Glen & Vicky's Travels

Mumbai

2010-05-22T06:42:00.002+01:00

Crowded streets, polluted skies and oppressive heat were what we expected from Mumbai, we were pleasantly surprised by the wide tree lined streets under the blue skies and the cool breeze from the sea. We spent our days exploring the city on foot, eating lots of food and drink from the streets and visiting galleries and museums. We spent a lovely evening wandering along Chowpatty beach and Marine drive eating Bhel Puri and channa masala and another having a drink in the infamous Leopolds.
On our final morning we took a tour of the Dhavi slum - the biggest in Asia - it was a fascinating experience and instead of the pity we expected to feel we were filled with admiration for the people who lived enterprise and happiness, the tour was certainly one of the highlights of India!!
Our last night was spent at 'Blue Frog' it's one if the happening joints in Mumbai for some music and dancing, Tiramasu and very expensive G&T!!
Mumbai continuously confounded our expectations and we loved it.

Captain Caveman

2010-05-15T13:18:00.002+01:00

We visited Ellora and Ajanta, the sites of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples. Now we have seen many temples on our trip, but all of them to date have been built, these ones were literally carved out of the mountain!! They are all incredibly impressive and include carvings and paintings dating back to 200BC.

We took guides at both sites who regalled us with the stories of the sculptures and and the paintings on the wall - including those of six tusked elephants and monkey kings! It was well worth the visit, even in the scorching heat! (43 degrees!)

Panjim and Old Goa

2010-05-12T06:01:00.002+01:00

We've spent a couple of days in these towns, the Portuguese influence is very strong, the streets are wide and clean and the houses are named with tile plaques. There are old English style food sellers on the streets and cashew nuts everywhere. There are hundreds of churches here, all shapes and sizes and we've even visited the wax museum where the piece de resistance was a model of the last supper - it wasn't quite madame Tussuad's but we enjoyed the air con!!

Lights, camera, action!!

2010-05-07T04:58:00.004+01:00

We've spent most of our time here in Goa horizontal on the beach, occasionally we move for food, shade or ice-cream and our biggest decisions consist of what book to read next and what items to choose from the menu - it's fabulous. That was until yesterday when the bright lights of Bollywood were put in front of us!! we were asked to be extras in a film called Golmaal 3 (apparently 1 and 2 did very well). It's largely set on the beach so we spent the day mingling with apparently 'very famous' actors that were dressed as an Indian version of Starsky and Hutch with huge sunglasses and fake mustaches. We simply had to walk in the background carrying different inflatables, we also got to watch the filming of the stunt man doing jumps on the jet skis. We were well fed and even paid for the day's work so tonight we are heading out to eat lobster with our feet in the sand!! What a life xx

Bourne to be wild........

2010-04-30T08:07:00.003+01:00

We are back on the beach, and Vicky is trying to emulate her all time hero (second only to me) by running along the very same beach that Jason Bourne did (just before his girlfriend got shot in the head). After dragging Vicky away from stoking the sand where his feet may have touched we hired a scooter for a day and roared our way up the coast watching everything fly past in a blur as we raced along at braekneck speeds of up to 40km/hr!!

We stopped at a few different beaches and drove through some beautiful little fishing villages, only having to turn around once when we got to the end of a road and there was nowhere else to go apart from the sea.

So, after all that excitement we returned to the beach for some more relaxing. I'd better head back now, I'm sure it's not healthy for Vicky to be licking the sand!

Hampi

2010-04-24T10:50:00.004+01:00

Arriving in Hampi was like entering a film set for Jurassic Park or The Hobbit. It's a ruined city covered with sandstone temples and huge boulders. A river runs through it that provides lush greenery and you can cross on a wicker coracle boat which is fun. There is a very relaxed feel about the place especially as the season is coming to an end which suits us just fine! Walking among the scenery is spectacular and one day we hired bikes and enjoyed the breeze that came from speeding down the hills, at one point Glen almost ran over a 2.5 meter cobra but luckily his quick reflexes meant we got away unharmed.

Go Go Gokarna

2010-04-21T08:47:00.002+01:00

Time seems to have escaped from us in beautiful Gokarna, the days have passed and what have we done? Eaten, the food here has been fabulous and we have enjoyed countless dosa's, Ice-creams and several superb ways to enjoy cauliflower. We've relaxed on the beaches and walked the coast line, losing the trail for jungle like path only twice. We've watched the local cricketers and the huge numbers of people making pilgrimage here to see the temples. We are staying at a lovely little place amonst the spice and herb plantations. It is clean and has a generaton for the fan so we stay cool when the power cuts out. The lady and her son that own it are kind and friendly and we have a little veranda where we can spend the odd evening enjoying an Indian rum.

Chembra Peak

2010-04-06T13:19:00.003+01:00

The 2nd highest peak in South India (why do something predictable and climb the highest), we climbed up tea and coffee plantations through coconut and banana groves sat around at the top for an hour and still made it down before midday - we made an early start to avoid the worst of the heat but still shed a few pounds of sweat! After that excertion I think it's time for some more beach time!

Theyyam Performace

2010-04-06T13:02:00.006+01:00

We were given a phone number to contact about a ritual that was taking place - 6 phone calls, 5 new numbers and a returned call later we were given the name of a place. Feeling like we were heading to an illicit rave we jumped in a rickshaw and headed to a temple. We arrived to see just the last hour of a 6 hour festival where dancers don outfits (like the one above), enter a trance and take on the characteristiocs of a deity and dance around. Impressive!

Houseboat on the Backwaters

2010-04-02T09:50:00.003+01:00

The 'Gateway to the Backwaters', many people come here for an overnight trip on a houseboat and we were no different. We were inundated with offers of houseboats to rent, but for this one time we decided to treat ourselves and go luxury - we weren't disapponted! We arrived to board our boat, met the 3 members of the crew (for just us!), the huge boat which included large and comfortable living and dining area, a bedroom with ensuite, and a kitchen (or galley) for our cook to prepare our food.

We had booked a 2 night trip, and the next 48 hours were spent living it up in true luxury as we were waited on by Shibo, Beba and Radeesh. We were given garlands as we boarded, a fruit bowl to help ourselves from, comfortable seating in the sun and shade and the food......the food was amazing, the best we've had in India and we couldn't even manage to finish the 7/8 dishes that were brought to us each meal time. And then there were the Backwaters themselves, we had already had a taster, but this was beautiful, and having the 2 days allwed us to go a bit further than the normal tours. The scenery was consistently stunning as we crossed lakes and navigated narrower canals past palm groves, paddy fields and little houses and villages. There were kingfishers diving and Cormorants fishing and water snakes gliding across the water. People were fishing from their little canoes, swimming, washing or just crossing to the otherside. And we took it all in from the comfort of our boat while sipping ice cold beer (Kingfisher appropriately) listening to nothing but the bird song and the occasional stroke of paddle through water.

As we were returning to dock, Shibo asked if we were happy, we said 'no.....it's ended too soon'.

Punt, punt, punt your boat .....

2010-03-30T09:44:00.003+01:00

After eating a good hearty breakfast off banana leaves we took a tour in a large canoe through the backwaters of Monroe Island. The whole area is a lush green, and being punted along in the canoe was relaxing and peaceful as we passed under some very low bridges, and by cashew trees, papayas, pineapples (red!) and obviously lots of coconut trees. The locals were just busy getting on with their daily lives, we stopped to watch rope being made from coconut husks and passed by shrimp farms and lots of people enjoying the shade under the trees.
Next stop Alleppey for an extended trip.

Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly...

2010-03-30T09:39:00.002+01:00

We went for a day to the Southern most point of India, taking a boat to an island off the coast where 3 oceans meet (a prize for the first person to name them all!).

The town itself, Kanyikamari, was a little bit of a let down, like a British Seaside resort with lots of shops selling the same junk as each other. We thought we would spend the afternoon with a cool beer looking out to sea, as Tamil Nadu is a 'dry' state this proved more difficult than expected until finally, along with another couple (Clare & Glen - good name!) we found a 'permit' bar in the basement of a hotel where we spent a few hours drinking in the dark air conditioned room before having a street thali and going to bed.

Missing week?

2010-03-26T12:43:00.003Z

OUr marathon journey took 2 days and involved; jeep, rickshaw, plane, taxi, ric

kshaw, plane, taxi, train and finally an 'ambassador' taxi to arrive in the very humid southy indian evening at Varkala. It was late, so we joined the locals and rickshaw drivers in a little cafe for a meal of idllys and curry before heading to bed - sleeping bags are definitely no longer needed!

Varkala is a coastal town with the 'main drag' along a cliff top looking down on a large beach below, the temperature has barely dropped below 30c (even at night) so we have spent lots of time on the beach and on hammocks in the shade.

We took a walk up the coast along the cliffs, past coconut groves, a black beach and fishermans huts, we shared fresh coconuts with some locals who had taken a break from working in a shrimp farm before finding a nice quiet spot to eat a fresh watermelon.

Our evenings have been spent relaxing (not that different from the days) with the odd beer and a pick of freshly caught seafood from red snappers an butterfish to jumbo shrimps and giant Blue Marlins. We're really not sure where the last week has gone........

First Impressions of Southern India

2010-03-22T08:57:00.004Z

After spending a huge amount of time and money we have arrived in Kerala, Southern India - It's like being in another country (a more sophisticated one) The roads are quieter and wider and everything is so green, palm trees line every road and the beachfront. The language is different and peoples faces are blacker. The familiar sound of "chai chai chai" has been replaced with "coffee coffee coffee" and chapati and salty dal has been replaced with rice noodles, spicy curry fresh coconuts and fish.

What a beautiful place to be - Incredible India

Darjeeling Express

2010-03-22T08:47:00.003Z

We took an overnight train to Darjeeling in 'sleeper class' (the lowest reservable) which had apparently been overbooked as i 'slept' the night with an Indian man curled up at my feet.

It seemed that we were never going to get there, as despite there being some beautiful landscapes and Indian transvestites on the train, the mountains were nowhere to be seen until suddenly we were amounst them.
Darjeeling, being in the Himalayas, is a very hilly town so despite the fact that we did no trekking (due to ankle) our legs still got some good exercise! Slightly disappointingly, the weather was very cloudy during our stay so we missed out on the mountain views and the sunrise over Everest, but we were still surrounded by the now familiar friendly Tibetan faces, not to mention the tea plantations - some of them actually grow on cliffs - they must absail to collect them.

Our departure from Darjeeling proved difficult, as the train waiting list didn't go our way and we missed out on a 3 day train down south (we love those trains) and had to take a combination of jeep, rickshaw, plain and train before arriving in what seemed like a different country.

Varanasi

2010-03-11T05:40:00.003Z

Varanasi is one of the holiest Hindu cities in the world, and the atmosphere of the city is certainly calming - even spiritual.

The city itself, along with the holy river that runs through it, is dirty, smelly and probably full of disease, but watching the city wake up from our rowboat at sunrise was a beautiful experience. Along the 3 miles of ghats (steps down to the river), and alongside each other there were hundreds of people; they were swimming, washing clothes against the rocks, washing themselves, praying, practicing yoga, setting up shade, chanting, burning bodies, preparing fishing nets and washing their buffaloes. Then there were the many people just watching the people and each other. The ghats are full of colour from the sarees and flags and the orange of holy men as the sun reflects off the water, the brass jugs used for washing and the many old temples and palaces that line the river.

We have taken in the atmosphere and spent our time exploring the narrow lanes that spread back from the ghats, and relaxing (and recovering) with new found friends.

Our one experience away from the 'calm' was a further boat trip at sunset. The think fog of mosquitoes had us quickly returning the the sanctuary of the shore.

We're all going on a lion hunt... (i mean tiger)

2010-03-09T11:37:00.003Z

Another monster of a journey involving auto rickshaws (of which Glen drove one), buses, a train ride in the catering carriage and a sprained ankle to get to our next destination, Bandhavgar national park. We were exceptionally lucky that on our first day we were whisked away to the edge of the park by our new friends to see our first glimpse of a tiger, it was in the distance but we saw its stripped slender body walking through the trees and up the hill.

Over the next couple of days we did three safaris and saw a mix of wildlife; spotted deer, monkeys, samber, storks, lizards wild boar and yes another tiger. It was a 9year old male laid in the shade next to the water. It was looking around with its huge head and resting its shiny orange and white body as the sun went down. It was a fair distance away but we were able to get a good look with binoculars. Unfortunately we didn't meet any close up or see a kill like others we spoke to buts that's nature for you. We were lucky to see the two we did!!

Karma Sutra

2010-03-09T11:32:00.004Z

It took two days of difficult travel, which involved some underhand dealings with our hotel porter for some hush hush beer and a telling off from a ticket man on the train to get to Khajuraho, home of the famous Karma Sutra temples - and it was well worth the effort. The 1000 year old temples were incredible, so much more than rude statues (and we'd have been happy with that). Our audio guide (on cassette walkman and held together with sellotape) was superb and we left inspired by the designers creativity and with a few ideas for the bedroom (minus the horses!!!)

Holi Elephants!!!

2010-03-02T04:07:00.007Z

We had been looking forward to Jaipur where we had arranged to meet Rob and Marian (friends we met in Korea) and booked to see attend the annual Elephant festival and celebrate Holi. We were not disappointed as we had a great few days - we thought India was colourful before, this was incredible!!

In the time leading up to the festival we took a Rickshaw tour of some city sights including a great fort and water palace, we visited the home of some Elephants where we were hoisted onto their backs and we were shown the 2kg Chapattios they eat! We visited a monkey temple where we were protected from aggressive monkeys by children with water pistols, and we sat by snake charmers as (angry) cobras lunged towards us - we moved pretty quick!

As it approached the festival and parade we went 'back stage' where we walked amongst the Elephants as they were painted and and dressed with some amazing designs. We then took our seats and enjoyed the parade of elaborately dressed elephants, camels and horses, as well as a multitude of various dancers, drummers and bands - all described by some brilliant commentary ("we appear to have lost discipline so we urge you all to join in with the chaos").

The climax of the festival encouraged some of us to get involved so the 4 of us stepped forward for 'Holi on Elephants' (a prelude to the following days festival of colour), it basically involved being on or amongst elephants with bags full of paint powder and guns trying to cover everyone with as many colours as possible - brilliant!! We were literally covered from head to toe (including teeth) by the finish when we were presented with elephant tropies as mementoes.

As if that wasn't enough, the following day was actually Holi - so we did it all again (without the elephants) - we'll let the photos speak for themselves!! That evening we went to an ethnic 'theme park' where we ate loads, had our palms read (3 kids apparently) and were painted with henna - an amazing 2 days!!

Pushkar

2010-03-02T04:03:00.003Z

A Lotus flower fell to Earth and Pushkar was created, so they say. We visited the pilgrimage town and the Ghats to the (dry) lake where a Priest (?) blessed me giving me good karma with a series of mantras, tikka on my forehead (not sure if its related to the cooking).

It was an energetic visit, attending daily yoga classes with a yoga master who helped us to acheive some ridiculous positions! (we aim to carry on), and hiking up to some temples in the hot midday sun - plenty of refreshments were taken on board.

Bundi

2010-02-23T09:46:00.005Z

We took the train to Bundi, along with a group of boisterous Tibetans who were going all the way to Delhi. We've lost count of the number of times we have been told not to accept food on trains (apparently some locals have drugged food and stolen bags), so when we were offered food by our travelling companions we gratefully accepted (they wouldn't accept no anyway!) and tucked into the tandoori chicken, mutton curry, (Very hot) chillies and naans - it was really good, and they fell asleep before us anyway!

Bundi is a small quietish town with a palace that looks like its falling down a hill. We walked past the palace along an overgrown path (ok, so we did take one wrong turn which made it even more overgrown) to the fort at the top where there was no change to the path as the fort was in ruins and also overgrown, but extremely peaceful and nice. We relaxed and explored in the silence and solitude until we realise we weren't alone......there were also hundreds of monkeys that seemed to come from no where and were suddenly all around us, it was like a scene from a film (no partially expose statue of liberty to be seen).

We hired rickety old bicycles and, dodging the cows, pot holes and people, headed out into the country along quiet lanes where it became lush and green with wheat fields surrounding us as we passed many temples and cenotaphs - along with friendly locals who continue to have a conversation with us from the back of motorcycles.

In the ever increasing heat we took the opportunities to find various shelters where we could sit and watch the world go by including a treehouse we stumbled across overlooking a lake where we were joined by many parrots and other birds, the garden of our guesthouse where we could chill out and chat to the family and other travellers, and a quiet lakeside cafe where there was just the sounds of the birds over the lake and an old French lady farting.

Udaipur

2010-02-16T06:59:00.004Z

The bus journey to Udaipur highlighted how the colours in Rajasthan have become more vibrant. Men wear bright turbans and women seem to wear brighter pinks and yellows that glisten with sequins and jewels. There is jewellery everywhere, huge silver bangles and gold discs for nose piercings that are so big they cover part of the face. Glass bangles in every colour shine in the sun and ankles and toe rings cover the feet - Beautiful India.

Udaipur is known as the romantic city of Rajasthan so where better to spend valentines day. It's built up around a lake with lots of beautiful buildings with huge archways that create pretty shadows. We've been to see a traditional Rajasthan dance show that started with a strange dance representing a quarrel between two Gods and involved a man putting hot coals into his mouth. The performance continued to involve women dancing the 'quick step' with pots of fire balanced on there heads, this was followed up by more women clinking brass discs on string all over there bodies! One man did a funny puppet performance and the concluding act involved a lady balancing 10 pots on her head and stomping on a brass dish and shattered glass. As well as these strange acts of madness there was drumming, singing and beautiful dresses.

Holy Cow!!

2010-02-16T06:04:00.004Z

These sacred beasts wander all the streets, occassionally lying down for a rest in the middle of the road. Apparently gentle and placid, we have found out differently as both of us has received a 'friendly'nudge over the last few days - they are now getting a wider berth!

Johdpur 'the blue city'

2010-02-15T10:52:00.003Z

The bustling streets and busy bazaars that surround the clock tower in Jodhpur were quite a contrast to the calm and quiet desert we just left. We can buy everything here the markets are never ending and we spent hours exploring them and more trying to find our way out. We've sampled the local lassies flavored with saffron which are superb just like a vanilla muller light (minus the light i am sure).
The for of Jodhpur, Mehrangarth, is magnificent and our favourite so far. The ticket guy gave us a David Dickinson style introduction then we headed off round the fort with our excellent audio guide (very 80's and very fun). The fort itself was well maintained and we saw the beautifully decorated palace rooms with geometric design in the courtyard. The views from Mehrangarth really showed Jodhpur as the blue city. Most of the buildings are painted blue/indigo as an insect repellent - we have not been bitten so perhaps it works.
We rounded off the visit with dinner and a show, a scrumptious thali and an open air performance of Macbeth in the fort gardens. Excellent

A close shave

2010-02-10T13:17:00.002Z

Camel Safari

2010-02-10T13:14:00.003Z

Our trip as a 2 temporarily became 3 as John joined us in Delhi, we spent an afternoon getting lost in the markets before taking the train to Jaisalmer. It was good to see him and we spent the 16 hour train journey drinking Old Monk (who'd have thought that India makes great Rum?) and catching up.

Jaisalmer is built of sandstone and it seems to creep up on you as you approach, with the huge Fort looming over you. We spent the day exploring before enjoying a meal with some beer and music, and getting caught up in one of the many wedding celebrations that seem to happen every day here.

Jaisalmer a desert town and we set about exploring the desert on camels (with guides). We spent 3 days (about 15 hours) on the camels going through dry scrub, sand dunes and several small villages. Our guides cooked us meals and we slept out in the open, on our second night witnessing an amazing electrical storm in the not so distant clouds and the millions of stars above our heads - fortunately we managed to stay dry, just.

We had a great time with John (and flyface, leggy and chewy), despite some slightly tired and sore legs, and the constant 'wind' from the camels.

Goodbye to the Orphanage.

2010-02-10T12:47:00.003Z

We continued our time at the orphanage with a variety of lessons, ranging from jumping frogs to questions about song lyrics we wrote on the board. We spent one day upstairs with the really little ones - most are fully able kids but come in from the slums - they were both adorable and terrible at the same time, very excitable with short attention spans - we were pretty exhausted by the end of that day.

On our penultimate day a group of children came from a local public school to give a performance, there were comedy routines (in Hindi, but still funny), singing, and dancing, which the kids all clapped along to. Some kids from our class got up to give their own performances, with Kuldeep doing some awesome dancing and Suman playing the harmonium and singing. Somewhat inevitably we were summoned for a performance of our own. So, to the cracking bollywood music on the cassette we pulled out the 2 bangra moves we'd picked up, some 'running man' and some dosey does, to bring a round of applause and raise a few smiles. We were then invited to the public school for a look around (where we were treated incredibly well), it was a huge school with 4000 kids and some amazing facilities, quite a contrast to our little orphanage. We hitched a ride back on the school bus.

There have been ups and downs during our three weeks at the orphanage, but at the end of it we were sad to be leaving, purely down to the children who have been great, and we have got to know as individual personalities; Kuldeep the deaf dancer. Polite & friendly Susmita. Clever and cheeky (in a good way) Vikash - with one blue eye and one brown eye. Cheeky but sweet Praveen. Beautiful and adorable Seema. Power happy Mukesh. And Suman with his hand pedalled bicycle. In the younger class there is Deepak, the coolest kid in town. Ganga, the tomboyish boss of the class and the shy and quiet Sapna, amongst many others.

We will miss these and the rest of the kids and hope for the best possible future for them in what will no doubt be difficult lives. Despite everything that is against them they are tough, hard working and always have smiles on their faces. We are privileged to have spent time with them

Taj Mahal

2010-01-27T11:42:00.003Z

Our guide books says it's a 2 and a half hour train ride to see the famous Taj Mahal - it took us 11. We climbed/shoved/pushed our way onto the train (when it eventually arrived) but people just kept coming. Being white was a huge advantage in the rural station as we were looked after and heaved up to the top level to sit. We were bent over and crammed in looking down on the people standing below. There were no gaps between the people - they were simply piled on top of each other. One man said to us "this is the real India" - o kidding.

The Taj Mahal was every bit as impressive as you imagine. The gigantic marble buildings surrounded by green gardens look just like the postcards and up close the detailed carving really is beautiful. After the Taj we walked along the river past the burning ghats where we saw so many bodies being carried on wooden stretchers to be burnt and sent out to the polluted water. It didn't seem sad just very calm and quiet in comparison to the surrounding streets.

We also went to see the huge red Agra fort which boasted more marble designs and lush gardens where we could relax when the sun peeped through. We wondered the streets and manic bazaars selling everything from pots to paan and potatoes - Glen even got a cut throat shave.

We ate breakfast on a rooftop each morning sitting in the sun with a view of the Taj where we were waited on by two gorgeous kids - it was like a scene from Bugsy Malone.

ABCs

2010-01-23T14:00:00.004Z

A few months ago knowing we were going to be in Delhi we signed up to do some volunteer work in an orphanage, this has been out 1st of 3 weeks.

We have been placed in an EVAD orphanage for disabled children 30km south of Delhi in a quite rural area. There are 30 children live in the orphanage and others visit for lessons. The disabilities range from 'slow learners' to severely mentally disabled. The children we have been teaching are mainly deaf and dumb.

Monday morning was our first day and we were taken to our classes and left to teach, to say it was overwhelming may be an understatement. With communication difficulties spanning languages (Hindi, English and Sign), along with the fact that many children could not speak or hear we felt we were quickly drowning and were a little bit lost but somehow managed to struggle through the day.

We started the 2nd day a little bit wary, but soon realized how quickly it could get easier. The children are all lovely and have taught us some basic sign language and helped us whenever they could (although I think it should be the other way round!), this has led to us being able to communicate more effectively, understand there needs and actually help them to learn from us.

The rest of the week continued to get better, we know the names and personalities of most children and they all know us, there is lots of studying and learning (both us and them) and no shortage of fun and laughs to add to their already permanent smiles.

Such a turn around from Monday has allowed us to believe we can help the kids, and are looking forward to even more progress next week.

http://www.eindiabusiness.com/evad/services.html#schooling

Chandigargh

2010-01-23T13:50:00.003Z

On the (long) bus trip south to Delhi, we stopped (not intentionally) for a night in Chandigargh, a place we new nothing about and hadn't planned to visit, but we're glad we did!

We treated ourselves to a more expensive hotel than the 3pound we normally spent, showered and hit the town for some food and beer, both of which we enjoyed with some live music. We ended the very enjoyable evening by walking back in the freezing cold night eating ice cream!

In the morning we decided to see a bit of the city before catching our bus so we headed to the 'rock garden' and we loved it. Under the direction of one man, a 12 acre sight has been transformed into an interesting, enjoyable and stimulating place to wander around using just the waste from construction sights. There are waterfalls, mosaic walls, large castles and thousands of sculptures of all sorts of animals, people and who knows what, a real pleasure to spend some time. We were sad to leave but had a bus to catch, it was an unexpected stop worth making.

Tea with the Lama

2010-01-13T09:07:00.003Z

Mcleod Ganj is the home (in exile) of the 14th Dalai Lama, and for 5 days it has also been the home of us!

Set on the top of a mountain, amongst many other mountains both smaller and larger, it is a relaxed place with lots of chai (super sweet tea) shops and Tibetan monks at every turn. We have spent the days soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the town and surrounding countryside. The scenery continues to be stunning at every turn, never more so than when we made the 4 hour hike up a mountain to the snowline at 2,900m where we relaxed in the sunshine looking down on the clouds below before descending via a waterfall to some well deserved momos and Thenthuck soup.

Ravi's House

2010-01-10T11:49:00.003Z

From Shimla we took a local bus to a town called Bilaspur to meet Ravi (an old friend) with the plan of staying with him and his family for a few days. They picked us up from Bilaspur and took us to their house in the small village of Kerlya.

The house is on a ridge looking down the valley to the rest of the village which sits within the foothills of the Himalayas, it is a beautiful house in an amazing location and we were treated like kings by Ravi, Mampta, Chaitanya, Papa Jee and Mama Jee as they kept us very well fed. The view from the house is beautiful, and we awoke to the sight of what looked like a lake formed by cloud down the valley under the snow capped peaks.

After a couple of days at the house we went on a trip to Joginder Naga to see some more of the countryside. After a fun 7 hour journey involving buses, jeeps and probably the highest roads we have ever been on (many of which brought to mind the climax of the Italian Job - especially when we had to pass other buses!), we were met by Mampta's cousin and taken to his house where we were once again very well fed. Continuing our journeys strange fascination with rail travel we went for a quick trip on a trolley which goes up and down the hillside (at a gradient of up to 48 degrees - that's pretty steep) using a pulley system before taking a quick tour of the fascinating Hydroelectric powerstation that Mumpta's cousin worked in. It was built in 1932, and I thought renewable energy was a new thing.

On our return trip the bus took the opportunity of breaking down at the highest pass we made, rather than sit and wait we climbed higher (over 300 steps) to a small temple on the top of the hill, for some more breathtaking views of the mountains and the terraces that have been cut into the hillsides for farming. Just as we were at the top we got news that the bus was fixed and had to make a quick descent to cut the bus off on the road below us.

Our 5 days passed unbelievably quickly as we had a fun and relaxing time with our adopted family, and we left on another bus with the promise to meet up again in Delhi after our trip to Daramsala, further into the Himalayas - in case you wondered, it's also pretty cold ;o)

Toy train to Shimla

2010-01-02T11:05:00.002Z

It sounds like it should be made of colourful plastic and last for 20 minutes but that was not the case at all. The 120k journey climbed from 700 to over 2000m and took 7 hours (3 more than it should have). It was great. Each carriage held 30 people, we were sat with 3 families who were good fun, we screamed our way through the 103 tunnels and round the bendy tracks enjoying the stunning mountain scenery all the way.

Shimla is a lovely place with old British style buildings with wooden beams in a tudor style, we could almost be in Shaftesbury (but the roads are even steeper!). Since arriving we have climbed a hill to Jakoo temple, taking 21 minutes (according to the sign at the bottom this means we are super fit). The temple is a shrine to the monkey god and appropriately there were monkeys on the path all the way up, people carry sticks to beat them away but they didn't give us any problems and it was nice to be walking amongst them. The views from the top were extremely impressive looking out over the Himalayas with their snow covered caps poking out through the clouds and eagles circling below us.

"one snap please" we hear wherever we go, with people wanting their photos taken with us, unfortunately it is never just 'one snap' and at one point we were stuck for 30 minutes with a queue waiting in line! On the train a baby was thrust into our arms for the proud parents to take a picture, we wonder how many family albums we may be appearing in.

For New Year we wrapped up warm (6/7 layers) for the below 0 temperatures and had a curry before joining the crowds on the streets with music and dancing inbetween the photocalls.

Arriving in Delhi, India

2009-12-29T14:52:00.002Z

The air is black with pollution and the noise is incredible, horns go all though the day and night continuously. The smells are mixed, sometimes the air is delicious with spices and cooking, other times the burning incense makes me light headed and frequently it just smells of shit. The lack of public hygiene is apparent as soon you step out of the door. The colours are vibrant with bright materials and spices and gold and silver sparkles everywhere. Instantly we love the people, everyone wants to sell us something or give us advise about getting ripped off by scamers. We have spent hours talking and laughing with them. One guy gave us tea and another lunch which we ate standing in a dusty market with the roof falling in. It was incredibly tasty but Glen was slightly put off when he found a finger nail in it. We have wondered through the bazaars where men chased us to buy there goods and cows wander freely amount the traffic of motos, cycle rickshaws, cars and people. The evening brought a realisation of the poverty here as we watched men, women and children burn cardboard to warm there bare feet and other crawl under buses to stay warm to sleep. It's heartbreaking. The view of the city from the tower of the mosque was incredible. We saw tin roofs spread as far as the pollution would allow and the crazy streets seemed no less manic. There is no clear order to the buildings and the people and transport merge around them, eagles circle the skies above watching.

Already we love incredible! India

A Second crack at Perfection?

2009-12-29T14:49:00.002Z

After we got back to Sihanoukville we decided to find a quiet beach on the mainland for Christmas and headed to the not too distant Otres Beach, arriving in the dark we found a bungalow, not only was it directly on the beach but it was also made ontop of an old boat, we slept the night and awoke in the morning opening the door to a view over the calm blue ocean, paradise had been refound....unfortunately the boat was only the size of a double bed, and contained a double bed. So we walked down the beach looking for something a bit more roomy, who says beggars can't be choosers.

A straw bungalow with a wooden interior 20 feet from the water on a quiet stretch of beach, our own table, chairs and sunloungers on the sand where the restaurant would bring our food, and the door an large window opening onto the sea. We made the most of the loungers and the fly free sand, dipped in and out of the water as we pleased, and ate the delicious food from the restaurant, and fruit we had bought from the market while watching the sandcrabs run up and down the beach. We had a nice couple from Germany with a baby in the next bungalow and a couple from Horfield (!) that we could share some Christmas drinks with. We had found our paradise and it was still a day until Christmas.

After a night in our bungalow we awoke on Christmas Eve to the view of the early morning sun catching the flat sea and ate a fresh mango on our porch, unfortunately (again) there had been a mix up with the bookings and we had to move again. It was tough but we had to move to a not quite such luxurious bungalow a bit further down the beach, it was not the end of the world and we were back on the beach and had a fre lunch as compensation.

A quiet Christmas Eve included my foot being 'pinched' by a crab while in the sea, a few drinks in the evening and returning to out new bungalow to find a bat flying round the room, a cockroach on Vicky's toothbrush and being jumped on by large beetles. We jumped under our mosquito net, so much for 'nothing was stirring not even a mouse'. We kept laughing.

Christmas was a beautiful day, we woke up early and swam under the rising sun, ate a breakfast of fresh dragon fruit and watermelon and opened a few presents on the beach (Thanks Ann, Pete, Sarah & Ben). We maintained soem traditions by hanging a silver snowflake from our beach umbrella (unfortunately no cracker hats), spent time with new found friends and ate and drank lots - the coconut shakes topped up with rum were particularly good as the sun was going down. We ended the day as it had begun with a quick swim. A brilliant day - we hope you all had a great Christmas too.

A Secluded Paradise

2009-12-29T14:29:00.001Z

We arranged with a local dive shop to be dropped off by their dive boat at an island 2 hours off the coast of Sihanoukville called Koh Rung. The island has 4 small villages (each with about 20/30 homes) on the coast, a hilly jungle covered centre and numerous white and yellow sand beaches. As we approached in the boat all we could see was white sand and a few wooden huts and were prpared for a quiet christmas on the beach.

The room that we took was in a wooden beach house built on the pier, so we slept with the sound of the waves washing underneath us. The island was a true paradise, we explored the beaches that we had to ourselves, swam in the warm sea and basically relaxed. The pier was in one of the small villages and everywhere we went we were greeted by hellos and smiling faces, from every single person we met. Vicky was even escorted down the pier by a small child to make sure she was ok.

As a break from the beaches we went exploring the centre of the island and headed to the opposite coast. We were climbing through jungle again, although this time inapprpriately dressed in shorts and vest. We pushed our way through bushes, climbed along logs and opver boulders till we came to the top of the island and looked down at the perfect beach! It was a bay about 2 miles long with a turquoise sea lapping onto it and there was not a soul to be seen. We quickly made our way down the rocks and to the beach and into the ocean before doing some more of what we do best, relaxing on the beach. After a few hours on the beach we made our way back and had dinner in a beach hut over looking pcean under a clear starlit sky - we truly had found 'bounty island' .

Did you sense a 'but' coming? Despite the sheer beauty of the island and the people on it, we made the decision to leave after only 2 days and before Christmas. Sandflies! such a shame.

turning 28!

2009-12-28T10:07:00.001Z

We woke up in our little wooden room and opened some pressies from home under the safety of our mosquito net then we took motorbikes through some brilliant scenary of long grasses and orange dirt roads. We crosse3d the river by putting the bikes on a raft and and continued, untill we were stopped by local police who were quickly given some cash for apparently nothing, to a nearby town. The bus to Shonokville stopped and Glen surprised me with a birthday cake from a street seller and some delishous fruit - what a breakfast!! We relaxed on the beach watching the sun set sipping cocktails and eating barbequed fish, squid and prawns caughet earlier that day. Once darkness arrived there were fireworks - what more could a girl ask for?

Awimbawey Awimbawey .........

2009-12-19T07:26:00.002Z

After our first spell in the Mighty Jungle we were hungry for more, so took a bus and boat deeper into the Cardamoms to a small community called Chi Phat where we arranged to do another trek with our own personal guide and cook.

We set off early morning back in a boat, a motor boat for 2 hours then a traditional row boat where the 'driver' stands up and crosses the oars to row, we were right amongst the jungle with kingfishers swooping down into the water to fish . After1 hour in the row boat we docked up, donned our rucksacks and headed into the under growth towards our 'sleeping place' and back in the hammocks, it doesn't take long to get used to the constant and variety of noises - we still didn't see any tigers! although our guide did point to some elephant dung.

We hiked through many different landscapes, with open grasslands and banana plantations as well as the jungle. In the midday sun we arrived at a large waterfall with a huge pool so we took a well deserved swim before heading back to Chi Phat where we had a delicious dinner in the company of a huge lizard.

We have now reached Sihanoukville in great need of a shower! we plan to head to a remote island for Christmas, so hope you all enjoy the snow ;o)

The Cardaman jungle, Koh Kong, Cambodia

2009-12-12T05:20:00.000Z

The 8 of us set off, Glen and I, a lovely couple from Belgium and our 4 Khmer guides/drivers Sam, Pan, Map and Ot. The motorbikes were great fun and perfect for the 'óff roading' despite that our faces, clothes and eyes got full of red sand. After a couple of hours we left the bikes and headed into the jungle on foot, walking was difficult as so many vines caught our feet and tripped us up. We got to a beautiful waterfall where we saw monkeys running through the water then swam in a warm lake which washed away all the sand. We trekked for another 4 hours taking in the breathtaking scenery and climbing over and under tress and wading through rivers. We saw several gigantic bugs, a snake and crocodile eggs - no tigers, but some footprints!!
Our camp was spectacular 8 hammocks, 2 fires and a few washing lines to dry our drenched clothes. It was right on the edge of the river so we the relaxing sound of running water.
After dinner cooked on the open fire we went for a night walk, it was pitch black apart from our head torches which attracted all kinds of flying bugs. Walking was harder than in the daylight and the wildlife seemed allot noisier. High up in the trees we saw monkeys, there bright yellow eyes looking down on us like burning stars while they screeched to each other.
When we got back to the camp we realised we had been attacked by leaches - there was blood everywhere, in our socks and shoes and our trousers, we had to burn them off. we couldn't stop laughing, it didn't hurt at all but there was so much blood due to there anti-clotting ability.
Once we had debugged we climbed into our hammocks and slept listening to the sounds of the wildlife at night.
As the sun came up we detangled the fish from the nets and cooked them for breakfast, they were so delicious then we made our way out of the forest, some time and a few more leach attacks later we were back on the bikes. We went to a huge waterfall where we jumped off the rocks into deep pools of water and backed in the sun before saying goodbye to our new friends - a fab trip.

Phnom Pehn

2009-12-10T05:18:00.002Z

We stayed in the capital city for just one day before moving on, paying a heart wrenching visit to the S-21 Toul Sleng museum.

Before Pol Pots Khmer Rouge regime this had been a high school but was turned into a prison where people were beaten before being taken to the 'Killing Fields' for execution. The museum has a cloud over it and shows what happened here, displaying hundreds of photographs of inmates, only 7 of which survived. Its a horrowing experience to visit, but a poignant reminder of Camobdias terrible recent past.

Bamboo train

2009-12-09T05:17:00.000Z

From Siem Reap we took the bus to Battambang for a quick stop, travelling through lots of flat open countryside with small stilit shacks to the sound of the Cambodian Karaoke video they seem to play on all bus journeys.

We chilled out by the river for a while sipping from our fresh and sweet coconuts before grabbing some lunch and jumping on the back of a moped to be taken to the 'bamboo train'.

Slightly different from the trains we were used to on the Trans-Siberian line, this is made up of a 10ft sq bamboo board resting on 2 axles and powered by an old motorbike engine. When a train comes the other way it can be disassembled taken off the tracks and reassembled in a matter of minutes. We met 2 other Bamboo trains on our journey, the etiquette is that the train with the lightest load/fewest people is taken to bits, we had picked up a couple of locals on the way meaning we 'won' on both occasions with our six people (I think counting a baby was maybe cheating a bit).

The ride is bumpy and winding as the train gets up speed along the old tracks like arickety old rollercoaster, taking us past people fishing in small ponds and stopping at a brick factory where the bricks are made using a small hand operated machine before being put into a kiln powered by burning rice, there was a bed in the middle of all the clay where the woman and her children slept.

So we have continued our journey with another train ride, unfortunately this small, quirky version will only be running for another few months as a new line is being put in and bigger trains will on the tracks meaning the bamboo train will soon have to stop.

living on the flood planes in Kampong Khleang

2009-12-08T05:09:00.000Z

Our driver, Chom, spoke good English so acted as a fab guide all day. He took us to Kampong Khleang in his tuk tuk, the road passed busy markets then padi fields where we saw women working hard. We saw pigs strapped to the back of motorbikes and chickens running wild, the cool breeze was lovely in the scorching heat. Kampong Khleang is a community build on the flood planes of Tole Sap lake so most houses are built on stilts of 6/7 meters, some are permanently floating. We chartered a boat where we saw children paddling there way to school and monks in the temple, also on stilts where we were greeted by hundreds of kids shouting susdai/hello. It's the dry season so the water is low and rice and corn is being planted. On the way back we stopped and ate sticky rice cooked in bamboo rods with coconut, it was delicious. A fascinating experience to see how adaptable some communities are.

On the road again

2009-12-07T11:56:00.002Z

2 weeks of white sands, blue skies and clear water were brought to an abrupt halt as the monsoon rains arrived signally the end of our 'holiday', so we took a boat and 3 buses to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The city is quite small and has obviously had some money poured into it since the civil war as there are new roads and buildings and there is a laidback atmosphere in the tropical heat, although it doesn't take long to get away from the centre to see the the locals housing in wood and steel sheds on stilts.

After just 1 meal we decided we need to get find out more about the Khmer food so enrolled on a cooking course, there were 2 other couples on the course and after a quick trip to the market (where they were selling deep fried tarantulas!) we spent 3 hours wielding knives and applying liberal dashes of garlic and oyster sauce to our various dishes. At the end of the session we got to sit down and eat the food we had prepared which was delicious (even if I do say so), I'm not sure what it says about us, but the other 2 couples took away doggy bags, we had nothing left to put in them!

Siem Reap is all about the temples, so we hired bicycles and rose before dawn to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Unfortunately, due to the lack of lights and unmarked roads we were still on the bikes when the sun rose but it was a pleasant ride and we got to the temples nice and early, having to stop at one point to allow a school of monkeys to cross the road in front of us . The temples we visited were all impressive, with various styles, sizes and conditions including the famous Ta Prohm which is still almost a part of the jungle.

We are soon heading into the countryside/jungle where many places are lacking electricity nevermind internet connections, so unless we find one before then, Marry Christmas to you all!

Just another day in Paradise!

2009-11-28T13:11:00.003Z

To carry on our adventure we took a boat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao, and we had thought Samui was nice!!

We arrived in the morning, ditched our bags and went to explore the island under the clear blue sky and hot sun, we wandered along an idylic beach, with white sands, palm trees and crystal clear water before heading up a hill to take in the views, the climb was tough but we got an amazing vista over the bay, after an even tougher walk down (we seemed to lose the path at some point and ended up pushing our way through the jungle - cue more Indiana Jones music), in the evening we ate and drank under the stars with the sea lapping the shore just a few feet from us.

This morning we awoke to another beautiful day and headed to the beach, swimming in amongst the crabs and fish every few minutes just to keep cool. At lunch time we hired Kayaks and took to the sea, the visibility in the water was unreal and we headed to a smaller island off the coast, there was some tough going and we had tired arms after the 90 minute paddle to another beautiful beach on the island (there is a fee to visit the island and unfortunately we didn't manage to get past the person taking the money, so we only paid it a quick visit before hitting the open water again, and taking a dip in the sea half way home.

It really is a tough life ;o)

Lifes a Beach

2009-11-24T12:18:00.003Z

After the cold (but fun) times on Jeju we felt we needed some beach and sun, so we spent a day travelling to Bangkok. We arrived at our hostel at a lovely warm 2am but there was a mix up with our booking which meant we couldn't get into our room until 4:30. Simply enjoying the warmth we took a stroll to Koh San road to see the famous street in the middle of the night, we weren't too surprised by the drunk tourists and 'bar girls', had a good Pad Tai and a couple of beers before heading to bed (without any bar girls).

We were aiming for the beach but needed to sort some visas so had a day in Bangkok before going to Koh Samui and a couple of days doing nothing but relaxing in our wooden bungalow, lying on the beach, jumping the waves and eating green curries - heaven!

On our third day we fancied a bit more adventure so hired a beast of a scooter for a tour of the island. We parked the bike up by an Elephant treking centre and climbed a hill to a scenic waterfall, we had the whole place to ourselves and spent a couple of hours lying on the rocks in the sun, dangling our feet into the water to be nibbled by baby catfish (something you had to pay for in town). On leaving the falls, while traversing a particularly strong rapid disaster struck! Vicky's flip flop had come off and been washed away! to the sounds of the Indiana Jones theme tune which mysteriously sounded from somewhere I leapt from rock to rock, over gorges and rapids chasing the errant footwear. I tracked it down to nasty stretch where, I'm almost certain, crocodiles were hunting. With no thought for the danger I was in I leapt into the water and retrieved the flip flop to a thunderous applause from the crowd that had gathered.

After the events at the falls, we headed to a secluded beach to watch the sunset as we bathed in the calm waters, planning to reward ourselves the following day with a quiet day on the beach.

All I can say is "aaaaaah", as I roll over for some more suncream to be applied.

Jejudo Island

2009-11-16T09:09:00.003Z

Jejudo is known as the honneymoon island of South Korea, it's got palm trees, beautiful beaches and fruitful mandarin orchards everywhere. It's covered in black volcanic rock and has a big mountain, Hallasan, in the center. We've been lucky enough to stop with an American guy, Dan, who has showen us around. We've walked the beaches and even braved it into the water for some snorkling. We hired a scoter for the last couple of days to explore the island. We headed east and got up early to watch the sunrise from Ilchullbong peak which was slightly dissapointing due to the full cloud cover and freezing winds, then got back to the bikes. It was really fun and we took lots of tiny roads through the Korean villages that followed the coast then headed back to Seogwipo. The wind was crazy and pushed the bike all over the place - we were so cold i think we started to freeze in the middle. Oh and we got a bit more karaoke in - good times!!

South South Korea part 2

2009-11-09T22:18:00.003Z

Jeonju - it's the capital of Jeollabuk-do province and has a beautiful Hanok village that we explored. Hanoks are the traditional one story houses with curvy slate roofs and the autumn leaves makes them look even more attractive. It's the birthplace of Bibimbap (rice, egg vegetables and a hot sauce in a big bowl that has to be mixed with chopsticks then eaten with a spoon- if you get this wrong you get told off by wither the staff or other people in the restaurent as we have now found out a fe times) so we've had plenty of that and we have also tried fried ginsing, appaently it's really good fo you? i'm not sure why they insist on deep fat frying it though.

We have had a couple of hiking day trips too;
1. Daedunsan provincial park, this was beautiful and the climb to the craggy peak included a cable bridge from one peak to the other and a very big ladder. Once we startedheading towards a second peak when thunder and lighting started. The rain was so heavy it was difficult to walk on the stone tracks that were now super slippy from all the wet leaves. It tookus an hour to get down to the cablecar where we were packing in like sardines and wisked to the bottom where we went for a traditional Korean sauna, it was so nice to be warm!!
2.Naejangsan - today was boiling hot and bright blue skies. We climbed up a steep ridge and then spent the day going from peak to peak. The views at the top were really beautiful in every direction. The ridge is in the shape of an amphitheatre with a big temple in the middle so we could often hear the chanting and singing as we went arond.

South South Korea - Jirisan National Park

2009-11-06T10:23:00.004Z

We packed our bags for a trip around the south of "Sparkling" Korea. We left some clothes and things we didn't need with George (Glens cousin) and borrowed his tent and with our bags we headed to Jirisan national park to ascend the peak.

On arrival it was clear camping was out of the question for three reasons 1. its illegal 2. the paths are relentlessly steep with no clearings and 3. there are wild bears in the area. Still we started lugging our necessities for the next two weeks (including the tent) up the path, the only way i can describe it is by quoting the book "difficulty rating 5, very strenuous'. It felt never ending but after 4.5 hours we had completed the 8km to the shelter where a monk was living at 1475m in literally freezing conditions. We ate noodles and went to bed when the sun went down, it was 5pm and despite the hard floor and minus temperatures we slept well.

The morning brought sunshine, more noodles and coffee then we continued on over one peak to another until we reached Chanwongbong peak 1915m. The forest from the previous day cleared and the views opened out to be spectacular. The descent was just as tough as the climb but it was beautiful to see the colours reappear as the height dropped again and meet people on the way up.

Despite the pain in my legs, back, neck, feet (i could go on)... it was absolutely brilliant and we completely loved it. Luckily there was a bear friendly campsite at the bottom so we managed to use the tent.

Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy Deagu

2009-11-03T06:19:00.002Z

My cousin, George, is studying in South Korea so we thought while we across this part of the world we would drop in and see him, it just happened that it was also while his mum, my auntie Barbara was also visiting so it was nice to see them.

We arrived in Seoul and took the train straight to Daegu where we stopped at 'Motel Romeo'. we had a good few days in the city, eating traditional Korean Barbeque, the biggest apples I have ever seen, and just wandering around the streets. For a bit of culture we saw Carmen at the Opera House, then just to lower the level again went for another indulgence of Karaoke!

We have left Daegu now and are spending the night in Jinju before heading off to do some camping and treking in Jirisan National park - I think it is going to be very cold. To give us some energy before the trip we have just enjoyed a lunch (sitting on the floor of a cafe) of octopus, clam, crab, tiny fried fish, big fried fish and seaweed.

Now off we head into the wilderness with our tiny Korean map, wish us luck!

Romeo Motel

2009-10-30T23:09:00.003Z

We are staying in a love motel in Deagu, South Korea and it is amazing. It has adjustable lighting and compleatly blacked out windows so it's hard to know what time of day it is. There are roses behind glass above the bed and mirrors at the end and in front of the shower. There is a computer wired to a flat screen TV at the end of the bed for the kind of films you don't watch with your parents and condoms and lube provided free of charge!!! On our second night a lady came to our room offering us a 19 year old girl - apparently thats normal?, alternativly you can just leave your key in the lift and they will send one up! Its on a road lined with prostitues a few minutes away from the university - it was recomended by Glen's cousin George - thanks, we love it!!!!!

Pools of contentment fed by canals of joy as featured in a Chinese catalogue

2009-10-27T23:56:00.001Z

From Shanghai we took the train to the town of Hangzhou, it is built on a lake with lots of green areas and manmade causeways across the lake. This is the kind of place where you get all the whimsical poetic names, on our first day we took a boat to the island of 'three pools mirroring the moon' - one of the pool contained huge coy carp that were being fed popcorn - while wandering around the island we happened across a sign reading 'bamboo lined path leading to serenity'.

In between relaxing and chilling out, we hired bikes and spent a day braving the traffic to cycle around the lake and across the causeways. We also headed out to the famous tea village of Longjing and cycled through the tea plantations.

From Hangzhou we got the bus to our final China stop of Suzhou, another town built on water but this time canals, so we spent some days exploring the canals, side streets and markets. The food experimentation has continued with freshly caught 'hairy crab' served whole (we watched the locals to see how to eat it), octopus on a stick, and lots of other delicious street food.

The whole population seems to be able to say "hello", and most do so at every opportunity, some even wanting their photos taken with us. So to enhance the minor feeling of celebrity we had a day of modelling, wearing various outfits and hitting the streets with our entourage of photographer, assistant and translator to create some catalogue poses. We rounded off the day with some red wine and live music, although it did threaten to turn a bit Karaoke, with some poeple making requests to sing themselves. The singer, who we had spoken to earlier, even offered me the mike to serenade Vicky, memories of the National Anthem came flooding back and I politely declined. A fun day.

Next stop South Korea.

Shanghai Nights

2009-10-21T02:45:00.001+01:00

We arrived in Shanghai (home of World Expo 2010) at 2am and found a cheap hotel by the airport to get a few hours of well needed sleep, thus our first experience in the most affluent and western city in China was a small dirty room with a mouse scurrying along the floor!

In the morning we headed to Shanghai proper and decided to arrive in style, we walked past the buses offering a 2 hour drive down town and boarded the 'Maglev' train for a 7 minute journey reaching speeds of over 300km/hour taking us into the maze of skyscrapers that is Shanghai - there are more skyscrapers than New York. In the centre of the city it is a competition of buildings all trying to be the most striking and original. It makes for the impressive and famous skyline.

As a city, Shanghai doesn't have many 'tourist sites', which was fine by us as we enjoyed some aimless wandering through the citys various quarters; large busy neon shoppin streets to small hidden alleys with cafes and boutiques, and the antiques markets where you have to haggle hard - we bought a teapot for 15% of the original asking price.

For our final night in the city we met up with some friends from Beijing and headed to a Karaoke bar. We had our own private room for the 12 of us and the beer and songs were flowing. Everything from Elton to NERD, and even a tribute to Steven Gately. We ended the night in a bar engaging in some unsuccessful dance offs with the locals - a great night.

To recover from the rigours of city life we are now down river in Hangzhou for a bit of relaxation.

Xi'an

2009-10-15T03:49:00.001+01:00

Xi'an

2009-10-15T03:48:00.001+01:00

We thought we would treat ourselves to a massage after the big climb before heading to Xi'an - treat was not the word it was incredibly painful! She pulled our fingers and chopped our backs, she put so much pressure on my neck i was worried it might break, she pulled our hair and pushed pressure points so incredably hard, broken ribs and ruptured kidneys were not out of the question. I couldn't help blurt out the odd groan in pain which i wonder if she translated as satisfaction and worked harder? 5 days later my legs are still sore and steps are a problem!

We got the prison sleeper to Xi'an which is a train that sleeps 60 in one carriage in bunks three high. We were both on top bunk which at first i thought was a nightmare because you're so close to the ceiling you cant sit up and the air conditioning unit and bright lights are only inches away from your face, but it turned out to be a blessing once we realised it was an escape from the bottom beds which were taken over by everyone eating and jumping on each other, and a good nights sleep was had.

In Xi'an we are staying with a lovely Chineese lady called Cissie, It's been a luxury to stay in her house and be fed mooncakes for breakfast each day and learn about the place from a local. We have had fun learning to make and eating Chineese dumplings and live with a local. I've had a hair cut and we've done a little shopping.

Cissie is a teacher and asked if we would go to her school and take a couple of her classes which we did. It was hilarious, when we walked in they went quiet and we heard wispers of "wow" at the 'big nosed pinkies' coming into the class. We first told them a bit about ourselves and where we live, Glen drew an excellent(?) map of the UK and we answered their questions about England and ourselves, one of which was a request for us to sing our national anthem - we had to oblige!! can you imagine the two of us standing in front of 35 chinese teenagers singing the national anthem - we even got a round of applause!!

We hired a tandom to cycle the city walls which was so much fun and of course went to visit the terracotta warriers (Bing Ma Yong). It was amazing to think such a huge work of art was only found so recently and each warrier has individual features and held real fighting weapons. Seeing them lined up made me think how it might feel to face the real Chin army - it was incredible.

The holiest of holys

2009-10-11T03:40:00.001+01:00

Tai'Shan is the holiest of the 5 holy mountains in China and stands at 1,545m high (Snowdon is 1,085m).

The entire route to the top is paved with stones and we climbed all 6666 steps. Along the way there are multiple temples and shrines, and at the top there is a whole street (Heaven Street) of shops and restaurants. It is fairly surreal, but the steep climb is worth it and the views of other peaks and temples over the clouds are stunning.

To supply the shops on the route and at the top Sherpers carry the good across their shoulders (I don't know why they don't use the cable car), making up to 6 trips up and down a day. We offered one a helping hand, but just lifting it was enough for us.

We have been staying in the town of Tai'An which lies at the bottom of the mountain. It's not much of a town, but does have daily markets where you can by anything from dogs (dead or alive - not for pets), fish, eels, snake skins all sorts of fruit and many mysterious objects and powders. Being a small town there are very few tourists and we have been enjoying eating out with no English menu, speakers or even pictures - mostly successful, and a good way of trying new things, even if you're not sure what they are.

We love Beijing

2009-10-09T04:32:00.000+01:00

Arriving in Beijing was a complete contrast to the Mongolian desert we just left, bland food and open space are no longer! The city was impressive and mental from the second we stepped off the train and we loved it. There are so many people here it is unbelievable, buses and streets are rammed and everyone lives on top of each other but no one seems to mind. The Chinese are so happy and helpful all the time and with the exception of boarding public transport there is no pushing or shoving despite the huge crowds. (i don't think the numbers were helped by the fact we have been here over the week long national holiday to celebrate the 60th year f a people China).

The smells and colours of the city make it even more appealing, there are food vendors every few meters and there is so much going on. We visited Tianenmen square which was full of ginormous floats for the celebrations. We've wondered the streets of the Forbidden City where the emperors from the Ming dynasty lived in luxury and explored the hutons of the less fortunate. We walked the wall and saw breathtaking acrobatics - 12 women on a bicycle - incredible. We went to the Olympic stadium saw the birdsnest and the cube and had a day at the China open and saw Safin, Sharapova and Nadal win there way through to the next round and Andy Roddick get knocked out.

The first few days here were blue sky days then as the days went on we realised the pollution was getting worse, it's so intense. We found out they had fired up gases to clear the sky because of the parades and celebrations now it's so bad you actually cant see the sky - its no wonder everyone is coughing and spitting all the time, we have started too.

All in all Beijing has been awsome we have stayed in the most beautiful hostal with the traditional green curved roofs and made some good friends too.

A Pretty Great Wall

2009-10-05T05:10:00.001+01:00

5:30 is a pretty early morning, but we struggled out of bed and made it to our bus to the wall. We got the bus to JingShanLi where a cable car dropped us off on the wall and we took the 8km hike along the wall to Simitao.

It was stunning, the trip was worth it just to see the scenic hills and mountains that were as far as the eye could see in every direction, never mind the wall snaking it's way across the top of them. Under the hot sun and clear blue skies the walk took us across many steep climbs and descents, including some 5 foot drops onto the wall from the towers.

At the end of the walk we needed to descend from the wall to catch our bus back to the city. We had two options and decided to take the zipline rather than the 20min walk, hooked on together we made the drop and took a boat to catch our bus. We finished the day with a few beers and a posh meal.

Chinese Cusine

2009-10-05T05:03:00.001+01:00

The food in China is not what you get from the take aways at home!!!! There are all the crazy things you imagine; scorpions on skewers, starfish and chicken feet. Dog, intestines and even rectum are on all the menus and you can even order rape!! (there weird translation for pack choi). We have tried blueberry crisps, jasmine and green tea ice-cream and lots of strange sweet things. The dumplings are delicious as are the moon cakes and spring rolls sold by street venders. Other delights include duck, hotpot and lots of tofu!
As you can imagine there is lots of tea, hot or cold and yogurt is drank from clay pots everywhere. The Chinese beer is good and cold which makes a nice change to Mongolian beer.

Been through the desert on a horse with no name!

2009-09-30T03:07:00.001+01:00

OK, so technically we were out of the desert at that point, but it was very flat and dry, and the Mongolians don't give their horses names.

We decided we wanted a diversion from the original plan for our trip, and decided to spend 2 nights in Khognor Khan National Park. We arrived there in hot sunshine at about 4pm, there ger we were stopping in was on a slight hill in a vast plain, with a lake and sand dunes to one side and the foot of the Altai mountains to the other. We chilled out in the sun for a while before asking the local family (who owned the ger we were staying in) if we could take their horses out. We agreed to an hour across the plains.

We started with a slow walk down the hill, but it was clear our horses were itching to go and when we hit the flat plains we doug our heels in and gave them a 'Choo!'. They were off, they were much faster than the horses we had been on up north and we were having to hold on but it was brilliant. We felt like something out of a film with the sun setting behind the mountains and and the wind in our hair.

That night, the old man of the family (Ber - 72) joined us in our Ger as we drank beer and vodka. We managed to communicate surprisingly well, and he sang us some Mongolian Folk songs after which he gestured for us to sing. Between the five of us we managed some slightly dubious renditions of Old Macdonald, House of the Rising Sun, and the Dutch National Anthem (we didn't know the words to that one). It was a really nice night, and Ber was a little unsteady on his feet as he bid us goodnight.

The following day we set out on foot for the mountains, just the 5 of us walking through the silent plain accompanied by a dog that joined us for the entire 5 and a half hour climb. The mountains and rock formations were stunning as we climbed higher, passing petrified wood and the ruin of an old monestary. We had lunch at the top where we could see for miles across the plains, and walked back down the other side with giant vultures perched on the cliffs and circling above us.

Once we were back in UB the next day, we sorted a bed for the night and headed to a performance of Monglian Dance and Music. The dancing was beautiful, and although maybe not beautiful, the throat singing was certainly impressive and almost enchanting. The show included a fast bird dance when the dancers came out into the crowd, a mask dance to promote buddhism and an entire orchestra made up of different sized horse head fiddles. It was a great show and good way to end our time in Mongolia, a place and people we have come to love.

Onto China.

The Gobi

2009-09-30T02:05:00.005+01:00

The drive to the Gobi desert was spectacular and the scenery changed every couple of hours so there was no chance to get board of the long drive. As we headed out of the city it was manly green and the mountains were still snow capped from the storm of the last few days. It was beautiful and strange to see camels wandering around in snow. We also saw lots of other animals huge herds of gazelles, eagles, other birds of pray, horses and mice. Most impressive though was when we saw a horse carcass on the ground being devoured by a group of about 20 vultures. They were incredibly big there wing span was well over 2 meters, impressive in every way.

As the drive continued the scenery flattened out and became much more desert like, i have no idea how the driverfinds his way as there are no mountains or streams to follow and every direction is miles and miles of more flat ground. After three days we arrived at Yolin Am, a cluster of mountains and a gorge which seem strange among so much flat, it was great to stretch our legs and climb them even if we were racing the sun to get down! The next day we carried on to see the 'flaming cliffs' and eventually arrived at Khongor sand dunes.

The sand dunes are about 200 meters high and we climbed them, it was really hard work and toward the top we were resting every 10 steps or so. It was boiling and the sand was so soft it just moved from under you and you felt as if you were going nowhere. When we got to the top the views were spectacular you could see so so far it was beautiful. The we got to run down!!! we got sand everywhere but it was well worth it, you could just run and dive without getting hurt - needless to say it was a lot quicker getting down than it was getting up. As we ran down the dunes 'sang'. The movement in the sand caused a loud humming noise which was pretty cool.

Once we were at the bottom we jumped on camels and rode back to our ger where we cooked and kept warm by burning camel shit as there is no wood!

Mongolian Wrestling!

2009-09-29T02:18:00.000+01:00

When we were in UB we went to a wrestling competition, it started with 124 wrestlers in a knock out format, and after 4 hours there was only one man standing!

Sorry to disappoint you all, but there is no picture of us wearing the outfits!

Stuck in UB

2009-09-19T07:53:00.003+01:00

They say the weather in Mongolia is very changable - I can't stress this enough, yesterday it was boiling and we were walking round in vests and flip flops, today it is snowing and all transport has been stopped, flights cancelled, no trains and driving is out of the question. We are planning a trip to the Gobi but cant leave because of the weather, fingers crossed we will be able to go on Monday!!

However there are several good things about being stuck in the capital; you can get any type of food, there are several very good veggie places we have tried, we are sleeping in beds, there is running water and often porcelain toilets. We have met some good people and there are plenty of bars to socialise in.

Murun

2009-09-14T05:17:00.004+01:00

It's a sad farewell to Murun and our good friends Patrick and Baska. We have had such a wonderful time here living in a ger. We have spent the days lazing by the river looking at the beautiful mountains and wondering the extremely diverse market that sells everything from whole roasted goats heads to motorbikes, cookers, vegetables and jelouch pants!!!

One day we went to visit a school which was really interesting and despite the obvious differences in terms of resources and finance there were many similarities to schools at home. The uniform was particularly interesting - the girls wore something that resembled a french maids outfit!

Another day we climbed a mountain, at the top there were shaman stones. If you looked south you could see the entire town and in every other direction it was complete emptiness with the exception of the odd ger or group of horses. It's very very beautiful here.

Living with the Reindeer People! www.visittaiga.org

2009-09-11T04:56:00.010+01:00

We have just had the most remarkable and amazing week, living and moving with the nomadic Reindeer herding Tsatsuun of Northern Mongolia - the Reindeer People.

While we were at Baikal we met a Turkish freelance journalist called Uluc (uluch) who was travelling on the same train a us to Ulan Bataar (UB), he told us how he was traveling north to write an article on this remote community. We asked if we could join him on his trip and share the costs and he agreed, so within a couple of hours of being in UB we boarded a flight to Murun. When we got there we stayed on nght in a Ger with Patrick (a great guy from Colorado who is working for the Peace Corps and has a liking for Boddingtons) before hiring a driver and taking a 7 hour drive to a small town - us, Ulug and our Translator (Baaska - who became our friend). We spent one night in the town and then had an 8 hour horseride to reach the community. Both the drive and the horseride alone were worth the trip, with stunning scenery as we passed over snow capped mountains and through forests, passing numerous gers and various river crossings.

Along the way we were given the Mongolian names by our guides (so the were easy to pronounce) of Nulla (Sun) and Bataar (Hero).

One we reached the community, which consisted of only10 tee-pees we were invited to stay with a family. We stayed with our Papa and Mama: Gamba and Perue and their son Saloman they were so kind and generous, constantly giving us Reindeer milk tea and bread with the mantra "eat it all". When it came to the evening they were worried about us being too cold and piled us up with blankets so we could hardly move, but we stayed very warm.

The Reindeer are beautiful and are central to their very basic lives and the entire community welcomed us with everyone wearing permanent smiles. We joined in with the community, meeting everyone and visiting all the tee-pees, helping with any chores when we could (sawing wood, collecting water, milking reindeer). We even got to sit with the elder for a couple of hours while he told us their history and we discussed the potential impact of tourism.

We had arranged to spend 3 nights with the Tsataan, and after the 2nd night they were scheduled to relocate to their 'autumn place'. We helped as they quickly dismantled their tee-pees and rode with them for 3 hours over more mountains. Our family was the last to arrive at the new place, and we helped put up the tee-pee in the dark and rain, everyone was wet and cold but the smiles never diminished and we shared one of the nicest moments we had as the stove was stoked and we all sat around drying off and warming up laughing about the plight - no one once though of moaning or complaining.

After our final night of warmth we had to say goodbye, we were asked to return again and promised we would try before we left on horses for our final 8 hour ride, galloping across the plains with the wind in our hair!

It was truly an amazing experience with some of the kindest, happiest and most gracious people we have ever met. Neither words or pictures can do justice to the experience we have shared and we will always treasure it and will hopefully one day return.

We will try and get some photos uploaded as soon as possible.

Back to Baikal and Goodbye Russia

2009-09-02T08:21:00.002+01:00

While we were still in Irkutsk we visited an open air museum which was like a mini village of preserved wooden architecture (think the Beamish of Siberia), it's really impressive the houses they built and lived in - we also had a play on some stilts (I was much better than Vicky).

With a couple of days left before our train departed we decided we wanted to go back to the lake, so we got up early morning and jumped on a rickety old minibus for a 6 hour drive to Olkhon Island. The drive itself was an experience, with the road quality varying as much as the scenery. We even had to stop at one point to change the wheel (on the way back we had to give the bus a push start).

The island itself is stunning, there is a main town/village made up of wooden buildings with wide dusty road and cows just wandering around. Away from the town there are cliffs and sandy beaches around the coast - we were really lucky with the weather so explored a bit and chilled out on the beach and swam in the lake -still very cold, but nice.

We are now back in Irkutsk awaiting the train to Ulan Bator, we have met a few people going the opposite direction and everyone has loved it, so although we are a little sad to be leaving Russia we are very excited about Mongolia!

News from Listvyenka

2009-08-29T10:38:00.003+01:00

We were on the beach, the sun was going down, and I asked Vicky to marry me....she said yes.

It was the end of a beautiful day, we'd woken up in a a bed for the first time in a few days, in a lovely little wooden house. After a bit of a lie in and a breakfast of fresh fruit be walked to a local Banya (Russian Baths) and had an hour with the place to ourselves - there was a sauna, a plunge pool and a chill out area.

After the banya, and feeling nice and clean we sat in a cafe by the lake and had some lunch with a couple of beers and just relaxed.

We met a couple at the cafe (Rock and Sveta) and went with them to a local beach. We sat in amongst the stunning scenery while the sun went down and it just felt perfect so I asked the question.

We are very excited! but don't worry, we won't be married before we come home.

Camping in Siberia!!

2009-08-29T02:47:00.003+01:00

We have spent the last week camping and trekking the Circumbaikal railway. It runs around Lake Baikal, the biggest fresh water lake in the world. The lake is beautiful, it is really cold and looks more like the sea due to its size. The trekking was flat but difficult because there was little path so we had to walk along the sleepers of the railway line jumping out the way for passing trains and we were carrying heavy packs. We walked 20km most days with the lake on our right and steep grassy hills to the left. David Attenbrough would have loved it, there were so many strange bugs at one point Glen had over 100 bites!! Each night Glen made a fire and we cooked noodles and ate nuts (the lack of fibre in our diet certainly didn't go unoticed!!) and we drank from and washed in the lake.

After 5 days we arrived in Port Baikal, it was a very small town of several wooden houses, a school, a train station and a boat dock. Most of the boats and buildings seem derelict and rotten and there were horses and dogs wandering around wild. It must be so hard to live here, Glen and i stand out with big rucksacks and waterproof coats when the locals are wearing shorts and t-shirt and flipflops with socks. Lots of the people of this town look hardend to the cold of the winter, it goes down to minus 40, and the lack of basic hygine shows. Many people have wonky or missing teath and in the citys lots have whole mouthfuls of gold caps. The roads are basic and people use motorbikes with side cars. We got a boat across the water to another town, Listvyanka. It felt so luxurious to have a bed in a small wooden house even though there was no running water and the toilet was outside.

The kindness of strangers

2009-08-29T02:38:00.005+01:00

The people of Siberia seem so so kind, we have been given so many gifts and offerings from people of this wonderful nation. This is us wearing the hats some very kind locals gave us to keep us warm.

81 hours, 3221 miles and 5 timezones!!

2009-08-20T10:08:00.005+01:00

We are off the train and in Irkutsk, the train journey was brilliant, we met some great people and we weren't bored once!

For the first 8 hours we were joined in our cabin by 4 guys that were travelling for work (2 Russians and 2 from Kazakhstan) they spoke a little English and we got on well - they bought us beer and food and wouldn't let us get any. It would have been good if they had been on the whole journey (at least we would have been able to buy some beers for them), but it was not to be. As they were leaving they gave us some good advice, some sweets and also a 200 Kazahkstan note - we wanted to give something in return but didn't have anything other than the Canadian Whisky that had been given to us (thanks Charlene) so we gave them that. They were chuffed (that means happy Stas).

After that we moved cabins for a day to allow a family of 4 to share and not be split up - it meant we gave up our much sought after bottom bunks in return for top bunks but it was only a night. This also meant we were now sharing a cabin with a soldier (he was quiet and read a lot, Vcky wanted to try his hat on but we missed the opportunity) and 3 other people over the course of the night.

The following morning after a hearty breakfast of salami and cheese we had a wander up and down the train - we're glad we went for 2nd class, 3rd class were literally just piled up in one long carriage. We also appeared to be the only westerners on the train which we felt quite proud of. Back at our carriage we got invited to sit in with the family we'd given our cabin to, they spoke no English, and our Russian has only improved very slightly but we just about managed to make conversation, they taught us a new card game and exchanged photos spending quite a lot of the day with them. That evening the family left and we got our bottom bunks back - and it turned out the cabin to ourselves for the next day and a half.

(the next sentence should be read in a soft Geordie accent)
Day 3 on the train, and Vicky and Glen awoke in their private cabin and had a nice relaxing day taking in the scenery, chatting, reading, eating, drinking and playing cards.
Despite the length of the journey, the scenery changes very little. Most in through woodland and marshes with the occasional climb and descent when you can see further up/down the valley to more woods and some fields. There are also a number of small towns and villages - many of them made up of wooden shacks and dirt roads - it looks more like something from the wildwest!

There are a few stops along the way, most only for a couple of minutes witha couple of 20/30 minute stops each day when you can get off, stretch you legs and buy anything from full roast meals to china cats and chandaliers from the Babushkas at the station.

To sum it up, we loved the journey and especially spending time with the people we met. I'm sure it's been said before (if not may I forever be quoted), but the true joy of travelling comes not from the places you go but the people you meet.

Embarking

2009-08-16T07:41:00.004+01:00

So, here we go. A few quick days in Moscow and we are about to get on the train for the next 4 days solid!

We went to the ballet and saw Cinderella the other night, which inspired Vicky into saying she wanted to take it up again. It will probably be forgotten by the time we get back, but if not Keith, Stevo and Parker better watch out!!

Lenin lives!! or at least he looks like he does, we went to his mausoleum yesterday and saw him lying in state - he does not look like he has been dead for about 90 years!!

Anyway, we are off to the train station. Hope everyone is well, we'll tell you all about the train journey in a few days

(don't forget to check out some of our photos using the link on the left)

Moscow

2009-08-13T14:22:00.002+01:00

Within minutes of arriving in Moscow I was impressed. Getting the metro here is like walking through art galleries, they are marble with huge chandeliers and have grand monuments and mosaics throughout. They are deep underground as they used to double up as bomb shelters and the escalators are very steep, very long and very fast!!! The roads have up to 12 lanes of traffic with bus lanes and parking lanes each side on top of that.

I had thought the buildings in St Peters were big but this is jaw dropping. Outside the Kremlin and Red Square area they are typical of the soviet era - all grey and in huge blocks, some at least 1 km long. Then as you get towards the Kremlin the buildings don't change in size particularly but they are laced with gold and painted elaborately.

So far we have taken a boat trip around the city and walked through the markets of Red Square. We have seen St Basils cathedral (my favourite building of all time) and been in a working monastery where I had to wear a hanky head and dress up in a wrapped skirt. Tomorrow we go to see Lenin's dead body in the Mausoleum and we have tickets to see Cinderella at the ballet.

The train to Moscow

2009-08-13T14:10:00.002+01:00

Getting the overnight train to Moscow was fantastic, already I am looking forward to spending more time on the trains! We bought a coup ticket which means we got a bed in a 4 birth carriage. The carriages are so well designed the bottom bunks turn into chairs and a table where we sat and drunk tea with the friendly Russian man we shared with, Wally. The top bunks fold up flat against the wall to allow you to stand up which i think will be extreemly important for our next train ride (It's 4 days long!!!) There are ladders that click out of the wall to get onto the top bunks and fold away again and each bed/seat has it's own light.

A fabulous way to travel.

Russian singing!!!

2009-08-11T14:47:00.002+01:00

Click on the title to listen to Vitas!

St Petersburgski

2009-08-09T14:41:00.005+01:00

We've been told that although St Petersburg is in Russia it is not Russian so we are reserving our judgement of Russia until we have been further East.
Arriving here and getting to the hostel was a very stern reminder that we have no idea how to communicate with Russians! We have been here a few days now and still trying to master any more than hello, please and thank-you in this very fast and very difficult, harsh language.

The city is unbelievability impressive the smallest buildings are 5 stories high and they are decorated with pillars and grand doorways. Today we went to the Hermitage museum, the rooms were laced with gold and there were jade statues and red carpets at every turn. The ceilings themselves must have taken years to paint.

We're not having to much luck finding veggie food - I ordered cabbage soup that came with chunks of beef and they put chicken in my mushroom pancake. In fact Glen got served raw chicken at a restaurant last night - we objected to paying for it using the phrasebook (thanks Andy) but soon coughed up when they threatened to call the police!

Funski Timeski inski Russiaski

2009-08-09T14:28:00.004+01:00

Believe it or not, the predominant language here is Russian, and everything is written in Cryllic - it's bloody hard to understand!

So, we got here in burning hot sunshine, found the hostel with the help of a kind man who gave us some free metro tickets and met a shy and retiring Aussie ;o) who was already infatuated with the Russian girl he met the night before! (there are a lot of beautiful girls, and they all go out with guys with mullets!)

Back at the hostel we met some Dutch girls who kindly shared their cheap vodka with us before we all went out to watch the bridges rise, and a have a couple more beers.

The place is massive, all the buildings are huge and everything is really impressive.

The Vodka museum is the destination tonight, we might even end up doing some Russian Dancing.

We are heading to Moscow on the overnight train on Monday.

A Helsinking Feeling

2009-08-06T14:29:00.003+01:00

A witty title for if our boat had not stood up to the thunderous waves crashing at it's sides. Unfortunately, or fortunately if we're being sensible, the sea was calm and our boat reached the island of Semolina without incident. The sun was shining and we have even dipped our feet in the sea (it was too cold to follow them in).

We haven't partaken in any local cuisine yet, but they obviously love a bit of healthy snacking here, I've never seen so many Piia pods, they are for sale on every corner.

We're back off into the sunshine now, an early morning train to St Petersburg tomorrow! We're not talking to each other for the rest of the day to make sure we don't waste all our conversation topics before the 7 hour journey ;o)

Speak soon, Glen

(I forgot to bring the cable for the camera so you will have to wait a few days for photos, doh!)

Observations of Helsinki

2009-08-06T14:12:00.004+01:00

The roads are wide and clean, there are hundreds of cafes, if feels safe at night, many streets are cobbled but none are straight. The train station is a very grand building that is being worked on and the tickets are not difficult to buy. The market square is busy and sells all kinds of things. Some examples are hats, felt, reindeer rugs, scarfs, glass, jewllery, puppets and balaclavas. The produce is bought by the litre and the peas and strawberrys are delicious and juicy. There is lots of water and it is pretty in the sun. The buskers are mainly classical and the cycle paths are on the street not the road. The local beer is nice.

First Stop

2009-08-01T12:26:00.004+01:00

Cricket, ferrets and early mornings. The first stop is still in the UK at the Catnach hostel, it's cheap clean and the food is good.

A night out 'doon the toon' to see Natalie Stern and Dent May - both excellent in very different ways. And a quick drink at 'the Tanner'.

Only a few more days in the UK!

photo courtesy of:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncatn

Towards the end of the beginning

2009-07-29T10:53:00.002+01:00

No more job, no more home. The bags are packed, many goodbyes have been said and we have no more sleeps in Bristol.

It's actually happening, after so much talking and planning we are nearly there.

I'll let you know when it starts to feel real!

Glen

Unemployed with a resting heart rate of 60bpm

2009-07-20T07:49:00.004+01:00

My first official day of being unemployed..boy is it tough!!

This morning I got up and the only question I had to ask myself was 'what do I want to do?'. There are a few things left that need to be done but I'm not concerned about those today and I am looking forward to forgetting about the 'need to do' or 'have to do' things.

Vicky's still got a week at work before the question becomes 'what do we want to do?', but boredom is already becoming a forgotten concept.

15 days till Finland, I'm off to do something that I want to do, or maybe I just want to do nothing for now. It's a tough life but I'm getting used to it pretty quick.

Glen

Packing up

2009-07-12T11:21:00.000+01:00

a day of packng and what do we have to show for it? most of our 'things' fit into eight boxes in the garage and alot of bags for the charity shop, it's amazing how much you can accumulate when you have big wardrobes and a garage, even Glen found he had eighteen pairs of shoes!

a great night with friends followed by dippy eggs and a cup of tea for breakfast - there are some things that will be greatly missed!!!

Welcome

2009-06-11T18:05:00.000+01:00

Hi,

Who needs to carry a paper journal around that no one is ever going to read when you can put it all in an online blog that no one is going to read? Genius!

As you already know,we are heading off on our travels for the next 11 months. As a brief summary on what will probably be our only entry, we are going to 'ride the iron rooster' through Russia and Mongolia before ending up in China. We will then eat some 'rat on a stick' and maybe spend Christmas in the Philipines before doing some treking in Nepal and spending the final leg of our trip in India.

We may or may not update this page to let you know what we have been up to and where we are. So, if the whim takes you pop back occasionally, you can always drop us a line to say 'Alreet!'

See you sometime, Glen & Vicky