ROBLOG

2005-03-31T14:40:00.000-04:00

40,000 miles with no leg room and 200 nights with no bed springs later.....

Firstly. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and write here while I've been away. Its meant a lot. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing, about just a few of the things that have happened along the way.

Normally with conclusion comes meaning.But not in this case. The cliche stands that, the more of the world you see and experience, the more you realize what, and that, you haven't. It would seem that it is bigger, and smaller, than i every imagined. From the leeches, to the beaches. The poverty and wealth, justice and injustice, the real, and the very fabrication of it. Its been an adventure, and a complete saturation of the senses, albeit some more pleasant than others. But when you start to consider 9 hour bus trips as just down the road, its time to get a little perspective. Tune the piano, I'm coming home.

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
--Ursula K. LeGuin

2005-03-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

I would love to enchant you with tales of voodoo and Inca weirdness but the truth is i haven't been up to a great deal over the last few days. With all my transport sorted as far as the Windmill Pub in Ormskirk (thanks Dad, as i mentioned i don't think there are too many llamas offering lifts outside Manchester arrivals) i can now relax, wind down, and possibly visit a ruin or two before taking a mind boggling series of flights back. Back to some cafe to drink yet more coffee.

2005-03-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

The Cusco Cut – A lesson in international haircuts.

Unlike a large number of people I’ve seen. I try to keep myself relatively smart whilst on the road. It is for this reason that you haven’t seen me sporting insect infested dreadlocks, ethnic tattoos and lead based face piercing. If your like me, and like to return from a trip looking vaguely the same as when you left, you will at some point need to see a barber. Here are a few personal experiences on what it might be best to expect.

Generally speaking you will have to wake the barber vigorously. Where the rest of town goes for their trim is a mystery, but you can guarantee its not the place you’ve found, and probably for a very good reason. So sit down, and accept the fact that you are probably his first customer since he bought his new pair of kitchen scissors with the orange handles.

Now is a good time to weigh up your surrounding, and decide just how much you would like to be banjaxed. Those displaying an arsenal of tools that look more suited to the days when barbers performed amputations are best avoided. Shed the cape and aim for the door pointing at your watch and making foreign noises. Instead try and find a guy with a solitary pair of cut throats, he’s generally a safer bet, despite his frail and shaking hands.

Depending on your location, and hence the size of the language barrier, now comes the tricky bit. Describing what you want. On the whole the most effective method by far is, using a faded and dated copy of the local paper, to point at a series of disgraced politicians and indistinguishable celebrities to aid your plight to the perfect trim. Now sit back, relax, and its probably best to close your eyes.

Try not to be alarmed by the fact that he’s liberally spraying water in the direction of two sparking wires powering clippers he shaves his llama with at the weekend. Or by the stray dog that has just wandered in off the street, and is yapping at your feet not exactly adding to your customer satisfaction. Within a time window of one minute to sixty minutes it will all be over, except for that is in Laos.

Compulsory to the conclusion of every haircut in Laos is a quick shoulder massage. Pleasant. And then without the slightest warning, a full 120 degree neck crank. The decibels of the “crunch” always being directly proportionate to the size of his smile.

Well, its still raining outside and so I am taking the opportunity to set up an online shop. Think of it as the real “Amazon”. If you spot anything you would like in the photo below, drop me a mail and I’ll see what I can do.

2005-03-21T12:35:00.000-04:00

After a quick stop in the lake side town of Copacabana, i decided to bus it straight through to Cusco. It means missing a bit of south Peru (Colca Canyon etc) but I've had enough of unpleasantly fragrant buses, and roads in various states of disrepair.

And so it seems that this is where i will stay untill i head over to Lima and fly home. There is plenty to do in the historic Inca town of Cusco, even wandering its montage of Inca/Spanish architecture is a pleasure. Obviously this is also the base for the famous Machu Picchu (pronounced in a myriad of incorrect ways) and also the ruined fort of Sacsayhuaman (definitely pronounced "sexy woman").

I'm hungry, so more later.

2005-03-19T12:17:00.000-04:00

A full day of rest, a full day of feeling ill and a full breakfast later, im ready to leave La Paz, and Bolivia. Im going to head for a small town on the border of Peru called Copacabana which sits at the edge of Lake Titicaca, but still on the Bolivian side. From there it should be relatively easy to make my way up to Cusco in Peru.

Before i go, here are a few silly photos from the last few weeks on ¨Being bold in Bolivia¨

Viva la Revolution - Frederic and I tackle the nations blockades

Railway Sleepers - Don't worry its not used any more....i think.

Dabble with dynamite - Shopping in Potosi.

¨I said....I can hear a truck coming¨ - Biking outside La Paz

2005-03-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

Into Thin Air

Huyana Potosi sits one hour out from La Paz and its glacial 6088m peak is one of the highest in the Cordillera Real. The altitude of the summit is not only higher than that of Everest base camp, but also some 200m higher than Everest Camp 1. Climbing Huayana Potosi was the most physically challenging thing i have ever done.

Day 1 - Base Camp

After arriving at base camp we unloaded all the equipment, food tents etc and headed off to a nearby glacier to practice our ice climbing and crampon technique. The 10m vertical wall of ice was nothing in comparison to the so called Little Fella and Big Fella that we would encounter once on the mountain, but gave us a little more time to get used to the altitude, temperature and equipment. Its pretty tough doing anything once you get over 3500m and so after a few hours we headed back to camp to rest and sleep.

Day 2 - To High Camp

In the morning the weather looked good (unlike Day 1) and a porter had joined us to help carry some of the extra equipment and food up to high camp. The walk up to the 4800m camp largely consisted of walking on very steep loose rocky ground, all the way to the snow line. It wasn't enjoyable, and due to the altitude, each step up the mountain felt like you were sprinting a hundred. We finally made it and set up our tents, with great views over the lower peaks of Huyana Potosi. After a quick bite to eat we went off to bed at 5.30pm, breakfast was to be at 11.30pm that evening.

At 9pm i woke with my first symptom of hypoxia, a very severe headache. Other symptoms include dizziness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea and impaired judgement. Different people are affected in different ways and at different altitudes. 800mg of Ibuprofen and 250mg of Acetazolamide (a body regulator often used for altitude problems) later and i finally got back to sleep.

Day 3 - The Accent

We wake up. Early starts are needed due to the deteriation of the snow which can create dangerous conditions on the mountain. Its 11.30pm, its freezing cold, pitch black and the stars look incredible. A clear sky is good news for the climb ahead. From here on it will be head torches to the summit. We drink coffee, eat chocolate and do a quick kit check before throwing on the crampons and heading off. My walking partner is Frederic, a French Canadian chap that i have known for over a week, our guide is Pedro, he gives us the nod and we set off into the dark.

Around 2am we arrive at a place known as Camp Argentina. There is nothing there but it was a location used on a past accent by the Argentineans (hence the name). I remember feeling very sick at this point, but thankfully it passed quite quickly. At this point due to the steep snowy drops the three off us roped ourselves together so that if one slipped the others could break and save the fall. All this and its pitch black and bitterly cold. We were making good time and continued on to Little Fella. Little Fella is a steep wall of snow and ice at an increment of between 70 and 80 degrees. With ropes, pics and much effort we climbed its 30m face and continued. From this point on it was pure hard work, negotiating crevices and steep climbs.

At 4.30am we reached the foot of Big Fella. Big Fella is the final Climb to the summit and the final test. It consists of a 200-250m wall of ice at an angle of 70 degrees. We had made fantastic time and would be at the summit for sunrise for sure. Climbing Big Fella was hell. At this altitude its almost impossible to get your breath doing anything physical. First you run out off oxygen, then adrenaline, then all your energy, determination is the only source of movement.

The Summit

At 5.35am on Wednesday morning we arrived at the summit with nothing left to give. The sun would be rising over the next 30mins, all we could do was keep warm, watch and feel proud of what we had achieved. It was perfect. Far above the clouds at 6088m the three of us balanced on the knife edge peak, watching in awe as the sun began to throw beams of gold across the peaks of the Cordillera Real.

Here are a few photos, but due to the cold my camera kept packing up. I have also added a link to a video clip at the end of me biking on The Worlds Most Dangerous Road.

At the summit at 5.35am

Sunrise

On the decent

More on the decent

High Camp, and yes, that was the best place we could find to pitch a tent.

Frederic and I have a victory handshake at the summit.

Worlds most dabgerous road video clip HERE

2005-03-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Today was good but a little terrifying, the worlds most dangerous road really deserves its name but makes for a good days mountain biking. Only fell of once and have managed to escape with a few cuts and bruises, good job i was going real slow at the time. Which is more than i can say for another gentleman in our group that managed to knock his front teeth out.Ouchh.

Basically im shattered and am going to take full advantage of a rest day tomorrow before the walk starts on Monday.

Very tired so im off to bed. Will upload some photos and maybe some video clips (whoo technology) on Thursday.

2005-03-11T18:56:00.000-03:00

La Paz (3500m), the de facto capital of Bolivia is in a bizarre location at the base of the Cordillera Real mountain range. The city sits in an amphitheater like basin shadowed by snowy peaks and church spires.

Tomorrow, Seema and Dan (who where in the 4x4 from San Pedro) and myself will mountain bike down officially "The Worlds Most Dangerous Road". The road has 1000m drops of unguarded edges over a 65km stretch and descends over 3500m in a few hours, with a reputable company of course. More on that when i get back.

Monday... Now Monday is the big one, and one of the main reasons I´m in Bolivia, to climb Huyana Potosi on the Cordillera Real. At 6088m (20,000ft) it will be the highest mountain ive ever been on, a challenge and an adventure. We set off for base camp on Monday, stay at high camp on Tuesday night. Then at 1 am on Wednesday morning we will walk through the early hours for a summit attempt at sunrise. Im excited, but also kinda terrified. Obviously...more later

p.s Not one of my photos...obviously.

2005-03-10T16:24:00.000-03:00

The situation in Bolivia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4335107.stm

2005-03-09T19:00:00.000-03:00

This morning a few of us got in a taxi to go to Sucre, its 160km but taxis are cheap, very cheap. About 15 km into the journey we hit one of the road blocks we had been warned of, massive boulders down 300m of road, impossible to pass. After some negotiation between drivers and protestors a number of cars were allowed to drive through the river bed and continue. As transport is such a hassle at the moment im taking a flight to La Paz on Friday to avoid all the troubles, obviously if things flare up like in 2003 i´ll leave asap, but for now everyone is peaceful. As for now, Sucre looks like a nice city at first glance so im off for a look around.

2005-03-08T18:48:00.000-03:00

The silver mines where a major shock. The conditions that the miners have to put up with in terms of heat and dust are far worse than i imagined, and the age of some of the workers was also a concern. With a bag of TNT bought from the local market as a gift (this is there biggest expense as they are working for themselves) we descended deep into the mines, dodging speeding mine trollies and scrambling through impossible spaces. I will never complain about a job again.

With the resignation of the president here yesterday, things are a little out of the ordinary. There are talks of the roadblocks letting up and hopefully i should be able to make it over to Sucre tomorrow. Sucre is the actual capital holding the seat of the senate. La Paz on the other hand is more the de facto capital, getting there may currently be a little awkward but is essential for onward travel to Peru.

2005-03-07T17:23:00.000-03:00

Im now in Potosi, the highest city in the world at 4100m, and at one time the richest, although you wouldn't guess by looking at it. The journey over from Uyuni was a little hair raising with steep drops and dirt track roads, but a group of us have arrived in one piece. Tomorrow a couple of us are off to the silver mines, ive just signed some form that means you are aware of the dangers. Arsenic, speeding mine trollies, explosions. The mine is still active but the guides are very experienced...apparently, this is Bolivia after all.

Although a challenging country it is also very rewarding. Scenery, tradition, clothing. The local costume is a bizarre mix of a rag doll clothes topped with a laurel and hardy style hat, and llama cheese and meet are always on the menu

The only problem im currently facing is a series of road blocks across the country which may make travel a little awkward. You can pass the blockade if you wish but only if you don't mind having your bus set on fire. Yes, this is actually happening. So hopefully i can get to either La Paz by road, or take a cheap flight from Sucre (the capital) to La Paz in the next few days.

2005-03-06T17:05:00.000-03:00

Its hard to know where to begin to tell you about the last few days. All the best photos, all the best wildlife and all the best scenery has been over this period. A group of five of us set off on Friday up into the Andes and onto the Southern Altiplano. Vast barren areas, red and white salt lakes, thousands of flamingoes, gysers, mirror lakes, wild llamas, snow capped giants...everything you would and would not expect to find driving at altitudes between 4000-5000m. All in an area known as "Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa". Sickness was a little problem on the first night, but coca tea takes away the headaches, a few days later and we are all aclimitized to the height. We are now in Uyuni and today went out onto the worlds largest salt flat, The Salar de Uyuni. Again incredible, and again one of the highlights of my entire trip. In this alien world there is no sky and no ground. The few inches of water covering white salt and over 8000sq km create a mirror that reflects everything on its surface and the entire sky as far as you can see.

Sticking with some of the people from the journey, we are off to Potosi, the highest city in the world, and at one time the richest. This displayed in some of the 18 churches that occupy the small town.

More Snaps.

2005-03-03T15:17:00.000-03:00

On Monday I said farewell and returned to Santiago to take a bus north. The journey takes 24 hours and goes via La Serena, Antofogasta, amongst other places before finally arriving in Calama, about 100km from San Pedro. The town I was trying to reach. What started as a small sniffle on boarding the bus metamorphosised into some fully blown fever, head cold and bad chest, making the journey absolute hell (although it’s a little better now).

Once in Calama I checked into the second hostel I found, the first only having a room that looked like a set piece from “Psycho” . Call me fussy, but I find it hard to get a decent night sleep on a bed saturated in blood. I slept. I woke. I took a pus to San Pedro.

As with most of the town in north Chile San Pedro is in the middle of the Atacama desert, the driest in the world. There are places here where rain has never been recorded. The journey from Calama to San Pedro cuts through the Atacama with a beautiful backdrop of the Andes. The 6000m peaks seem to jump out of the flat barren land and the sight is quite spectacular.

San Pedro is small. Very Small. Picture a few white old houses, some cobbled streets and the odd cactus and your are there. Its very close to the Bolivian border (which is why Im here) and also to some of the strange geology of the lower Andes. Vast lunar landscapes, sometimes with a blanket of crisp white salt, and alien looking rocks surround the area in a national park known as “Valle de la Luna” which I need not translate. I took a 4X4 around some of the best bits before returning to the hostel.

So im in the hostel talking to a Swiss couple when some locals invite us to a party. “Sure” we say, thinking a bar, someone’s house, whatever. We hop in the back of a pick-up truck with about 10 others and set off. The purpose of the vehicle was a bit of a mystery at first, you can drive across San Pedro in under a minute downs its narrow cobbled streets. 20mins later the town is out of sight and we are off road in the middle of the Atacama desert, the sky looks fantastic, its freezing cold and we are headed god knows where. The truck stops. Someone has carted a generator, stereo, gallons of Pisco and Cola (Piscola) into the middle of the desert, lit a big fire, and invited town (about 100). It was quite a surreal and special evening, despite the cold and the fact we couldn’t leave until we were taken. We got back around 4 and went to bed.

Tomorrow the same couple and myself are taking a 4X4 over to Uyuni in Bolivia, it will take 3 days with a hired driver and go via geysers, salt plains and other curiosities. Parts of the drive are at 4500 and so Soroche (Altitude Sickness) is always a concern but a careful diet and the local coco leaf tea should make all well. See you in Bolivia. Here are a few snaps.

Summit of Volcan Villarica - Pucon

Inside the volcano - Pucon

With Pablo - Vina del Mar

A few pictures of the Valle du la Luna and the geography of the surrounding area.

2005-02-26T18:54:00.000-03:00

After some catching up and exploring Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso ive booked a bus up to San Pedro in the Atacama on Monday evening. At 24 hours its a hell of a bus ride but has to be done. This part of Chile is famous for having the clearest night sky in the world due to the very dry air and lack of light pollution, but i wont be hanging around. Im planning to get a 4WD to go for 3 days across Bolivia´s Salar De Uyuni, an endless alien landscape of salt flats that will eventually lead to the town of Uyuni. More when i get to San Pedro.

2005-02-23T12:17:00.000-03:00

Pablos parents have very kindly been letting me stay at their house until he returns today from Argentina. Valperaiso is a great city with thousands of houses ingeniously built across the surrounding hills. Dozens of funiculars throughout the city give access up the steeper parts with terrifyingly angled roads serving everywhere else. Im probably going to stay here a couple more days and then head straight up to San Pedro in the Atacama desert. A hopping point to get to Bolivia.

2005-02-19T06:09:00.000-03:00

Ive just been out doing a spot of white water rafting on the Tanctura river a short distance from here, although it was fun with 4m waterfalls in part it was fairly tame compared to the full on rapids of the trip i did in Thailand.

Im heading up to Valparaiso soon for a beer with Pablo so i´ll put up a post when im there.

2005-02-17T08:57:00.000-03:00

Now the thing i love about non westernized countries is their approach to health and safety. If you´re stupid enough to stand on the edge of a cliff, jump in a boiling spring, or sit on the roof of a train, no ones going to stop you. Just be prepared for the consequences. These places still issue life jackets, crash helmets, or whatever equipment you need. They just don't hold your hand to cross the road. All to often, especially in NZ, you were are always being told. "Don't climb that mountain, its to windy", when in fact you couldn't have flown a kite. Or "Don't swim in the lake its deep, in parts"...Hmmm. After all, in adventure sports and outdoor activities its often the small element of risk that makes them fun, and out of the ordinary.

As i mentioned, Pucon is shadowed by Volcan Vallarrica. At 3000m its small by Andes standards, but higher than most European peaks. It last erupted in 71 wiping out a neighboring town, and is still bubbling away fiercely. At night the peak glows against a backdrop of stars as a funnel of smoke rises into the sky. Oh, and you can climb it if you want.

Early this morning i put on some crampons, grabbed an ice pick and set off to do so with my guide, Rodrigo. The first stretch is by chair lift to carry you over the rocky debris that litters the base, then on foot up the snowy slopes to the summit. I had no idea what to expect at the top. The volcanoes i climbed in NZ where all dormant or extinct.

Gazing into what appears to be the center of the earth is mesmerizing and hypnotic. The heat and fumes are almost unbearable, and the situation obviously quite dangerous. You really got the feeling that you couldn't get away with it in most countries. Every now and then the fiery red crater would roar and through bright red lava into the air some 30m from where we stood. The smaller fragments of rock and ash would then rain down even closer, sometimes we´d move to avoid it. Incredible.

There are easier ways of getting down a snow covered slopes than walking. After hanging around at the top for a while, it was time to get on my arse and slide to the bottom, using the ice pick as a brake. Tremendous fun, but kinda painful.

Off for some food.

2005-02-15T01:21:00.000-03:00

After a few days walking around some of Santiagos quarters ive headed south 14 hours on a bus down to the small town of Pucon. This is home to Volcan Villarrica, a massive 3000m active volcano that dominates the skyline pouring clouds of smoke into the air. I couldn't get a hostel and so im staying in a house belonging to a local lady, who´s very fond of saying "No Problema!!".

Tomorrow, weather permitting, the plan is to climb up to the top of the volcano with a trekking guide and look into the bubbling lava from its snowy peak. Its more crampons and ice picks, which are hard work, but will definitely be worth it. There´s quite a lot on offer here due to its location on the edge of a national park, but after 3-4 nights im going to have to head back on the bus to meet Pablo in Valparaiso.

2005-02-12T06:10:00.000-03:00

Ive arrived in Santiago after a long flight. Its quite strange landing before you take off, but im reasonably accustomed to having my body clock squeezed, stretched and shattered, and feeling the similarly named consequences that it then brings. Im meeting up with an old friend of mine and my brothers from the uni days in just over a week, he lives in Valparaiso on the coast, but is currently in Argentina. And so in his absence I'm heading south down to the Lake District (at least i think am) to a place called Pucon.

Right!!...Now where did i put that "Teach yourself Spanish" book.

2005-02-10T23:08:00.000-03:00

Auckland isn't the urban sprawl I'd been warned of. Its worse, and barely merits a mention. My flight to Santiago is tomorrow afternoon and so its just a matter of killing time until then. Once there I'll try to sort some kind of route up to Peru, probably through Argentina and Bolivia. Will be in touch in a few days.

2005-02-08T05:40:00.000-03:00

Apart from the odd patch of interest the North Island of NZ is relatively plain in comparison to the grandeur of the south. Scruffy charmless towns and endless rolling grassy hills fill the majority of the island, the remainder being filled with rather home sick looking sheep.

The Tongariro crossing was a good walk. A steep accent to the edge of the crater was followed by stretches of other crater crossings. It was particularly cloudy that day and so the majority of the views where obscured with broken cloud. The area was used extensively in the filming of Lord of the Rings, the volcano itself playing the part of Mt.Doom (minus the fiery eye of course). A lot of geothermal activity still exists around the area with many steaming vents, hot streams and mineral stained lakes. Although this added an extra dimension of interest to the walk it also made it rather pungent. Sulphur, does not smell good.

After departing the national park i headed for Rotorua, the giza capital. How anyone lives here is a mystery. The entire place reeks of sulphur, and the majority of the population seem to spend their time trying to charge you vast amounts of money to see why. I've never in my life had to pay to see unguided, naturally occurring and maintenance-free phenomena and I'm not going to start now. Call me stubborn, but they can sit on their gizas for all i care.

Instead i went down the local park, massive steaming lakes and bubbling mud would normally be quite entertaining if it weren't for the local council permanently retrieving crispy fried duck from the surface. Despite all this, I've actually just been relaxing here for a few days, reading, walking etc. Mainly in an attempt to put off going to the reputed sprawl of Auckland.

The hostel owner here is a Jordy, and one of those "people say I'm crazy" characters that terrorize the work place. He's made over the entire hostel as an American western style town. Currently I'm staying in 'Jail'. I joked with a Japanese man from my dorm that it would be my first night in the cells since being away.

"Ohhhh..For me seventh" he said
"So you've been staying here a week?" i asked
"No No. First night"

I decided not to pursue the conversation any further, padlocked my backpack, and fell asleep.

2005-02-03T22:41:00.000-03:00

As the city packs out and goes mad, i seem to be the only person leaving as everyone prepares for todays Rugby Sevens match in Wellingiton.

Im getting a bus to Tongariro National Park this morning so that i can set off early tomorrow for the walk across the Volcano. Its only a day walk but very popular for obvious reasons. Hopefully the weather will improve a little as it has been very foggy everywhere recently.

I had a good day yesterday and took a visit to Karori Sanctuary, an epic project to restore 250 hectares of native plant and wildlife back to its original state, all behind a predator proof fence. They say it will take 500 years to complete the project but already its recovering well. I was quietly amused at the entrance where i had my bag checked, not for guns, but for mice. Shockingly, there weren't any!

2005-02-02T06:31:00.000-03:00

After a quick 4hr trip on the ferry across from Picton i have arrived in Wellington. The boat trip would normally be very pleasant, but thick low cloud prevented views of the thousands of islets creating what is known as the Marlbarough Sounds.

Wellington is a very cosmopolitan capital, and also very small. Im staying here a few nights just to take a quick break from what seems like endless transport before heading into the center of the North Island, the home of all the volcanic landscapes.

2005-01-31T07:22:00.000-03:00

It turns out i was quite wrong about the species of whale hanging around the shelf. Sperm whales can be found here all year round whilst the humpback tends to swan in for the winter, orcas (killer whales), dolphins and many species of shark are also common to the waters of Kaikoura due to its massive depths close off shore and the complex currents that bring rich nutrients to the waters.

The whale watching was excellent. Not the spectacular jumping that some might expect. More surface feeding and breathing. We managed to get close to 4 large sperm whales and saw two of the classic tale flips, not bad for only 2 hours on the water. Impressive and beautiful.

2005-01-31T01:00:00.000-03:00

After a quick one night stop in Christchurch I'm slowly starting the journey up to the north island. The TranzCoastal train runs all the way up to Picton in the Marlborough Sounds for ferries across to Wellington the capital.

I however am stopping halfway at Kaikoura, world famous for its whale watching. Although out of season for Sperm whales, other species are common all year round. I'm taking a boat into the Pacific later this afternoon in the hope of glimpsing these magnificent mammals. Then its back on the train and up to Picton in the morning.

2005-01-29T08:15:00.000-03:00

After 24 hours of much needed rest I’ve booked a bus back to the transport hub of Christchurch for tomorrow.

The walk was superb but physically demanding. Due to hut availability I had a short walk on days 1 and 4 with two days of 30km in the middle. This is a full 10 hours of walking and really pushed me at times. The Routeburn track, known as one of the “Great Walks”, is 38km of ever changing scenery through Mount Aspiring National Park. My first nights stay was on the Routeburn flats, very close to the start. Past glacial activity has partially filled the valleys with loose rock creating flat plains of rivers and flowers at altitude. The walk then ascends through beech forest and tussock clearings before zigzagging through sub-alpine mountains and reflective lakes, a 2 hour detour up to conical point gave great views over the Alps and out to the Tasman Sea before dropping down to the Mackenzie huts. Where ironically there was no room for me. I cooled off in the icy lake under the same name and continued down to the Howden huts. I’m making it all sound very short. It wasn’t. I stayed my second night there ready for the next big day.

The Caples track starts where the Routeburn finishes and is quickly testing with an almost vertical and endless accent through beech forest (nothing to do with beeches, just the name of the terrain), over rivers (no leeches here!!), and through a beautiful valley to the last hut. Again I'm making it all sound very short, and again, it wasn’t. By this point I was shattered, the only thing keeping me going was the endless joy of filling my water bottle with the ice cold water from the many crystal clear springs and streams, each with a slightly different flavour due to the quantities of snowmelt and mineral content. A short 7km walk took me back to Lake Wakatipu, from there a boat back to Glenorchy, and then a bus back to Queenstown. Here are a few pics from this epic walk.

The summit of Conical Hill.

Icy Lake MacKenzie.

A view on the ascent to Harris Saddle.

At the base of the 174m Earland falls on the way down to Howden huts.

2005-01-24T04:19:00.000-03:00

Apologies for the lack of posts but a busy schedule, no cash and bad Internet facilities have made it impossible.

I ended up bussing it to the small lake side town of Wanaka. After a good nights sleep i set off to climb Mt Roy. Its a 1700m peak that gives spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately on the day i climbed it a large rain cloud engulfed the summit, and comically hung there all day whilst the remainder of the sky stayed relatively clear. Although disappointed the views on the accent and decent below the cloud line made the walk worthwhile. A 4km stretch round part of lake Wanaka (the second biggest in NZ) finished it off nicely and conveniently returned me back to 'town'.

The following morning I took a bus to Queenstown, the capital of outdoor activities. It is here that is home to the invention of adrenalin pumping activities such as Bungee Jumping down gorges and free fall swinging at 150kmph across canyons. Every possible way to ensure your feet don't remain firmly on the floor has been catered for, and there really isn't a more picturesque place to do it.

My priority however was to sort out a walking route incoporating one of the so called Great Walks. I set off tomorrow on the famous Routeburn track (supposedly one of the best walk in the world) and after a few nights in mountain huts along the way, immediately join the Caples Track. I'll stay one night on that route before finishing and returning to Queenstown on the 28th. At over 60km its a fair old trek but 4 days should be enough. In the mean time I'm off to stock up on carbohydrates and every mountaineers saving grace, muesli bars.

2005-01-20T09:44:00.000-03:00

My Card arrived a day early and so i managed to hitch a lift down to Fox Glacier on Wednesday evening. Although there was no accommodation in town the owners of the hostel kindly let me sleep in the movie lounge for 10 bucks. Not bad considering the en-suite sea of bean bags and 48" TV.

Ive been up on the glacier today for a full day exploring ice caves and having my toes trodden on by people with crampons. Very enjoyable.

Im moving on tomorrow down to Wanaka, famous for its lakes and walking. Hopefully i can get a free ride again but i'll have to wait and see.

2005-01-18T06:52:00.000-03:00

Yesterday proved too rainy to attempt any walking and so i had a quick explore of some local gold mine tunnels instead, i got about 200m in with my head torch but the rainwater seeping in was making it rather difficult so i turned back. All the rivers were torrents that day and although i wasn't there to see it, rain water forced part of the glacier the size of a house crashing down into the valley.

Today i have done a walk to 'Roberts Point', a hell of a slog through rain forest, over Indiana Jones style swing bridges and up to an outcrop overlooking the glacier, you can see it on the left hand side of the photo. It gave fantastic views onto the alien landscape of icy crevices.

Apparently my credit card should arrive on Thursday so I'm hoping to make a move that evening down to Fox Glacier 25km south of here.

2005-01-16T10:20:00.000-03:00

I spent today walking to the Franz Joseph Glacier, although not the best of weather the experience was still incredible. Over the next few days i plan to do some lengthly walks in the surrounding hills which should provide better views of this fascinating natural creation. Franz Joseph and its local cousins descend 1000m below other glaciers at the same latitude. This is due to the massive snowfall that that mountains acquire due to rapidly rising moisture laden winds from the Tasman sea. They are also the fastest moving rivers of ice in the world, at times advancing as much as 6m in a day, 10 times faster than anywhere else. Some Photos.

A cheeky Kea comes for a closer look on Avalanche peek - Arthur's Pass

At the summit of Avalanche Peak - Arthur's Pass

Franz Joseph glacier from afar - Franz Joseph

2005-01-15T10:36:00.000-03:00

Lost, Found, and six thieving parrots – The story so far.

Due to an absent wake up call i missed my train and had to rebook for the next day.
The train departed Christchurch and began the transalpine journey over to Greymouth. I decided to split my ticket over 2 days to allow an overnight stop at the Alpine village of Arthur's Pass – population less than 100. The journey to this small town at an altitude of 850m first takes you over the Canterbury Plains with their beautiful milky blue rivers and dramatic gorges before then beginning the ascent into the Southern Alps.

I checked into a Mountain Lodge, threw on my boots, grabbed some info and headed for the hills. I was going to climb Avalanche Peak. A 1900m meter mountain above the snow line with 360 degree panoramic views over the awesome surrounding scenery. The climb is very steep, 1000m accent over 2-3 hours, and then a short ridge walk to the summit. It was hard work but worth every step.

I had been warned about the behavior of a bird known as a Kea, a large alpine parrot sometimes known as the 'Clown of the mountain' due to its crazy and intelligent behavior. They have no fear of people and will quite happily steal food, hats, anything they can lay their claws on, from your person. There were about 6 at the summit and after pecking my boots and opening the zip on my bag, amongst other things, i decided it would be fun to take a few snaps. As i began to take a photo one of them promptly flew off with my camera case in its beak and headed into the mountains. The bastard.

I got back to the lodge and rested.

The following morning i re boarded the train to head for Greymouth. You immediately enter a mountain tunnel that descends for 10 miles before bursting out into the lush green rain forest of the west coast. A bizarre transformation. After arriving i realized it was possible to get a bus straight to a place called Franz Joseph Glacier, this was actually my intended destination due to Greymouths lack of, well, anything. I hopped aboard and began the 4 hour journey down to the town that sits at the bottom of a massive glacier, the details of which i go into another time. We quickly stopped at a town called Hokitika for a coffee and kept going. It would turn out to be a very inconvenient coffee indeed.

I arrived at Franz Joseph to realize i had left my wallet with attached cash cards and coat at the last stop, the first time i had worn it in 4 months. Being reasonably organized, honest, i immediately canceled both cards and checked into my hostel that thankfully i had already booked and paid for earlier that day. 20 mins later the police ring. They have my jacket and wallet and its on the next bus to Franz Joseph. Fantastic. Apart from the fact that you cant un-cancel cards. No matter how much you plead.

The repercussions are such that Im stuck here with little money, no banks and no way of knowing when i can leave. Apparently a card will be here in 3-10 days but this is a major set back. To be honest its a pretty good place to be stuck. There are plenty of walks around edges of the glacier to keep me busy, and i can always work for free accommodation. However the intended full day guided ice walk into the glacier caves and crevices will have to wait until i get my card. It also means Im probably unable to get the refund on my $100 missed train. So all in all its basically been a bad day.

However New Zealand i am absolutely loving, the scenery and activities are right up my ally and I know already that my time here is going to be some of the best so far.

I deserve a pint of beer, a priority cost out of the little money i have left until....?

2005-01-12T10:02:00.000-03:00

I have arrived in Christchurch. A charming small city with a lot of character. There are more churches than policemen, more trams than trucks and more public chess boards than public phone boxes. It has incredible botanic gardens and a lot more besides, but...

Eager to get moving i have spent the majority of the day looking into the best way to get around the country. The most popular method is a bus network marketed as "Magic Bus - The choice for every independent traveler". Apart from this being a contradiction in terms, I have major issues with any vehicle that is referred to as being 'Magic'. The last thing you want when you're on a bridge 150m above a gorge is a driver who thinks he's in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Its also VERY expensive. The prices jacked up to include unnecessary accommodation advice and girls in low cut tops trying to get you to jump out of a plane.

Plan B - I'll take the TranzAlpine train tomorrow morning to Greymouth on the west of the south island, and work my way down from there to the glaciers, mountains etc. The train journey is supposidly one of the most impressive in the world, and cuts straight through the heart of Tolkien scenery.... Then I'll find some girls in low cut tops to make me jump out of a plane.

2005-01-11T01:32:00.000-03:00

After exhausting most of the free stuff to see and do around Sydney I'm off to the airport today to fly to Christchurch NZ South Island. As fun as its been in Australia, I'm really looking forward to throwing on my walking boots and getting into some of their national parks. My flight is this evening and should get into Christchurch around 1am. The perfect time to start looking for somewhere to stay.

2005-01-07T13:59:00.000-03:00

Ive just come back from the opera house after a great concert. Koyaanisqatsi from Godfrey Reggio's awesome and breathing series of films the Qatsi Trilogy. Philip Glass and his ensemble provided live accompaniment to projections of his second film (Koyaanisquasi). I highly recommend these to anyone.

Ive had a pretty good explore so far, mainly visiting the museums and galleries, all of which are excellent. Tomorrow is that the start of the Sydney festival so there should be plenty around to do. Good Night

2005-01-07T07:42:00.000-03:00

Im going to see Philip Glass at the Sydney Opera House tonight....eeeeeeeeee :-)

2005-01-06T08:03:00.000-03:00

Here are a few photos.

A quick pit stop to look at the storm ahead "Sod it, lets keep going" said I - Frasier Island

Mackenzie in lake Mackenzie - Fraiser Island

The highly fashionable jelly proof stinger suit - Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays

"Whats that Skippy? You've found the person that stole my pasta last night and now he's having it with a few schooners in the old mine shaft. The little ripper"

2005-01-05T08:44:00.000-03:00

As i slowly began to fall asleep on the beach i noticed the tide getting ever closer, it was only a matter of time before my bed became the sea bed, and so i upped i went hunting for a new spot. Whilst walking past the bus station i ran into two Israeli girls who I had been on a boat with in the Whitsundays. They informed that there was a bus to Sydney that evening. And so covered in sand,half asleep, and with no booking, the driver kindly let me take it. All 14 hours of it.

So a few days ahead of planned here i am. It appears I have timed my visit quite well as the Sydney festival begins on the 8th with events going on all over the city. Including an evening of dramatizations of the works of William Burroughs set to the music of Australia's own Tom Waits. An almost perfect combination.

I'm too tired to do a lot of exploring at the moment so my planned period of 'doing nothing' has been shifted to here this evening.

Robin

2005-01-04T07:05:00.000-03:00

It was bound to happen at some point - Ive arrived in Byron Bay, and as lovely as it looks, there isnt a single bed anywhere in town. This means im facing a night under the stars on its local stretch of beach. Whats worse is that bus bookings are made 24hrs in advance and so it may possibly be 2 nights of making sand castles before i can move on. Apparently if i wanted to stay here during Dec or Jan i should have booked some time in October. Something I wasn't aware due to the fact that i don't walk round with a copy of the "Lonely Planet Guide Book" glued to my face.

Although there is no law preventing you from staying on the beach for as long as you like, it is illegal to actually sleep there. My current list of prepared excuses should the wardens show is as follows.

"I wasn't asleep, im meditating, and now you've screwed it up"

"Im not asleep, Im moon bathing, could you pass the moon cream?"

"ZZzzzz... " (and refuse to wake up)

Im off to book a bus out of here and to quite literally - make my bed.

2005-01-03T06:30:00.000-03:00

I have just briefly stopped in Brisbane for a few days in an attempt to break up the massive 2679km journey from Cairns to Sydney. Its a pleasant little city with a great south bank and some impressive botanical gardens. This mornings walkabout consisting of a visit to their excellent museum and adjacent art gallery.

The dorm room I have is shared with 31 others which makes sleeping a little tricky due to the orchestra of snores. My bunk being in close proximity to what appears to be the brass section, Holst's 'Mars' being the chosen rendition. A slight lack of facilities has also become apparent when this morning a found myself in a seven deep queue for the teaspoon.

3 hours south of is Byron Bay where i will head tomorrow to relax, read and recharge before heading to Sydney, but right now I'm off for another episode of Feeding vs. Finance

2004-12-31T14:57:00.000-03:00

It doesn't feel quite right saying happy new year considering the circumstances at the moment, but i trust you all had a pleasant, if not thoughtful evening. Is was pretty quiet here, a small toast with my dorm mates and a bit of banter was followed by a reasonably early night.

I went to Noosa's national park yesterday to do a bit of walking and managed to see my first Koala and Kangaroo. A reminder of the fact that I am in Australia, and not as it sometimes seems, a hill billy town in America. Its very pleasant at Noosa North Shore where I'm staying on a kind of ranch, up untill yesterday i was sharing an 8 bed apartment with huge kitchen and lounge, with myself. The greatest taste of luxury I've had in 4 months.

Im off to Brisbane tomorrow for a couple of days where i should be able to upload some photos. Untill then.

2004-12-30T05:45:00.000-03:00

Ive spent the last 3 days on Fraiser island, a massive sand mass about 150 X 20 km hosting dozens of microclimates and freshwater lakes. Being the only member of our group that could drive (and navigate, pitch a tent, cook, walk more than a hundred yards without gasping for water) I took us around the islands many sights in our beast of a 4X4 jeep. The main highway is the wet sand of the eastern beach which gives access to the many off road tracks, all of which look un driveable untill you find the right off road gear. We camped on the beach, we camped in the rainforest, we saw dingos and iguanas, we had a good time. After 300km of slogging around the island we returned to mainland. I packed, and then left for Noosa (where i am now).

Christmas - I hope everyone is having a good one, many thanks for your e-mails. James and Karen, Nick and Gill, Celeste and Paul, Kat, Sean and Amanda, and of course, Mum and Dad. Seeing as i'm not there to buy presents for, prehaps you will all have some spare change to send to the victims of the tsunami, and i will do the same. You can do this here among other places

http://www.worldvision.com.au/appeals/tsunami/

Sam - hope you get better soon mate, give me an e-mail when you get out of hospital so i can call you.

Enjoy new year everyone, and just remember, when the clock strikes 12 in england. I'll just be waking up with a hangover.

2004-12-23T16:19:00.000-03:00

After 15 hours through the night ive arrived at Rainbow Beach, a 30km stretch of white sand about two and a half hours north of Brisbane. The town is very small and there doesn't seem to be much going on, it appears to be mainly used as a hopping point over to Fraiser island, where i will head on the 27th.

Anyway, i believe its Christmas tomorrow so i will take this opportunity to wish you all an enjoyable day. As fun as it sounds basking in the sun next to the Pacific. There is definitely something to be missed in sitting in front of the fire in your new socks, consuming vast amounts of port and cheese. Enjoy. Merry Christmas all.

2004-12-22T05:21:00.000-03:00

Sailing around the Whitsundays turned out to be more of a 3 day motorboat trip due to the lack of wind, but was enjoyable all the same. Our boat, the 'Habibi' took us to several different locations including a place called Whitehaven beach. The sand there is 100% silicon and so is pure white. Turtles and dolphins played at the side of the boat in the early mornings, and the evenings were left to look at a perfect night sky, where once the moon goes down the milky way was so clear it almost had a defined edge. Not the worst view to go to sleep to.

I just cant get into the Christmas spirit. Yes there are decorations. But when the sun is blasting at 40o and people are wearing swim shorts and a santa hat its just plain weird.

2004-12-18T09:15:00.000-03:00

Ive arrived in Airlie Beach where i will set off from tomorrow for three days sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. Its a live aboard boat so obviously i wont be in touch untill just before Christmas. Untill then, enjoy your mince pies everyone.

2004-12-17T10:00:00.000-03:00

After some pretty extensive organization and trawling through a library of information i have managed to set my self some kind of plan for as far as Brisbane. I leave tomorrow for Airlie beach where after a nights sleep im hopping on a 15m sailing boat to tour around the Whitsunday islands for 2 days. Back on a bus and down to Rainbow beach, where i'll spend christmas, and then out to Fraiser island for 3 days. With a tent, stove and a 4WD jeep at our disposal we (people i haven't yet met) will tour the national park before returning to the mainland in time for new year at Noosa. From there I'll hit Brisbane, and worry about the next leg of the journey. Australia, it would seem, is hell of a lot bigger than it looks on a map.

2004-12-16T10:00:00.000-03:00

On arriving in cairns I was told in no un-certain terms not to swim in the bay due to salt water crocs, sharks and stingers (a deadly jellyfish). This is obviously advice that one does not ignore, especially poignant as the local news is currently focused on a young local killed by a bull shark a few days ago. Coincidently the husband of an employee at my guesthouse. So when I saw the sign for a days snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef I couldn’t wait to get in the water. Sort of.

More through my own ignorance than lack of interest I always believed the reef to be very close to shore. It is in fact (in Cairns at least) some 2 hours on a speedy catamaran from the mainland to the outer reef.

And so we arrived. A short introductory talk roughly consisting of don’t worry, don’t drown and don’t touch anything gave us our licence to enter the water and start exploring. The first location was as I expected lots of coral and lots of fish, very similar to that of Ko Tao in south Thailand only on a grander scale and with bigger fish.

Slightly disappointed I had lunch and we set out to the second location.

When you snorkel, or SCUBA for that matter, in open water you always have what is known as a ‘buddy’. The idea being should you run into difficulty they can wave your dismembered limb in the air as a sign of distress. I teamed up with a German guy, deliberately selecting someone that looked meatier than I, and we set off on the 100m swim from the boat to the reef.

After a short explore we decided to head to the back of the reef, and it was here that we saw our first shark, about 2m long. The particular species comman to this reef is the ‘White tipped reef shark’, completely harmless but still pretty vicious looking.

Despite knowing these facts, when you are 200m from the boat, totally exposed and there is a shark in front of you several things happen instinctively. Your breathing rate increases, your body fills with adrenaline and you look for the exit, which of course does not exist. I believe the collective term for these responses is known as “Shitting It”. After the shock wears off and reason sets in you begin to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the thing. However, that was not to be the highlight.

Minutes later a turtle swam directly between us and surfaced for air. We were able to follow it at very close proximity for some 15mins as it slowly and gracefully swam around the reef.

Im currently looking into the best way to get down to Sydney. Its over three thousand kilometres and buses are looking like the best option, although I don’t think I’ll make it in time for Christmas, or new year for that matter.

2004-12-15T08:35:00.000-03:00

The 7 hour flight from Hong to Cairns didn’t look too much hassle, on paper. However the repercussions of cramming dinner, sleep and breakfast into a three hour window, passing two time zones and landing at 4 in the morning, are such that I feel slightly ‘discombobulated’. What also didn’t help was the gentleman sitting next to me who proceeded to tell me, at length, how he had been doing a gig with Gerry and the Pacemakers. The conversation only ending when I told him, at length, and in the nicest possible way, that at this hour I really couldn’t care.

Australian customs are some of the strictest in the world. If it grows, smells, is edible or dirty, and especially a combination of these, then you are probably not allowed to bring it into the country. Which led to the following: -

“Are you carrying any footwear other than that you are wearing sir?” bellowed the customs official.

“Urr, No” I replied, and may it be added – without thinking.

She hauled my rucksack onto the x-ray machine and froze the screen to reveal a size 12 pair of leather hiking boots consuming roughly half my pack.

“Oh yes, I forgot about those”

She looked into my tired eyes doubtfully and whipped out some papers.

Restraining myself from saying “Look Miss, its four in the morning and I’ve been cooped up with some wanna be rock’n’roll star..etc” I answered her inquisition and managed to escape with a minor shoe cleaning and the confiscation of some saffron that I was supposed to post. Sorry Matt, but your culinary wizardry will have to wait.

I’m now in Cairns, a supposed city that appears to consist of a few dozen pristinely kept blocks, a swimming lagoon and a panoramic ocean view. Despite the lack of Hong Kong’s technology such as talking escalators and bickering urinals, people still seem to manage not to piss down the stairs or get their fingers wedged in the lavatory. In short, it’s clean, well organized and realistic. Yes its expensive, but the facilities and quality are excellent. 20 pounds can get you a nights sleep and three basic meals, an amount that would probably stretch to 3 times fish’n’chips and a night in the cells were I back home.

I’ll probably head out to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow and do some snorkeling, but for the time being I've got ‘no worries’.

2004-12-13T08:45:00.000-03:00

Ive been amusing myself over the last few days with various buildings, museums, kung-fu demonstrations, piano shops and noodle bars. Although HK begins to grow on you after a while i'll be very glad to get out of here, if only for budget reasons. On average a meal costing 10 times that of other places ive been, and thats for the cheap stuff. I'll also be glad to be out my guesthouse, where no windows and cockroaches for company dont make for an enjoyable stay.

Im flying to Cairns tomorrow, and if my geography serves me correctly there is a little more room for breathing in Australia. Oh, and its summer there. :-)

2004-12-10T12:10:00.000-03:00

Ive been out to Lantau island today via the highly futuristic Mass Transit Railway. Over half the island has been designated a country park and large concrete paths guide you like a zombie through the countryside. Its home to one of the largest sitting Buddahs in the world and made for an interesting day out. I then returned to HK to visit "The Peak" which gives you stunning panoramic views over the entire city. After returning back to sea level i crossed back to Kowloon to watch the nightly "Symphony of Lights" which uses the city skyline as a stage for a multimedia show.

There is no denying that HK is an amazing city with a lot to offer but you really are left craving for space, searching for its identity and hiding from its sickly brand name obsession. It has been said that "culture is roughly anything we do and monkeys don't". I suppose in that respect HK has a lot of culture. However in comparison to the other countries ive visited its lifeless. Not because of its lack of energy but its lack of honest identity. It feels like a theme park, exposition and a greenhouse all rolled into one.

Im off to see an Organ recital tomorrow at the HKCC. Should be fun. See you later.

2004-12-09T06:13:00.000-03:00

Hong Kong. Touching down in massive HK International airport it is immediately apparent that this city/district is unlike any other. From the towering skyscrapers to the impressive bridges that join the islands the whole place is awash with brave constructions. Im staying just off Nathan Rd in Tsu Sha Tsui, its HK's famous neon mile and packed at all hours of the day. At the end of the road is the famous harbor view and the Star Ferry that takes you over to HK island in a few minutes. Cheap accommodation does not seem to exist, rooms here falling into two categories. Small, horrible and expensive or lushly furnished harbor facing rooms, reserved for the uber-rich.

My first impressions of this city are mixed. Once the impact of some of the views has worn off i began to realize that its actually not a very nice place. On the whole the people here are obnoxious, rude, inconsiderate, unhelpful and devoid of any hospitality. Money seems to be the only language. The air quality is bad. The list is endless.

But im still managing to have a good time. Ive been walking around HK island most of the day. Its split into three levels inspirationally named Central, Mid-Levels, and Upper-Levels. An airport style escalator spans 1km directly through the city and up the hill allowing easy access to all areas.

Dim-Sum time

2004-12-07T05:35:00.000-03:00

Yesterday I got a boat out to the floating village on lake Ton La Sap. Fleeing Vietnamese and Cambodians have built there entire village on the water. Everything from the police station to the local church is afloat, some childen swim to school. It’s a very poor area and most people's livelihood is based around fishing on the massive sea-like lake. I'm flying to Honk Kong tomorrow, one extreme to the other, so I better go and pack.

2004-12-06T03:50:00.000-03:00

Some monks in Ta Prohm

The faces of Bayon in Angkor Thom

Nature vs Architecture (Ta Prohm)

2004-12-05T10:13:00.000-03:00

Flying in over the eerily and largely untouched plains of Cambodia reveals a large geographical difference to other South East Asian countries, but these differences are insignificant in comparison to the ones that surround their social and economic attitudes. As most people know history has not treated Cambodia kindly. This is a country that has been attacked in one way or another for over 500 years. A trend that only really ceased in 1998 with the death of Pol Pot, who’s brutal Khmer Rouge were responsible for the death of nearly 3 million people over 4 years in the 1970’s. Throughout history the Americans, French, Chinese and Vietnamese have colonized, sent troops or dropped bombs into what used to be the most impressive and affluent area in the east. This is most prevalent in the Angkorian temples that surround Siem Reap, which I’ll get onto in a second. My point is that this country, one of the poorest in the world, has had a hard time.

Siem Reap is effectively a bubble. It’s quite possible to travel directly from the airport to a $1200 a night hotel and drink white wine spritzars with cosmopolitan madames without seeing any of the suffering or consequences of Cambodia's history. This appears to happen a lot. However you only have to look very slightly below the surface, or into the eyes of some people to see that the reality of life is very different to what many see through the window of their tour bus. Poverty is high, amputee numbers are high (from mines), mass begging, stealing and child prostitution are all high but a direct consequence of the countries history and pressures. Finally Cambodia seems to be getting on its feet after a rough ride but needs understanding and support from the international community, not charity from Angkor and Phnom Pen tourists.

I’ve spent the last three days exploring some of the 100 temples that spread over 3000 sq/km north of Siem Reap. Trying to do the major temples chronologically I got a bike driver to take me to the oldest and most distant temples. The following days I used a push bike to make my way around the others. Each temple complex is massive. Angkor Thom for example is about 16sq/km inside its walls. Angkor Wat (not the best), Bayon and Ta Prohm are impressive to say the least. The latter having huge towering trees growing directly on the top of corbel archways. My pass has expired as have my leg muscles and temple threshold and so after some enjoyable days im gonna relax tomorrow.

I also managed to have my first run in with the police. After apparently taking my bike the wrong way down a street I was fined $1 for my sins and told to be on my way. Curious as the scores of Cambodians ahead and behind be seemed non-eligible for this penalty.

2004-12-01T03:44:00.000-03:00

Here are a few pictures before i fly out.

Sunset from my bungalow in Mong Ngoi

Rowing up the river in Mong Ngoi

The Crew

Buddah Caves in Luang Phrabang Province

2004-11-30T23:54:00.002-03:00

The last 3-4 days have probably been the most enjoyable so far. After 4 hours the local bus arrived in the northern village of Nong Khiaw, late, or Laos style as its better known. The scenery there was unbelievable. Perfectly balanced aesthetics of river, cliffs and mountains in dramatic shapes. I hooked up with a couple of American guys to spit the room cost and we went exploring. What we found was an extensive set of caves and tunnels reaching deep into the mountains that were used as a base during the Indochina war. My flash light just about illuminated the dusty signs that still exist deep in the mountain. On the way back we picked up a bottle of the local moonshine or Lao-Lao as they call as it. At 3000 kip (18 pence) for a large bottle is was hard to complain but it was actually quite good. Like a blend of the finest Japanese sake...and gasoline.

The following morning we took a boat up to the next village, Mong Ngoi. A rarely visited village of the beaten track with no infrastructure. It was here we found the most impressive scenery I, and they, had ever seen. We each took a bamboo shack next to the river overlooking the mountains, a $1 room with a $1million view.

Over the following days we proceeded to explore some local caves extensively. One we found included a swim of some 50m down a flooded tunnel. We also persuaded a local guy to rent us his boat, silly man. We took off up river, stopping off at the odd sandbank, but eventually the current got the better of us and we returned. A short trip in a dicey speedboat got us back to Nong Khiaw and then we took a truck back to Luang Phrabang.

Today Im confirming flights and doing a few other monotonous tasks, and then tomorrow I fly to Cambodia.

2004-11-24T06:26:00.000-03:00

Despite repeated attempts to reach more of the caves in the area, I only managed to get lost in a maze of rice fields. Suicidal bamboo bridges allow access across the river, but getting further is unguided and intimidating.

I have felt increasingly tired and lethargic over the last few days which I am putting down to my malaria pills. Without the energy or enthusiasm to venture to far into the mountains i have decided to head back to Louang Phrabang tomorrow morning. From there I'll make my way to Nong Kiow. Supposedly home to the best scenery in Indochina.

2004-11-23T08:35:00.000-03:00

I arrived in Vang Vieng last night after a pretty incredible journey. Six hours winding through the dramatic Laos scenery made for an interesting ride. The only worry being denim dressed guard at the front with an automatic rifle. “Should I be happy he’s there or worried he’s needed”. I checked into a guesthouse and got a good nights sleep.

On wakeing the full grandeur of the surrounding landscape was apparent. The flat plane of Vang Vieng is immediately surrounded by gravity defying limestone cliffs. I walked into town, all two roads of it, and hired a large inner tube. Why? Floating down the river is one of the best ways to take in the scenery around here, and that was my intention. I took a ride further up the river so my journey would back in town, hopped on and set off. Despite the 5 hour journey there is plenty to keep you occupied along the way. Laotions hold out long lengths of bamboo allowing you to purchase a beer and keep floating, very relaxing :-) Another stop of point allows you to take your tube hundreds of feet deep into the mountains. Floating in the pitch black is pretty terrifying especially when you loose sight of the only guy with a head torch. I finally found my way out and made it back to town.

Apparently even the most hardened traveler gets sick of rice 3 times a day. Ive held out for a long while but ive finally broke and am off to find a pizza.

2004-11-22T03:08:00.000-03:00

In a sudden change of plans ive decided to head south first instead. Currently Vang Vieng is the furthest south you can get. Its 160 km and a 6 hour bus ride from here, and requires going down the infamous Route 13. Banditry is common in Laos, especially on this route, but Ive been told not to worry due the current heightened national security. Great.

Vang Vieng is situated in a limestone karst valley and should offer the opportunity for a couple of days decent trekking. I’m slightly frustrated I won’t be able to make it to the far south as this is home to “The Four Thousand Islands”. Not a salad dressing but a place where the Mekong splits into a series of rivulets and has created a vast scattering of islets. Maybe next time.

2004-11-22T00:51:00.000-03:00

Getting out of Laos is currently impossible without flying, boarders are closed, a curfew is in affect during certain hours and a lot of routes are closed, all due the summit. This morning I had no choice but to buy a rather expensive flight out of here to Siem Reap in Cambodia on the 2nd Dec (when my VISA expires).

I’ve spent the last few taking in Louang Phrabang and visiting the many dramatic waterfalls that surround the area, I managed not to fall off this time just as well as the one I visited yesterday was 180 ft. I’m going to head north today or tomorrow to Nong Kiow which allegedly boast the best scenery in all of Laos, unfortunately due to travel restrictions im unable to go south at all at the moment. The furthest south you can get is a place called Vien Vieng, which I’ll probably check out next week.

2004-11-20T03:26:00.000-03:00

After a 2 day journey by slowboat i have finally arrived in Louang Phrabang, the cultural, royal and spiritual capital of Laos, Vientiene being the official capital. The journey here although long is very beautiful. Watching mountains pass by as you slowly miander down the Mekong is hardly a chore, the only issue being a on board toilet that would challenge even the most lateral thinking contortionist. A overnight stop in what has to be the strangest place ive been yet allowed some needed sleep, along with on opportunity to sample the national beer 'BeerLao', supposedly the best in South East Asia. It certainly felt like it.

Despite having a few issues convincing someone to take us to Louang Phrabang we finally re-boarded a different boat to complete the journey. The only chance for a leg stretch being a cave overlooking the Laos landscape which is used to store unwanted Buddha, quite creepy.

So how's Laos. Well. Its beautiful and very different to Thailand. In Louang Phrabang at least there is still a slight feel from the french colonial days, and the people her lovely, if not a little 'too' laid back. Sometimes doing the simplest of tasks can be quite a struggle, but to be fair this is largely down to the money situation - which is as follows.

You can pay in Baht, Dollars or Kip (Laos). Which ever you use you will always get your change in a different currency, this is the first problem. Another major issue is the value of the Kip. It has been so devalued due to the political history of this country that a Laos coffee now cost about 9,000 Kip, anywhere between 9 and 18 paper bills, for a coffee. Obviously the situation is quite ridicules as vast bundles of bills are required to pay for anything. Although this makes you feel rich it is worth considering that 10,000 kip is about $1.

I'm off to do a bit of exploring. And to buy a bigger wallet.

2004-11-17T08:16:00.000-03:00

The last few days have been beautiful, cold, emotional and painful. Depending on when you would have asked me. In keeping with my one accident per fortnight i managed to dramatically fall down the big waterfall in Pai. An incident that looked a lot more painful than it felt, less painful in fact than the subsequent neck massage that was recommended to me to relieve the stiffness.

And so..With every reason to stay and not a single one to leave except a piece of paper with a pressing agenda, i reluctantly left Pai. Along with a promise of a return visit. Fon drove me back to Chiang Mai so that i could book my bus ticket to Chiang Khong. We ate, slept, said our good byes and I set off on the 5 hour drive to this small border town.

I wouldn't say im happy to be back on the road but its kind of refreshing now knowing what the hell im doing again. Im currently sitting looking a spectacular view of Laos, some 100m across the Mekong. I will head there tomorrow for my arrival visa and to catch a 2 day slowboat down to Louan Phrabang (the emphasis being on the 'slow').

I'll refrain from rambling thanks to everyone in Pai, surfice to say...thank you. Why i got 'stuck in Pai' i will probably only later realise, but i did, and i had a terrific time. And as Dr.Guruda (who i never did beat) said to me over a game of chess.

"Do you know how to make god laugh? You tell him your plans!"

2004-11-13T04:00:00.000-03:00

I have a minor problem:

"Travel Indochina says it has received official notification that access to Vientiane will be closed between November 22 and December 1, 2004. This is due to increased security measures for the Association of South East Asian Nations Summit (ASEAN) summit to be held there from November 29-30.

The closure covers Vientiane International Airport and the Thai/Laotian Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai and applies to foreign tourists and business travellers, both those already holding a visa and those wishing to obtain one on arrival. Only official ASEAN delegates will be exempted."

Im heading into Laos this week via Chiang Kong, a small village in the North East of Thailand on the Mekong river. I will then travel on a slow cargo boat for 2 days down to the beautiful mountain town of Louan Phrabang . Due the closure of the capital I will probably now have to wait in Louan Phrabang untill the summit ends as Vientiane is the only transport hub into Cambodia that im aware of.

Untill i leave Pai i will largely being saying goodbye to many people, packing my stuff which is currently spread around the town at various locations, and having a few camp fires under the stars and mountain shadows.

But there is one more thing to do before i go.

2 days ago i met a fascinating chap called Guruda, a retired doctor of psycology, originally from the USA, but has been living in north India for the last 20 years. Every day he is to be found sitting in a small street here in Pai waiting for someone to play chess with him. Sometimes he waits all day and no one comes, this he says, is part of the fun. I have had a couple of games with him over the last few days, both very close, but it was his victory on both occasions, and so right now, im off to see if i can settle the score.

2004-11-08T06:50:00.000-03:00

I read somewhere that when you travel you have two choices. Stay in the same town and change clothes, or, stay in the same clothes and change towns.

The problem with traveling light is that your clothes wear thin very quickly due to excessive use, and I so ive been shopping. 3 hours and 2000 baht later I have a new mobile wardrobe that smells less, looks better and probably won’t fit in my rucksack. A problem I’ll solve when the time comes.

It was whilst shopping that I stumbled across some piano practice rooms for hire. I indulged for a few hours desperately trying to remember what I thought I had forgotten, but my memory seems to have served me well and I felt very much at home until my time ran out.

My Thai is also coming on leaps and bounds. Once you get your head round the 5 different tones its actually fairly simple due to its almost total lack of grammar. The pronunciation is essential though, the wrong tone can mean ‘nine’ instead of ‘rice’ or ‘blind drunk’ instead of ‘cat’.

“Im sorry, but I’m a cat and need some nine”….doesn’t really work!

Why am I still in Thailand? When am I going to Laos? Why are my posts getting shorter and fewer?

I’ve been up here going between Chiang Mai and Pai for nearly a month now and feel very settled. I know all the roads around the north, most of the people in Pai, and about 50% of the stray dogs in the city? Net cafes aren’t on every corner and so I simply pop in when I can, or when im not busy. Once im back on the road posts will obviously increase in number and size again, im not traveling here at the moment, just living for a while.

A Laos VISA last 15 days so I’ll probably head there in the middle of this month. I’ll then try and catch a slow boat down the Mekong and drop into Cambodia around the beginning of December. The only thing that worries me at the moment is American Intelligence of terrorist attacks in Laos between 25 and 30 Nov. Its in the papers here and on the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3944121.stm so i may change my plans if thing flare up.

My VISA is extended here un till the 12 Dec, thats after im due to fly to Hong Kong, so I have a lot of options open to me until the 8th of Dec.

2004-11-06T04:57:00.000-03:00

Im back in Chiang Mai for a few days. The rainy season has finished, the days are getting slightly cooler and the air is filled with the scent of mountain flowers ( or car fumes, depending on where you are) A couple of days ago a few of us hired a truck and took it up into the mountains around Chiang Mai. We drove to highest point in Thailand, about 2500m above sea level, took photos and ate noodles. It was very cold, and very pleasant. Two temples have been constructed near the summit giving breath taking views across the mountain ranges that fill the surrounding area and so we simply decided to stay up there untill it was time to leave the national park.

2004-10-30T01:22:00.000-03:00

Yesterday was kinda crazy. We all went to Mamu (Mother Pig). The home village of Fon and her sister Nud. Dan (Nud's husband) was meeting the family for the first time and so it was quite a big occasion. Gold was given, pigs were killed with a piece of bamboo (ouch), evil spirits removed and vast quantities of food and drink consumed. I'd love to go into details but i really wouldn't know where to start. Here are a few photos...

Fon, Angel and myself on the way to Mamu.

One of the Meals

Roast Pork

Having spirits removed.

Relaxing after the meal (most of which i couldnt eat)

2004-10-28T03:51:00.000-03:00

Im back in Pai. The last two days here have been the Pai festival. Starting just before sunset musicians, dancers, fire and home made liquor fill the streets un till the early hours. A health and safety disaster area but enjoyable all the same.

As the nights drew on and the local people consumed increasing quantities of their chosen poison a division became clear. This is Lisu territory, and Thai confrontation is common. Everyone i knew said it was all for fun, but it looked like full on tribal warfare at times to me.

Despite what i said earlier using a motorbike has become the only way of getting around Pai. Cars are non existent, and so its all pretty slow and safe to drive around in, as well as being good fun.

I'll be going further into the mountains in the next few days with Fon, Nud and her husband Dan. We're off to Mamu their Lisu village to visit some family, i think its about 40 km north of here and about 10 km from Sappong.

See you when i get back.

2004-10-21T08:34:00.000-03:00

Quick update. Still in Chiang Mai at the moment. Great city.

I have a few issues with dogs at the moment. Two days ago a dog stole one of my sandals from outside the house, this was very annoying, but also kind of funny. Incredibly the guy living opposite knew the location of the dogs secret cave and guided us there to find it. Its a little chewed up but still just about hanging together. Now you think i would learn from this. Not to leave things outside to get chewed up. No. Last night I left my book by the hammock. Returning this morning i could find only the bookmark, ironically enough a picture of a Labrador saying 'smile'. I wasnt doing anything of the sort and set off towards his cave. I didnt even get half way before a started to see pages of my book everywhere, in the road, peoples gardens, ponds, you get the idea. I did my best to round of much of it up as i could.

However, if anyone sees a dog chewing sandal and reading pages 42 through 174 of "A William Burroughs Reader" on Picador. PLEASE SHOOT IT!

2004-10-19T06:19:00.000-03:00

When travelling you meet alot of people. Its quite normal behavior to sit at a table of random people and talk as if you've known them for years. This i have done as others have to me, and, in the process i have learnt many things. Ive swapped stories, recommendations, and general thoughts on what to do and what not.

Despite having a visa for Vietnam, and despite originally having every intention of going i am rapidly changing my mind. There are a number of reasons for this, some simple, some not. Every travellers horror story and warning that i have encountered in the scenarios mentioned above have been in Vietnam. The general philosophy being, why bother when you can go to Thailand and Laos, both of which have more to offer, both of which are safer,both of which are more friendly.

Yesterday my friend Fon, her sister Nud and Danish husband Dan, her cousin nick named "The boy", and myself went to a waterfall just outside Chiang Mai. Here i was shown how to catch freshwater shrimps with your hands, something more difficult than it sounds. I caught none as did Dan, the others being from a Lisu tribe and having had plenty of practice caught many.

"The Boy" then showed me how to climb a large tree overhanging the water, something more difficult than it sounds, he being from a Lisu tribe did it with ease. I on the other hand dramatically fell out saving my fall with by wrapping my right arm round a luckily positioned branch. This hurt. You know those burns you would always get in PE from falling on that gleaming wooden floor, i have one those. I have the finest example of one of those the size of a cuttlefish on the inside of my right arm and am walking around like someone conducting traffic. This, is my own stupid fault.

You may have noticed the slow down in blogs, the reason for this is a little more complicated the details of which im not going into too much. Except with my parents. Im currently staying just outside Chiang Mai at Fon's house, helping her with things that need doing. Im enjoying myself so much in Thailand that i will probably stay un till the end of my VISA before heading into Laos, skipping Viietnam and moving into Cambodia. I'll be in Chiang Mai for a few more days before heading back to Pai for a while.

2004-10-14T05:20:00.000-03:00

Rafting was great. The heavy rain from the night before meant that we had to wait for the water level to drop, it didnt but the captain set of cautiously anyway. The plan was to go from Pai to Mae Hong Son by inflatable raft, some 80km in all with about 60 Class 4 rapids. The first day was going really well until the other boat in our group (each holding 5 and 1 captain) entered a violent rapid. Our captain shouted to the other in Thai, it was obvious that he was saying not to go ahead as it was to dangerous but it was too late. We rapidly paddled to the edge some 20 m before the rapid and fixed our self to a tree. Looking up we were overcome with horror as the other boat flipped in what is called a washing machine. These are very big dips in the water created by large rocks and powerful eddies. There was nothing we could do but watch the boat float away with no sign of the team. Our captain hopped off and scrambled across rocks and jungle to see if they were ok. After a 1 hour wait at the side he returned saying that everyone was accounted for. We walked the stretch they had flipped in and returned to the water.

That evening after 35km of rafting the other group told us they thought they had met their end, but managed to escape with minor cuts and bruises from the rocks. The captains, both of whom were very professional said that the boat flipped because they did not keep their weight on the edge of the boat as instructed, if they had they would have been fine.

Deep in the jungle at the edge of the river, we cooked, talked and slept.

By the next day the water had dropped by 1m meaning that the rest of the trip would be very easy compared to the previous day. Very enjoyable day with canyons, mountains and great views. After some thrill seeking cliff jumping we finally arrived at Mae Hong Son, deflated the boats and dried out our life jackets and helmets, most people stayed but i decided to return to Pai in their truck.For me it was the highlight of my time in Thailand as far as activities go, but understandably some of the others were visibly shaken and upset.

Still in Pai and just relaxing today with some friends (Lisu Tribe) and will go back to Chiang Mai tomorrow to slowly make my way into Laos.

2004-10-11T10:16:00.000-03:00

Its raining again and a storm is closing in. This means tomorrows rafting should be in good conditions. In the mean time ive just been strolling around Pai. Its very difficult to get around in a lot of towns without a motorbike, and Pai is no exceptions. All of the falls, springs and viewpoints are a good 15 km away in various directions and not realistic to visit on foot. That said i'm sticking to my feet as ive seen and seen the result of , far to many accidents.

Im feeling very settled in Thailand now. My diet of rice, fresh vegetables, large amounts of water and soy milk is making me feel fantastic. Staying in local run guesthouses has given me an intensive course in real Thai humor, manners and traditions, something I now realize was missed in my last visit.

I guess the main thing I’m learning is about the pace of life. My friends in Kanchanaburi were always telling me that western nations always rush everything, eating, walking, traveling, and as a consequence overlook their objective, if they have one. Only now after nearly a month am I beginning to see what they mean. Being surrounded by Thai people every day forces you to move with them. However, this does not mean that they are any slower, lazy or unambitious. It means they display care, manners and patience in every circumstance. An attribute lacking in western culture. Night.

2004-10-11T01:22:00.000-03:00

Ive arrived in Pai, truly a mountain town in the clouds. Everything is orientated around farang trying to be Thai rather than the usual opposite. Pai is one of the premiere sites in Thailand for white water rafting, a complete stretch of rapids runs hundreds of Km from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son. So much did I enjoy my rafting in Chiang Mai that I have booked a two day rafting trek down the rapids that I will start tomorrow.

Here are some photos, unfortunately I don’t have photos of a lot of things, as boats, rock climbing and traveling alone hinder the process slightly. Anyway here you go.

Washing down at a small hidden lagoon in the Jungle.

Trecking Views.

Strolling down the death railway in Kanchanaburi.

2004-10-10T03:42:00.000-03:00

I came back yesterday from my 3 day jungle trek. Very tiring and very enjoyable.

The walk was set in the mountains some 1 hour from Chiang Mai. Our group of ten and our guide started the accent up one of the forested mountains. The scenery and wildlife distract the attention away from the heat and make all the walking worthwhile.

Our first night was spent staying with a small tribe of mountain people, they were very welcoming and insisted we participated in more than a few local 'traditions'. The second was an entire day of walking with the eventual destination being a another small tribe at the foot of a powerful waterfall. Here we stayed and made a fire talking to the early hours. An early start on the third day eventually brought us to the white water rafting point that would allow us to move down the terrifying rapids to calmer water. Here we switched to half-floating bamboo raft that really had seen better days and completed our journey.

Ive just been resting in Chiang Mai since then, apart from last night when i was persuaded to do the 70ft climbing wall that is a major feature of the night area. People from bars stand round and watch as suicidal individuals attempt to accend the floodlit wall. I didnt think i could do it due to the over hangs but completed the climb in 4 mins out of the allocated 30. Quite chuffed. I'll probably try and get a bus over to Pai today before slowly moving into Laos over the next week or so. Byes

2004-10-05T02:50:00.000-04:00

Still Missing Kanchanaburi Im currently in the center of Chiang Mai, Thailands second biggest city. Amazingly the feel is more of an overgrown village than a polluted metropolis. I dumped my stuff at a real nice guest house, its run by a Ladyboy but that had to happen sooner or later. Tomorrow morning i will be setting off of on a 3 day trek into the jungle ( will i ever learn?) so im gonna go and stuff myself with nice food before hand.

Thanks for your posts everyone, especially Nick and Sean

(Congrats on the engagement by the way Sean)

I promise ill post some more photos when i can but can be a problem sometimes.

Full report when i get back.

2004-10-04T06:26:00.000-04:00

Ive come back to Bangkok for 2 hours so i can get a bus to Chiang Mai in the north. It will be the longest journy yet and overnight again, but im getting used to it. Didn't really want leave Kanchanaburi today as i have made some good friends there, but it would have been two easy just spend weeks on end with them. I went out again last night with some Thai friends and they took me to a crazy disco/stage show/strangeness. Four hours of the most ridiculous musical performances ive seen, but very enjoyable.

Anybody who ever says that Thai people are always after money, i suggests visits Kanchanaburi. In the five days ive spent there ive paid for nothing but my food and room, and ive done a hell of a lot. Their honesty is unparalleled, and their generosity touching and humbling. Thank you to everyone at the Jolly Frog, especially 'Boo'.

My bus leaves at 6 so i better go. See in you in Chiang Mai.

2004-10-03T06:34:00.000-04:00

Despite booking a bus to Bangkok, i was forced to cancel by some Thai's and 'farang' ( which means foreigner, friend...it also means guva which is a little confusing) and to stay an extra day. Apart from the obvious attractions there really isn't a great deal to do here in Kanchanaburi but the enjoyment has been of a completely different nature. In the few days ive been here, ive been more involved with the Thai people than anywhere else. Last night 'Boo' who works at the jolly frog invited me to her friends birthday party. This consisted of a floating dance floor that is slowly towed down the Kwai until the early hours, the subtle rocking making one beer feel like 5. This is all well and good until you want to leave, luckily i didn't.

The recent killing of two British back packers here in a bizarre incident has hit a lot of the local businesses very hard. As a result prices have dropped to ridiculous levels. My room, one of the nicest ive had, is 70 baht (1 pound) a night and a good meal can be had for about 10 baht. Despite wanting to stay a few more days, i have re-booked my bus for tomorrow. A few of us will go out for food later and then i'll get packed. Very sorry to leave here but must keep going.

2004-10-02T03:45:00.000-04:00

Ive been in Kanchanaburi for a few days and I’m loving it. My room is at the Jolly Frogers and looks straight out onto the Kwai. A couple of days ago i visited a Buddhist temple in the mountains where the monks are hand raising abandoned tiger cubs. They come up frighteningly close with nothing between you and the tiger but a monk with a water pistol and a piece of bamboo. Amazing to see them so close, and rare in Thailand to see them in a conservation based project rather than an attraction.

Walking down to the infamous rail bridge that crosses the river Kwai, some 1 km from my room, there is a very strong sense of history here, and a strong warmth to all nationalities that were involved in the construction of the Death Railway under the control of the Japanese army. I took a 2hr train down the track to see the harsh terrain that was penetrated to construct a project in which some 100,000 POW's lost their lives.

Nearly fully recovered from my last national park i decided to go to the Erawan Park some 40km from Kanchanaburi. I was assured there were no leeches and the terrain was not to bad. Erawan park is home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. A series of 7 large infinitely complex falls and dozens of smaller falls cascade down a jungle packed mountain. Each has its own deep and crystal clear plunge pool bedded with white from the eroded lime stone cliffs. I spent the majority of that day simply swimming in each the falls and watching the wildlife. Very relaxing stuff.

Last night was a bit crazy, some of the girls that run the guesthouse took me two a Karaokoe room in the center of town. Each room on top floor of the hotel is converted into a private karaokoe room, with drinks, big chairs and mind blowing selection of ' Famous International' songs, none of which i had heard of, none of which i could sing. This didn't seem to matter as we merrily attempted songs in English, Thai, and a multitude of other languages. Embarrassment had no place as the distant sound of dozens of terrible voices boom from the walls either side. Bizarre night.

I will start heading for Chiag Mai tomorrow, this will inevitably involve a trip back to Bangkok first, which is a bit of a pain. More pics soon. Byes

2004-09-29T02:25:00.000-04:00

I'm still waiting for my Vietnam VISA to process, so this morning i took a trip out to the floating markets. About 2 hours out of Bangkok. Im sure it was a real joy at one stage but sadly it is now an expensive tourist trap, and an unwelcome shock from the laid back lifestyle of the south. Hopefully should be out of here tomorrow morning, when i'll catch a train to Kanchanaburi. Bye.

2004-09-28T10:02:00.000-04:00

There are no net cafes in Koh Sok National Park so i have included my last two journal entries as one. The photos will appear when i e-mail them to sam.

DAY 1

After a terrible jopurnay on a very cramped night boat to Surat Thani I finally got a bus to Koh Sok national park. No building is allowed inside thepark and so a number of huts have set themselves up on the fringe some 100m from the park entrance. I checked myself into a place known as the Jungle Huts, hastily thrown together shelters made entirely of bamboo right at the edge of the jungle. "A mosquito net and a hole in the floor come at no extra charge" i was told. Thanks. Tired from the journey but eager to explore i walked to the entrance and bought my three day pass.

Koh Sok park is vast, in incompasses lakes, mountains and huge areas of wild jungle. A sketch map from the visitor center points out some of the sights worth seeing within close proximity of the entrance, theoretically all within a days walk. With plenty of water in my day sack and map in hand I set off on the train marked #5,an 8km round trip to a waterfall which i predicted would take me2-3 hours. 2km into the walk with not a soul in sight the man made dirt track stopped and was replaced by what i can only describe as dense jungle. Using the compass on my watch, the map and the river as a guide I kept going.

What followed was some of the toughest walking and climbing i have ever encountered in my years of walking, enjoyable but excruitiatingle hard work, this was not Grisedale forest, nor was it 'Jungle for Tourists', it was the real thing, thick jungle, no footpaths. The river my only physical guide. It had taken me one and a half hours to cover 3km and i personally thought i was doing pretty well. Aware from the outset the last 1km would entail walking directly down a river, waste deep, i kept walking until reaching the riverbank.

Upon reaching the river it was immediately clear that it was not what i had expected, the water was moving fast and looked a lot deeper than waste level, this is the way the trail was sending you. It would have been to dangerous to continue with professional supervision, so i decided to cut my losses and give up, id also not seen a single person since setting off. This was very disappointing considering I had spent half the day getting there and was probably only some 700m from the falls, but the dangers were obvious. I took a short break and begrudgingly began the 2-3 hour walk back to my hut. Once back i nursed my blisters and flipper burns, none of which had begun to heal, and went to bed. An enjoyable but frustrating day.

DAY 2

Annoyed from yesterday, i through on my sandals (first mistake) and set off back to the park (second mistake) to try a different trail (third mistake). I chose #8, a 6km round trip. Shorter than yesterday but with half a dozen shallow river crossings. This time the terrain was immediately difficult, very difficult. Despite years of mountain walking nothing you for the jungle, physically or mentally. The humidity is unbearable and the lack of knowledge with reagards to plant and aimal life very intimidating, this is not to say that it is not enjoyably, there is a facinaitingly rich array of insects, plants and birds.

After one hour i came to my first river crossing. Now this is where it starts to get a bit nasty. The river was not deep, 30cm or so and very calm, so i happily strolled through. Reaching down to remove stones from my feet i noticed that 3 leeches had attached themselves to the top of my left foot.

Leeches are strange creatures. They start off being about 2-3mm wide and 1-2cm long. They move like a slinky spring hoping down a set of stairs and are slug like in appearance. As they suck blood they slowly expand there body size over 10 times untill they naturally drop off. Believe me, psychologically this is not an option. I tried to pull them off over the course of several minutes with no success. There slimey body and rapid wiggling maker them virtually impossible to get a grip of.

Not to worried but slightly discusted i racked my head for a solution as they slowly increased in size. I suddenly remembered i scene from a bond film where he had removed them using a lighter. I fetched mine from my bag and held the flame away from my skin and next to the leech. After a couple of seconds it momentarily released its grip and i was able to flick it off. I removed the others in the same way.

Now the problem with leeches is the way they bite. They cause no pain atall. This is a bad thing as you could have any umber on your body and never know. The second problem is that when they do they release a chemical that prevents the blood from clotting, this results in heavy bleeding for anything up to 30mins.

I took a break, took a photo, and kept going.

Similar problems at the second and third crossings, a coulple round my feet and ankles. Again i removed them and kept going. The fourth crossing was slighly different, the river was a little deeper and much wider. I began to sprint as fast as i could, soaking myself but in the hope of recieving less leeches, this was not the case on quite a serious level.

I looked down to find some 20-30 or so had attached themselfes to my feet, toes and ankles, others where climbing my sandles and legs. Frightened and very distressed i whipped of sandles and rumeged for my lighter. Leeches were attached to my unhealed cuts and blisters, some where climbing inside the cuts and under the skin. I sat there for some 15 mins removing them before they started to draw too much blood. If you catch them early the bleeding is not so bad, more than a minute or two and they will bleed heavily. Ten or so came off very quickly, others wernt so easy. I obviously prioritized removing the ones inside wounds, these were painful and upset me greatly. Later turning to the others.

Job done i found somewhere dry to sit. Obviously I was not going to continue. My feet already bad when i set off now looked like something from a horror film. Luckily i had a plastic bag in my daysack. I tied it round my worst foot and ran back across a fifferent part of the river. I was probablly again only some 800m from my destination but physically could not have continued.

Several things went through my head. Firstly how could so many attach in such a short stretch of water, i was only in the river little over a minute. Secondly, why was there absolutely no warning, not on the map, not when i bough my ticket, nowhere. Focussing on getting back to my hut i slowly began to limp back. Always having to remove leeches at each river, but never as bad as the fourth crossing.

Tired, upset and about 1km form the entrance i saw several monkeys with huge white eyes only feet away, the sound of which i had heard for most of the walk. They were probably gibbons. This for me nearly made the trip worth while. I finally got back to my hut and treated my feet. I used my entire first aid kit one and an english couple kindly helped with the other. I wont be using the last day of my national park ticket and feel quite angry at the lack of warnings, for both the difficulty of terrain and the leeches. The next few days i will rest. All my feet are nicely bandaged up and should be ok pretty soon. Then, i'll head back to Bangkok and sort out my VISA's. Despite the horror stories i did have a good time, but im just not cut out for this jungle shit.

That was all a couple of days ago and im now back in Bangkok, my feet are getting better and i feel a lot more relaxed. Today is gonna be pretty dull while i do paperwork etc. Anyway here are those photos.

The Good (Chilling on Ko Tao)

The Bad ( Night train to Surat Thani)

The Ugly ( Removing leeches at the first crossing)

2004-09-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

Another quick update. As Much as Ko Tao's paradisal lifestyle entices me stay ive decided to move on. Tonight @9 im getting a night boat to Surat Thani (a transport hub) where i'll get the 6am bus over to Khao Sok national park to go and do some jungle trekking. A national park pass lasts three days and there are some 9 treks around lakes, waterfalls etc. So i'll probablly stay the duration. The scenery and tree house accommodation here are supposed to be a real treat so im really looking forward to it.
Im currently in quite a bit of pain. Badly shaped flippers from this morning SCUBAING?! has left broken blister burns on 6 of my toes, and sunburn on my shoulders (despite wearing creme and a t-shirt on 2 dives) is making my backpack rather awkward to carry. They say say no pain, no gain, and that certainly seems to be the case on Ko Tao where ive an awsome time. Sawat Dii (Bye)

2004-09-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

Quick update, ive spent all morning SCUBA diving around the island, a 30 min safety course was followed by two 40 min dives at two different dive sites. The first dive was great and i had no problems but on the second my ears would not equalize (for the pressure) despite using three different techniques. It took about 10 mins on my 2nd dive to get down to the depth of 14m, apparently this is normal in some people, once i was down there though it was great, a bit like flying. Yesterdays snorkeling provided a better richness of sealife but today was all about a new experience. Despite being told not worry about the pressure problems on my second dive (this basically consists of pain in the ears) it has put me off doing any more dives, apparently the only way to get rid of the problem is to have your ears flushed so equalizing is no longer a problem, something that sounds rather unpleasant. Im at a bit of a loose end now as to where to go. The french guy i was hanging round with over the last two days has just gone to Malaysia, im goona go get a drink and a think, will probably go back north to base (Bangkok) or possibly head of toward the national park on the other side of the peninsula. Byes

2004-09-22T18:47:00.000-04:00

Had an awesome morning, i took a boat all the way round the island stopping to snorkel at some of the richest coral and fish beds that the Thai Gulf has to offer, first of all we went out to shark island, although i didnt see any, the variety and ammout of tropical fish and corals was astounding. Colourful fish up to 1m long would swim right up to your mask and then dart off (they love banana by the way). Next was on to an open water snorkel, the water here was between 12 and 35 m deep and totally destroyed my fear from the other day, it was hard to be frightened of fish that where so beautiful. Finally we went to the underwater Japanese Garden , about 200 m of the shore of a sea crag. Ive enjoyed the day so much i'll probablly go and check out a 1 day SCUBA course

2004-09-21T02:10:00.000-04:00

Determined to overcome my fear yesterday I have decided to dive in the deep end (literally). I’ve booked myself on a snorkeling trip round Koh Toh and then out to shark island, a small forested sea crag where the Black tip reef sharks live/feed. It’s an early start and a long day so ill probably just chill out today.

2004-09-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ive arrived on Koh Tao, a tropical and unspoiled paradise in the Gulf of Thailand. White sands surround thick palm tree forests in what is the most beautiful place i have been so far. Amazingly (as some people will know about about Thailand) there is a net cafe here, hence the post, but apart from a couple of dozen bungalows and some diving centers there is little else on this 12 Sq/Mile island. Famed for its sealife, due to hot and deep waters close to shore i decided to go snorkeling, i was absolutely terrified as schools of tropical fish swam around me and sea cucumbers littered the sands below, i will completely honest and say that i was to scared to stay in for to long and to go to far out but it was an incredible experience, an Australian couple had recomeded a place to see small sharks about 10 meteres from my bunglow which is set into the rocks, but i couldnt gather the courage. Literally the only time ive bottled out of anything. I haven't decided yet whether or not i will stay a few more days and try to overcome the fear but i suspect i might. I'll post some photos when i get back to Bangkok but at the moment my memory card has packed in and so i'll have to wait to get there to get a new one. Later.

2004-09-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Hi all, spent last night at a place called ‘OK bungalows’ and they were OK, ended up going out with the owner for some Thai food and language swapping. Had a bit of a disaster with my laundry, after washing and hanging it I went to bed and at some point in the night monsoon rains had washed two pairs of underpants into the sea. Im just waiting to get a 2 hr boat over to Koh Tao, famed for its excellent diving, amazing marine life and sharks (safe sharks) it’s the smallest and most remote island so I doubt there will be a net café there, anyway I’ll be in touch when I get back to Ko Pha Ngan or the mainland.

Rob.

2004-09-18T15:33:00.000-04:00

Left Hat Rin Yesterday and headed by boat (to hot to walk through the jungle) to Hat Thian, a remote bay and home to a few wooden huts and a meditation center, amazing scenery and people. I was staying at a place called "The Sanctuary", a sort of retreat where lost hedonistic souls seem to gather and sit around doing Tai Chi etc. I took part in a 2 hour mediatation session, cant say it did that much for me but it definitely felt a bit weird. May only stay on the island a few more days as despite nets repellant and long clothes the mosquitos are making life more than a misery. Probably gonna head over to Ko Tao or Ko Samui where the weather is a little less humid and the thunder storms dont keep you awake every single night. Bye.

2004-09-17T15:35:00.000-04:00

Been on Ko Phan Ngan (spelled right now) for two days and having a great time, staying in a little hut on Sunset Beach at Hat Rin. Despite the long journey here i somehow had the stamina to go for a night out on Sunrise Beach, about 300 yards form Sunset Beach, this place is the main town on the island and hosts the world famous full moon party, which i'll probably try to avoid. Im moving on today to the north of the island which has to be done on foot as there are no roads to many parts of the island. Had a bit of a nightmare the other night when after a few Chiang Beers I was walking back to my hut and was surrounded by a pack of stray dogs, myself and two other travelers had to run down a back street to get away but it was probably more paranoia than danger. May not be in touch for a few days as im going to stay in some very quiet areas. Rob

2004-09-16T21:44:00.000-04:00

Finally arrived on Ko Phan Nang this morning after a hellish 14 hour journey, photos and stories later, but highlights included a poverty stricken train of locals selling everything from bottles of water to the shoes on their feet, toilet train sections disappearing in the night resulting in unexpected footsteps to the outside and almost lethal consequences, and Jamarioqui in the first class section ( equally as shit as second class only there curtains are yellow) sending free drinks down the train in a desperate atemtpt to make "normal" friends.
Ive just checked into a wooded lodge on the beach of Hat Rin on Ko Phan Nang. Probablly just gonna relax for a few days and take some walks round the beautiful waterfalls that scatter the island. Im extremely tired and haven't really had an un-interrupted nights sleep in almost three days due to early trains and late buses etc....but the scenery is always a pleasure. Byes

2004-09-15T04:12:00.000-04:00

I have to get out of Bangkok. The joys of arriving have worn off and the traffic and fumes are beginning to take there toll. Just visited the huge National Museum, at 40 Baht it was worth it just for the air con. Im getting a night train down to the south tonight so tomorrow i can get a boat over to Ko Samui and then on to Ko Phan Nang, the most peaceful place in Thailand due to the lack of any roads. bye :-)

2004-09-14T23:32:00.000-04:00

Hello All, Just arrived in Bangkok, Id almost forgotten what a great city it is. The Thai smile makes a welcome change from the grey melancholy faces of a Heathrow smoking lounge. Ive just bussed it in from the airport.....destination......The infamous Ko Sahn Road. Whether back packing in Thailand came from Ko Sahn or vice-versa isnt entirely clear, but what imediatly stikes you is the sense of community and excitement, everyone is here for the same reason.My legs have just about recovered from 11 hours of contortionist hell and im safely checked in to a hostel known as the ""Classic"" Inn....(classy). Im currently sharing a room with a little Irish guy from cork called Ronan (yes, jokes a plenty). Anyway i shall love and leave you all, hopefully going down to Ko Phan Nang tomorrow for more sun, sand and vegetable rice dishes.

Rob.