha in the central sanctuary was torn down and thrown into the well below. The temple bears reliefs of life-like scenes of battles between the Khmer and the Cham including market scenes, cock-fighting, chess games and childbirth.



During a brief respite from the temples some of us donated blood at the Jayavarma VII Children's Hospital. It was an opportunity to give something.

Afterwards we visited TA PROHM TEMPLE - scenes from Tomb Raider II were filmed here. Unfortunately, Judith had forgotten her pass, so wasn't allowed in. However, in true Lara Croft style, she got in. She went for a walk round the grounds where she was allowed and stumbled upon a path, which had arrows pointing in the opposite direction. Thinking that this might be the "exit" path, she followed it and soon tracked down her fellow travellers! This quiet sprawling jungle temple is only partially cleared of undergrowth to keep it looking the way it was when it was discovered and to help keep it standing. Massive trees growing from towers are photo classics.




On our last day in Cambodia we explored more temples. We set off at 5am to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat temple. It was splendid and well worth getting up for. The sun rose from behind the majestic towers and the temple reflected in the waters of the moat.



After breakfast we went to ANGKOR TOM - a walled and moated royal city. The surrounding wall has a sanctuary tower at each corner and five gates (two on the east side). Each gate is crowned by four faces of Lokesvara and the south gate is particularly impressive, approached by a 100m causeway flanked by 54 gods and 54 demons. Elephants were plodding back and forth through the south gate carrying tourists. The elephants looked sad. We also visited NEAK POAN TEMPLE (entwined serpent), which has a number of little ornate chapels. TA SOM TEMPLE is a smaller version of TA PROHM, i.e. a jungle temple. We bought some tablecloths and a scarf from a vendor outside the temple. Last, but not least, was EAST TEMPLE where elephant statues graced the four corners.

"Templed out" we spent the afternoon in the plush Tara Hotel and had fun and games in the swimming pool. In the evening en route to dinner we saw a children's puppet parade weaving its way through the streets of Siem reap. It was colourful and there were puppets of all shapes and sizes. We ended the evening in a local bar where Jin bought two pitchers of cocktails so that she could get a free t-shirt!

SUNDAY 29TH MARCH 2009 - FINAL DAY OF THE INDOCHINA TRIP - A 7.30am start for our journey to the Cambodian/Thai border. The road was unsealed, so we had a bumpy journey. We got "stamped out" of Cambodia, walked across no man's land, and got "stamped into" Thailand. We had lunch at the border and it was "borderline"! We arrived in Bangkok at 4.30pm. We enjoyed a "last" group meal and had drinks in a bar off Ko San road.

A GREAT TRIP WITH GREAT PEOPLE

WE WILL SEE YOU LATER IN THAILAND - BANGKOK TO KOH SAMUI.
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Perth, Western Australia, Australia

WESTERN AUSTRALIA - DESTINATION PERTH - We touched down in Perth on 04.02.09 and after 3 bus rides arrived in Fremantle (aka FREO). We found and booked into "The Painted Fish" - a sort of eco-lodge - a quirky and quaint place with several features to try and reduce our environmental footprint. We were housed in the "studio', which had a large living area and kitchen downstairs and a mezzanine type bedroom upstairs (accessed via a wrought iron spiral staircase). The bathhouse was outside and had a functional cast-iron rustic bath. There was also a shower above the bath and a rather odd looking shower curtain - it resembled a large plastic chopping board! The brochure, however, suggested that we use the outside shower, so one morning Judith did! She felt like "Little Weed" from Bill and Ben (the flowerpot men) as she showered in the garden hidden only by scant foliage!

The garden also had ponds full of fish, yabbies and frogs. We were entertained by a frog chorus - deep throated croaking tunes filled the air every night!



Opposite our studio was "the Carriage' - an old railway carriage that our friends, Conrad and Bridget, had booked into. That too was quaint, although the outside toilet had no door. The outside shower, however, was hidden to some extent by a wall!

The following day we got acquainted with Freo and spent a couple of hours sunning ourselves on the beach and swimming in the Indian Ocean. Back at the eco-lodge we met Conrad and Bridget who had driven from Perth - it was great to see them again. Bridget and Judith went to town and visited the hairdresser, whilst Conrad and Dan enjoyed a few beers.

We awoke to the sound of horses clip-clopping to the beach and after a hearty breakfast we caught the train from Freo to Perth. We strolled through the compact central area and up to Kings Park. We followed a trail through native bushland, a botanic garden and clo,bed a DNA tower. We got a good view of Perth and the meeting of the two rivers - the Swan and Canning. Also, in the park we saw Gija Jumulu - a Boab Tree (750 yrs old), which travelled 32,000km from Telegraph Tree (Western Australia) to Perth. This was the longest land journey of a tree this size in history! Gija people in East Kimberley gifted the tree to the people of Western Australia and on 14.02.08 five Warmun elders performed a smoking ceremony to allow the tree to leave East Kmiberley.



We spent the rest of the afternoon at Cottesloe Beach (7k, north of Freo). It is the most popular city beach with safe swimming. The waves, however, were huge and crashed on the the gorgeous white sand. We watched from afar breathing in the aroma of fish and chips, which lingered in the air.

The next day we travelled south to Yallingup (known by the aborigines as "the place of love"). We entertained and intrigued fellow campers as the trailer transformed into a campervan and a tent! We spent some time on the picture postcard beach - golden sand, cloudless blue sky and huge surf breaks. We plunged into the Indian Ocean and were instantly engulfed by the huge waves - we were swept off our feet - it was like being in a washing machine! Dan, Conrad and Bridget had a go on the boogie board while Judith was swept off her feet again, this time by the taut torsos of the young surfer dudes! After lunch we took a stroll down Busselton Jetty - 142 years old and measuring 1841m is the longest wooden structure in the Southern hemisphere. In the evening we were visited by some pink gallaws - funny looking birds - rather like chubby parrots with a white crest of hair, a pink face and waistcoat and a grey overcoat.



The Margaret River region was our next destination - some wineries to see! Our first stop was the Voyager Estate. Behind its gates stretched long lines of vines, sweeping lawns and inviting rose gardens. We gladly accepted the invitation to visit its Cellar Door and tasted the fruit of its labours! We also had a superb lunch in the restaurant. Us backpackers felt a little out of place, but being mature, fullbodied and well balanced we fitted in perfectly! We sobered up with a stroll in the relaxed and laid back Margaret River township. Our palates, however, soon got dry, so we wound our way through the vines to our second winery - Vasse Felix (Felix is the Latin word for "lucky"). We then pressed on to winery number three - The Mad Fish where we engaged in a bubbling conversation with the barman!



Our next adventure was a visit to Jewel Cave described as an underground maze of mystery and beauty, which seems to defy nature and dwarf those who enter its lofty chambers. We descended into the cave and explored its many caverns. It is spectacular and is home to many stalactites and stalagmites, including one of the longest straw stalactites to be found in any tourist cave in the world. The stalactites and stalagmites form colourful and decorative shapes (e.g. a tiered wedding cake, cave coral, cave popcorn, a rasher of bacon, a giant cauliflower, a slab of butterscotch toffee and melted cheese on toast). Non-food items include the knotted roots of the Kari tree that stretch from the floor to the ceiling - reddish-brown in colour and bound tight they resemble bed sheets thrown out of a fairytale castle tower by a damsel in distress; the frozen waterfall; helactites which grow out sideways (a cave mystery because it is not known how they are formed); pendulites - a unique and rare formation, hollow straws grown under water and looking like tear-drops); a cave ghost - a woman with long white hair, wearing a white dress and walking away; the face of a screaming woman that some believe is a spirit; and last, but not least, the preserved bones of a possum that had the misfortune 600 years ago to fall through the entrance hole of the cave. It survived that escapade and wandered further into the cave, but eventually died of starvation.

All "caved-out" we took a scenic drive through a dense forest full of magnificent Kari trees and saw a snake slithering across the dusty track. To cool off, we had a swim at Hamelin Bay. On the way back to camp we stopped at the Margaret River Chocolate Company where we took advantage of the free tasting! If you are mad about chocolate, it's heaven! One of the girls working there was making pyramids out of the handmade chocolates - she did that all day apparently! We drooled over the mouth-watering range of chocolate bars, chocolate coated delights, handmade gourmet truffles, novelty chocolates, rocky road chocolates, chocolate sauces and sugar-free chocolates. We also stopped at a cheese tasting shop and sampled a range of cheeses. Finally we gave in to temptation and sampled the wine at the very grand family-owned Laurence vineyard. We rounded off the day with an early evening swim at Yallingup beach where we saw a starfish and a sting-ray in the shallow water.

DESTINATION NORTH - a 600km drive - the temperature got higher and higher as we progressed northwards. At the town of Lancelin we headed for the 4X4WD track over the sand dunes towards Cervantes. We were looking forward to our AFTERDUNE DRIVE (JDs joke)! We let the tyre pressure down and Conrad drove through the sand on the narrow, but well worn track. The GPS kept telling us that we were on "Sappers Road", but it was telling us lies or it was just confused! All was going well until we came to a dune that was bigger than all of us! Reluctantly, we turned round and got to Cervantes via tarmac. We set up camp and then visited the Pinnacles Desert where we experienced the "Pinnacles" - thousands of limestone pillars of all shapes and sizes that rise mysteriously from the sand dunes. En route we saw a kangaroo hopping across the road. He stopped and looked at us inquisitively. We drove round the 4km one-way loop in the Pinnacles Desert. It was eerie in places - "graveyard" pinnacles were huddled on the the high dunes; clusters on the low ground resembled stumpy, rotten teeth, larger formations were like chess pieces, angels and slabs of honeycomb. We had timed our visit perfectly. The sun was setting and the light was fantastic. The pillars cast spooky shadows on the golden sand, the heath surrounding the dunes had a green hue and as the sea swallowed the sun the sky was a myriad of yellows, oranges, reds and purples. We then spotted a couple of kangaroos hopping between the pinnacles - a true Australian bush scene.



DESTINATION PERON PENINSULA - Up early and the sun was hot as we drove through miles and miles of bush. In the town of Greenhough we saw trees bent sideways as if bowing to us. Some stooped so low that they touched the ground. In Geraldton we stocked up on provisions for our next three days in the wilderness. Further on we met a cyclist who had run out of water. Unfortunately, the petrol station had no water, so Conrad kindly gave him some of ours. He was cycling round Australia and had been going for 13 months. OUR NEXT ADVENTURE PERHAPS? We also stopped at Denham where Judith got locked in the car. She was like a puppy dog overheating. Luckily, Dan heard her yelping and let her out! In the early evening we arrived at Gregories camp in the Francois Peron National Park - a real bush camping experience. The flies were a nuisance, so we wore fly nets over our faces - we looked like a gang of bank robbers! The camp was isolated, but we were sharing it with seven guys from Australia who were on a two week fishing trip. Their camp was huge compared to ours and was like something out of Robinson Crusoe. They cooked a bluebone fish on the barbie (their catch of the day).

Our first night at Gregories was blustery - the wind tugged at our tent relentlessly and our dreams were tossed and blown. The following morning, however, was glorious, and although it was Friday 13th, there were adventures to be had. We explored the northern tip of Peron Peninsula, i.e. Cape Peron and Skipjack Point. Aboriginal people have lived here in the Malgana language for about 25,000 years. The first written descriptions and images of Malgana lives were documented by French explorers early in the 19th century. One of the explorers was French naturalist Francois Peron. The park bears his name in recognition of his contribution to Australia's natural and social history. At Cape Peron and Skipjack Point the rich red sand dunes meet the white sandy beach. We saw hundreds of black and white cormorants standing in line on the beach - not sure what they were queuing for! We walked along the clifftops and from the lookout point at Skipjack Point we saw a shark zig-zagging in the water; a turtle and some manta rays. Conrad fished at Cape Peron and caught a shark that got away. Back at camp our tent had collapsed in a heap because of the wind. After re-erecting it we headed for the nearby beach and bathed in the shallows - we didn't want to go too far out in the shark infested waters.



DESTINATION MONKEY MIA - After dismantling our camp we headed south and stopped off at Peron Homestead Precinct, which provides an insight into how life as when Francois Peron Park was a working sheep station. We wandered through the small interpretive centre which depicts stories, indigenous inhabitants, European colonisation and current day conservation programmes. There is also an outdoor hot tub where you can soak and relax in the hot artesian waters. it was too hot, however, to dip in our toes! Passing through Denham we saw emus crossing the main street - cars had to give way to them. Others emerged from side streets to join their friends and on they trotted! We set up camp at the impressive Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. We were a stones throw from the white sandy beach. The sun as still hot, so we e swam and snorkelled in the clear water. We were in for a unexpected treat. We witnessed sting-rays, a sea snake, a turtle, pelicans and then the icing on the cake - dolphins swimming right beside us. It was an amazing and magical moment. The following day we rose at 7am to get another close-up view of the famous dolphins of Monkey Mia. This is the only place in Australia where the dolphins choose to swim with you. They swim in the shallows and come to be fed (up to three times a day). Their visits are extremely reliable. They have an attendance record of 99.6%, which translates to them only missing 4 days in the past 5 years! It was an amazing spectacle. We stood on the edge of the beach as three dolphin families (the Puck family; the Surprise family; and the Nicky family) swam in the shallow water. They were all female except for India (a mummy's boy who hasn't yet found any other males to hang out with). Puck is 32 years old and her daughter, Piccolo is 16 years old. Puck is pregnant again (female dolphins don't have a menopause, so can reproduce all of their lives. The gestation period is 12 months). The dolphins came up very close as the rangers appeared with buckets of fish. Bridget was chosen to feed one of the dolphins.



Later that day we left the campsite and received a send-off from the locals - some wild emus that came strutting round the corner. On the way to Exmouth we stopped off at Shell Beach (a crunchy beach made from shells) and then at the Stromatolites. We parked the car in the grounds of a weird and rather run down campsite - it was bleak and eerie and it felt like we were on a horror film set! We followed the path that leads to the stromatolites and it got spookier. We passed the grave of a little boy aged 7months who died in 1898, and the grave of a 60 year old sailor who drowned in a boating accident. Eventually we reached the stromatolites, i.e. living rocks built by cyanbacteria and which appeared on earth 3.5 billion years ago when oxygen was scarce. They come in various shapes and sizes and colours (e,g. club-shaped, red-capped, rock towers, flat and spongy huddled together like a soft black mat). Tidal movement, waves and abrasive action of swirling sand and shell help shape them.

We reached the shire of Exmouth in the afternoon and settled into our "Lookout Chalet" named "Groper"! It was in a fantastic location - at the base of Vlamingh Lighthouse and according to the brochure "where the range meets the reef". Exmouth has a population of about 2,500 people and is named after a British Royal Naval Officer. During World War II, the area became important for a military operation named "operation potshot".

We spent two full days in Exmouth and although a huge grey blanket of cloud hung overhead it was still relatively warm. We snorkelled at Turqoise Bay and saw some beautiful fish, e.g. parrot fish, bluebone, garfish (needle-shaped and evil looking). We came across some reef sharks and then spotted a 6ft Leopard Shark. Fortunately it was sleeping! After a lunch of baked beans on toast with HP sauce we drank cocktails in the Novotel in Exmouth. Judith had to have a Caprinha - it brought back so many memories of South America! Dan enjoyed a "Fire Engine" - bright red and tasted like cherryade! That evening we had a kangaroo hopping round outside our chalet. It wasn't the cocktails making us see things - it really was a kangaroo! Later that evening we wandered to the beach in search of turtles hatching. We saw lots of broken egg shells, but no baby turtles. Our perseverance, however, paid off. Judith spotted a huge female turtle which had emerged from the ink-black sea and was dragging herself up the beach to lay her eggs. Her tracks looked like giant tyre marks. We switched off our head torches so as not to frighten her and listened to her flippers thudding against the sand as she dug a deep chamber in which to lay her eggs. We left before she laid her eggs - we thought it best to leave her to it.

The following day we got up early to catch the low tide so that we could see the Mildura wreck. Unfortunately, the tide wasn't low enough for us to be able to walk to the wreck. We set off for Karratha, but discovered that the roads were closed due to the heavy rains and flooding. In a nutshell we were cut-off! We booked into the Potshot Resort for a night and spent the day exploring the Ningaloo Reef. We swam in the shark infested waters at Tulki beach. baby reef sharks were all over the place!

DESTINATION KARRATHA - Wednesday 18.02.09 - The weather up North was still pretty bad, so we stocked up with supplies and decided to make our way to Karratha. The roads were quiet and as we reached the flood disaster zone we saw fields under water and cattle stranded on hills! The radio reported that some cattle stations were being evacuated. We pulled in at Nanutarra Roadhouse and discovered that the Fortescue Bridge was still closed. Our only option if we wanted to get to Karratha that evening was to go the long way round, i.e. a 900km detour inland! We decided to give it a try and headed for the Warlu Way. An elderly lady travelling on her own in a saloon car followed us. She was very 'game' and the weather didn't seem to phase her. We nicknamed her Mrs Doubtfire! There are many rivers and tributaries in this area, which combined with heavy rainfall, made the going difficult. Conrad drove carefully through the spectacular Karijini National Park. We watched the forces of mother nature unfurl - the sky changed from blue to black, mist shrouded the mountains and an electrical storm lit up the heavens. After 15 hours on the road we arrived safe and well in Karratha.

Thursday 19.02.09 - Our last full day in Australia was spent doing chores (laundry, shopping, shipping home surplus luggage - again!). In the evening we had a last supper in a local pub with Conrad and Bridget and Peggy and Brian (their friends from Louisana). The baramundi fish was very tasty. Back at Conrad's we flipped through our holiday snaps and reminisced.

Friday 20.02.09 - Up at 6am to catch our 8.30am flight from Karratha to Perth. We had a great time thanks to Conrad and Bridget's hospitality. At Perth we had our bags searched (yet again) - they were very interested in Dan's memory sticks and Judith's cranberry tablets! We then had to sneak past a very officious customs lady - she was weighing hand luggage and ours looked a tad too big and heavy! Eventually we boarded the flight to Singapore.

SEE YOU ALL FOR A SINGAPORE SLING.
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Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 2009 - DESTINATION WELLINGTON (NORTH ISLAND) -

Awoke at 4am after a few hours sleep in our campervan on a council-run car park in Picton, and drove round the corner to the ferry terminal. We boarded the "Arahura" and set sail at 5.45am. We crossed the Cook Strait and
reached Wellington at 9am. After checking into a "proper" campsite (with all mod-cons) we ventured into the city centre. Walking down the waterfront we came to the "Te Papa" - the national museum which houses
displays of pre-European Maori culture and fine art. We enjoyed a good few hours exploring the five-storey building. Wellington is New Zealand's windy city and as per the guidebook is, "buffeted most days by air funnelled through the Cook Strait and its force amplified by the wind-tunnelling effect of the city's high-rise buildings".

The next day we walked along Oriental Parade (Wellington's most elegant section of waterfront) and parked ourselves on a white sandy beach, set in a lovely bay. We gazed across the harbour at the city and at the swanky houses (some of the city's priciest houses are to be found in this area). Many of the houses are stacked into the steep hillsides, which in turn tumble into the harbour. The houses at the top command the best position and views.
That evening was very warm, so we had a picnic beside the Te Papa museum.




Before leaving the windy city we met up with a work colleague who is on secondment in Wellington. It was good to see a familiar face and we enjoyed chatting about her work and lifestyle in New Zealand.

We then drove 370km north to Taupo. It was a beautiful drive - dense forests and gentle sloping hills. Tall pine trees lined the approach road into Taupo. The town lies slap in the centre of the North Island and is slung around the northern shore of Lake Taupo. We skirted the lake and "free camped" at a campsite left to the world by a person who liked backpackers! It was basic (compost toilets and no water), but it was free! In fact we spent four nights there because there were adventures to be had:



(i) We sailed round the lake on the "Barbary" sailing ship - it is said that in 193 Errol Flynn won Barbary in a card
game. The weather was perfect - hot sun and blue sky dabbed here and there with cotton wool clouds and pierced by mountain peaks dusted in icing sugar. The captain hoisted up the sails and we cruised to Acacia Bay, Rangatira Point and Mine Bay. At Mine Bay we saw Maori rock carvings - modern yet stunning depicting the image of a man's face, lizard-like reptiles and female forms draped over the rocks. We swam in the cold, but refreshing water of Mine Bay.

(ii) We trekked the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which lived up to what the information pamphlet says, i.e. "challenging - takes approximately 7 hours - provides an opportunity to experience some of the most scenic and
active volcanic areas of the Tongariro Park". It took us 8 hours (we did a detour and climbed the Tongariro Summit - 1967m) and we climbed over lava flows, crossed a crater floor, skirted active geothermal areas and passed the beautiful and serene "emerald" and "blue" lakes. The steep descent to the vivid emerald lakes was precarious. The ground gave way at every step, so much so that we soon found ourselves ankle deep in volcanic ash. The technique was to dig in your heels hard and fast. The forbidding volcanic areas were used as film locations for Mordor and Mount Doom in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. Mount Doom with its cone of red and black scoria looks awesome. It was a long and arduous day, but worth it.



(iii) We visited Huka Falls meaning "great body of spray". The sheer power of 400 tonnes of strikingly blue
water per second plunging over a 10m shelf is deafening.



(iv) We watched the A1 GP motor-racing. We found a good spot on the grassy embankment and watched the sprint race. Ireland was in poll position and after 15 rip-roaring laps won. GB finished in 13th position. The KIWI
driver Chris X was driving "Black Beauty". The main feature race started at 3pm, but we were entertained by the opening ceremony including: driver parades, the Haka Challenge, skydivers, areoplane acrobatics. The main feature race was over 50 laps - Switzerland finished 1st, Ireland 2nd and Portugal 3rd. GB and NZ finished way down the line!

Just one final thing to say about Taupo - it's got super superloos with hot showers. They were a godsend for us "free campers"!

DESTINATION
COROMANDEL PENINSULA - MONDAY 26.01.09 - We were looking forward to seeing this "mountainous, bush-cloaked interior fringed with beautiful surf and swimming beaches, basking in a balmy climate". First though we stopped off at Orakei-Korako - geyserland and caves, aka the Hidden Valley and billed by some as possibly the best thermal area left in New Zealand and one of the finest in the world. Scenes form the BBCs Natural History series, "Walking with Dinosaurs" were filmed here. We took a short ferry ride across Lake Chakuri and started our journey through a valley of bubbling hot springs, geysers, mud pools and a sacred cave. We saw "Diamond Geyser", so called because of the way it shatters its water jet into millions of droplets, which sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight. The colours and composition of "Rainbow" and "Cascade Terrace" are unbelievable. Some parts look like slabs of thick brown treacle toffee, some like dollops of sticky orange marmalade and some like dishes of massala curry sauce! The "Te Kapua" (the Golden Fleece) is beautiful. It stands 5m high and is 40m long and is a fault scarp formed in 131AD by a massive earthquake about the time when the worlds greatest recorded volcano at Lake Taupo was last erupting. We also came across the "Artist's Palette" - one of the most dangerous and unpredictable areas on the resort! The colours are fantastic - browns,
greens, yellows, oranges and pinks - hence its name. The "Ruatapu" (Sacred Lake) is one of only two geothermally situated caves known in the world. "Waiwhakaata" (Pool of Mirrors) rests at the bottom of the
cave. You are invited to put your left hand in the water and "wish". Providing no one, but yourself ever knows what you have wished for your wish is guaranteed to come true. Towards the end of the journey we heard strange
gurgling noises - boiling pellets of thick viscous mud being expelled out of the ground. It was like a child's game where egg-shaped heads pop up at random and you have to hammer them down again! The path
back to the jetty took us through New Zealand's lovely 'Pongas" (tree ferns) and silver ferns (one of New Zealand's emblems).



After lunch in the grounds of a timber yard (nice wooden benches), we drove North to Whitianga. Once again the scenery was stunning - green rolling hills and forests rising steeply. A row of slender trees stood tall and
straight, their branches sweeping upwards and tilting backwards ever so slightly, resembled a chorus line just about to burst into the can-can. We were very close to the location of HOBBITON from the Lord of The
Rings Trilogy. All film sets were supposed to be destroyed after filming, but bad weather stopped the dismantling of seventeen hobbit hole facades. We decided, however, not to take a tour of the place because the guidebook states that "the set retains little of the pastoral English feel created for the film".

In Whitianga we treated ourselves to a campsite with all the mod-cons. The following
day we walked for 40 mins along a hilly coastal track to Cathedral Cove - a long and sheltered sandy beach. We
shuffled barefoot in the sand and passed under a giant rock arch, which revealed another idyllic beach. On the way back we visited Sting-Ray Bay (a secluded cove) and Gemstone Bay (a rocky beach good for
snorkelling). The sun was still high and hot, so we sunbathed on nearby Hahei beach.

DESTINATION WHANGAMATA - where we were 'beach bums' for three days! En route we stopped in Opoutere and crept 'hobbit-like' through a forest carpeted thick with fallen pine needles. We emerged at Ocean Beach - a 4km long stretch of white sand flanked on either side by green forested cliffs. We got to Whangamata (a long straggling and single-storey resort town) and set up camp at Wentworth Valley, a DOC campsite 7km south west of the town, but in beautiful surroundings.



DESTINATION AUCKLAND - Saturday 31.01.09 - we dallied in Whangamata, Judith bought some earrings, we did our laundry and some food shopping before Dan changed a flat tyre on the campervan. Soon we were on our way and drove by the Firth of Thames (different from the Thames that we are used to!). We camped overnight at an 'informal' campsite at Omana Beach (20km from Auckland). The elderly owners were amazed that we had got through the gates because they should have been padlocked! We hadn't committed a crime and happily paid our dues. The following day we drove to Howick and got a warm Welsh welcome from Dan's cousin Jackie and her husband Chris and their lovely daughters Naomi (9yrs old) and Keziah (8mths old). We met Gwyneth and Dylan and had a fabulous lunch at the SKYTOWER, which dominates Auckland city
centre. At 328m it is New Zealand's tallest building and was built in the 1990s as a symbol for the city in the run-up to the millennium. We visited the observatory decks, which offer superb views over the city. We saw two huge impressive cruise ships docked in the harbour. Parts of the observatory decks have glass floors where we walked tentatively. The SKYTOWER is the venue for two adventure activities: (a) THE SKYJUMP - where you plummet 192m to the ground with a cable attached to your back. Not for the faint hearted and not for us! (b) THE SKYWALK - a stroll outside round a 1.2m wide walkway, 192m above the pavement. You are attached by a safety line to a rail above your head, but there are no handrails. Judith was tempted, but didn't have enough confidence in her sense of balance!



After lunch the weather changed dramatically - it was minus 5! We were stood in an ice bar sipping cocktails from chunky ice glasses. We were kitted out in warm coats, boots and gloves. We stood in the bar for 30 minutes and admired the ice sculptures (reindeers, penguins, elves, father Christmas and a wolf's head). Somehow Naomi managed to blag two free drinks from the barman and she is only 9 years old - no such luck for us adults!



The next day we parted company with the campervan . We spent the afternoon at Goat Island and had a picnic lunch on the rocks overlooking the beach and the clear water. On the way home we came to a thick forest and in its midst there perched a beautiful treehouse restaurant. It was built round the the trunk of a redwood and looked liked an onion or the shell of a hot air balloon that had pierced the top of the tree and came to rest on its trunk. We watched enviously the diners as they feasted - we couldn't get a table - there is a waiting list of 500!
That night we slept in a child's den in a neighbour's garden. It was great fun.

We spent our last day in Auckland visiting more sites, including, one tree hill where we got a panoramic view of the City of Sails, the Auckland War Memorial Museum - a huge place renowned for its unique collection of Maori and Pacific treasures. We experienced a Maori cultural performance - an entertaining glimpse of
maori culture through song and dance. This included the "HAKA" dance (the bulging and eyes and protruding tongues signifying a sign of defiance). Apparently the HAKA was used in battle during the Second World War. In the evening Judith and Naomi kayaked at Howick Beach - a hop, skip and a jump from Jackie's house. The water was surprisingly warm - like falling into a tepid bath when the kayak stunts went wrong! Our last supper with our kind hosts was a delicious BBQ.




DESTINATION
AUSTRALIA - Wednesday 05.02.09 - We left New Zealand with a "bang" - well nearly. Judith was apprehended at customs when her small rucksack tested positive for explosives! She was questioned and it didn't bode well when she mentioned her 5 month trip to South America. The sniffer dog was called for - he sniffed, but wasn't interested, so Judith was allowed to go! Judith later recollected that her bag had come into contact with explosives in Bolivia, i.e. a stick of dynamite, which we bought for the miners in Potosi a few months ago!

Eventually we boarded the flight to Sydney. Maybe one day we will be lucky enough to return.

We landed in Sydney and got a flight to Perth. We sat next to two campanologists (bell-ringers). They looked familiar and when they said their names we thought they rang a bell!!! (Blame Judith for that joke).

G'day for now. We will see you later in Western Australia for some Kangaroo Capers.
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Wellington, North Island, New Zealand

FRIDAY 02 January to
MONDAY 05 January 2009 DESTINATION NEW ZEALAND - We flew from Caracas
to Santiago via Lima and arrived in Santiago at 3.10am on Saturday
03.01.09. Our flight to Auckland was not until 11pm, so we tried to
book into a hotel at the airport, but they were charging US$150. We
decided instead to have our own little bush camping adventure in the
airport! We left our rucksacks in 'left luggage' and found an ideal
spot - a bench table in a cafe, which was close to the toilets. It was
a quiet area and we slept quite well. In the morning we freshened up in
the toilets and walked a few yards to the cafe and had a slap up
breakfast. We still had lots of time to kill, so we
caught a bus to downtown Santiago. We were familiar with the city after
having visited there with Dragoman, although on this occasion it was
much quieter.

On 03.01.09 we flew from Santiago to Auckland and got there on Monday
05.0.01.09 - WOW! WHERE DID SUNDAY 04.01.09 GO? We flew over the
dateline!

We got stopped by Customs at Auckland airport
because our shoes were too dirty (we hadn't cleaned them since our
mountain-biking on Christmas Eve). The customs officer was very kind
though. We stood there in our socks whilst he went away and cleaned
them for us! Done and dusted we flew from Auckland to Christchurch in
the South Island. We treated ourselves to two nights of luxury in the
Ibis Hotel before hitting the road again (the hot power shower was
heaven!). Christchurch is a lovely place. It is the largest city on the
South Island with a population of over 300,000. We were based near
Cathedral Square on which Christchurch is centred and spent a pleasant
day exploring. As the guidebook says it has a slight feel of a
traditional English university town. You can even punt along the River
Avon. Our evening was rather mundane - we did our laundry!

We awoke the next day to a glorious morning - the mountains were
illuminated by the early morning sun. We had a date with those
mountains - we were going to cycle up them! After a hearty and healthy
breakfast in a vegetarian cafe (a soothing and calming place run by
Buddhists) we hired some mountain bikes and set off for the beach and
the hills. After 13km of pedalling on flat road we arrived at Sumner
beach - a beautiful sweeping sandy beach fronted with craftshops and
restaurants. We sat mesmerised by the waves and watched the surfers do
their stuff. We then headed up the headland to Taylor's Mistake - a
narrow beach and apparently the best in the area for surfing. From
there we rode along the Summit Road, which was underlating to say the
least and it tested our strength and fitness. Also, it was very windy
and in some parts we struggled to stay on the bikes. The views,
however, were tremendous, swathes of sandy beach hugged by a rugged
coastline and green sloping hills.

WEDNESDAY 07.01.09 - HIPPIE CAPMER VAN HERE WE COME!
We picked up our camper van - white with
purple and yellow flowers emblazoned on it! It is very compact and cosy
- not a problem because our 5 month overlanding adventure in South
America has stood us in good stead. In fact it is a miniature version
of a Dragoman truck - we have some green boxes (for food and pots and
pans), a fridge, a portable cooker and a safe (aka 'Trevor'). The only
thing that's missing is a back locker and our fellow Dragoman
travellers! Judith has called it Frodo.

After sorting out our kitty and getting some supplies we made the
long drive (500km) South to Queenstown. It was a very pleasant drive
and the scenery just fantastic. We booked into a campsite situtated on
the base of 'Bob's Peak'. It was a well equppied site and had
facilities of a high standard as well as the added bonus of fabulous
views, including Lake Wakatipu and the craggy Remarkables range.

After a good night's sleep in the campervan we spent the following day mooching round
Queenstown. It is a pretty place and has a very alpine feel. It is used
as a base from which to plan days in the surrounding coutryside or to
sample the many outdoor activities on offer. Also, it and the
surrounding area boast the country's highest concentration of Lord of
the Rings film locations. At Steamer Wharf we saw a group of people
embarking on a thrilling jetboat ride down the river, and people
clambering up the gangplank of the coal-fired TSS Earnshaw (the last of
the lake steamers). The top of Bob's Peak towered above us and can be
reached by the Skyline Gondola. We, however, were too tired to partake
in any of the activities and were just happy to watch everyone else! In
the afternoon we stumbled on a British Lolly shop that sold sweets and
foodstuffs imported from the UK (e.g. Blackpool rock, mushy peas and
heinz soup!). The owners are from 'Oop North', i.e. Rochdale and know
'Bacup' (the town where Judith was born and bred). It's a small world
isn't it?

DESTINATION MILFORD SOUND - One of the highlights of
New Zealand's Fiordland region. We set off early for the 600km round
trip. It was raining heavily, but not that heavy to dampen our spirits.
We drove past the remarkable Remarkables - windswept and rainswept
making them even more brooding and looming. In Lord of the Rings, part
of the Remarkables became Dimrill Dale. The road to Milford Sound is
very scenic and there are some quaint and quirky name places (e.g.
Bakehouse Creek, Knobs Flat, Lake Mistletoe). We arrived at Milford
Sound at 11.15am and booked on a 2 hour trip to cruise the world-famous
waters. Milford Sound is the most northerly and most celebrated of
Fiordland's fifteen fiords. It is a drowned glacial valley and Maori
know it as 'Piopiotahi' (the single thrush) and attribute its creation
to the god Tu-to-Rakiwhanoa, who was called away before he could carve
a route into the interior, leaving high rock walls. As we boarded our
boat the rain stopped and the sun came out - it was perfect. The cruise
was awesome. We were surrounded by steep forested slopes on one side
and formidable mountains on the other, out of which spewed brilliant
white waterfalls. We sailed under one waterfall and the boat was
engulfed. The captain placed some coffee cups on the front of the boat,
which filled up instantly! As we cruised through the sound the scenery
contiuned to amaze us. One of the steep green slopes was wrapped in
swirls of cloud and looked like a green and white striped bobbled hat!
The swell of the Tasman sea kept us on our toes (literally), and our
stomachs were in our mouths a few times! All in all it was a brilliant
trip and well worth the drive - rather like going to an away game of
football to watch 90 minutes of action! In fact we nearly went into
extra time because on the way back Frodo was running dangerously low on
fuel and was gasping. Thankfully, we found a campsite with "emergency
petrol". It was an antiquated pump, but it did the trick. Further along
we got delayed by a flock of sheep who were being shepherded down the
middle of the road. It gave us a chance to admire the stunning scenery.
The mountains in the distance reminded us of a team photograph, i.e.
the tall, dark rugged ones lurking at the back and the small, light
elegant ones at the front.

DESTINATION WANAKA - The next day we found ourselves in Wanaka, a
relatively small town, but (as per our guidebook) one which commands a
wonderful spot on the slopes of the willow-girt Lake Wanaka, with the
jagged summits of the Southern Alps as often as not mirrored in its
waters. We sunbathed beside the lake and gazed at the snow-capped
mountains in the distance. It was a peaceful afternoon, although
speedboats, pedal boats and kayaks broke the silence somewhat
as they traversed the lake. That evening we went to "Cinema Paradiso"
to watch "Australia"! It is a cinema with a difference - very cool and
groovy. It is attached to a small cafe which serves good wholesome
meals as well as popcorn, freshly baked cookies and home-made
ice-cream. The cinema itself is very comfortable - you sit on squashy
sofas and if you are lucky you can sit in a Morris Minor! People
settled down, the film came on and some people even ate 'tv meals" and
drank wine, i.e. from trays on their laps! All cinemas should be like
this. Oh yes, "Australia" is a good movie. The following day we hired
bikes and cycled in the blazing heat round Lake Wanaka and stumbled on
Dublin Bay - a very picturesque place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

DESTINATION FOX GLACIER - Another sunny day, but we didn't get up until
10am (shame on us) and we had a long drive day ahead. We drove
for five hours through stunning scenery and reached Fox Glacier
mid-afternoon. We wasted no time and booked ourselves on all-day
glacier walk (aptly named "the nimble fox") for the following day. The
walk was quite expensive, so we decided to camp "cheaply" and found a
Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite beside Gillespies Beach (some
6km from Fox Glacier). Our guidebook states that Gillespies Beach is a
former gold-mining settlement with a small cemetery and a primitive DOC
campsite! It was basic, in fact it was more of a car park, but we were
happy and ate and slept well. We ate our dinner sat on a log in front
of Frodo (campervan), but the view from behind was better - the snow-capped peak of
Mount Cook gleamed in the evening sun - it looked magnificent. The
following morning we made a hasty getaway because the sand flies were
ravenous and biting. We had breakfast from the van in another car park
further down the road! We reported to "Fox Glacier Guides" at 10.15am
and got kitted out with woolly socks, leather boots and rain jackets.
There were four other people on the trip plus "Passang" our guide from
Nepal. The weather was perfect as we trekked to the ice. After climbing
700 steps we filled up our water bottles from a waterfall. When we
reached the ice we armed ourselves with walking poles and strapped
crampons to our boots. We crunched our way over the glacier - it was
like treading on a giant meringue. Passang cut fresh ice steps to help
us navigate our way. Apparently the terrain moves up to two metres per
day, and at 13kms, Fox Glacier is the longest of the awe-inspiring New
Zealand West Coast glaciers. At one point we heard a "boom-boom" like
the sound of a drum - it was water running underneath the ice. At one
point Judith and another girl melted the ice - they were bursting! We
spent around four hours on the ice and the views were superb - it was
well worth the money. That evening we drove to Franz Josef (another
glacier village and slightly larger than Fox Glacier) and camped at
another DOC site - basic, but adequate.

DESTINATION PANCAKE ROCKS - We had a fitful night fighting off the
pesky sand flies, but undeterred drove to Pancake Rocks. We walked the
twenty-minute paved loop track leading to the rocks. Layers of
limestone have weathered to resemble giant stacks of pancakes. This is
the result of stylobedding - a chemical process in which the pressure
of overlying sediments creates alternating, durable and weaker bands.
We also saw huge sea caverns where, at high tide, the surf surges in
sending water spouting up through big blowholes. We spent the night
"freecamping' beside Constant Bay (as recommended by our guidebook). It
was a nice spot and even had toilets and water. We had a Lancashire
'nite', i.e. corned-beef hash, it was 'reet good' as well!

DESTINATION NELSON - Yet another sunny day as we drove through Lower
Butler Gorge reserve and the town of Murchison. We even found time to
wash Frodo (well his windscreen). We arrived in Nelson at 1pm and
booked into a campsite with hot showers and a laundry! We explored the
small city of Nelson, which is set on the coast and has become one of
the most popular visitor destinations in New Zealand. We found Jens
Hansen jewellers, famous for the creation of THE ONE RING for the LORD
OF THE RINGS TRILOGY. Replicas of this ring and those worn by Gandalf
and others were on display. The original ring is on display at a museum
in Nelson. Our evening was a chore - food shopping and laundry!

We spent the next day relaxing on Kaiteriteri beach (45 mins drive from
Nelson and just south of the Abel Tasman National Park)). It was
idyllic - clear blue water with a couple of small forested islands
sticking out of it like broccoli florets. Judith went for a paddle (the
water was cold), Dan was more brave and swam!

DESTINATION PICTON
- En route we strolled round the lively Saturday market in Nelson. It
was very different from the one in Otovalo (Ecuador). Judith bought
some trousers for "best". In the distance we
could hear (but not see) bagpipes playing - it reminded us of Lesley
and Kim (part of the scottish clan on the Dragoman trip). We had lunch
at Havelock, a small town nesteled in the heart of Queen Charlotte
Sound (a series of drowned valleys which enclose picturesque bays and
deserted sandy beaches and islands). Apparently Havelock is the world
capital for green-lipped mussels, so as recommended by the guidebook,
Judith tucked into a plateful, which had been steamed in a thai curry
sauce and coconut milk - slippery, but delicious! We then hit the 35km
Queen Charlotte Drive between Havelock and Picton, and weaved our way
round the winding roads to Picton. The scenery was spectacular round
each and every corner.

It was pouring with rain at 4am on Sunday
morning when Dan got up to watch Blackburn Rovers v
Newcastle on TV! Judith dragged herself out of bed for the second half! The rain was still lashing after the
game, so we did more chores (washing again). Later in the afternoon we
went to Blenheim (27km south of Picton). We drove through Marlborough
wine country and past many most prized vineyards. Neither of us is
drinking alcohol in January 09, otherwise we might have drunk one (or
two) dry! On the way back we sunbathed at Rarangi beach. It was quiet
and beautiful.

Time for some exercise - the following day we hired mountain bikes to bike a
section of the Queen Charlotte Track. The Track is 71km long with a
clay soil surface and is primarily for hikers. We opted to do the
section from Punga Cove to Torea Saddle (24.5km). We took a water taxi
and sailed through the calm waters of Queen Charlotte Sound to Punga
Cove. The history books tell us that Captain Cook stopped at Ship Cove
in Queen Charlote Sound on five occasions and made it his New Zealand
base. At Punga Cove we made our way to the track, but took a wrong
turning and got lost. Whilst coming down a steep path and pushing her
bike, Judith slipped, but was unscathed. Eventually we found the right
track. It was technical and challenging because of age-old tree roots
and loose rocks on the track. It was worth it for the views especially
those from the exposed skyline ridgeline. We had lunch on the ridgeline
and watched the sun dancing on the clear waters of the sound. A Weka
bird and her chicks gatecrashed our party looking for food. Refreshed
and refuelled we cycled on and could hear more birds, which were
singing and whistling in the hedgerows. After five hours of pedalling
we reached the finishing line and clambered aboard a water taxi to
Picton.

That night we showered at the campsite that we had stayed in
previously - we had to go there undercover because we weren't booked in
that night! Instead we bush camped in Frodo on a council run car park 5
minutes from the ferry terminal. Why? Because we were on the 5.45am
ferry to the North Island the following day!

SEE YOU IN WELLINGTON
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Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

LIMA to CARACAS

Sunday 16 November 2008 - Judith explored downtown Lima whilst Dan spent two hours in a supermarket buying a new camera! We had a farewell lunch for Lindsey who was off back to Blighty and then hit Chinatown, where rows upon rows of shops were selling polystyrene Christmas decorations (Christmas trees, father Christmas - you name it, they had it). A day for farewells - a farewell dinner for David and Jacqui at a great Chinese restaurant, and then farewell to Katie.

The next day we drove along the Peruvian coastline to Huanchaco, a fishing and surfing village full of hotels, guest houses and restaurants. Narrow pointed fishing boats called caballitos (little horses) de tortora made out of reeds were stacked upright against the sea wall drying out in the sun. Fishermen ride these boats on the breakers like surfboards. We enjoyed a good dinner at a local restaurant, although one member of our group (Kate) nearly missed her food because - as the song goes- she got stuck in the lavatory! For some strange reason a workman was standing outside the lavatory with the doorknob in his hand! A few minutes later and with the help of a screwdriver (thrown through the window) Kate managed to escape looking a little flushed!




We visited the amazing adobe ruins at Chan Chan and the temple of the moon. Chan Chan is the site of vast, crumbling ruins of the imperial city of the Chimu domains and is the largest adobe city in the world. The ruins consist of compounds built by Chimu kings. Each compound includes a platform mound,which was the burial place of the king and his women and his treasures. Outside of these ruins we saw a "hell dog" basking in the hot sun. It was an ugly mut and resembled the Egyptian "anubis".





The temple of the moon was interesting. The extensive polychrome moulded decorations were found throughout the 1990s. The colours have faded somewhat, but are still impressive. We saw various motifs including fishermen, crabs, spiders. Outside of the temple Judith was asked to go on a photograph with 3 women (strangers) because it is bad luck to have 3 people on a photograph, but good luck to have 4 people, we learn something new every day!

DESTINATION PUNTA SAL - a 5.30am start, so we had breakfast en route, i.e. at a petrol station. We got some strange looks as we set up the breakfast table and boiled the kettle, and munched on cereals and toast. After a few hours on the truck we disembarked at the Lord Sipan museum. Excavating since 1987, this is one of three crumbling pyramids which has brought to light a cache of funerary objects considered to rank among the finest examples of pre-Columbian art. The Peruvian archaeologist, Walker Alve, leader of the discovery, continues to probe the immense mound that has revealed no less than 12 royal tombs filled with 1,800 year old offerings worked in precious metals, stone,pottery and textiles of the Moche culture. The ear-rings were huge - round metal circles with thick stems -much too big for our ears! There were also large bulbous pottery figures, which reminded us of Alice in Wonderland caricatures. The tombs on display contained replicas of the original finds including mummies and skeletons. No cameras allowed though.

We arrived in Punta Sal at 7pm and pitched our tents on the sandy beach. We spent the following day "chilling" - sunbathing in the hot sun and cooling off in the sea. Dan swam amid the crashing waves and managed to lose his sunglasses. Judith only paddled because of her gammy leg (still a manky mess), although it didn´t stop her having a game of bat and ball with Jenny. Their best rally was 20 - the sand was too hot!

In the early evening, the sky was pink and looked beautiful - crabs scurried along the sand - the waves still crashed. That night, however, Judith lost her favourite woolly hat bought in Bolivia and her prayers to St Anthony went unanswered!



DESTINATION ECUADOR - We left Peru at 11am and got our passports stamped and headed to Ecuador. The border area was chaotic. Street vendors selling all sorts of things - clothes,food, budgies and dogs! Ecuador is tucked in between Peru and Columbia and our first impression was how green it is. Forests and patchwork quilt fields are quite a contrast to the dryness of Peru. We stayed in Cuenca, a pleasant colonial town with cobblestone streets, flowering plazas and whitewashed buildings. Rob (one of the Dragoman guides) kindly cared for Judith´s manky and infected leg, remarking that it resembled a guacamole dip in which one could dip a piece of bread - uuurrrggghhh!

On Saturday 22.11.08 we celebrated John´s (aka Juan) birthday, firstly with a visit to the Panama hat factory. We had a complete display of the hat making process. Contrary to popular belief, the Panama hat originates from Cuenca and not Panama - read on! In the 1830s the people of Cuenca were so poor that they started producing hats for a living. Around 1855, Europeans fell in love with these hats,exports increased and oddly enough the name "Panama Hat" stuck after all the men building the Panama Canal wore them for sun protection. The industry reached a peak in 1946 where they provided 20% of Equadors earnings. Today the industry is slowly dying, however, these straw hats that were so popular with gangsters in the 1920s and presidents and film stars in the 1930s and 1940s can still be bought today. Supposedly, a proper Panama hat can be rolled up tightly enough to fit through a wedding ring and still retain its original shape when unrolled. In the evening we celebrated Juan´s birthday with a meal in a sports bar and afterwards with a few drinks in some local bars. Judith and Danny "lifted" some coconut lampshades from one of these bars - all will be revealed later on!



After bidding farewell to Cuenca we headed North to Rio Verde. The scenery was fantastic - rolling green hills interspersed with villages - fields shared by cows and donkeys - trucks packed with people waving to us. We arrived at Hosteria Pequeno Paraiso in Rio Verde in the late afternoon. Another Dragoman truck (Carmen) was there (heading South from Quito). It was "lashing it down", so we upgraded to a cabin (a blessing because we stayed there for three days). It was a super place nestled amongst steep green hills streaked with waterfalls and enjoying a warm subtropical climate. Rich, the owner and ex-Dragoman guide, advised us on the adventure activities available. We chose the canyoning (Judith´s leg passed Rob´s fitness test).

The canyoning was a great adventure. Marco and Daniel were our guides and kitted us out with wetsuits, life-jackets and sneakers. We jumped from great heights into a raging river, hurtled down a zip wire, abseiled down slippery rocks and floated down the river. We will never forget Lesley diving head first (instead of feet first) from a great height into the water below. Thankfully, she emerged unscathed and with a huge grin! Judith also gave people a laugh when at one point she surfaced feet first - all you could see was the bottom of her sneakers!



That afternoon, Dan hired a bike and Judith explored Banos - a touristy town getting its name from the thermal baths. Immediately South of Banos is the volcano Tungurahau. Levels of volcanic activity have remained high, although it was dormant during our stay!

The following day we cycled 17km to Banos. The weather was kind - dry, sunny and warm. The scenery was dramatic, but we had to be alert to negotiate tough bends and steep uphill stretches, not to mention the pitch black tunnel! Judith thought her time had come when we entered the tunnel facing the one-way oncoming traffic (as instructed to do so). Dan saw a huge truck hurtling toward us at which point Judith panicked and fell off her bike. The truck was getting closer, but Dan somehow waved down the truck, and Judith managed to scramble to the side!

DESTINATION ANACONDA LODGE - After bidding farewell to Lee (a seasoned overlander since starting in Caracas) we headed off to the jungle. We left Cameron at a small dock and boarded a long wooden motor boat to Anaconda Lodge, located in the Napo province of the Oriente. The Oriente is Ecuador's slice of the Amazonian basin and occupies almost half of the country, but is home to less than 5% of the population. The reason that most travellers come to the Oriente is for the jungle tours. Anaconda Lodge sits on the eastern end of Isla Anaconda where the Rio Arajuno pours into the Napo river. The pride of the lodge is the Anaconda which lives in a small enclosure. Its colours shone magnificently in the hot sun.

Our jungle adventures began with a trek wearing wellingtons. We climbed up into the forest, crossed a ravine in a cage contraption and swung high on a rope swing into a clearing in the trees! On the following day we walked down a river in our swimmers and our wellingtons! It was waist high in some sections and we laughed out loud as we picked our way precariously over the rocks and trudged through the mud. In the afternoon we visited an animal sanctuary and saw squirrel monkeys, parrots, capybaras and caiman. We even had a go with a blowpipe - the target being a plastic parrot on a polystyrene board! A hit on the head was worth a beer. For some reason the girls fared better than the boys at this particular sport!

On Friday 28.11.08 we celebrated Dan's birthday in style. In the morning we visited a local community and played with the children who were very sweet - the girls in particular were very mischievous. Then we clambered aboard a balsa wood raft (tied together with thin pieces of rope). We were under instructions not to put our limbs between the logs and to hold onto the rope. At one point it looked as if we were walking/sitting on water because the raft was submerged - a MIRACLE! As the raft floated downstream some of us got into the water of our own accord and let the river take us. We had to climb back on though to negotiate the rapids! Then another miracle - a man on a boat came alongside the raft and handed us some cold beers! We drank and sang "Happy Birthday" to Dan in 4 languages, i.e. English, Dutch, German and Ecuadorian!

That afternoon we visited a local SHAMEN. We sat in a darkened room in a wooden house and watched the SHAMEN perform a cleansing ceremony on Dan. The SHAMEN was a 68 year old man who was stripped to the waist and wore a grass skirt over his tracksuit bottoms. Dan was seated on the floor and the SHAMEN stood behind him smoking a cigar, clutching and wafting straw and hissing and spitting! That evening we had a jungle themed party - the eating area was festooned with balloons, inflatable jungle animals, party hats made from leaves and a glitter ball. We all had our faces painted, Judith was persuaded to wear her party outfit - a pair of coconut lampshades (the least said the better!) - and Bob (the Dragoman guide) dressed as Tarzan in a pair of leopard skin bikini bottoms serenaded Dan! A family from the village performed some traditional songs and dances. Dan was presented with a magnificent birthday cake and got dunked in it (a South American tradition). What a great day and a great way to spend a birthday.



The next day we bade farewell to the jungle and drove to Otavalo, which is one of South America's most important centres of ethno-tourism and (according to the guidebook) its enormous Saturday market is second to none and not to be missed. The streets are filled with vendors selling a vast array of brightly coloured textiles and crafts. There is also a food market, which is unbelievable. Sheeps heads rest on counters, cooked pigs strung up high, the aroma of pork crackling filling the air, flies magnetised on huge chunks of blood red meat, live chicks being sold in brown paper bags and people slurping on the chicken soup. We also enjoyed the beautiful countryside when we cycled to a nearby lake through the mountains and small villages.

DESTINATION QUITO (01.12.08) - En route to Quito (the capital of Ecuador) we made an interesting and informative stop in the "middle of the world" at the EQUATOR.



We arrived in Quito at lunchtime, so had time to explore the second highest capital in Latin America. We visited the Old City - very colonial in style with narrow, steep, cobbled streets. We climbed the tower and the belfry in the Basilica - the views over the city were amazing.



On the way back to the hotel Judith's bank card was snaffled up by the ATM. The bank closed promptly at 17.00 and the transaction receipt read 17.01! The security guard would not open the doors and Judith was told to go back the next day. She did so and thankfully got reunited with her cash card (a little bruised after having been swallowed up, but none the worse for wear!).

The evening of 01.12.08 was the end of the trip for many of our travelling companions, including Bob and Rob (the Dragoman guides), so we had a good meal in the New City, followed by a dance and drink in a very strange nightclub. We rounded off the evening in a local bar.

The next leg of our South American adventure was due to start on 11.12.08, so we decided to hire a car with Kate and Jas (fellow travellers) and drive to the coast. It was a great road trip. BUDGET supplied us with a Nissan Almeria, which we named Sandy. Dan did a great job in getting us out of Quito and soon we were on the Pan American highway. The scenery was fantastic - lush green rainforest, clouds and mist and then sunshine, and wooden houses on stilts. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the roads. Judith was at the wheel and at the mercy of the speed bumps! The car was too low and the speed bumps too high. The underside of the car scraped over the bumps in pain. As the day gave way to night the bumps were hard to spot. Kate was on speed bump alert and did a good job. At one point the car screeched to a halt in front of a police station and Kate, Jas and Dan got out of the car while Judith drove over a speed bump! We arrived unscathed (can't say the same for Sandy) in Canoa and made it just in time for dinner.

Canoa is a fishing and tourist town with a nice clean beach and is popular with surfers. We chilled out for a few days enjoying the beach in the day and the bars in the evening. We also cycled 17km to the nearby town of San Vicente and hopped on a boat to Bahia de Caraquez, as well as visiting the Isla Corazon famous for birdwatching, where Judith and Jas tried to hitch a lift back from.



On 08.12.08 we drove from Canoa to Mindo, a small town situated high in the cloud forest. The following day the sun was shining so we took a 2 hour walk to the waterfalls. The scenery was stunning and to get to the waterfalls we had to cross a steep ravine in a cage like cable car.

We arrived back in Quito on 10.12.08 and waited with abated breath as the mechanic in the car hire place looked over Sandy to see if she was damaged. He did look underneath her for a while, but said nothing!

Jas and Kate left us on 11.12.08 - a sad occasion indeed. That evening, however, we were reunited with Donna and Dion (the Dragoman guides) and met five new people who were joining the trip in Quito (Emmy, Kerry, Darren, Mie and Jannie). The itinerary looked good and action packed and we were ready to go again!

On 12.12.08 we got acquainted with Cindy (our new truck) and made a return visit to the Equator and Otavalo before heading to Colombia on 14.12.08.



The border crossing into Colombia was an experience. We arrived on the Ecuador side at 11.30am and bought our Christmas booze from the Duty Free shop (Champagne and Amarula). We met Milton and Fernando who were guiding us across the border and then driving Cindy through Colombia. We joined the "border" queue, which was very slow moving. Tempers frayed as people tried to queue jump. We giggled when a nun tried to jump the queue, but God was not on her side and she had to back from whence she came! After 5 hours we got inside the terminal building, got our passports stamped and walked across no man's land to the Colombian border. After 30 minutes and with a 60 day visa in our passports we were on our way to Ipiales.



En route we visited the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Las Lajas. The view of this Cathedral from the approach road is breathtaking. Looking into the canyon we could see the magnificent gothic style building. It is set on a bridge, but appeared to be hanging there, over the river Guaitara. It looks like "Hogwarts" in Harry Potter. We took the 15 minute walk down to the cathedral to get a closer look. A mass had just ended and hordes of people passed us. The interior is beautiful with the altar set in the rock face of the canyon. Legend has it that the face of the Virgin was seen in the rock. When we emerged the sky was black and the cathedral was lit up. It looked magical. We were fortunate to see it in both the daylight and the nightime. We spent the night in Ipiales where Christmas decorations adorned the plaza.



On Monday morning 15.12.08 we drove to Ipiales airport to board a flight to Bogota. After a couple of hours delay we went through passport control and discovered that some of us had different names and had changed sex. Judith's boarding card bore Yudith Tarcy and Lesley Mitchell was Mr Lesley Mitchell! We boarded the small aircraft and after a short while disembarked at a small airport. It was hot and stifling, but after 10 minutes we were back on the same plane and reached Bogota around 5pm. We then climbed into a mini-bus and drove 5 hours to Villa de Leiva, a colonial town dating back to the early days of Spanish rule (1572).

The following day, Oscar (the owner of the lodge in Villa de Leiva) took us around the cobbled streets of the pretty and peaceful town. For some reason our group attracted attention - people sidled up and had their photograph taken with us! We also visited a Stonehenge where the carved stones are believed to be giant phalli and a solar calendar! The area also abounds in fossils, and we saw the fossil of a dinosaur found in 1977. In the afternoon some of us hiked up the mountain behind the lodge. We trampled onwards and upwards - Lord of the Rings style - until we reached a clearing. We could see the landmark (some water tanks) where we should have been, but couldn't work out how to get there! Eventually we found the path, hacked our way through the undergrowth, fought off a giant spider and reached the summit. It was a spectacular view - lush green hills, pine forests and clear blue sky. That evening we saw the children of the town running round excitedly wearing santa hats and holding candles. We assumed that they were going carol singing. It was a pretty sight and a reminder that Christmas was just round the corner. Later we had a BBQ at the lodge and were entertained by a local Colombian band playing drums. We ended the evening round the campfire and stargazing.



DESTINATION BOGOTA - We decorated the minibus with balloons and a banner to celebrate Donna's birthday. En route to Bogota we stopped at the roadside for strawberries and cream, and visited the Catedral de Sal, which was located underground in a salt mine. The tour was based on the 14 stations of the cross. We saw the biggest underground cross and a simple yet majestic nativity scene.



Steep stone steps were for one's pennance, i.e. one has to climb them on one's knees! The sacristy holds a special crucifix - special because it depicts Jesus nailed to the cross still alive. Apparently, he is alive because his head falls to the left. If his head points to the right he is dead.

We arrived in THE BOG (Bogota) early afternoon and visited the BOTERO museum and an adjacent art gallery (some wierd and wonderful exhibits). That evening we celebrated Donna's birthday and our 20th anniversary of being together with dinner and drinks. It was a good night and Kate joined us, which made it even more special.

DESTINATION CARTAGENA - On 18.12.08 we flew from Bogota to Cartagena, part of Caribbean Colombia and Colombia's top tourist destination. It is a beautiful colonial city, the heart of which lies within 12km of ramparts. Within the walled city is a labyrinth of squares, mansions, narrow cobbled streets, hotels and restaurants. We spent a few days in Cartagena and took in the sights as well as buying our "secret santa" presents! We enjoyed our jaunt to the formidable Castillo San Felipe De Barajas, the largest Spanish fort built in the Americas. Once inside the walls we walked through the many tunnels to reach the top. It was very peaceful up there, far away from the maddening crowd of tourists below. We saw a glorious sunset - all that was missing was a bottle of wine! At the entrance to the castle stands a statue of the one-eyed, one-armed and one-legged hero Blas de Lezo who defended the city from the strongest attack in 1741 - Sir Edward Vernon besieged the city for 56 days with 27,000 men and 3,000 pieces of artillery, but failed.



We also went salsa dancing in a great colonial style bar. We drank at the huge horseshoe shaped bar and after a few mojitos danced to the rythm of the music (on stage and on tables!).

One of the highlights, however, was bathing in the mud lake of the Volcan del Totumo. The volcano is about 20m high and the mud lake is 10m across and is reputed to be over 500m deep. We climbed the wooden steps to lake and masseurs pulled us into the mud. We declined the offer of a massage though! We floated in the gloopy grey coloured mud before submerging. We looked like alien mud creatures. We had great fun and then it was time to get out - easier said than done! We slithered down the wooden steps, mud still clinging, and scrambled to a nearby lake where we washed ourselves off. It took muddy ages (Judith's joke)!

DESTINATION MERIDA (VENEZUELA) - Monday 22.12.08 - a day of travelling not to forget. Not quite planes, trains and automobiles, but very close! We said bye to Dion (one of the guides) who was making his own way to Venezuela after picking up Cindy and made our way to the airport. It was only 4.30am and we had to be alert to cope with the bizarre departure tax at the airport. We paid a tax and then got a refund and somehow came out in profit. We landed in Bogota and then took a flight to Caracas, where we were met by a local guide. He suggested that we change money there and then on the black market. Deals were done in the airport under the noses of the airport security - very surreal. We then boarded a minibus to the bus station, Judith's seat being a coolbox! First impressions of Caracas were not favourable (scruffy, hustly and bustly). The guidebook describes it as being not the gentlest of introductions to South America. Founded in 1567 it lies in a rift in thickly forested mountains which rise from a lush green coast to heights of 2,000 to 3,000m. At the bus station Donna (our other guide) was informed that all the tickets to Merida had been sold and the next bus was on 27.12.08! We settled on the alternative, i.e. an overflow bus, more expensive, but at least we would reach Merida the next day. It was like an opening scene of a film - drivers and assistants touting for buisness, people weighed down by luggage haggling the price and then hurrying and clambering aboard the overflow buses. Ensconced in our seats we dared not move, otherwise they would be taken by others who wanted to get home for Christmas. When every seat had been filled and luggage of all shapes and sizes had been piled up at the front we were off. The little boy who was assisting the driver acted as DJ all the way to Merida - all 12 hours! It was quite an experience for us, a novelty in fact, but it is important to remember that it is a normal way of life for the people of Venezuela. After 12 hours we disembarked at a bus station 63km south of Merida, so took taxis for the last leg and got there at 7.30am on 23.12.08.

Merida stands on an alluvial terrace (a kind of giant shelf) 15km long and 2.5km wide. Founded in 1558, the capital of Merida State retains some colonial buildings, but is mainly known for its 33 parks and many statues. We met Alan our local guide for the next few days. He became known as Big Al and entertained us with his many jokes, and charmed us with his enthusiasm for all things, especially nature, fauna, and wildlife. He is a legend.

On Christmas Eve we went mountain biking whilst others went canyoning and paragliding. We drove high into the mountains and then saddled up to make our descent. The ride was good, but very technical and challenging. The first section was mostly uphill on rough and muddy terrain - in some places it was almost impossible to pedal through the syrupy sand. We had a pit-stop at some hot springs and soothed our feet whilst munching on huge chunks of water melon. Shortly afterwards "calamity Judith" fell off her bike going uphill and opened up old wounds on her left leg! Sore, but determined, she carried on. After 4 hours we reached the bottom of the mountain and felt exhilerated.



We celebrated Christmas Eve at Arassari Trek and it was beautiful. The tables were set on a balcony overlooking the valley below. The lights of the houses in the valley below glistened and the stars up above twinkled brightly. It was magical. The hosts served up a typical Venezuelan feast, which went down very well. At midnight we climbed the spiral staircase to the top floor and watched the fireworks explode in the valley below. It was a Christmas Eve to remember.



Christmas Day - In true Christmas tradition we got up early, boarded Cindy and were on the road at 6.30am. Our destination was Los Llanos. Wearing santa hats and draped in tinsel we sang christmas tunes. We were a million miles from home and missing our loved ones, but were in good company and having fun. En route to Los Llanos we passed through a village where "guy fawkes" type dolls sat outside houses. Apparently these dolls are burned in the last minute of the year. The tradition is to give children money to buy fireworks for "the burning". We obliged by throwing loose change from the truck! We had Christmas lunch at a very nice roadside restaurant - BBQd beef, salad and yukka. The toilets were unique - one cubicle housed two toilets side by side!

We stopped at an off-licence for some Christmas drinks shortly before reaching our lodge. It was manic, but great. People were gathered outside on foot and in cars, stereos blaring and people dancing. The off-licence was behind bars and people shouted through their orders. The owner, however, let us in behind the bars to buy the beers.

The lodge was beautiful, set in beautiful forested countryside. We had a Christmas Day swim in the river nearby, which was pleasant and refreshing. Before Christmas dinner a few of us exchanged presents. Jamie and Dan both got a pair of stripey travelling trousers coloured pink and purple resspectively. Armed with Champagne and Amarula we marched off to the restaurant to enjoy the festivities. We ate well and exchanged Secret Santa presents. Big Al got some butterfly rattles, Dan got chocolates, beer and a blow crocodile game and Judith got a sick bag and liquers! We drank, laughed and partied the night away. One party game was how many people can you get in a hammock - we got four people in! The hammock later became Judith's bed - being a little worse for wear, she decided to sober up outside and fell asleep in the hammock until 6am! At one point she swore that she heard a bear - rumour is that spectacled bears prowl the area, although they are very rare! Anyway, it was a Christmas Day/Night to remember if only Judith could!



Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day featured a long drive to another camp in Los Llanos, a vast sparsely populated wilderness lying between the Andes to the west and the Orinocco to the south and east. En route Big Al spotted some river dolphins and called to them with a high pitched holler. It was like a scene from Dr Doolitle when they swam toward us! We arrived at the camp early evening and after being fed and watered settled into our hammocks located in a large stone built circular room. Some other guests gatecrashed, namely giant spiders and a huge butterfly.

The next day was fabulous. FIRST on the agenda was ANACONDA HUNTING. Before that, however, we saw a giant anteater, a rare occurence apparently. Then armed with anaconda sticks we crawled under a barbed wire fence and got into the water. Our feet sank into the mud and god knows what else! Eventually we came face to face with an anaconda - a 3m long female which had just eaten a caiman - you could see the bulge in her stomach as she was digesting it! SECOND on the agenda was more wildlife spotting and we weren't disappointed. We saw around 53 species of birds and a variety of animals including capybara, a honey-bear (type of anteater) and caiman. One of the funniest things was a cheeky monkey hitching a lift on a pig's back. THIRD on the agenda, but not for the faint hearted, was the slaughter of a pig, which was to be part of that evening's meal. Judith watched and remembers it vividly, but won't go into detail! FOURTH on the agenda was a boat trip and pirahna fishing. Big Al talked to the animals again and pink river dolphins swam close to our boat. The pirahnas were also biting - Judith caught 3 and Dan 1 - there were many that got away - honest! FIFTH on the agenda was caiman hunting. The guides caught two and handed them to us for the customary photographs before releasing them. They were confused the poor things. We also some beady eyes looking at us from a nearby river - a herd of water buffalos - we scarpered before they stampeded.



We said goodbye to Big Al on the next day, but before doing so gladly signed his guestbook. He had certainly made an impression on us and we will never forget his enthusiasm. It was a joy to see. That afternoon we were equipped with helmets, life-jackets and giant inner tubes. We were off river tubing! It was great fun and we shrieked and whooped as we tubed over the rapids.

DESTINATION PUERTO COLOMBIA - 30.12.08. A 5.30am start because we had a long drive day ahead of us, including the tricky drive through the beautiful Henri Pittier National Park. The scenery was fantastic - steep rugged hills and sloping forests surrounded us and at some points our heads were in the clouds literally. It took some skilled driving from Dion and skilled navigating from Donna to negotiate the hairpin bends and narrow sections. It took 3 hours to get through the park.

NEW YEAR'S EVE - PUERTO COLOMBIA - a great place to see in the New Year. We explored the narrow streets of this laid back fishing village and then spent the rest of the day sunbathing on the dazzling long strech of white sandy beach set against a backdrop of mountains and palm trees. We had a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean. There was a strong undertow, making it difficult to swim, but riding the crashing waves was great fun. There was an air excitement around the place as the New Year approached. We celebrated the New Year with drinks and dinner and at midnight watched the fireworks cascade across the harbour and into the Caribbean.



NEW YEAR'S DAY - DESTINATION CARACAS - Wow! Where did 2008 go? On the truck at 8am and back through Henri Pittier National Park. It was precarious in some sections, especially when we met the oncoming public buses, which hurtled round the bends! It was quite tight and on one occasion we "high-fived" a group of ploicemen in their truck and shouted "Feliz Anos"! We arrived in Caracas feeling a little down because our 5 month tour of South America was almost over. However, we enjoyed a "last supper" at TGI Friday.

FRIDAY 02.01.2009 - a sad day as we said 'hasta luego" (don't like saying "goodbye") to our friends, Cindy and South America. It was hard waving them off - nevertheless, New Zealand beckoned.

We will see you all in New Zealand in our miniature version of a dragoman truck - a hippie camper van, which Judith has named "FRODO"!
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Lima, Peru

We arrived in Chile on 05 October 2008 and settled into a backpacker´s hostel in the beautiful town of Pucon. The Villarrica volcano loomed ominously over the hostel. Little did we know that the next day would be a battle of minds between us and the volcano! Monday morning and up at 5.30am to ascend the monster. We were kitted out with climbing gear, including crampons and ice axes. The sun was shining as we set off the group spread out slightly as we trudged through the snow. The guides were fantastic - very knowledgeable and expert advice. The volcano was daring us to go higher and sapped our energy. We refuelled with snacks and drinks. Rob one of the Dragoman guides opened his drink which spurted purple liquid all over the place. Amid the howls of laughter one of the volcano guides shouted to him not to drink it because it was cider! Poor Rob, he had not realised his mistake, so had to beg, steal and borrow from the rest of us to keep replenished. We continued the ascent and as we neared a ridge had to dig in deep with our ice axes. It was very windy and quite scary. It was if the wind was conspiring with the volcano to beat us. Undeterred we persevered and zig-zagged up the final part, which was steep. As we reached the summit the smell of the sulphur was overpowering - it stung our throats and our eyes viciously - a sting in the tail perhaps. The volcano was magnificent - the views, the elements and the smouldering crater will stay with us forever. After the customary photographs and a quick bite to eat we started our descent - easier said than done! Halfway down we all donned a harness round our waists and proceeded to slide down the side of the volcano using the ice axes for steering and brakes! It was great fun and we all got down in one piece. We rounded off the evening with a trip to the hot springs, which soothed our aching bodies. It was a great finale - we soaked in the water under the moonlit sky dotted with shining stars.





The next day we explored the picturesque town of Pucon and the volcano looked like a giant sugar bowl. Our final day in Pucon found Judith cycling 40km to Caburguna Lake and Dan hydrospeeding down the rapids in the raging river before doing the cycle trip too. In the evening we had a tasty BBQ cooked by Claudio, the hostel owner.

On Thursday 09 October we arrived in Santiago (where nine more people joined the trip) and stumbled upon some unusual coffee shops. Apparently they are institutions for the Santiago business community - good coffee, popular, intimate, pleasant places for snacks or more! The waitresses were scantily clad as they chatted to customers!

We explored the conical hill of San Cristobal where on the summit stands a statue of the Virgin Mary surrounded by pretty gardens. The view of the city below, however, was disappointing due to the fog. In the evening we feasted at the oldest Chinese restaurant in Santiago. The food was delicious and the decor incuded a large cage filled with noisy budgies!



Destination La Paz and back to truck life! En route we camped in pretty little towns by the coast (Pichidangui and La Serena) and visited Monumento Nacional Valle del Encanto - an archaelogical site with petroglyphs and great boulders.

As we drove through the desert we were blessed with the sight of a rare occurence - he floering of the desert. The land is barren, but every few years after rain (usually in September and October) the flowers that have lain dormant in the desert burst into bloom - a sight not to be missed. It was a mass of purple flowers - a huge purple carpet.




That afternoon we stopped at Bahia Inglesa (one of the most photographed places in Chile). The powdery white sand of the beach and the blue crystal clear water was idyllic. That eveing we bushcamped on a beach. The landscape was lunar-like - we were in the bottom of a crater, which spilled onto the beach where the waves crashed against the black rocks. It was surreal going to sleep with the sound of the waves only yards away.

The next day saw us pushing further into the Atacama desert and to the Hand in the Desert - literally a rock hand sculpted in 1992 to greet travellers to and from Antofagasta. A film crew were at the Hand when we arrived (not sure what they were filming though). In the evening we bushcamped in the beautiful desert landscape - sun-scorched rocks, giant sand hills, blue sky and so tranquil. The wind, however, was strong and we had to pin our tents down with rocks!




DESTINATION SAN PEDRO. En route we made a short stop at Baquedano, once an important railway junction, but now a down-at-heel village. We visited the open air railway museum, which displayed old and dusty locomotives. 30km further on we took a tour round Chaccbuco. Built in 1922 and abandoned in 1940 this former nitrate town is now a national monument. It was desolate and somewhat eerie. The rows of tiny terraced houses that once housed the workers stood still and empty. One could almost hear and feel the ghosts treading the boards in the now rundown theatre. The place seemed even more sinister when we discovered that it was used as a concentration camp during the first two years of the Pinochet regime. A surprise awaited us in San Pedro, i.e. Franz and his partner Amankay - Franz being the Dragoman guide on our first leg of the trip in South America. San Pedro is a charming little town in the heart of the Atacama desert and is made up of narrow streets and adobe houses. It has a very Spanish feel. Our first night here was very memorable - after a few drinks in a local bar and afterwards at a private party in someones back yard we made our way back to the campsite. The problem was that everything and everywhere looked the same and all the townsfolk were in bed! We eventually found the campsite at 3am.

We spent the next two days exploring San Pedro - in the daytime I hasten to add. We
1. Saw Chaxa Lake - a salt lake where pink flamingos balanced gracefully on one leg.
2. Visited a hidden valley, which was very hot and full of swirling dust devils.
3. Floated in a salt lake. To reach this we had to negotiate the crusty salt flats, formed by waters flowing down from the Andes, which unable to escape from the basin, are forced to evaporate, leaving salt deposits on the earth. Floating in the lake was weird - on the surface the water was warm, but underneath was freezing. Afterewards our swimmers were covered in salt and went as stiff as boards.
4. Saw the sun set at the Valle de la Luna aka Moon Valley. The valley is famous for its resemblance to the surface of the moon. High mountain ranges are visible from all directions - a magnificent sight. At the top of a giant sand dune we drank mango and lemon pisco sour and watched the sun set. as the sun bade farewell the colours of the mountain ranges changed colour from red to brown to honey.
5. Wrapped up warm and went stargazing. This astronomical delight started at 10.30pm and finished at midnight. We looked through super-duper telescopes, mounted in the guide´s garden, and saw Jupiter and its 4 moons, star clusters, shooting stars, signs of the zodiac and the moon rising.



On the last night in San Pedro we celebated Jas´s 30th birthday. The truck was decked out like a disco and the cook group cooked up a delicious BBQ. After some Dutch courage the lads treated Jas to a strip routine - gyrating their bodies to the music and revealing their modesty! It was hilarious and great fun was had by all.

DESTINATION BOLIVIA - We crossed the border into Bolivia no problem and ascended higher and higher. We were warned constantly about altitude sickness and had to drink plenty of water and take things easy. At one point we reached 5,020m. Our first night at altitude was spent in a refuge in the middle of nowhere. Judith was in the cook group and helped to make ratatouille and spaghetti carbonora. Ths was no mean feat at altitude - everyone felt rough, none more so than the chefs. It was so bad that Judith put icing sugar in the carbonara sauce instead of flour! The meal, however, was rescued after some quick thinking - we used tinned tomatoes and nobody noticed.

Bolivia is a beautiful place and the next destination was UYUNI - a jumping off point for trips to the salt flats, volcanoes and multi-coloured lakes of South West Bolivia. In Uyuni we saw the traditional dress of the older women - bowler hats, shawls on top of woolly jumpers on their top halfs and on their bottom halfs skirts that splayed at the waist and underneath the skirts hid layers and layers of petticoats.

The next day in Uyuni was fantastic. We piled into jeeps and made our way to the Salar de Uyuni - the world´s highest and largest salt flats. We visited an ice hotel and ate lunch at an island, which was adorned with huge cacti. It was out of this world - in the middle of the white expanse of the salt flats and surrounded by mountains as far the eye can see. It was unreal and we lost track of what was land and what was sky! We spent the afternoon taking the customary photographs on the blinding white salt flats. The phenomenon is that due to the perspective people and objects look like giants. The weather was superb and we had great fun and took some great photographs. We rounded off the day with a meal in a local restaurant. Judith had fried llama and rice with a side order of a boiled egg! The place was sparse and basic - bottles of pop teetered on the rickety wooden shelves and the owner worked from a small frying range, pulling out the chips with her bare hands. It was very authentic.




On the next day, we arrived in the mining town of Potosi. Potosi was a source of great wealth for colonial Spain, but of indescribable hardship for many Bolivians. It is the highest city in the world and was founded by the Spaniards in 1545 after they had discovered indigenous mine workings at Cerro Rico. Immense amounts of silver were once extracted, but as silver was found elsewhere, Potosi became little more than a ghost town. The demand for tin, however, saved Potosi from absolute poverty in the early 20th century until the prices slumped because of over supply. Mining still continues for tin, zinc, lead, antimony and wolfram. A large part of the town is colonial and we explored its twisting streets. Judith went local and purchased some stripey travelling trousers and a bright green jumper!

The next day we visited the Cerro Rico mine. The state mines were closed in the 1980s, but are now worked as co-operatives by small groups of miners. We certainly looked the part in our in bright red miner outfits - jackets, trousers, wellingtons, helmets and head torches! We all bought carrier bags of goodies to distribute to the miners. These contained biscuits, coca leaves, sticks of dynamite and detonators! We were a little apprehensive at the entrance to the mine. Our guide book reads of the mine that descending into its bowels is both physically and emotionally draining. We crouched along its passages where the air was dusty. We saw only a handful of miners at work, but they worked in appalling conditions. At one point the group split - we went on the adventurous route, i.e. clambering up passages using the holes in the walls for leverage and balance. In one place stands a devil statue, which the miners worship every Friday by bringing it gifts, including absynthe. We also witnessed a dynamite explosion from extremely close quarters. A miner lit the fuse wire and we sat in awe as it fizzled! Bob, our guide got rather worried and kept urging us to get of there. Eventually we retreated to a safe haven and heard the deafening explosion. On the way out of the mine we saw a boy of 15 toiling away. It made us appreciate our life and how lucky we are.




DESTINATION LA PAZ
On Saturday 25 October 2008 we had the adventure of a lifetime - a hair-raising and torturous ride 70km ride on a mountain bike down the world´s most dangerous road. The guide was fantastic and very professional. We listened to his instructions about how to ride the road, i.e. to look straight ahead and not to the left where the cliff sheers upto 400m! As we pedalled down the road the clouds lifted to reveal the stunning scenery - towering snow-capped peaks and steep forested slopes. It was stupendous. We had to be alert at all times and stopped regularly at various check points for food supplies and further instructions. The first few sections were on paved roads, but at 3,600m the paving gives way to all weather terrain, i.e. rocks and gravel. As we made the steep and twisting descent we saw various shrines dedicated to people who had lost their lives, as well as mangled wrecks of cars and trucks that had gone over thecliff edge! Waterfalls cascaded from great heights making the road wet and slippery in parts. It was only on the trip back up the road - in a minibus - that we realised the magnitude of what we had achieved. The cliffs just fell away! The llama tikka masala went down a treat that evening!




Three new people joined the trip in La Paz and we were shortly on our way to Cusco. En route we stayed in a little town called Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. It has a hippy feel and is geared up for tourists. We went trekking on the Isla Del Sol in preparation for the Inca trek. It was a scorching day as we trekked 14km through inca villages, inca terraces and ruins. The views were superb. We failed miserably, however, on the trek - Dan had a bad stomach and Judith was sick. Nevertheless we made it to the end, but were grateful as we descended to the port to catch a motorboat back to Copacabana. The descent was pretty steep and winding and at one point we passed porters going uphill laden with mounds and mounds of suitcases, which belonged to travellers staying on the island.

DESTINATION PERU - we left Bolivia and crossed the border into Peru. We stayed in a town called Puno on the North West shore of Lake Titicaca. We had a tour of the floating reed islands. The journey to reach the port was comical - we piled into cycle driven tuk-tuks and rattled down the streets clinging on for dear life. Health and safety did not come into it at all. We reached the port in one piece and boarded the Galapagos Express, which took us to the islands. The islands are constructed of reeds and are little more that floating souvenir stalls. It is, however, a poor existence for the people who live there. They fish, hunt birds and live off the lake plants and most importantly the reeds that they use for their boats and houses.

In the evening Judith ate the local delicacy - guinea pig! It came splayed with its back legs tied together, its head adorned with a carved tomato, and a carrot in its mouth!

On the way to Cusco we also visited the pre-Columbian funeral towers of Sillustani - a very mystical place. Shortly afterwards we were stopped by the police who tried to fine us for not wearing seat belts. Our guides pacified them by buying 6 raffle tickets off them - bizarre!

DESTINATION CUSCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY - WOW! We based ourselves in Cusco and got our kit ready for our trek to the Sacred Valley. We trekked for 4 days up and down mountains at altitude and camped out in the evenings. It was challenging, but, according to the guide, we were a fast group. We did some community work en route, i.e. we planted some trees! The scenery was unbelievable - high mounains that seemed to touch the sky, green valleys, clear rivers. It rained only once and we looked like hobbits as we traipsed along in ponchos in single file! We had porters and mules with us and they were superb. They set up the tents and cooked our meals, which were delicious. We had three good meals each day and even had afternoon tea. We do not know how they managed it.

After 4 days trekking we caught the train to Machu Picchu and it was definitely the icing on the cake. We were overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this once inca citadel - it just has to be seen to be believed. The ruins sit on the terraces of the steep slopes against the backdrop of the Andes moutains. It was a beautiful day - the mountain gods were being kind to us, although at one point they made their presence known when it thundered and lightened. Luckily it was too far away to affect us. We even manged to ascend a mountain called Waynu Picchu. It was very steep, but the panoramic view at the top was a sight to behold.




To round off the trek we had a fancy dress - the theme being super heroes. We hit the bars in Cusco, but there was only 3 of us in fancy dress, Judith being one of them! She was Inca Croft (a variation of Lara Croft), one lad was the Incredible Hulk and one lad Superman. We had a good night.

DESTINATION LIMA - Refreshed and replenished, we left Cusco on 7 November 2008 and made our way to Raqchi, the scene of the region´s folklore festival starting on 24 June when dancers come from all over Peru. When we arrived we were paired off with families for a homestay. Irma and Leonides were our hosts. They have three daughters, Emily aged 7, Tanya aged 15 and Judy aged 18 and a grandma. Their house was very basic, but they made us feel very welcome and we joined them for a lunch of quinoa soup and a meat and potato stew and coca leaf tea. We ate in the stone kitchen in cramped conditions, but were treated like royalty - we were given the best crockery. We sat at a two-seater table whilst the rest of the family were scattered around the kitchen - the grandma sat on the floor behind the kitchen door! In the evening the little boy next door joined us for dinner, so there was 9 of us in the kitchen feasting on soup, fried onions and meat and potatoes. We then made our way back to the small village dressed in traditional clothing and partied the night away. The villagers had a ceremony to wish us luck on our travels. It was a long ceremony, but very sincere. On the next day we said farewell to our hosts who gave us gifts of pottery. It was Jenny´s 23rd birthday, so the truck was decked out in school fashion - we had a tuck shop, a detention area, a dunce´s corner - you get the drift. We all had to adopt a persona - Judith was a computer geek and Dan the school captain! It was good schoolboy humour and kept us occupied on the way to Chivay.

Chivay is the gateway to Colca Canyon, which is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. When we arrived at Chivay a few us were a little squiffy after having drunk the school punch! Nevertheless we had a dip in the hot springs and cavorted happily performing stunts on each others shoulders! Later that evening we celebrated Jenny´s birthday with a meal and a few drinks in an Irish bar.

The following day we made our way to Arequipa. En route we visited the Colca Canyon to see the condors. Unspoiled Andean villages lie on both sides of the canyon. The rumour was that the condors were due to rise on the morning thermals at 7.20am. We got to the viewpoint at 7.20am and waited and waited to see the majestic birds at close quarters. It was a little disappointing because we saw only two from far away.




We arrived in Arequipa late afternoon and settled into our hotel. Arequipa is a colonial city with its guardian volcano, El Misti. On either side of El Misti lay the mountains of Chachani and Pichu-Pichu - awesome. The city has fine Spanish buildings and many old and interesting churches. It is the main commercial centre for the South of Peru and has been declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. We drank and danced the first night away in a club called Deja Vu, which was full of dodgy geezers, one of which had his nose pressed up gainst the window!

The following day we saw some Inca mummies, including the frozen mummy known as Juanita found on Mount Ampata in 1995. She is fascinating and is so well preserved. She was a princess and was a child sacrifice at the age of 12 years. Most of her black hair is still intact, her hollow eyes stare from behind the glass case and her long teeth smile hauntingly.

We spent the afternoon on a city tour and took in various sights. These included the massive cathedral founded in 1612 and largely rebuilt in the 19th century. Inside there is a huge Belgian organ and an elaborately carved wooden pulpit. The guide drew back a large black curtain under the pulpit to reveal a sculpture of Lucifer. We also visited Santa Catalina Convent, which is shrouded in mystery. In times gone by the second eldest daughter of wealthy families were sent to the convent and had between 1 and 4 years to decide if they wanted to become a nun. The convent is a maze of cobbled streets and plazas painted in traditional white, orange, deep red and blue. We also saw some very fat guinea pigs housed in cages. You could choose which one you wanted for dinner - no wonder they scarpered when we peered into the cage!

On the following day we went downhill mountain biking again! This time we descended Chachani mountain. The terrain was tricky - rocks of all shapes and sizes stood in our way. We took it easy, but still made good time. The uphill section was tiring, especially at altitude and we had to dig in deep. At one point the guide diverted us to the jump section. It was black sand and Judith miscalculated and flew over the handlebars. The landing was soft and only her pride was hurt. She was filthy though, covered from head to foot in black sand. Dan stopped to take her photograph and then carried on! Toward the end of the ride, we had to keep together and cycle as fast as we could to avoid the wild dogs that attacked us from the roadside! We came through unscathed.




The small fishing port of Puerto Inca situated on the coast beckoned. As we dropped down in altitude we saw the magnificent sight of the Pacific Ocean, its waves crashing against the steep black cliffs. We made camp on the beach at Puerto Inca - a lovely setting - hammocks swinging in the breeze, old ruins on the hillside, a sandy beach and huge crashing waves. Some of the locals challenged us to a game of football, so we accepted. The pitch was on sand, which was very gritty. Judith slid in for a tackle and came off worse - a huge sand burn on her shin! The game finished 8-8! We finished the day in style with a beach BBQ, a few drinks and some beach games.

On Thursday 13 November we arrived in Nazca and set up camp and then it was off to fly the NAZCA LINES, i.e. geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert depicting animals, birds, objects and parallel lines. Mystery surrounds about who made them and how they drew them and why. The 30 minute flight over the lines was very good. We saw the whale, the astronaut, the dog, the monkey, the spider, the hands, the tree, the condor, the parrott and the humming bird.



The following day started off with a visit to the valley of the mummies at Chauchilla cemetery. It was a chilling place. Hundreds of mummies lay in open tombs looking rather macabre with their sunken faces, hollow eyes, long hair and in the foetal position. That afternoon we arrived in Ica, an oasis in the desert, and boarded some dune buggies. We had great fun driving up and down the giant sand dunes. It was thrilling like a roller coaster ride. We disembarked from the buggies and went sand boarding down the dunes. Laying on our bellies we gripped the boards and hurtled down the dunes using our legs for steering. It was good fun. As the sun went down we set up camp in the dunes. some people had tents, but we decided to sleep in just our sleeping bags under the stars. The stars were shining and the air was warm - a good experience, although the sand got everywhere!





Bob the Dragoman guide celebrated his 28th birthday on 15 November, so we decorated Carmen the truck with balloons and the like and set off for Lima. Then disaster struck - Carmen spluttered and let out a huge bang - her br4akes had overheated and she burst a tyre! The fire extinguisher was used and we all had to board a local bus to take us to Lima. Rob, the other Dragoman guide had to stay behind to repair Carmen. We arrived in Lima in mid-afternoon and helped Bob to clebrate his birthday with a trip to the bowling alley and a meal at Tony Romas.

Carmen made it to Lima and was in fine fettle for the onward journey North of Lima.

If you are still awake and still reading we will see you in Ecuador.




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