We headed off to Sainsburys to purchase beer (I went for some British Ales that I have missed too), then headed to Ought's place to watch DVDs & relax. After a brief visit home to say hello to our families, Smalls & I headed back to Newbury that evening to show everyone our photos - & tell some accompanying stories ;-) The living room was full of wide eyed listeners, most of which were being vividly reminded of their own foreign adventures, & the hard core of them managed to stay with it until we called it a night at around 2am (you know who you are). Having not slept properly for over forty hours both Smalls & I gladly accepted the offer of Ought's couches. Whilst we were back at home we still woke up in the same room together the next morning...I guess we can add Newbury to the (somewhat less glamorous) destinations of our travels!

The rest of the week was spent catching up with so many people who we hadn't seen for so long - in my case a full year! Whilst it was so good to see everybody, it was also a little strange at the same time. Being back & seeing everyone indicated that the end of my adventures (or more specifically, this excursion) was very near. However, there was one final location to visit...one that I have frequented often over the past nine years...Reading Festival!!! :-)

READING FESTIVAL 2009

Main stage

Smalls & I had made it!

Group shot on the first day (Friday)

Me & Lee enjoying some refreshments

Dan being introduced to the "fakie"

Deb & davina...that's right, DAVINA! She made it all the way back from Kuala Lumpur - which is where we posted her from. Davina had heard us talk of Reading Festival & we could tell that she was eager to get pegged in at Richmond field. I suspect that no other tent at Reading could firstly boast to being a Kiwi, or being as well travelled as Davina is. Sadly, as a result of her two months of intense use in NZ & Oz - & her postal adventure home, Davina was displaying some war wounds. Reading's campsite was to be her eternal resting place :'-( We shall miss her...

I think it is safe to say that even as we were leaving Debbie was already feeling the effects (so was I). The drinking throughout the day previously may have had an influence!

My final blog entry would not have been complete without the sunset picture! Being shot in the UK I think this picture is probably a rarity!

Debbie & I are still going strong (although my memory of that night is slightly blurry - thanks again to that Red Bull!)

Me, Lee & Deb

Friendly Fires & then Jamie T on the Radio1 stage were very good indeed! Then the group headed towards the main stage to see the Kings of Leon (who weren't as good as they have been when we have seen them previously). Smalls & I were definitely sick & tired of their sex being "on fire" - as we had been overexposed to this particular tune throughout NZ & Oz...it was EVERYWHERE

Reading festival continues to expand year on year. The festival is hardly recognisable from the one I first attended in 2000...so much has changed! This is one of the camp sites, taken on the way home.

SECOND DAY

On the second day we were lying around the tent, drinking beer, when I spotted a Gecko walking past us. I said as much, much to the delight of the Gecko - who was sick of being mistaken for a frog! I quote "...we all know that frogs don't have tails!!!"

The second day provided us with some much sought after sunshine...the beer tastes even better in those conditions!

The girls had bought some face paints & glitter etc, which Dan (the "artist") used to create some masterpieces - with our skin being his canvas. I was fortunate enough to receive a beautiful (?!) butterfly. Thanks Dan :-)

Faye was onto my "fakie" antics - which is why I think she is looking a little suspicious of me here!

Sian is one of Debbie's best friends, & one of our hardcore festival goers. It was excellent to have her along for the Sat & Sun.

The highlight of the day schedule was Maximo Park! We all watched them in the sunshine & sang along (somewhat drunkenly) to their brilliant tunes. Happy days :-)

This is the best picture from Dan's disposable camera...can you spot who's missing? (Sadly I don't appear to have a complete team photo?!)

The above picture was taken after we had just been treated to an amazing performance by the Prodigy. We were all together in the front section of the crowd, which was packed & jumping. It was quite a sight to see a field rammed with 60,000+ people all bouncing up & down together. Sadly, I lost both the lenses to my sunglasses & my festival chair during their performance. The chair loss is especially sad, seeing as it attended my first Reading with me & has visited many more festivals since. I hope that it has found a good home.

The Arctic Monkeys closed the second day. They were good, although we had seen them perform better previously. They played some classics that the whole crowd went mad for though!

FINAL DAY

Last day group shot

Dan doing a vodka jelly shot. They are actually quite difficult to get out of the shot glass - we all have our techniques for this Reading Festival delicacy ;-)

After my aviator sunglasses (a "present" from Debs) got destroyed in Prodigy the previous day, Debs was kind enough to let me look after her purple glasses when she wasn't using them...isn't she great?!

Debbie's favourite band of the moment (you have NO idea)...Bloc Party!!! They were amazingly good (as always). When it comes to Bloc Party, they can play any of their tunes & I would be a happy bunny!

...and so it was time for the closing act of the festival (& essentially my year of adventures)...RADIOHEAD :-)

It was 15years since Radiohead last played Reading Festival, so I had a feeling that this was going to be a special performance...and it was. I had been saying, since I found out that my favourite band were closing the festival, that the perfect way to finish my year out would be to hear them play one of their earliest tunes "Creep." This was unlikely, due to their dislike of the song - which was as a result of its massive success (that's what Radiohead are like), and the fact that I have only heard of them playing it at two gigs in about the last ten years.

They OPENED their set with it!!! :-)

The light show was fantastic! The poles above the stage were perspex - meaning that they perfectly reflected the lasers. Some of the displays were very impressive indeed.

The sound was excellent too. We were quite close to the front, as you can tell from the awesome piccies, so we were immersed in the sound. In previous years Reading organisers have been known to reduce the volume for the Sunday evening acts - due to the residential area across the road from the site. Thankfully this didn't appear to be the case this year.

This final shot is actually of me after the opening song, Creep. I had dared to dream of this perfect finish from my favourite band, & that dream came true. I managed to record a couple of the songs on my camera, including Creep, moments I will no doubt enjoy reliving for many years to come...

After Reading Festival I went to visit my Mum & Roy in Looe, Cornwall. Having not seen my Mum in over a year, & it having recently been her Birthday, it was excellent to see her again. That evening she presented me with a beautifully constructed printed version of my blog to date. Mum had set it out in folders brilliantly (three of them - I didn't realise quite how much I had done until I saw this!) and she had added maps & information on every destination that I visited. It was the perfect present & I cannot thank her enough for the kind though & all of the effort she put into it.

At the end of the trip my Mum has asked me twenty questions, which I am including in my reflections of the year...

20 Questions about my trip from my Mum...

1) Where was your favourite place you visited?
A. There are different places for different reasons...
New York = An incredible city. I especially liked Central Park - I would love to live in Manhattan for a year to experience all four seasons in the city.

2) Where was your least favourite place you visited?
A. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It was smelly, muggy, unattractive & very dirty. Enough said.

3) Where would you most like to return to visit in a different season?
A. The rocky mountains in Canada. I would love to paddle from Jasper down to Banff, camping & hiking excursions included in a week long summer adventure.

4) What was your most memorable journey (not necessarily the most comfortable!)?
A. Hitch hiking to the Hilo Airport in Hawaii with a slightly unhinged individual, Gregory Scott Nottingham. He chatted a lot of nonsense to Smalls in the front (including how he was actually offered the honour of the Duke of Nottingham, as a result of his ancestry, which he declined!?!) while I rode along in the back - watching the bemused faces of the drivers behind as he ambled across the lanes on the highway. Smalls will be able to tell all on this intriguing individual.

5) What was the most extraordinary thing you ate?
Probably Reef Shark in Thailand.

6) Did you enjoy it?
It didn't really have a distinctive taste, therefore I think I prefer them when they are swimming around in the sea for my viewing pleasure. A lot of chilli sauce saved the meal on that occasion!

7) What was the best new food that you tried?
I particularly enjoyed the seafood available in Asia. BBQ Barracuda was a particular favourite of mine, along with lots of Pad Thai (a noodle, veg, seafood/chicken stir fry). I also enjoyed a few Elk burgers during my time in Canada.

8) What was the best new drink that you tried?
I think that I have to say it is Chang beer (nothing particularly exotic - but then again, whoever knows me would have guessed it would've been a beer!). Chang beer is not regulated in regards to its alcoholic volume. Therefore, when you have a tall Chang of 5.7% you could be drinking one that is potentially up to 9% - which leads to varying degrees of inebriation on the same number of bottles of the stuff. Also, it only cost about £1.20 for a large one...happy days :-)

9) Where was the most salubrious place you stayed overnight?
Being on a backpackers budget I was still limited on my accommodation budget, even in Asia where everything is a lot cheaper than in the western world, therefore luxurious accommodation was not the norm. I stayed in a number of nice resorts throughout Asia though, the highlight was probably in Vietnam's Cat Ba 5 star resort.

10) Where was the least salubrious place you stayed overnight?
The first hostel I stayed in in Toronto was truly hideous. It was vermin infested, smelly, dirty & generally run down. Needless to say I only stayed there the one night (sharing my bed with the bed bugs!)

11) What was the strangest creature (not human!) that you encountered?
That bug/spider thing in the jungles of Laos. There is a picture of it in the blog on our Gibbon experience.

12) What was the scariest moment of your trip?
Being held up at a bridge gate, after tubing on the second day, by a bunch of Laos teenagers with machetes. Not a pleasant experience. No one was hurt & we got back to the town okay in the end, thanks to a nice American girl that paid our passage to the hoodlums.

13) What gave you the greatest adrenaline rush?
The sky dive, for sure. If the activity itself wasn't enough of a thrill, seeing the amazing NZ scenery surrounding Wanaka lake made it a truly awe inspiring experience.

14) What was the longest you went without a good wash/shower?.
Probably just under two days. When you are travelling around Asia you find that the buses &boats take a long time, covering great distances. With the cramped conditions & the mostly muggy conditions it made for some dirty travelling conditions.

15) Which person that you met on your travels would you most like to meet again?
This is a very tough one! I met so many truly amazing people, all around the world, and I would love to see any one of them again. I suspect that those I am most likely to see in the near future are Steve (UK - met him in Montreal), Chris (Ire - met him in Ottawa & he was with us for Christmas), Nerissa (NZ - met her in Ottawa as well. Smalls & I also stayed with her for a few days in her hometown of New Plymouth) and Nathan (Oz - met him in Banff, then Smalls, Dixy & I stayed with him & his family in Ulladulla for the weekend).
Those are the friends, as for the girls I got to know a little better...that would be telling! :-P

16) Which person that you met on your travels would you least like to meet again?
When in the travelling community you don't meet many unappealing people. Most people are friendly & open minded. If there ever is someone you don't see eye to eye with you merely don't speak to them & you will both be off on your separate ways shortly. What was far more frequent was getting on so well with so many people that you then travelled together with them.

17) Did you prefer travelling alone or with friends?
There are pluses & minuses to both being alone or with friends. I enjoyed both for different reasons. When you are travelling on your own you are never truly alone, unless you want to be, as it is so easy to meet other travellers & make many new friends.

18) What do you most regret doing on your trip? (Printable answers only!)?
No regrets. I mean that honestly.

19) What do you most regret not doing on your trip? (Likewise!)
No regrets. Had I been able to afford it I would have taken a helicopter trip into the Grand Canyon, although as a result of not doing it I was able to afford many other excellent activities = so no regrets, I shall do it another time! :-)

20) Where will you go to next?
South Africa 2010. I have got tickets to the next World Cup, which England have now qualified for. I now just have to wait to see what fixtures I get when the teams are drawn in December. I have tickets to four different matches - so I am hoping that one of those is an England fixture!

The plan is to spend a week in/around Johannesburg to watch football (& party), before heading off to the Kruger National Park for a three day safari, then finally on to Cape Town to go Great White Shark Diving (& hopefully see Marcus - if he is back from his tour of Africa by then!). There will be at least six of us going, so I am thoroughly looking forward to that one! ;-)

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

This blog has been a chore at times, but in the most part it has been a pleasure to write. I shall forever be humbled & surprised by the reception my blog has had from its readers, along with the number of readers it has had! I thank you all for sharing in my adventures, & for the kind comments you have made as avid spectators along the way. I was especially pleased that Allan & Ricky made surprise appearances, it was a shame that a final year of University prevented Stuart from joining me at some point. Next time, maybe!

I now return to the UK in search of employment, hopefully continuing in the career that I had begun to establish before I left, in Video Technologies Account Management. The plan is to reduce the debt whilst working & living in London, then there's the World Cup excursion to South Africa, after that...who knows???

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EYES :-)

jOhN

written by  johnnoble on September 10, 2009 from Reading, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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The famous Khao San Road...a hive of activity with tourists everywhere - with equal numbers of Thai locals looking to make some easy money.

We asked a tuk-tuk driver on Khao San Rd to take us to a busy bar area. He did not. We were wandering down empty streets in the North of the city when we stumbled upon a tiny bar located above a (then closed for the day) food court. We walked in just as the band were starting up for the night, so we stayed to check them out. We were pleasantly surprised!

The lead singer had many of the mannerisms of the legendary Tom Jones, & he even sounded very like him too! There weren't many other people in the bar, so Smalls & I were free to request to our hearts content - due to the average age of the band we were treated to some golden oldies (Beatles, Eagles, Van Morrison etc). The Sax player was pretty handy too! We stayed for the whole set & then returned to drink in the bustle bright lights of Khao San Road.

Some of you may remember that when we visited the islands off of the East coast of Thailand I managed to injure myself (Red Bull buckets + fire ropes/rings = bad things). That was just before we arrived on the chilled out haven that is Koh Tao, which is primarily visited for its excellent dive sites. Andy did his open water Scuba course while Smalls & I sat on the beach for three days (I coped). Therefore, as I had managed to stay injury free I decided it was time to get back there & do the PADI (Scuba Dive Qualification) myself.

After completing my PADI it was time to head back to Koh Phangan for our second full moon party. We were arriving the day before in order to catch up with Dixy & the lads from Bournemouth. We had first met Pete, Rich & Ben on the slow boat missions through Laos, & they had looked after Dixy for about a month (when we were following on behind - due to the Gibbon Experience in Laos). They are top quality lads with a sense of humour very much like our own, so needless to say it was good to meet up with them & share some more antics!

For the whole of the next day we relaxed in one of the nearby resort's pool, before getting back on the beers & back down to the beach for the real thing. Andy's girlfriend, Rachael, & her friend Becca were on their holidays too, so they got involved. With all the people that we had met in Phangan, along with the established crowd, there was quite a crowd of us that hit the beach together that night. However, with thousands upon thousands of luminous painted party goers we were never going to stay as one group for long!

There were many, many funny/crazy photos taken that night (which some of you have seen...you know who you are), so I have decided to pick just a few...

A glorious group photo (at which point many buckets had been consumed)

The aforementioned "Buckets" - "...that Red Bull ain't right!"

Me (pulling a "fakie"), Dixy & Smalls (meditating perhaps?)

Other fakies during our time with the Bournemouth boys...

Busy?

Rach & Becca

With none of us having made it to bed until around 4pm the following afternoon we wrote the following day off as one for recovery. We had all had an awesome night & one we are unlikely to repeat too soon (if at all!). We (Smalls & I, Dixy was to remain with Rach) decided that we would tag along with the Bournemouth crew to the West coast of Thailand & the island of Phi Phi. So we all said our emotional goodbyes to Mr Andrew Dicks, who has been a stella travelling companion to all, before setting off on our 24hour journey - taxi to boat to bus to bus to boat to hotel room. I am not going to miss the "travelling" of travelling (although we always manage to have a laugh still). The hour & a half crossing from the mainland (Krabi) to Phi Phi was particularly amusing/terrifying, depending on your disposition, as the ocean swells & storm were really in full force. While there were many casualties to sea sickness, I am pleased to say that none of us were involved.

Phi Phi's main pier/boat port

Phi Phi is another beautiful island, as you can see. The warm, crystal clear waters & sandy beaches give the place its paradise image. The inner island is very small & cramped with bars & restaurants (thanks to the boom in tourism), but the surrounding beaches & small islands are all protected national parks, meaning it is only a short excursion to find some of Thailand's natural beauty.

Island of Phi Phi

We booked a half day/sunset tour of some of the more popular beaches & island around Phi Phi. We stopped off at monkey bay (where there were monkeys), did some snorkelling, jumped off of the top deck of our boat (a lot), kayaking, & finally stopped at Maya Bay - also known as "The Beach," made famous by the Leonardo Di Caprio film of the same name. The weather was gorgeous - incredibly hot, yet not humid. A quick dip in the cool(er) ocean was incredibly refreshing.

A cove on the other side of the beach

Maya - The "BEACH"

There's always time for a group shot...

& some "fakies"

"The" beach wasn't as stunning as I had anticipated, although I was probably expecting too much. On the film the waters are crystal clear & the sand is spotlessly clean. Thanks to the large number of tourists that frequent this beach that is no longer the case. Whilst Maya Bay is a protected national park, it does not stop the inevitable litter/spoiling that comes with human interference. The surrounding rock formations that make this bay a cove are truly spectacular though, & I think that it will take some determined individuals to ruin those!

Back on the boat we stopped to enjoy the sunset out at sea.

That evening was time for another emotional experience...saying our farewells to the Bournemouth boys. We did this in true traveling fashion & all went out to celebrate with some cocktails...

We saw some pretty amusing signs on the island...

Ben, Pete & Rich have at least another 6months away together & will continue to have the time of their lives. It will be a happy occasion when we meet up with them again, in our old night out haunt of Bournemouth, for a catch up beer or two.

Due to our late retreat to our beds, coupled with Rich's alarm staying asleep, Smalls & I missed our 9am boat & bus to the Thai-Malaysian border. We managed to catch the afternoon boat & then the bus the following day. We had to go on a Visa run, as ours were due to expire in the next couple of days. It is free to leave the country & come back in (giving you a new 15day visa) but the Thai government charge ten pounds a day for every day you are over your visa allowance = great financial motivation to make the mission journey to the border. It is a crazy system, crossing a border & back again in a half hour whirlwind of forms, but them's the rules!

It was then that Smalls & I went our separate ways. We had agreed to make the most of the last of our time in Asia, so for me that meant going back to Koh Tao to do my Advanced PADI diving course. Smalls went off to Koh Samui to meet some of our female friends we had made back in Laos (ladies' man).

My mini-bus across Thailand was full. When we reached the East coast everyone but myself got a transfer to a Bangkok bound bus, leaving the driver to take me the 200kms down the coast to the port for Koh Tao (Champuon). I was slightly worried when as soon as we pulled away together the driver popped a DVD into the player in the front of the mini bus! Thankfully he kept his eyes on the road, although I had to endure his choice of "Death Race" (an awful Jason Statham movie about convicts racing to the death!). The movie's soundtrack & sound effects may have inspired a faster journey though!

The resort itself is a 5min walk from the beach but it is very nice. The pool was especially appreciated as the whole four days I was there it was in the mid 30's oC! On my first evening I met my instructor, Hayley, & we planned my next two days of diving. The basic skills of diving are covered in the open water, so the advanced course is geared towards specific activities/uses for scuba diving. One of the options was Photography (something that I have always had an interest in). Whilst it cost an extra 30pounds to hire the camera & casing for the day (including pics on a DVD) I think all will agree it was well worth it...

Thankfully I didn't have any issues with equalising the pressure in my ears whenever I descended

Catfish

...time for your close up

A Blue Spotted Stingray - they can be found all over the ocean floor after dark. Thankfully we spotted this one under a rock during the day

Yes, those are fish, thousands of them!

My "artistic" streak...

The most annoying fish in the ocean...the Cleaner Wrasse. Although they appear very pretty they nip away at any exposed dead skin, so being a victim of many mosquito bites I was particularly popular with these fish. They don't hurt, they're just simply annoying!

Christmas tree worms are brilliant fun! When ever you get too close they snap away into the their coral base...this never got old for me! They're colourful too

Who likes diving...

The most challenging fish to spot amongst the coral = the Scorpion fish

Q: How many fish want their picture taken with me?

It isn't only the fish that are engaging - some of the coral structures & colours were mesmerizing...

Hayley found evidence of the negative human influence on the ocean

Trigger fish: they are very big & very territorial. If you get too close to them the fin on the top of their body stands up & they attack - usually stealing a diver's fins

I have saved my favourite underwater picture for last - that of the Pink Anemone Fish. I surprised myself with how well some of my pictures came out!

My fifth & final dive of the course (9th in total) was a night dive. We headed out in the early evening, for the third dive of the day, and enjoyed the sunset.

My instructor, Hayley, & I had a good laugh together diving. I was her only student & proficient enough for her to be able to relax & show me some cool underwater inhabitants. This is us kitted up & ready for the night dive...

Whilst Scuba diving gives you that curious weightless feeling, being suspending in the water, doing in the dark is other worldly! There are far more crustaceans out on the coral & sea bed at night, so we saw lots of crabs. It is eerily cool to scope the underwater world with your torch. As you are sweeping you are constantly surprised by what is swimming around you, & how many fish there are so close to you! I have to say that diving was one of my favourite activities from my whole trip & I can clearly see how so many can become addicted to the activity & the lifestyle that goes with it.

My final day in Koh Tao was spent soaking up the beach. I have spent a lot of the last 7/8 months on the beach & I still believe it gets better everytime. I know that some of these pictures are going to spark some intense daydreaming when I am next stuck behind a desk. Beaches everywhere...I am going to miss you terribly so :'-(

Our final Asian stop is Bangkok, for the third & final time, where Smalls & I again reunited.

With three days to spend in Bangkok we decided to make the most of what was left of our Asian adventure. So, I googled local water parks & we were off for a day in the sun & sliding activity. However, when we got to the park we realised that the information I had obtained online was less than accurate - they only had two slides! Both were okay. The park could boast (& did with many signs) to having the world's Guinness book of records largest wave pool...WOW :-O
We made the most of the situation by enjoying some cold beers in the jacuzzi & then lounging around in glorious sunshine. The real world is going to be one massive shock to us!

That evening we were delighted to watch England's cricketers creep ever closer to beating the Aussies in the Ashes. The Aussie's final innings is underway as I type this. Both Smalls & I hope, like all Englishmen, that we win it - especially seeing as we have made so many Australian friends on our travels :-)

I have just checked our flight out of Bangkok to Heathrow & everything is in order, thankfully. We are both looking forward to some relatively comfortable travel (flying BA) after all of the discomfort we have endured on our travels. I have to say that it has all been well worth it though! Asia is a fantastic place & each country that we have visited has had something different to offer. There are a few places that I would like to come back to (Thai islands & Vietnam especially) but I would recommend everywhere I have been (except maybe Kuala Lumpur...I wasn't a fan). There shall be no great reflections in this blog entry, because there will be a "home coming" & Reading Festival entry to finish off the year's adventure. I am incredibly excited by the thought of seeing all of my family & friends - it seems like a lot longer than a year I have been away! Mr Byron Smith & Mr Christopher Oughton will be meeting us at Heathrow tomorrow morning...and I can't wait!!! :-)

written by  johnnoble on August 18, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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Upon arrival in Phenom Penh, Smalls & I immediately checked into a hotel/hostel on the North East side of the city, near to the river. It turns out that we were in the moderately priced area of the expensive tourism area. We had arrived late, so we went for food & a couple of beers nearby. Whilst out we met up with our Australian friend, Dewse, who we had met on the slow boat in Laos. We had a fair few catch up drinks in celebration!

The next day was spent recharging our batteries, & catching up with Mr Andrew Dicks! Dewse had met him near his hostel & brought him over to ours to meet up. It was good to see the norm again after about a month apart. As Andy decided not to do the Laos jungle experience, & he didn't do the Thousand Islands tour in Vietnam, he was a week ahead of us in travel. That evening we celebrated our reunion with a $2 all-you-can-eat curry, & plenty of beer & pool. We met some nice lads from Cameroon & played until the bar shut at 3am.

The next day Smalls & I set out on a full days' adventure & exploration. We hired a tuk-tuk for the day, & then set off to visit the local orphanage.

All of the rooms in the three buildings (each three stories high) now have various exhibits relating to the running of the prison, & Pol Pot's rule in the wider context. It is quite shocking to see how the Cambodian people were treated, & not more than 30 years ago. Below is a picture taken of the skulls that were unearthed from mass graves at the killing fields. Excavations began in the early 1980's, after Pol Pot's rule had been ended.

Next stop was a six hour (bumpy) bus ride across the country to Siem Reap. Siem Reap is Cambodia's next largest city, & is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year...due to the nearby temple ruins. These I had heard about many years ago, & had been very high on my list of "must-sees" whilst travelling. So, needless to say, I was very excited at the prospect of a day walking around these ruins.

Ta Keo ruins...

Near to the Anchor Thom ruins there is a giant buddha stature. There are four of these throughout the grounds of the temples, and they are used daily as places of worship for local Cambodians.

The Ta Prohm temples are possibly my favourite of all. These temple ruins are littered with trees literally growing out of & over the temples themselves. Seeing is believing. The picture below is of one of the most photographed, & therefore recognisable, ruins. You may recognise this as inspiration for the "Tomb Raider" computer games, which have also been made into films (partly shot at the ruins in Cambodia).

One of the temples designs was to include a vast lake - about the size of ten football pitches. There used to be a temple where Smalls & I are standing, but it has since fallen down completely. The main focus of this construction was the lake anyway.

The only annoying thing about visiting such a popular tourist attraction is that is attracts many locals looking to make a quick $$$! Every stop that you make you are surrounded by desperate locals looking to sell you anything they can. We dealt with this annoyance in the best means possible...to decline their offers whilst having some fun with them. At one stall Smalls decided to purchase a t-shirt, although his form of bartering was questionable at best (Paper, scissor, stones anyone?!)...

I have to admit that I wasn't in the least bit dissapoined by our excursion to the temples. It is largely as I imagined, but not a large as I had imagined. It is worth coming to Cambodia just to see these phenomenal structures, although I would advise that you start making those plans soon as no one can tell how much longer free exploration will be allowed.

After all of the culture & history of Cambodia, it was time to check out its more modern draw for tourists...that is the sandy white beaches of the south. Sihanouk Ville is the most popular beach destination on the South coast, & is currently under a lot of development to construct very western style resorts.

There are about six different beaches around Sihanouk Ville, we chose to stay at the one most popular with locals & budget travellers - giving the place that authentic local vibe, whilst also competitive & cheap.

Out on our first night we met up with Andy again, who had been at the beach whilst we were exploring temples in Siem Reap. We hadn't planned to meet up, so a nice surprise. We also met some more of our friends from Laos, Mike & Caz, and the lot of us drank whilst playing giant Jenga & pool into the early hours.

I have to say that the Cambodian girls are VERY good at pool (either that or the girls in the UK are really letting our nation down in this department). I'm not sure that I won a single game! Worth mentioning, as most of you who know me will know that I like the occasional game of pool - but not losing!

Our time in Sihanouk Ville was spent on the beach or in the bars. We didn't go crazy at all, it was just nice to recharge in the sunshine & relax. Afterall, the buses in Asia are tough going!

Whilst on the beach on our second day we ran into a couple of furry little friends. I think that our recent exposure to puppies has had a profound effect on "cat-lover" Smalls, although he would be the last to admit that! Who could refuse faces like these?

I will sign off this Cambodian blog entry with one of my signature sunset shots (it's been a while?!). Cambodia is a very unique country - largely due to its history & man made structures. I thoroughly enjoyed our time here, although there isn't much more that could keep an avid tourist here for more that ten days (at a push). Therefore, we are off back to Thailand & the islands...one more full moon party before the reality of the UK ;-)

The primary purpose of our visit to Danang was to check out the National Cham Sculpture Museum that is located there. Cham craft are intricate sand sculptures. There are examples of the art form from all over Vietnam, & from varying dates in time. A lot of it is very impressive, including the well preserved state that the majority of the exhibits were in. Below is a selection of photos to give you a taster of what was on show...

We only stayed in Danang for one night, as there wasn't much to it (as far as tourist sights), but as we walked around the city after the Museum we got caught in one MASSIVE thunderstorm. All around us people took cover, although Smalls & I braved the downpour (which we found to be both refreshing & enjoyable) - much to the amusement of the locals! We arrived at our hotel looking like we had literally just climbed out of a swimming pool fully clothed! I wish I had a picture, but sadly my camera isn't waterproof.

The next day we made the relatively short trip to Hoi An, which is a 30km bus ride away (costing all of $2!). We immediately liked what we saw.

Hoi An is a step back in time to a simpler Vietnam. As a 17th century international trading port the town has many foreign influences - predominantly Chinese, Japanese & European. These influences are clearly visable by the ecclectic composition of buildings & shops, all set in narrow streets & lanes. At one end of the city (which is more like a town in size) there is an impressive Japanese bridge.

At the other end of the town is the market, which is very large & sells all sorts of goods - including a vast array of food stuffs, DIY equipment, kids toys, ornaments & figurines, & many, many silk stalls & tailors. All of the people working there see the Western tourist as a walking wallet - so merely brousing the markets is like running a gauntlet of persistant stall owners..."come look in my shop!"

Ön our second day in Hoi An we decided to set off on a tour of some nearby Cham temple ruins. This was at MY SON (pronounced "Mee Sun''), which is located 35km inland - at the base of the "Cat's tooth" Mountain. The night before both Smalls & I had decided to go out for a few drinks, as we hadn't done so since tubing (our livers were given a two & a half week break!), although such a choice was ill advised...at least, reaching for the top shelf liquors was! Needless to say that we paid for our stupidity the next day, as we nursed our hangovers in the swealtering heat of the jungle & ruins!

After our blistering tour of the ruins, we caught the boat back along the Mekong river to Hoi An. On the way we stopped off at a small village that had one trade - that of wood craft.

There was a massive variety of carvings on show; anything from massive cabinets or statues to tiny trinkets. My particular favourite subject for carving was the chubby cheerful buddha

I would thoroughly recommend Hoi An, as it is a city like no other we have visited in Asia. Although there are many international influences, there is less evidence of the modern westernised world here...there are no flashy stores or fast food takeaways! One of my favourite areas of the city was on the riverfront, where the majority of the bars & restaurants are situated...

Yet again we were off down the coast to our next destination, Nha Trang. This time we took another sleeper bus, which is not advisable to anyone nearing six foot or taller...trust me. My lack of sleep did enable me to see the sun rise over the rice fields, the Ocean & the mountains that were the stunning scenery all around us. Unfortunately I had a flat battery - so no pictures! :-(

Nha Trang is just another Vietnamese city, except for its glorious sandy beaches that stretch for miles up & down the coast from the city. The waters surrounding this area of the East coast is brimming with sealife, so there is a large presence of Diving companies in the city - which is the main reason that people visit. Neither Smalls nor I did any diving, & the weather wasn't all that good for the beach, so we checked out most of the seafront bars. A hazy couple of days, but enjoyable! We met a litter of adorable puppies at a local shop, & met up with other travellers that we had met previously on our tour of Asia.

Another ten hour sleeper train was to take us to our final Vietnamese destination, one I had been very much looking forward to...Saigon, aka, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). It was recently renamed after Vietnam's most popular Communist leader, Ho Chi Minh.

If we had thought that Hanoi was crazy for scooter activity, we were staggered to find that HCMC was even more extreme! No picture can do justice to the hectic nature of rush hour in this city!

After the palace it was time to visit the War Remnants Museum. The anticipation of this visit was both excitement & dread, as I had heard about the graphic nature of the displays. I also know enough about the US-Vietnam conflict to know that it wasn't going to be easy reading/viewing.

The next day it was time to go on a day tour East of HCMC. Our first stop was at a craft centre on the outskirts of the city. Here they made a variety of ornaments & house hold goods, but their main trade was that of Egg shell & Mother of Pearl pictures.

Each of these pictures is painstakingly made by hand, on a production line of about twenty employees. Some are incredible, & reasonably priced (as far as I could tell). I took a few pictures (which was much cheaper & easier than purchasing), with the one below being my favourite.

The next stop was the Holy Cao Dai Temple, located in the Holy Cao Dai City (not far from the Cambodian border). Cao Dai is a modern religion, with priciples & beliefs constructed from an amalgamation of many religions - including Buddism, Christianity, Hinduism & Confucianism.

The gates to the Holy City

The Cao Dai temple

Ceremony

The Cao Dai followers are largely old people who live in, or nearby, the city. The age of the followers is largely as a result of the religions requirement for ceremonial prayer, at the temple, every six hours...without fail. Each prayer/worship session lasts about half an hour. It was very impressive to watch, even if it was all a little strange to me!

The last stop on our day trip was the Cu Chi Tunnels. These are about 200km of underground tunnels, used by the Communist Vietnamese forces (aka - the Vietcong/VC) during the war. The tunnels are too small for most to fit in, as they measure about 30cm x 60cm. The tunnels proved to be a useful means of avoiding detection by the enemy, whilst also providing an excellent opportunity for surprise ambushes. The picture below is of a watchman's hole. located on the outskirts of the small town the VC stayed in.

That day trip concluded our tour of Vietnam. I loved the country! It has a lot of history, both pleasant & bloody, some amazing scenery, incredibly friendly people, & best of all it is the cheapest country we have visited in Asia to date. I would thoroughly recommend it. I would like to come back one day to explore the Central Highlands, & the Mountains & National Parks North of Hanoi. I have heard & seen spectacular reports.

Now we have a new country to explore...Cambodia!

written by  johnnoble on July 24, 2009 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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For those of you who have never been to Hanoi, I am going to find it very hard to give an adequate representation of the place. It is mental. There are thousands of scooters everywhere!

As you would expect with a major city in Asia, the streets are very tight, crowded & quite dirty. There are many, many shops that are selling all kinds of goods. We were staying in the "Old Quarter" of the city, which is where most of the tourists go. The streets/areas have been devised to house stalls for specific products. For example, there is a shoe street - where you can find lots of shoe stalls, or a food district - where many streets over are filled with food stalls (selling many weird & wonderful food stuffs)...

On our first full day in Hanoi we visited the temple on the lake, the market streets, & then walked South to the Hanoi Prison, affectionately referred to as the "Hanoi Hilton" by many of its former inmates.

One wing of the prison remains, after it was closed in the mid 80's. It has housed many different nationalities of guests, as rule has changed over the years in Vietnam. Its most famous guest would be John Cain - who was an American POW here in the Vietnam war, after being shot down just outside of Hanoi. Before the prison was used to house American pilots, who seemed to have a rather comfy stay there (by prison standards), the jail was used for local criminals - the most offensive of those being executed here in spectacular Asian style...

That evening we decided to indulge in some local culture, in the form of the extremely popular water puppet show. We have to entirely honest &say that we didn't really follow the "story line" (as the singing was all in Vietnamese), but the music & the puppetry was pretty impressive. Far more extravagant than your UK beaches performances of Punch & Judy! At only two pounds a ticket I would strongly recommend the hour performance as something to see...we can all say that we enjoyed it a LOT more than Transformers II (which we had painfully endured the night before)

About 150km East of Hanoi is the bay city of Ha Long. We had booked a three day boat cruise, leaving from here. After a three hour coach journey we arrived & were taken on a short speed boat ride to our ship. Immediately, having left the busy bay area, we understood why this is a "must do" excursion when visiting Vietnam. Stunning...

The boat itself was very decadent, with plenty of room for the nine of us guests.

The restaurant on board was excellent, & we all thoroughly enjoyed the seven course seafood feast that they served us on the first night. We were all enjoying the meal so much that all of us forget to take any pictures of the feast...although none of us will forget it in a hurry!

On our second day of the cruise we were up early & tranferred onto a smaller boat, which then took us for a short trip towards the islands' national park (Cat Ba). We then swapped our boat for kayaks & paddles and then began to explore inbetween the smaller islands & their lagoons.

It was easy to forget that we were actually at sea whilst we were on our cruise, as the waters were so calm (due to the protection the islands give from the tidal currents & winds), although we were given the occasional reminder...

We stopped for a short break, prior to lunch, on a lovely sandy beach. Whilst everyone else went for a swim & relaxed for a while I regressed to a child like mind & went scouring the shore for shells. I found some beauties! There were many that I had never seen before, so despite the amusement of others, I felt it was time well spent (I am going to make fridge magnets out of all of them - or, at least, those that make it back to the UK in one piece!)

Back on board boat two it was time for lunch...more amazing seafood (lots of it) & a pretty decent view out of the ship's window...

Following lunch everyone had a short rest before embarking on a two hour open water paddle to the floating "city". The distances between the islands were greater here & the wind had picked up with the tide, but it still was far from a challenging paddle.

The floating city was first inhabited back in the mid 80's, since then it has grown to the 1000 strong population that live there today. There are actually more dogs than people in the village, as they are kept as security guards for the residents. The boom here is as a result of the excellent fishing opportunities. The dogs are seen as a necessary measure to protect one's interest, although it does appear very cruel to keep dogs on small floating platforms with very little space to run (there's no RSPCA here though - that's Asia for you!)

After another short boat transit we arrived in Cat Ba, which is one of the biggest & most populated islands. A short coach trip from the bay & we arrived at our resort...pictures speak a thousands words...welcome to 5star luxury at 2star UK prices...

Not a bad balcony view...

That evening we chilled out & had another fantastic meal in the resort's restaurant. It wasn't as much seafood, but it was still delicious! How far from our jungle experience could we get? Polar opposite extremes!

On our last day Allan & I, plus three other guests (not included Mr Small), decided to explore the island on scooters - rather than lie in sun loungers by the pool (each to their own!). A ten minute drive from the small, yet relatively hectic, town centre & we were already being treated to more stunning scenery & views.

Located on Cat Ba island is a cave hospital, which was constructed in the early 60's in order to treat wounded Vietnamese & Chinese soldiers. The cave housed a capacity of 200 soldiers, & was complete with a swimming pool, cinema, operations room & kitchens. As it is no longer in use, it now all looks the same.

The roads through the island were of good quality & obviously surrounded by fantastic views (I can't say that enough, can I???)

We stopped off at the Cat Ba national park & embarked on the short, yet steep, climb through the jungle to one of the tallest peaks in the islands. It was no more that 230m, but the heat, incline & humidity made it a decent 40min workout. I was just thrilled to be in some real Vietnamese jungle - having seen so much of it in war movies.

When we arrived at the peak we were greeted by the sight of an incredibly rusty watch tower. After the crowds had died down we climbed up the frail structure. There was a sign advising that only five people could go up at a time - possibly reflecting the local's faith in the strength of the structure!

You can see that the effort was worth it when you see the views from top of tower

We returned to Hanoi that evening thoroughly satisfied with our excursion. It was incredible. We felt that this self-indulgent, luxurious, &SUNNY :-) experience was our reward for having survived the mud & rain of the Laos jungle (an experience we thoroughly enjoyed & would highly recommend too).

We went out for an meal that evening to say goodbye to Allan, who was heading back to Bangkok the following morning (in order to fly home to London). It was excellent to have him along for three weeks of our adventures. Due to both mine & Allan's hectic work & social lives (when I am in the UK!) we don't get the opportunity to see each other much, so I was especially glad when he decided to use his holiday to join the tour! It is a holiday I know he enjoyed & he won't forget in a hurry - although perhaps next time he will choose to visit Asia during the drier months!!! Allan may have got a better tan sitting in a park in London ;-)

Smalls &I had a couple of days to kill before our overnight train, down the East coast, to Danang. Therefore we walked around more of the city, relaxed, & visited one of Vietnam's most popular tourist attractions (predominantly amongst the Vietnamese). That is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

We are about to embark on a whistle stop tour of Vietnam, down the East coast, in which we hope to meet up with Mr Andrew Dicks once more. His decision to opt out of the jungle trek has put him about four days ahead of us, so only time will tell if we can catch him.

written by  johnnoble on July 10, 2009 from Hanoi, Vietnam
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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The rushed nature of us passing through Luang Prabang was so that we could go "tubing" on Dixy's Bday. For those of you who are unaware of what "tubing" involves, I shall explain & then let the pictures roll...

4kms North of Vang Vieng, which is situated on a wide & deep river, there is roughly a km of bars located on the banks. There are probably about 8 bars in total - each of which has some form of rope swing or zip line. Each of these bars sells lots of beer, & the afore mentioned buckets (which we first encountered in Thailand). In order to get from one bar to the next you either swim down river (aka - stay afloat & the current does the rest) or get into a large rubber ring (aka - "tube"). At each bar there are guys with ropes who pull you in, so that you can spend money at their bar. It is a very simple concept, although also an incredibly stupid one too! Alcohol & swimming don't really go together - & 30/40ft high rope swings, whilst under the influence of alcohol, don't really sound like sensible activities. However, as we all have learned in life, sensible isn't usually much fun...tubing DEFINITELY was!!! The following pictures are a mixture of our first day (Andy's Birthday) & two days later (recouperation day inbetween) when the "slow boat crew" were reunited. The weather was spectacular on Andy's Bday, but the showers didn't dampen anyone's spirits on the second day tubing...as you can see...

First bar

Everybody writes on each other with marker pens...why not?!? Some of the messages are most definitely inappropriate for this blog though :-)

Second bar - busy, busy, busy!

Party time

Doubling up on the zip line with Elisha - after she had chickened out on me the first time!

Dixy does it backwards

Bring on those buckets...

The view of bar one from bar two

Who needs a tube...not us

Third bar & its rope swing

The third bar was "the MUD bar" - because it had a rather large mud pit to enjoy...

There was a lot of music throughout the day - appreciated enthusiastically, of course!

Allan & I in the river (on our first day), after dark, making our way to the final bar.

Tuk tuk being mauled by drunken tourists wanting to avoid the 3km stoney walk home. These are designed to carry a maxium of nine people! This shot reminds me of a nature programme I saw, in which a pack of Lions take down an Elephant!

As I mentioned previously, the very principles of tubing (alcohol + water + rope swings, etc) is in itself very dangerous. However, I am pleased to say that no one in our (large) group received anything more than some minor cuts & bruises (from rocks & water impact respectively). We did see a few walking wounded in the town during the evenings, but everyone looks out for each other & an excellent time is had by all. I thoroughly enjoyed the two days tubing, as did we all, but I suspect it will be something I never revisit...who wants to push their luck, eh? ;-)

I am meddling with my usual well ordered blog now, as I am going to report on the sightseeing from our second day (yes, we actually did something other than drink) whilst we were in Vang Vieng. At least, four of us did - Allan, Pete, Yurry & Myself all hired scooters & went exploring.

We were on our way to find a cave that had been recommended to us by a local. There are many caves in the mountain range that runs along the river, South of the town. In order to get to the caves we had to cross a couple of sketchy bridges. One mistake in steering & you would be in a lot of trouble!

We passed through a number of small settlements/villages, where the locals live off the land. Asia has many rice fields, which supports the endless varieties of rice based meals in the continent. The people here could take advantage of the town's developed ways, although there seems to be a great deal of pride & traditional values in the way they live. It is what they have always known. It felt special to observe.

+++PICTURES OF TOWN FOLK & RICE FARMS ++++

When we arrived at the cave we had a very steep climb (about 100m) to conquer, which was a challenge in that humidity.

Whilst it was not the most spectacular cave I have ever been in, it was still impressive. It was also unique in that there were no developed paths in the cave, once you had gone into the entrance, meaning you literally had to climb, crawl & squeeze your way around.

On our way out of the cave we decided that we had to take full advantage of the lagoon that we had seen on our way in, as we were all very sweaty boys. As ever, the thrill seeking continued. Any opportunity to jump off things...

As we made our way back over the river, towards the town & civilization, we had a great view of the town from the South. The surrounding mountains & terrain are simply spectacular.

Before Allan departed to join us for three weeks of Asia adventures, he had been advised that he should check out "The Gibbon Experience" - located in the North of Laos. Dixy opted out of the adventure & carried on into Vietnam ahead of us, accompanied by the Bournemouth lads we had met on the slow boat. Now, Smally & I had come from Huay Xai (the town on the Laos side of the border with Thailand - where we caught the slow boat from), but we had to go to Vang Vieng for tubing. So, in order to go to the Jungle & see some Gibbons, we had to retrace our steps through Luang Prabang & then onto Huay Xai. This time we decided against the slow boat, opting for a 13hour bus journey instead. The travelling is the least enjoyable aspect of travelling (how ironic). You can't complain about the view out of the window though...

We had booked onto a three day, two night, exploration of the jungles in Northern Laos - in the hope that we would sight some Gibbons. For the full details of the project & the experience, please refer to the link below.

http://www.gibbonx.org/

When we arrived on the first morning we were advised that due to the large quantities of rain in the past few days the 4x4 was unable to cross the river...meaning an additional 5hours hiking to get to the jungle. We decided that we were up for the adventure & pressed on regardless of the poor weather & the sticky, slippery & drenched terrain.

After nearly 6hours of trekking (through some of the deepest & stickiest mud I have ever encountered), we arrived at the Gibbon centre - which is where we would collect our harnesses. What makes this such a unique experience is that the jungle has a network of zipline cabling, which protects the jungle floor, fauna & wildlife, whilst also providing an amazing view of the landscape. Below you can see me zipping off into the mist...

As it began to get dark we arrived at our treehouse, which is elevated 100m & deep, deep, deep into the jungle. Our group of 7 explorers sat down for a rice based meal (which was the theme for every meal over the next 3days) & reflected on a challenging - yet enjoyable day.

The next morning we were up at 5am & getting ready to go looking for some Gibbons.

We had been warned, that due to the vast amounts of rain (it is the rainy season), that our chances of sighting Gibbons was vastly reduced. Nonetheless we had our breakfast at the kitchen, located across the valley from our treehouse (a brief zip away), then set off deeper into the jungle. I am sad to say that we didn't see any Gibbons, although every one of us saw (& personally got to know) enough leeches to last a lifetime. As we weren't on any kind of a trail we were trampling through the damp detritus of the jungle floor - the perfect habitat for leeches! Allan & I were also attacked by a swarm of rather large wasps - I managed to bail down the slope (on my arse) unscathed, although Allan wasn't so fortunate. He was stung four or five times. Despite the constant rain, the biting creepies, &the concern that we might not be able to cross the river to civilization the following day (due to the rainfall & consequent rising water level), we all pressed on exploring the jungle on the zip lines.

On our two full days in the jungle we visited three of the other tree houses, all of which were only accessible via zip lines. We all enjoyed the hot chocolate of another group, whilst utilizing their hammocks, as they no doubt did at our tree house (minus the hammocks).

The most attractive tree house was the last one that we saw before leaving on the last day. This is the newest of the lot, & unlike the others it doesn't leak at all. Very nice. Does it remind anyone else a little bit of the Swiss Family Robinson setup?

I think the most extraordinary creature we saw in the jungle was a beetle that our guide found in the main centre. I assure you it is not a spider - as you would assume on first sight. What a bug though! :-)

I am pleased to say that the rain must have caused the river to burst its banks, as the water level was lower than it was on our way into the jungle. Therefore we did not encounter the difficulties we had been dreading as we experienced hour after hour of rain during our jungle time. I had purchased myself an Indiana Jones hat for the adventure, so it was pretty fitting to find a bridge over the last river that could have easily featured in one of his films. I am clearly very happy to have survived a tough experience, but despite not seeing any gibbons, every piece of our clothing being caked in mud & smelling rotten, being soaked through for three days, being eaten by mosquitos, leeches, & stung by wasps, I wouldn't have changed the experience at all...I had an amazing time :-)

Laos = DONE. Next stop...Vietnam

written by  johnnoble on July 4, 2009 from Luang Prabang, Laos
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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We caught an overnight boat from Koh Tao to the mainland, which was an experience. It was incredibly hot, cramped, & the waters were very choppy. As with most transport in Asia I expect the absolute worst & then enjoy the experience as an adventure.

Our next stop was Bangkok (pic above). I was pleasantly surprised at the (relative) cleanliness of the place, although still wasn't the greatest fan of the city. We had to stay a couple of days - in order to check out some of the classic offerings. One being Khoa San Road. This is a long street in the centre of the city that is loaded with market stalls, bars & restaurants. It is a popular backpacker destination, so we met many PLUs (people like us). We did venture out to see a local show at a club, the nature of which I won't disclose - & the less said about it the better (trust me...Asia is a weird place!). We also had to spend a day finding HSBC (so Dixy could pick up a replacement card, having left his wallet in a tuk tuk), & extend our Visas by a week.

Having completed our missions in Bangkok, we caught a bus up to Chang Mai.

The Elephants were incredibly sturdy & seemed to take the rough terrain with ease. The views were fantastic & we all thoroughly enjoyed the ride from our giant grey friends.

After the Elephants we embarked on a four hour trek into the hills & valleys, which included a stop off for a swim at one of the waterfalls (which was most refreshing). The terrain wasn't the most challenging, although the scenery was fantastic...

They were incredibly accomodating & very friendly, we all got on very well & really enjoyed the enthusiasm & comedy stylings of our guide (who had grown up in on the hills in one of the villages). That evening the family cooked us an incredible thai curry, provided us with ice cold beer (an amazing feat in those remote conditions) & a guitar! We all bonded well that evening & had an excellent time...

The following day we went on another hike in the morning, which was more of the same stunning scenery, before getting the our river rafting. Due to the wet nature of this particular activity I was unable to take any picture...so you will have to trust me when I say that this was possibly the most fun we had during the whole tour! Our guides even got involved when we decided that boarding each others' rafts & pushing each other off was the aim of the whole hour. It was a LOT of fun! :-)

Upon our arrival back in Chang Mai, we checked into a hostel & then booked our next move, then made our way out for the evening. We watched the first Lions test in an Irish bar, which we narrowly lost (great game), before heading to the local Thai boxing event - with our two new Aussie travelling companions - Ashlea & Elisha (great girlies!)

The best event of the evening was yet to come...Mr Andrew Dicks was to enter the ring & battle it out against a fellow tourist, for the lowly sum of ten pounds! Dixy really did look the part in his thai boxing shorts. We are all certain (including Andy) that his decision to enter the ring had a lot to do with his beer intake; although he fought it out for two tough rounds & came out with his pride intact. No clear winner was established, although we filmed the whole fight - which some of you might be lucky enough to see one day!

The next day we all got a coach to the Thai-Laos border, where we were staying for the night - in order for our visas to be processed overnight. At the hotel on the Thai side of the river we enjoyed a few beers & got to know the group that we would be spending the next 48 hours with...as we were about to take the slowest form of transport in Asia = the slow boat.

We spent one night in Luang Prabang, staying in a NICE guest house - to make up for the previous night (none of the girls could imagine repeating that experience). We all went out for a meal together at the Lao Lao gardens restaurant, which has to be my favourite restaurant on my travels so far. It is tables set in a garden, all beautifully lit, with amazing food. I consulted Mr Google for this picture, as none of us took one.

The next day we had to take a 6hour mini bus to Vang Vieng, as we had planned to be there to go tubing on Dixy's birthday & meet up with Allan there too. The journey itself was only 150km, although it was across the mountains...which were stunning.

Next up - meeting Allan, tubing, exploring caves, hiring scooters, & the Laos jungle...an entry NOT to be missed...watch this space ;-)

written by  johnnoble on June 24, 2009 from Bangkok, Thailand
from the travel blog: John's year off...
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As the boys had already been there for three days, they had had enough of the local bars & beaches, the plan was to move onto Koh Phangan the next morning. Therefore, I made the most of my one day there by hiring a scooter (with Smalls) & zipping around the place sightseeing.

Next on the whirlwind tour was the "Mummified Monk".

The next day we caught the boat over to Koh Phangan...

We had arrived on the island just in time for Koh Phangan's "Full Moon Party."

We did find a busier bar - which was surrounded by people watching drunks attempt to jump over a rope on fire (skipping), or through a ring of fire. Needless to say we weren't going to do anything as stupid as that...that is...until we had had sufficient courage (aka - buckets). I can't pin point exactly when it happened, but I finally fell victim to my own stupidity, as I woke up the next morning in excrutiating pain. My shoulder was agony. I got a taxi to the hospital, got the okay after an x-ray, then got loaded on painkillers. I took my prescription of pills, my sling, & what was left of my pride, & went back to bed. The admittance report from the hospital makes amusing reading though..."John woke up with big pain in right shoulder. He does not know what happened to him last night." Not my proudest moment - but I did make it over 9 months without incident :-)

The next day we all hired scooters (six pounds for the day & less than a pound for a whole tank of petrol), & then proceeded to check out the island. On our thirty minute drive to the island's waterfalls we saw lots of buffalo, monkeys & a salamander lizard...pretty cool.

We decided that it would be rude not to get a piccy of the most notorious "Motorcycle Gang" on Langkawi. The views from the top were incredible. It was nearly possible to see the whole island from up there.

That night we played more drinking games at the hostel, including a lovely couple that we met from Jersey, before heading to the local club & get our groove on!

The next day was spent recovering, before Lucas & I made the effort (later in the PM) to explore the areas of the island we had missed the previous day. I was glad that we did.

The drive back to the hostel that evening was nothing short of spectacular.

On our last day on the island we decided to put ourselves through the ordeal of enjoying some of the luxury resort's facilities (for free)...such a tough life!

Upon leaving Langkawi the boys & I went our separate ways - them to Thailand & me to the jungle! I decided that I should check out one of the oldest jungles in the world, Teman Nagara in central Malaysia, which is reportedly 130 million years young. First off I had to take a ferry & then a bus all the way back to Kuala Lumpur, before heading back up to the mid/east of Malaysia, because the bus&train routes are fairly limited. I caught an early morning bus from KL, then a boat up the river from a town about 100kms south of the park.

The night time is the best time to see the abundance of wildlife in the jungle, as the majority of its inhabitants are nocturnal (or just sensible enough to stay underground during the crazy daytime heat). On our 2km round trip we saw scorpions, spiders, lots of ants (big ones!), fire flies, a sloth, some deer, centipede, &my personal favourite - a deermouse (it is a large mouse that looks like a deer). It was an enjoyable experience, costing all of two pounds - which is also exactly what a bed in the town's hostel cost for the night...I am liking Asia more & more.

After our walk in the skies it was time to climb the Teresek Mountain. It is not the tallest peak in the park, but it was certainly steep enough to work up one hell of a sweat in those steamy jungle conditions. The views of the park from the top are nothing short of spectacular...some views no cameras can convey effectively enough.

I will finish with a couple of my favourite images from the park. A true jungle in every imaginable way & a thoroughly worthwhile excursion! Next stop Thailand.

On our one full day as a foursome, we decided to check out all that Santosa island had to offer. It is a small island off the south coast of SIngapore, & therefore was a strategic focal point in defending Asia from attack in all previous military conflicts. We visited the Siloso fort, which was built by the empire back in the 1800s. It is incredible to think how anyone was able to work in the temperatures that we were experiencing, but they did! The place was facinating & informative, & I would recommend it.

It was then time to check out the Siloso beach...

After we had done sweating out litres all day (it was SO hot) we got some refreshments & headed to the Aquarium for the Dolphin show. I have to say that it was more than a little disappointing...definitely not worth 15pounds for the priviledge! Also, you cannot appreciate from the picture below, but the Dolphins appeared to have some form of skin complaint - being covered in red blotches?!?

The next day we had enough time for a visit to Raffles hotel, before splitting up - with Dan going to Thailand & us to Malaysia. Visiting the Raffles "Long Bar" for a "Singapore Slinger" is a must (according to many guide books)...so we did!