MY ARCHIVED REPORTS

Lesley's Reports

 Wattisfield, Suffolk, England; 19th April 2009

Finale

We are now safely back in good old England where spring is at its finest. The trees are green with new life and the lanes and hedgerows are brimming with blossom and flowers. It's the best time of the year when things are fresh and vibrant, if not a bit on the chilly side. As for us ... Well I think we are both in a slight state of shock!!

We left Tom’s in Almeria under a blanket of wet fog and headed towards Valencia where we stopped at a BMW bike shop and had the old girl’s fuel injection system sorted out. We are pleased to report that she is now running smoothly once again. From Valencia we headed northwest and into the snow-field area and flat, almost altiplano, scene of patchwork fields and freshly turned soil.

Once we cleared the Pyrenees Mountains the temperature rose as we passed through the Bordeaux area. Sadly, we could see much of evidence of the strong winds that have ripped up and destroyed much of the pine forests in this area. Heading north we tried to stay off the auto routes and followed the “N” roads which passed through the pretty towns and villages, and then all too soon we were in Calais!

I developed a twisting, grinding, churning sensation in my gut. The raised pulse and the over-active imagination that I had occasionally experienced prior to an unknown border crossing returned. What would we find?

Where would we stay?

How would we be received?

Will it be too emotional?

What will we do next? 

My head was in turmoil. There were so many questions and yet very few answers. Our mantra of “Remaining flexible at all times” echoed loudly in my head.  We are so close to “Home” and yet I am scared!

Eddie, our webmaster, had emailed to say that he was on tour in the UK in his campervan over the Easter holidays and “spookily” had booked a night’s stopover in Mildenhall, not far from our home.  This was weird, our calendar said nothing about Easter in the UK but, like a thunderbolt, we suddenly realised that if we pushed on we could make it to Mildenhall to meet him and Agnes. It seemed very appropriate that Eddie should be the first person we met in the UK as he has, in spirit, been on the trip all the way and without him we would not have our very professional website.

The re-union was quite emotional for me and at the sight of friendly smiley faces and a bottle of sparkling champagne had me reduced to tears - That wasn't in the plan! We pitched out tent beside the van on the forested site and slept with my head spinning and being bombarded with all kinds of thoughts and fears.

Many travellers have told us that the first few weeks after the completion of a big trip are very difficult and filled with mixed emotions.  At the moment I feel stunned. It has been wonderful catching up with Ian, Tilly and the family and we are working our way around seeing old friends but I feel as though I am in a floating bubble and just drifting in the breeze.

Our Trek has been one of the most amazing experiences and I will cherish it forever.  We have been fortunate enough to experience so many different cultures, meet so many wonderful, kind and generous people from all walks of life, and who will remain our friends forever. Our horizons and outlooks have expanded and we have learned new things and skills everyday.

Thoughts, priorities and expectations have all changed within us both, and with the changes hopefully, a greater understanding of what “makes us tick”. I have just been so lucky that all these wonderful experiences have been shared with my best friend, lover and husband Nick who gave me the ride of my life!

Till we meet again, Lesley.

Al Faix, Almeria, Spain; 3^rd April 2009.

Oops!!! I spoke too soon about how well the bike was running!!!  The final day in Kefalonia was spent riding along a beautiful coast road and returning to Graham and Rachel's home with the bike’s odometer registering 100,000miles! - Congratulations Old Girl.  Our ferry to Bari, Italy was leaving at 8:30pm and it began to rain about 6:30pm!  The old girl seemed to have developed a rather noisy, lumpy sound on her way to the ferry so we hoped that the gentle motion of the ship would rectify whatever ailed her.

We treated ourselves to a cabin for the night as we wouldn't be getting into Bari until 10am the following day; the temptation of a half price cabin swung it for us. The sight of the bright blue sky and the warmth of the sun as we watched a pod of dolphins close to the ship was a real welcome to Italy. Happily, the crossing was very calm and the old girl was still standing where we had left her; but the noisy engine could not be totally ignored.

We eventually managed to navigate our way out of Bari and headed west towards Napoli (Naples). We observed two very different types of propagation as we passed through flat lands with lush green fields and prostitutes loitering every 200mtrs or so along the road.  Gradually the landscape became rolling hills with olive groves and small conical-shaped stone buildings hidden amongst the trees. As the day progressed the scenery became more and more interesting. On the top of almost every rocky hill we could see buildings clustered around a church or monastery. The fruit orchards were filled with wonderful pink blossom and the trees were beginning to show new green leaves. The roads became even twistier and the hills steeper with occasional patches of snow in sheltered areas.

From Salerno on the west coast we began the famous Amalfi Coastal route which literally hugs the very edge of the rugged rocky coastline, carving its way through narrow, picturesque villages and towns. Around every bend unfolds a different scene; all spectacularly colourful and with a definite Wow factor. Poor Nick had to concentrate so much that he missed a lot of the views and I was very glad that we were heading north so that we were not riding too close to the edge. The holiday season has not started yet here but already there are coaches and camper vans creeping around the tight hairpin bends. I wouldn’t want to visit between mid April to October!!!

We stopped off at one of the many small towns in a bay called Maiori. It was nice to see the locals promenading in the evening just before sunset.  A seat overlooking the pretty harbour was the ideal setting for our evening feast of pizza and cake from the local bakery. The next morning we woke to sunshine again and continued the amazing ride along the Amalfi coastline with many photo stops en-route.

From Sorrento we jumped onto the motorway for a while to eat up some miles. We passed by Mt Vesuvius and could see a little of the ruins of Pompeii. We then bypassed Roma (Rome) and some snow-capped mountains, stopping at regular intervals to tinker with the engine. Nick even changed the spark plugs at one point but still the old girl popped and gurgled 

By the time we decided we should be looking for digs for the night it was beginning to rain a little and accommodation was not that easy to find. Eventually after 7pm in the dark and the rain we decided we would have to pay over the odds rather than continue riding and booked into a hotel on the outskirts of a medieval town of Siena. The Italian mode of driving is rather cut and thrust and I didn't feel at all happy about riding at night here. One of the rules we gave ourselves on the trip was “not to ride at night” and the couple of time we did, we had near misses! It didn't help when the headlight bulb failed and Nick had to ride on an adjusted main beam.

In his younger days, Nick went on a school trip cruise and had visited Istanbul, Athens and Pisa so to complete the trio we headed for Pisa.  We took the back roads through the vineyards of Tuscany which appeared to be water logged, and as the day progressed, everything else became water logged as well.  The rain did ease slightly for a quick photo session of the famous “Campanile” or Leaning Tower. The tower definitely is leaning at about 4.1m to the perpendicular, even after 11 years of ground levelling. The plan was to stop off and have a coffee in the sun ... what sun?

Italy's road systems have an amazing amount of tunnels. The rule seems to be “If it's in the way, go through it!!”  I think we must have travelled about 100 kms underground!!  Thank goodness as the rain became more persistent and eventually even my trusty Daytona boots began to leak. Poor Nick was soaked through to the skin.

At Genova we found a BMW shop and were hoping to have a little TLC lavished on the bike but the mechanic was just off for his 3-hr lunch, at 11.30! We decided not to wait so rode on towards France.  We passed Monaco, Nizza (Nice) Cannes and eventually stopped off in Brignoles at a tried and trusted F1 motel.

Nick had been looking at the map, and unfortunately I hadn't! “We will get to Tom's for dinner tomorrow but it will be a longish day!!” says Nick ... Famous last words. We rode our longest day ever, 851 miles in 14 hours! We were up before dawn and on the road as the sun rose and arrived at Tom's at 9:15pm in the rain and dark 14 hours later!  We also clocked up 87,000miles for the trip so far. The warm welcome from our old cycling friend Tom soon thawed us out along with “Don Simon” (wine) and a wonderful Beef Bourguignon.

Tom moved from Norwich to Al Faix, Almeria about 10 years ago and now offers board and lodgings to cyclists who want to experience the amazing cycling tracks and trails through the spectacular hills and orange groves, often as a pre-race-season training camp; see the pictures. He is contactable on casaallos@yahoo.co.uk  The views from his house are incredible, the fragrance of wild flowers and orange blossom fill the air. The pool is warm and it's only 10km from the beach at Mojacar, mid way between Almeria and Murcia on the South East coast of Spain; an ideal location.

After some tinkering Nick traced the cause of the bike's spluttering. It appears that water had completely soaked the Uni-filter air filter we had bought in Australia. The bike was literally choking for breath. He had to drain copious amounts of water from the air filter housing and wring out the re-usable air filter. After a short run the bike is now as good as new and purring away beautifully.

We will enjoy our time here with Tom and then gradually head north towards Norfolk and home. We don't know where we will be staying, so, if anyone has a small place to rent in the Norwich area for a few weeks ... think of us!

Til next time, Lesley

Kefalonia, Greece; 25^th March 2009

The mainland and Islands of Greece are packed full of ancient ruins and amazing places of interest.  The sea is incredibly crystal clear and at this time of year the wild flowers are flourishing. Unfortunately the Greeks have also discovered spray paints and the desire to “Make their mark”. Nothing is completely sacred it seems as graffiti “decorates” the countryside.  We have tried to overlook this factor but I imagine that this will now be the expected form of vandalism within Europe. I hope that I will be proved wrong in the near future.

Most of Greece is closed for the winter so finding accommodation has been a bit tricky at times. We rode up the twisty roads to Delphi with a view to visit the museum and ruins of the Temple of Athena. Museums close at 3pm and we got there 5 mins too late!! We did manage to walk around some of the ruins that cling to the hillside and, as always, are amazed by the architecture and the similarities with places like Machu Picchu.

Athens left us with mixed emotions.  We did the main sights such as the incredible Acropolis towering above the sprawling city, The Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Theatre of Dionysus and spent time browsing in the very informative National Archaeological museum until we were all “templed out”. As we walked by Parliament buildings we were lucky enough to see the famous Ebzone guards by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In their white short skirts, red waistcoats, white tights, black shoes with large red pompoms, they looked as they were performing a scene from the Monty Python school of Silly Walks. It was fascinating to watch as they balance on one leg, the other outstretched sole to sole with their opposite soldier. Apparently it is a very sought after position and looks good on their CV.

The loss of Nick’s phone and associated numbers was irritating and frustrating so we were glad to leave the city and head south.

At first glance the town of Nafplio appeared to be a rather modern sea resort. However, beyond the expensive cafés overlooking the clear water and castle on a small island, the streets are narrow and lined with pretty Venetian houses with balconies draped with flowers. Palamidi Fortress rising above the sloping streets lends itself to endless photo opportunities.  Thank goodness for digital cameras!   As one of Greece's most scenic villages most small shops are filled with souvenirs and expensive trinkets and a cup of coffee will set you back 5euro's ... the equivalent of a 3 course meal for 2 in SE Asia!!

It seems that almost every village or small town has its own historic site. The roads are often very narrow and twisty following the contours of the hills and shorelines. We stopped off at Mystras to view the Byzantine ruins of palaces, monasteries and churches built between 1271 and 1460.  On the foothills of Mount Kronion we could see some of the ruins of the Temples of Zeus and the site where the world’s first Olympics were held in 776BC.

Eventually the real history blends with the myths of Greece and it becomes difficult for me to distinguish between the two. What is real can be see around almost every corner in the form of ruins, stone walls, terraced fields, narrow streets and old churches.

I enjoyed the Lakonian Mani, the central peninsula in the south of the Peloponnese. Spring had arrived bringing blossom to the trees and carpets of pretty wild flowers. As we stopped to stretch our legs the only sounds were bees and insects buzzing and the distant jangle of goat bells across the valleys ... isn’t nature wonderful?  Looking down into some of the small bays the water was so clear and the colours fantastic. I used to think that postcards had been “touched up” and had extra colours added but now I know the Greek colours are very real indeed.

We took the 3-hour ferry ride from Patra to Kefalonia to visit Graham, Rachel and 11-week old Sofia. It has been lovely catching up with them and having our own personal tour guides. Kefalonia, an Ionian Island, became famous after the filming of Captain Corelli's Mandolin and we have visited many of the places where filming took place. It was nice to watch the film again and recognise various the places.

In 1953 a major earthquake struck Kefalonia and many villages were destroyed. Graham took us to one of these villages, Old Vlahata. A number of the houses were still standing although many of the roofs have caved in. Old brick-lined bread ovens could be clearly seen in one house and the whole feel of the place sent a shiver down my spine as though the inhabitants were still there and watching me.  The whole of the country is steeped in history and mythology and is well worth a visit.

The bike seems to be much happier now that she has fresh blood and had her body parts balanced, she positively purrs. Tomorrow evening we should be on the ferry to Bari in Italy to continue our travels but in the meantime I shall enjoy the company of old friends and continue to snuggle up to the sweet Sofia as I know I can hand her back ... very quickly when she squawks ...!

Until next time, Lesley

Mesolongi, Greece; 11^th March 2009

Back on the road again.

We finally left Istanbul under dark clouds which soon became heavy with rain. Everywhere appeared very dark and grey but despite this it didn't seem to dampen our spirits; it was just so good to be back on the road again.  I really liked Istanbul and there was so much more to investigate but I feel we just scratched the surface. There are three things I feel obliged to mention regarding Istanbul before I talk about Greece ... The city is full of extremely large cats ... Beware of the carpet seller ... And finally for the females, don't go to the hairdressers and definitely don't get highlights done!!!

The border from Turkey to Greece was easy – “Welcome to the EU”. With the ‘Welcome’ came the weather, as if a border-line had been drawn in the clouds. Turkey grey and wet ... Greece a beautiful blue (to match the flag) and most importantly, dry. It was quite an emotional time for us as we suddenly realised that we are getting very close to home and on a personal level we have both achieved so much in the past 2 years and 8 months.  Our celebrations were curtailed slightly by two large dogs; they decided we were worth chasing for 100's of yards ... Welcome to Greece!!

Although the sky was clear blue and the sun shining it was still very cold ... after all it is still winter!!

We stopped at the seaport town of Alexandropoulos and celebrated with “Gyros” pita bread filled with meat, cheese, salad, chips, mayo and mustard, followed by a huge chocolate profiterole. Well it's not every day you don’t have to have to buy a visa or get your passport stamped. We both really enjoyed getting back on the bike again after such a long time and, surprisingly, haven't suffered too many aches and pains.

The North east corner of Greece is very agricultural with a veritable patchwork fields and hedgerows. There are signs of spring in sheltered pockets, particularly further south in the hills and mountains where the alpine flowers are out and trees are beginning to blossom. We hugged the east coast for a while and marvelled at the little towns and villages of small white houses which clung to the hillsides around picturesque harbours and bays. The water was so crystal clear that we could see the fish and urchins plainly. It was tempting to jump in for a swim but that would mean removing at least 5 layers of clothing.

Four fifths of Greece is mountainous so it wasn't long before we could see snow-capped mountains in the distance. Mt Olympus can be seen for miles and we almost rode around it as we stopped off at Katerini so Nick could change the oil in the old girl as a treat.  We then followed the lovely twisty hilly road to Ellasona. The hills are covered with the occasional pine tree, in stark contrast to the more numerous deciduous trees which look quite stark and bare in comparison. From a distance we can also smell the goat herds which are usually escorted by an elderly local. Talking of elderly, it is quite noticeable that women of a certain age here (of which I am probably one) seem to wear only black; not even a bright coloured head scarf was in sight. Perhaps one might be thought of as a bit of a floozy if they display colour? The older men on the other hand spend much of their time in the local cafe, drinking coffee, smoking and putting the world to rights by day and drinking something a bit stronger by night as they play cards and backgammon.

Meteora is a magical place and reminding me so much of Ayres Rock and the Olgas in Australia.  As you round another bend you are suddenly confronted by massive smooth, grey rocks which almost seem alive. Long ago there were 24 monasteries in the high rock pinnacles but now only 6 are used and the rest are in ruins as they cling precariously to the rock face. We spent some time taking in the views and sitting in the pretty village square as we ate lunch.

We missed a turn in the road and ended up in a quiet village where we stopped for a coffee. The old men in the cafe treated us to our hot drink and made room around the lovely pot bellied stove so that we could warm up before heading to the snow fields at Metsovo.  At first we got a bit excited as we saw pockets of snow in the shady areas but as we climbed higher the snow at the side of the road became much deeper. Traffic was coming towards us so we knew the road was open but it was very cold. We dropped down below the snow line to Ioannia, a large town by a lake with fortress walls and enclosed village.

By the centre of the town students were gathering and handing out leaflets and we wondered if we would be witness to further unrest within some of Greece’s cities, but it was a quiet night and the bike was safe even though she was parked on the side of the road.

In Turkey, breakfast was a big start to the day with bread, cheese, olives, eggs and meats but here in Greece it is a cup of coffee and pastries filled with apple or cheese and ham. No one appears to be too overweight so maybe the extra sweet coffee and flaky pastries don't carry too many calories ... wishful thinking!

I am really enjoying being back on the bike even though at times it is bitterly cold. Here in Greece nowhere is very far so there is always somewhere to stop for a hot drink and warm up.  The people generally have been reasonably friendly although some have been most disappointed that we are not from Germany! There seems to be quite a large German population in the country.

Olive trees, fruit trees, citrus, orange and lemon trees are all grown on the hill slopes beside vines and wild flowers. In another week or two spring will be painting the countryside with its wonderful colours and I am glad I will be in Greece to witness it.

Until then, Lesley

Istanbul, Turkey; 1^st March 2009

The flights from KL were not too bad but as usual we had no sleep and very little leg room. Everything worked like clockwork thanks to the invaluable advice regarding purchasing our visa before immigration /passport control from Matthew, a fellow passenger.

The first lung-fills of Turkish air were crisp, fresh and decidedly cold. It was now 9-deg instead of 34-deg in KL!! The sky was clear and blue as we were taxied to the Sultan Inn in the Sultanhmet area of Istanbul. I had no preconceived ideas about Istanbul or Turkey so this is once again all new to me.  We followed the coastline of the Sea of Marmara and I was amazed at the number of large ships on the horizon. Apparently they are all waiting their turn to pass through the narrow Bosporus to the Black Sea.  The Bosporus makes Istanbul a unique city in that it is divided in two, one part in Europe and the other in Asia. We are staying in the European side surrounded by large Mosques and other equally wonderful buildings. Part of the city is surrounded by large walls or ramparts originally built in the 7^th century but have since been renewed or repaired on several occasions since then.

We pre -booked a hotel for 3 nights with a view to getting our bearings and finding somewhere more economical as the prices have now risen alarmingly. Our new hostel, the Paris Hotel/Hostel is much friendlier and cheaper. The staff are great but they do ration the heating somewhat; the 4 thick blankets on the bed gave us an immediate clue! Mind you, the breakfast of wonderful fresh bread, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, egg and jams are a pleasant change from curry.

The weather changed dramatically with a nasty cold front bringing with it rain, sleet and, believe it or not, a few snow flakes. The temperature has struggled to rise above 3 deg. We have walked for miles braving the elements with our new hats, scarves and other essential layers.  Nick’s new mothball-smelling long-johns are apparently doing the trick and our motorcycle jackets cover several layers of tee shirts in an attempt to prevent frost bite. However, “Marvin” has raised his ugly head again as it’s been over a month without his bike. Perhaps he's suffering from S.A.D. Syndrome?

The streets here are mainly cobbled and some are also very steep. The backstreets, as always, hold our interest more as they seem to be filled with all kinds of mystery. We discovered the wholesale area for leather and shoes and alleyways dedicated to musical instruments. Most of the roads seem to be heading uphill towards the famous Blue Mosque with its 6 minarets which I thought would be blue but are in fact grey.

Seeing all these wonderful ancient pieces of architecture made me realise what I had been missing in S E Asia, New Zealand and Australia.  Apart from the opulent Chinese temples and of course Angkor Watt in Cambodia there were no other old, substantial buildings like those in Europe or in South America.

We have visited many of the tourist sights around the city and Nick has been reminiscing about his Mediterranean cruise school trip which stopped off in Istanbul many years ago. We saw the original bejewelled knife in the Topkapi museum, a replica of which was displayed in our garage. I found Topkapi more impressive than the Blue Mosque as it was spread around several buildings and commanded a wonderful view of the Bosporus and the Asian side of Istanbul across the water. The mosaics and wall tiles were beautiful and as always I am amazed at the symmetry and splendour of these buildings. It's wonderful to walk along the cobbled roads and marbled pathways feeling the ridges beneath your feet where people, carts and vehicles have passed over hundreds of years.

Taking shelter in the undercover Grand bazaar, we experienced the constant barrage of stall holders trying to entice us into their store to buy their goods. I am finding it difficult at times to politely refuse, smile and say no thank you 50 times in as many metres. I am sure these stall holders are feeling the effects of the world economic crisis as much as we all are. There just seems to be too many carpet shops and kebab cafes to sustain the population in such a small area.

I don't know if it is the weather but generally things appear to be rather dark and drab. The predominant colour for clothing is black or dark grey and the women either wear jeans or long coats and skirts that brush the ground as they walk. Headscarves used mainly by Muslim women are also needed for warmth. Even fellow visitors do not appear very colourful or am I comparing it with Asia too much?

During our stay here we have made use of the ferries, exploring other parts of the city and discovering the tasty fish sandwiches under the Galata Bridge which spans the “Golden Horn”. The lovely smell of roasting chestnuts and the colourful lighting makes it almost feel Christmassy as we wander about in the evening. The hot tea served in small tulip-shaped glasses and the steaming bowls of Lentil soup keep the wintry chill at bay for a while. The kebabs and local breads are delicious and much cheaper in the backstreet cafes. Nick has satisfied his sweet tooth with the Baklava; layers of filo pastry wrapped around ground pistachio nuts and soaked in syrup ... a calorific nightmare!

Watching the traffic from the safety of a bridge over the road and tramway we quickly noted the use of the warning horn. It's almost as though the cars are talking to each other. The Police ride 2-up on Honda Varaderos and BMWs and often ride into oncoming traffic. I am sure the pillion riders must have nerves of steel as they ride “shotgun” through the busy streets.

Today the sun shone and the temperature rose to 12 deg for an hour or so. We think we spotted our ship across the water, Marvin has disappeared and Nick is sure he even heard the old girl calling us!  We are both now anxious to get back on the road to continue the adventure, so, customs and dockside willing, we should be heading for Greece by the end of the week.

Until then ... Lesley

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Friday 13^th Feb 2009

I must apologise for such a long gap between updates, I have no excuse I am afraid, in fact we have been busy doing nothing much in particular ... for a change!

Nick’s endless emails and phone calls to shipping companies paid off and the bike is currently at sea somewhere between SE Asia and Turkey. As I type this, Nick will be handing over the banker’s cheque in exchange for the ignition key and the Carnet de passage (bike’s passport) and then we will be ready to leave KL on the 18^th of Feb.

The guys at the hostel have been great and have made our stay here very comfortable and relaxed. We have walked for miles around the city, taking in the contrasts of wonderful glitzy, glassy buildings surrounded by street vendor’s stalls and tired- looking buildings.  I am not a city lover by any means but I am enjoying KL; this city is a real cosmopolitan muddle. There are certain areas such as China town and Little India that live up to their names but the rest of the city seems to have little pockets of communities dotted about and generally there doesn't seem to be much racial or religious tension.

We have favourite our places for our Roti breakfast and the thick sugary Kopi (Coffee), and just along the road they serve a lovely tandoori chicken set dinner. I realised the other day that I haven't eaten a meal with a knife and fork since Australia in August 08; it's either a spoon, fork, or your right hand only. Occasionally we have ventured out for a pizza and, even sadly, a Mc D's when the spicy food got too much. There are even KFC outlets everywhere which serve mashed potato instead of chips!

Once the bike was on its way and our new credit cards had arrived we realised that we had a month to kill until the bike arrived in Turkey.  It didn't take us long to decide to stay here in Malaysia in the warm tropics rather than to suffer your coldest winter in years in Europe as we waited in Turkey for the bike to arrive. So we formulated a cunning plan and contacted Kevin and Ann, (previously from UK and NZ) who had recently relocated from NZ to Singapore. The bus trip to Singapore was a whole new experience for us and quite enjoyable, however the scenery was basically acres and acres of palm oil plantations. The border crossing was easy and consisted of us just hopping off the bus to be stamped out and a short bus ride to be stamped in and have luggage checked. Within minutes we were being greeted at the bus stop by Kevin and Ann.

We had a lovely time with the Normans. We took in some sight-seeing, Ann took me shopping while Nick stayed at the apartment and trawled through Kevin’s music collection. We swam in the pool, ate good food, relaxed, reminisced and enjoyed their great company and luxury accommodation. We had a great few days, thank you.

While on the bike we were unable to visit the many small islands off the Malaysian coast so we decided to have a few days on Pulau Pangkor, about 4 hrs north of KL. We took the night bus from Singapore to Lumut, the ferry point and access to the island. We arrived after a 9-hr coach ride in the pitch black and had to wait a couple of hours for the ferries to start running. After the hustle and bustle of Penang Island, where we spent Xmas and New Year, this little island was so laid back and lazy. We found our home-stay tucked along a side road hidden by colourful bougainvillea bushes and backing onto jungle, the curved sandy beach was only 100-mtrs away. Even during a busy weekend it was still fairly quiet. Huge trees hung over the beach providing us much needed shade and the water was clear, warm and very inviting. Once again we could watch the local Muslim families enjoying the beach while fully dressed. The westerners, including ourselves, on the other hand are all stripping off to gain a bit of a tan while the locals are sensibly covered for skin-preserving reasons and religion. Every evening people gathered to witness the sunset across the water which is a truly wonderful sight. As there are no bars or clubs and the small food and souvenir stalls were closing so the people disappeared into the darkness until the next morning. I also took advantage of the down time and read 3 books!!!

We are now back at Pujangga Homestay amongst friends in KL. The clock is ticking and we have only a few days left here in SE Asia before flying out to Istanbul, Turkey to be reunited with the bike. I now feel much fitter and generally healthier, ready for the final stages of our big adventure and the ride through Europe to home. Already we are discussing further adventures including Pakistan, Iran and India which we are sadly missing this time.

I have enjoyed my stay in SE Asia. Each country is very different. The contrasts between Singapore in the south to Laos in the north are immense. It would be impossible to generalise but all I can say is that wherever we have been we have always felt safe, never threatened. The generosity of the people, who have very little, again has been heart warming. If I get another chance I would like to explore more, particularly in Laos and Cambodia, where the people somehow remain cheerful and welcoming despite their chequered history.

 Until next time ... hopefully from Turkey,   Lesley

Latest pictures are in our MALAYSIA album.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 15^th Jan 2009

A belated Happy New Year to you all wherever you may be.

This Christmas, (08) was spent on the beach at Batu Feringgi,on Penang Island, Malaysia where we relaxed and spent valuable time with Denise and Melvin who were fellow lodgers at our hostel.  The men folk decided that they were in need of a traditional roast dinner to celebrate and I admit I was quite pleased to have a meal without curry or rice in one shape or form. We carried out some research in the village and were horrified at the prices quoted. In the end we resorted to catching a bus to the nearest big town, Georgetown where we succumbed to “Shenanigans”, Yes sadly, an Irish pub similar to all those in the UK and the Americas. I do believe the thick pint of Guinness lay heavy on our men folk as they are now seem used to the locally brewed light fizzy beers.

We ventured out on the bike several times as the road, although busy, is full of challenging twists and turns. I am sure Nick would love to play with the boys on their mopeds as they whiz by on either side of us. They have probably been doing this since they were old enough to hang onto the handlebars in front of their parents. It would never happen back home, but once again the children here seem to far more alert and independent.

After our beach break I began to feel more relaxed and rested. We have walked and jogged miles along the beach, made new friends, watched the locals at work and play until our internal batteries were re-charged. Our laundry is now fresh and the panniers have been sorted and re-organised ready for packing. Our tyres had been checked and we were both ready to get back in the saddle to explore some more. We headed for Kuala Lumpur via the Cameron Highlands and those wonderful biker roads that are almost deserted and punctuated with signs telling us “Beware Elephants”.  It's Smiles for miles!!!

Okay, so some times things don't go as planned!!!  The lovely twisty roads to the hills were awash with torrential rain. Water was coming from every direction, cascading down the hillsides sweeping red soil and stones in its path. Some of the market garden stalls were almost underwater and the only vehicles that looked as though they would cope were the old jeeps used in the tea plantations. This was serious rain!! We were fine to begin with but soon the growing leaks in jackets and leggings began to bring a nasty chill and by the time we reached Hill Lodge in Tanah Rata we were totally drenched and chilled to the bone. What a contrast from Penang! On the strength of this we headed back towards KL to dry out and try to sort ourselves out. 

The twisty jungle road from Tanah Rata to the main trunk road reminded us that we had been living in an environment totally different to that of the indigenous folk. Dogs lying by the roadside are the first indication that someone lives here. On closer inspection you can see little trails and pathways zigzagging their way up the steep forested hills and the occasional glimpse of a bamboo hut on stilts clinging to the hill side. City life and country life are at different extremes, almost too difficult to comprehend.

We rode to Port Klang with the view to research shipping the bike. Once again I was struck by some strange bug that kept me in bed for a day, and once again people have suggested that we are suffering from exhaustion.

We found the comfortable Pijangga Homestay hostel, www.pujangga-homestay.com in the Golden Triangle of KL City. Our hostel was so central being within walking distances to all the points of interest such as China Town, Little India, KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers and off course the endless shopping malls and designer clothes; the City Malays certainly know how to shop!!

We have managed to catch up with a few of the folks we met before and have benefited in particular from our friend Rosman's experiences of motorcycle travel across the world. We have had time to re-access our situation and have come to the conclusion that we are both very tired after 2½ years, 83,000-miles, 24 countries, approx 40 border crossings and too many different beds to even begin to calculate. On the strength of this we have decided to bypass India, Iran and Pakistan on this occasion and we will now ship the bike to Istanbul, Turkey and home from there. It has been a tough decision to make but we feel that we really would not do these countries justice at the moment. Once we have had a break back in the UK we plan to ride through these countries when we are fresh.

Nick has almost worn out the laptop, how did we manage without one for 1½ years? He has used it constantly for contacting various shipping agents. Even now we have many emails toing and froing with weights, measurements, dates and prices for our planned shipping. Just to add even more spice to the adventure, our Visa Credit card has just been blocked permanently by someone inadvertently pushing a button back in UK!!!  So we await card replacements due in the next 10-days!  ATM machines in Malaysia only allow us to withdraw 300MYR, or £58 at a time and our shipping bill has to be paid in cash!!!

From now on it looks like we’ll be eating naan bread or roti (Flying bread) with dahi and curry sauce which is cheap. As soon as we have shipping dates confirmed we will update you all.

Until next time, from hot and steamy KL,

Lesley

Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Penang, Malaysia; 20^th Dec 2008

 Seasons Greetings and best wishes for the New Year!!

Firstly ... Congratulations once again to Zoe and Jamie. This time they have produced a son, Elliot, a brother for Maddy. Well done guys, we look forward to seeing you in June.

Bangkok airport has been re-opened to coincide with the King’s birthday; the Prime Minister has been removed from office and they were about to appoint a new one, the 3^rd in as many months. Sceptics say that there will be no real change as the country’s economy and tourist trade plummets. The streets were almost deserted which in a way is nice for us. We had plenty of room to stroll around the narrow alleyways and streets of China Town where you can buy almost anything at a fair price. Much of the merchandise is sold in bulk to the many street vendors, the glitzier and tackier the better. By and large we have managed to resist, except for a couple of T-shirts to replace our tired old ones. Bangkok is rather like Venice, being settled on water it is easy to move around the city using the various types of boats that take you along the main river and into some of the smaller canals; it is also cheap! Yesterday I saw a sign which surprised me ... The boat company was announcing a drop in the price of fares as the price of fuel had fallen ... where else would you see this??

The slump in tourism has also affected the hotels and now several places are advertising “Pay one night and second night free” and a 20% discount on meals at the almost deserted eateries. When European Universities broke up for the Xmas break there was a sudden influx of “white skins” on a cheap trip on their student loans but other than that it is quiet. Unfortunately, within the tourist hubs, there is a certain type of tourist that makes us cringe and shrivel with embarrassment as they argue with stall holders and tuk tuk drivers over a few pence! The cheap booze and drugs which are easily accessed in the streets only adds to the more irresponsible behaviour which often finds us apologising for a stranger’s behaviour ... goodness I sound a real prude!

Part of me has enjoyed our enforced break, especially when we had new books to read and interesting people to talk to. We were lucky enough to be close to one of the King’s birthday celebrations, a massive firework display. The mortars and fireworks were so close you could feel the rush of air as they took off and then had to duck and dive to miss the falling debris ... the best display I have seen in years. We are still not feeling really fit and well but must be back on the road soon as the visa runs out on the 13^th Dec. So it was south to Malaysia to start the clock ticking again.

We were about to leave as Nick was feeling so much better when he went down with a bone-aching fever which resulted in him having blood tests for Malaria and Dengue fever, which thankfully both proved negative. Once again our departure was postponed for a few more days until the 10^th December when we eventually got back on the poor neglected bike.

On our first day back in the saddle we covered 318 miles!!! We had been a bit concerned about getting out of central Bangkok but the route was easy and straight forward, thank goodness. Even though I was still not feeling too well it was nice to be out in the cleaner air of the market gardens, rice fields and waterways. Nick commented that even though the country is in turmoil life appears to be still going on as usual for the locals, almost as though this was the norm here.

The further south we rode we began to see the palm oil trees, pineapples and banana trees with the associated roadside stalls ... this is more like it. We really are not city folks!

Nick was really enjoying being back on the bike but I was suffering. I hadn't felt so ill in years but we had to get to the Malaysian border by the 13^th and we always try to give ourselves a day in hand just in case! The border crossing was so easy. It took 45 mins to complete the formalities both sides and we were back to the smooth roads and road signs that we could actually read.  Since our last visit and the falling £pound we had to recalculate with 5.4 Ringitts to £1 instead of 6RM or 53 Thai Baht that we had been working with in Thailand.

We decided to stop on the island of Pulau Penang. Fortunately it now the school holidays and we remembered Ashok and his wife Looi, a shop and hostel owner we had met on our previous visit. We are now staying at their family guesthouse “Shalini's”, opposite the beach in Batu Ferringhi and here we will stay until after Christmas. It is the ideal place to rest and recuperate. We have even begun a fitness campaign which gets us walk/jogging along the beach first thing in the mornings. Depending on what end of the beach we go we can either enjoy watching the jet skier, para-gliders etc or we can join a few locals in the peaceful and quiet area. As we are back in a mainly Moslem country I am often woken by the call to prayers from the nearby mosque at 5am. It also amuses us to watch the fully dressed ladies and children splashing and swimming in the sea, head scarves and all.

So far we have only ventured out once on the bike when we visited the local butterfly park. It was wonderful to see these amazing colourful insects and reptiles. We spent time trying to find the brother of the large brown spider we found under the toilet seat a few days earlier. Reminder to myself ... Always check under the lid in future!!!

We will think of you all, wherever you may be, as we sit under a palm tree on our beach this Christmas. Thank you for joining us on our adventure. We now only have 6 months left of this trip when we return to UK for a while.

Our latest pictures are in our Thailand & Malaysia albums

Wishing you a Happy New Year, till next time, Lesley

Bangkok, Thailand; 2^nd December 2008

We spent the last evening people-watching in Siem Reap, Cambodia from the safety of our hotel balcony. The scene was buzzing and the streets filled with locals enjoying the festivities and music at the end of the annual boat races. It appears to me that there is no fashion code as such here. Women and children alike are often seen out and about in colourful pyjamas, day and night, and the male youth in particular are very fond of copious amounts of hair gel. Mopeds pass by with 3 or 4 passengers squeezed onboard, which seem the norm, and on several occasions I spotted 6 passengers and an assortment of balloons!  I am sure the party atmosphere lasted way into the night but I managed to get to sleep quickly with my earplugs firmly wedged in as we had a big day ahead of us.

We had asked one of the locals if rain was likely on the day of our departure as the roads would become terrible. He slowly looked at the sky and said, with a lazy smile “Not till February”. Excellent!!

Once again scare-mongers had told of the road being even “worse” as we get closer to the Thai border but it was “Same Same” as the locals say, just dirt and dust, ruts and holes and it took us 3½ hrs to cover the 100 miles to the border crossing at Paoy Pot. This is the busiest border post between Thailand and Cambodia which is why it took 4 hours to get through. Most of the time is spent waiting in passport control queues with bus loads of tourists all hot and bothered after their cramped journey. We also had to wait for over an hour while the Customs man had his after-lunch siesta which was really frustrating as we only wanted a stamp on the bike’s papers which would only take a second. Several uniformed customs men watched us and I felt that they could so easily have made the mark, but no, only the sleeping boss can use the stamp.

I telephoned a hostel in Bangkok to reserve a room for the following day and was told that Bangkok is closed for the weekend and that the only way to gain access is by boat. 10 months after the death of the King’s sister, the extravagant funeral ceremonies will be taking place throughout the city, hence the road closures. So, remaining flexible ... we decided to head for the south coast and follow close to the Cambodian border till we reach the sea at Rayong. The bike is still caked in Cambodian mud and looks out of place with all the pristine mopeds and Lexus 4x4's. We found a nice room in a hotel with a view of Jumtien Beach, a very narrow strip of sand covered in sun beds and brollies. As it’s the weekend the folks from Bangkok come here to get away from it all as it's only 3-4 hours from the city.

Nick began to develop cold symptoms but said he was feeling well enough to ride into Bangkok where we could get our Indian visas and shipping organised. I'm so glad we made the move as the following 4 days he was really unwell and had to resort to a course of antibiotics and decongestants. Medications are freely available over the counter here which is great.

On route to Bangkok we found ourselves on a very nice toll highway. Our internal alarm bells began to ring when the toll booth attendants looked shocked that we were there in the first place. There were also no other bikes to be seen. The first stop we paid 30bhat and passed through the car barrier after someone took the registration number of the bike. The second and third toll sent attendants into arm waving frenzies which we chose to ignore. At the 4^th and final toll alarm bells did actually ring and we were flagged down by one of Thailand's finest, a motorcycle cop in tight shirt, snug trousers and shiny boots. After taking our details and showing us a map and wagging a finger at us he signalled us to follow him on his bigger than usual bike.  Doing as instructed, we rode head on into 4 lanes of traffic, executed a “U” turn to get to an exit lane and eventually found ourselves in queues of traffic, coughing and belching out fumes. Oh yes, this is Bangkok as we remember it!!!  Nick’s hand-held GPS lead us directly to Lamphu House where fortunately our telephone booking had been honoured and here Nick took to his bed with aches, pains and a bit of fever.  Could it be chicken flu, Malaria or Dengue fever? It did cross our minds but the kind pharmacist next door happily announced that it was just a virus/infection that many people have here due to the change of seasons.

The medication has kicked in and Nick is thankfully on the mend.  Unfortunately, I now have the virus and realise how ill Nick must have been feeling over the past week. At least we are in a comfortable hostel, which is a quiet haven only metres from the hustle and bustle of the old town tourist traps.

Our Indian visas have been issued so we now have another full page stamp in our passports. We are a bus, or tuk-tuk and sky-rail, ride away from the huge shopping and commercial area of Siam Square which is rapidly disappearing beneath tinsel and lighting displays wishing shoppers a Happy Christmas and New Year - Is it that time of the year already???

Bangkok and Thailand are going through a period of political unrest. There are daily demonstrations by PAD (Peoples Alliance for Democracy).  We had been making progress in our plans to fly the bike to India until ... On 25^th Nov they closed the airport and an estimated 300,000 tourists from around the world found themselves stranded as their flights had been cancelled. The Police and Army are standing idly by and there have been reports of a bombing or grenade killing a couple of security officers in the early hours of the morning. Even with the closure of both airports there was a constant flow of backpackers for the first few days as they arrived by bus and train from places like Cambodia and Lao, they were probably totally oblivious as to what lay in store for them. Initially there was a certain amount of panic with people urgently trying to work out other means of getting out of town. It is good to read the morning papers for an update and often they tell us where the next demonstration will be so we just avoid that area. The centre of town seems quite unaffected by all this political unrest ... shopping goes on as usual with the addition of special “Airport closure sales”! Those travellers who are left have resigned themselves to an extended stop-over and with the Government now intimating that it will pay 2000 bhat (about £34) per day to those with an airline ticket it has alleviated some of the stress. The local stall and hotel owners however are very concerned about the lack of business and what they see as a serious loss in the tourist trade for the future.  With an estimated 60% of Thailand’s economy is based on export of such goods as flowers and silk with no way of getting them out of the country at this time, I am sure many businesses will suffer hugely in the long term.

So once again, “remaining flexible at all times” we have decided to take a detour and will head south once again. We have heard that even if the airports are opened soon it will take at least a further 3-4 weeks to clear the backlog of passengers and freight and to be quite honest ... I don't really fancy being here for Xmas.

Our stay in Bangkok will be our longest break from riding in 2 years. Maybe our current illness is a subtle way of our ageing bodies telling us to take a break.  Lamphu House has been the ideal place to rest, meet interesting people, relax and read; we have both been getting pretty tired lately. In the next few days we will visit some more places of interest and stroll around some of the backstreets into the real heart of the city, enjoying the relaxing time before we head to KL, Malaysia and then on to India.

Until then, Lesley

PS. Remember ... Our latest pictures are in our Thailand album!!!

Siem Reap, Cambodia; 12^th November 2008

On 5^th November the contingent from the USA sat huddled around the TV at the hostel in Lao watching the election of the next US President, some were more interested than others. I wondered just how many of these tourists even cast their vote before heading off on their travels. I detected the odd disappointment but strangely no outright jubilation and celebrations as I had expected. Time will tell no doubt, but there is wide scope for many improvements.

Fortunately for us the heavy rain we experienced in Vientiane, Laos occurred during the night but sadly it is causing even more problems for the farmers at rice harvest time. As we left the city we could see huge pools of surface water in the fields, on the roads and also on the vast construction sites where the Chinese are helping the financing and the building of the new stadiums for the 2009 SEA (South East Asia) Games.

Once clear of the Capital city it struck me that there appears to be a great North /South divide within this country. The roads became wider and virtually devoid of pot-holes, the houses became far more substantial with many constructed using bricks and mortar. Schools are larger and grander and their uniforms are neat and tidy.

We are riding into the flatlands now which enable people to spread themselves about more, unlike those in the hilly North who live in the raised bamboo huts which cling precariously to the side of the mountains in the swirling clouds. Once again there are rice (paddy) fields as far as the eye can see. In the north the ‘dry’ rice grown on the hills and is only harvested once a year whereas the ‘wet’ rice crop in the flat, and often boggy, south has 2 harvests.

As we head south we often ride alongside the mighty Mekong River which is gradually becoming wider. All along the river banks vegetables are grown in fertile soil which slopes down to the water’s edge. The roadside stalls are filled with small dried fish hung from bamboo stalks trying to tantalise the passers by. Pork is becoming more popular and we have seen many Vietnamese pot-belly pigs around the villages; I wonder if they realise they too will be dried and hung out as tasty morsels to accompany the sticky sweet rice so popular in the south.

We have been told that we will not be able to enter Cambodia at the most obvious border but will have to re-enter Thailand and cross a border from Thailand. It's a bit of a pain but ... remaining flexible at all times ... we stopped off at a surprisingly nice port - the border town of Thakhek. It was very quiet and laid back with a large temple overlooking the river. We enjoyed watching the sun set across the Mekong to Nankhom Phanom, Thailand. Even though the ferries ran regularly during the day we weighed things up and decided to continue further south and cross at the 2^nd Friendship Bridge which was recently opened and took us from Savannakhet to Mukdahan (Thailand). It turned out to be a very good call and the new modern immigration areas on both sides were not only very friendly but efficient and empty thus making this the fastest border crossing to date.  Within an hour of arriving at Lao passport control we were sitting in a Thai town in the company of the lady manager of the Bank of Ayudhya drinking sickly sweet coffee and exchanging a fistful of Lao Kip for Thai Bhat - What a result!

Within seconds it is obvious that Thailand is financially so much better off than Lao. It almost comes as a bit of a culture shock as we ride smoothly along the pristine dual-carriageways through smart industrial areas and into towns and cities with busy shopping centres with “Tesco Lotus” and  “Macro” superstores and the inevitable 7-11 stores at almost every garage. Just then I also remembered one of the most frustrating things about Thailand ... the signage.  Thai written word is very flamboyant and squiggly and does not appear to resemble any letters we know and understand. The frustration grows even more intense when trying to understand road signs and menus or trying to find that elusive guesthouse or hotel.  Fortunately, when it comes to toilets, there is usually a picture of someone wearing a dress! I wonder which one the “Lady boys” use?

From Thailand we could, in theory, cross into Cambodia by about 4 borders that would issue us an on-the-spot visa.  Rather than cross at the main busy route between Bangkok and Phnom Phen I suggested we try the quieter crossing south of Surin at Chong Jom. I had read in the Lonely Planet guide that the road was challenging in places and that experience was necessary when tackling these roads so I had full confidence in the “Pilot/Captain” - Will he ever forgive me I wonder?  “Yes”, it was remote. “Yes”, it was quiet, and “Yes”, now I know why!!!!

Once the formalities were completed and we entered our 23^rd country we ran out of tarmac about 15mtrs from the passport checkpoint, now a red sandy, potholed track stretched out before us. “This was “No Joke”, we had just over 60 miles of the most difficult riding conditions we have ever had through remote countryside strewn with unexploded ordnance; we really should know better by now. Nevertheless our spirits were uplifted when we realised that once again the locals are some of the friendliest people we meet on our travels. At first there is a look of surprise and amazement when they see us and then the shouts, whistles and huge smiles ... thank goodness!

This road was dreadful and I will cut this journey’s description short as reliving it is a little painful as we encountered 4 huge snakes, 9 river crossings. 2 man-made rickety bamboo bridges, about 15 proper bridges, one very rapid “get off” by me while Nick miraculously kept the bike upright, and 6hrs of eating dust and dirt as we bounced along from pothole to pothole until we eventually reached the main trunk road.

This stretch of main road is the busiest in the whole of Cambodia as it leads to Siem Reap, the center for visits to the stunning Angkor Wat and surrounding temples, the road surface is in a dreadful condition. The last 4 miles into Siem Reap is asphalt and the rest is ... yes you guessed it; a dusty, sandy, pot-holed dirt track which carries a vast amount huge lorries, endless tour busses and us!  We decided to stay a couple of days in Sien Reap and incorporate a visit to Angkor Wat then return to Thailand and asphalt heaven.

For the 3^rd time on the trip we have actually arrived in town during a festival. The 1st occasion was on the 3^rd day of our adventure when we fortuitously arrived in Montreal, Canada during the Jazz festival. The second was “Fantasy Fest” in Key West Florida, (a scary experience). The river-boat races here are held for 3 days along the river just outside our guesthouse and the streets are buzzing with locals and tourists. The air is filled with all kinds of music from good bands to terrible karaoke and the roadside is filled with stalls selling anything you could possibly want to eat, and many things you definitely wouldn't want to! The racing attracts around 50 longboats which have been hand-carved and painted and are manned by about 11 oarsmen to propel them along a short stretch of river. It is the end of the rainy season here and the river is at its highest level, hence the annual celebrations. This occasion is a fun-filled event for many; however we also observed many sad and sorry situations which left us feeling helpless and saddened by the abject poverty in this country. Small grubby children were collecting discarded empty water bottles from the ground and the bins in the hope of earning a few cents. One small 4-5 year-old boy had gathered so many bags of bottles that he could hardly hold them, but he did manage to keep a slice of waffle tight under his arm. Again we were faced with the inevitable question, how can we help? We feel that giving money only encourages begging and will not help the situation in the end, instead we feel happier in donating surreptitiously by buying snacks, fruit and small objects from the young vendors and those disabled by the deadly mines.

Our day trip to the temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayou and Ta Phohm was a real treat. The vastness of the site is incredible but the buildings in various states or ruin meant our camera was in great demand as there was a photo-opportunity at every turn among so much history and legend. Mind you, fending off the endless sales line-ups of postcards, tour-guides, silk scarves and musical flutes became exhausting but we managed and it was well worth the special ‘off road’ biking experience. And now we have to do it all over again back to Thailand.

Until next time, Lesley   

PS  Sorry boys, we didn't manage to find Lara Croft for you!!

Vientiane, Laos;  5^th Nov 08

As with many other cities, Chiang Mai is one that gently begins to open up, but only if you are patient.  First impressions were not good, too much pollution, too many ”Farangs” and a bit on the tatty side but after a few days of wandering around the narrow streets and into the numerous day and night markets the place begins to reveal itself. Every time we go out we see something different and discover a whole new labyrinth of paths and alleyways with yet more cafés, massage parlours and eateries. Tuk-tuks and small bikes are ever present. Our enforced wait for our new saddle and then torrential rain for endless hours kept us in Chiang Mai for longer than we had hoped but it gave me the opportunity to be pampered with a hair cut including head massage, pedicure and manicure. John and Mac at the Guest house were very friendly as was Keith from the Isle of Man who is a regular visitor and happily rides around Thailand exploring, not bad for a 70 going on 30 year old!!!

The new seat on the bike is great! When we see our reflections in windows I look to be the same height as Nick and I can now comfortably see over his shoulder. However, it's a bit of a climb to get to my elevated King and Queen Luxury throne, I think I need a ladder.

Lao is calling so we head to the Northern border at Chiang Khong hoping that the wonderful scenery will be repeated on the other side of the Mekong River. En route Nick had a bit of a head-banging session on two low doorways on consecutive days and now sports a crisscross of red cuts on a purple dome, and I had to administer first aid for the first time on the trip.

Crossing the Mekong River was entertaining as we watched the tourists bob about in the long boats crossing fingers as they went. We were told that we could cross in one but we declined, with all our weight we would sink like a stone.

If you ever win a game show or competition and are asked which currency would you like the prize money in....DO NOT choose Lao Kip!!! At around 15,000 to the £ it's not worth the paper it’s printed on.  We didn't get up to our 15 times tables at school so I have my handy notepad currency converter at hand.

As soon as we rounded the first few bends on the road to Luang Nam Tha I felt that I would really enjoy Lao, albeit one of the poorest countries in the world.   The peaked high hills are green with forests although there is evidence of some logging (mainly by China). The streams flow clear from the hills till they reach the muddy rivers. Wherever there is a flat spot in the valleys there are rice fields and crops of vegetables.  Along the roadside are many hill tribe villages. The homes are bamboo structures on stilts which have palm and banana leaf roofs and the surrounding earth is brushed clean of rubbish and plants. The people are so friendly and the smiles can easily out-smile those we saw in Thailand - the “Land of smiles”. Flocks of children run to the roadside to wave to us and shout hello. They are brown-skinned, black haired with huge white toothed grins but from many different tribes. Many of the younger toddlers are naked and the others wear T-shirts and shorts. The women sitting on their high balconies wave when they see us and point us out to the children. We haven't waved and smiled so much to anyone since we were in South America but we're a bit concerned about what would happen if and when we stopped at a roadside shack for a drink. Any concern was banished when we stopped to speak to a fellow traveller. Within seconds we were surrounded by children and mothers. It was my turn to give the geography lesson, inflating the plastic globe and pointing out the country flag stickers to show our route so far - Another priceless encounter.

The road hazards suddenly changed from other reckless drivers to children running to see us, dogs resting in the middle of the road, puppies chasing hens and chicks, water buffalo and calf plodding along the road and elephant poo, to name but a few. Poor Nick has probably missed some wonderful sights because he has to concentrate much harder.

We eventually arrived in Luang Nam Tha where many tours are based on the tribal village visits. But we had our own little hill tribe village visit, by pedal cycle, finishing in the dark during a rain storm and along a very muddy dirt track to a river with no bridge. A small voice from a small shape in the gloom saying in perfect Queens English “Good evening”! What an unforgettable experience!!!!(Nick will tell you more)  We had a surprise chance meeting with Ruth and Rick from the UK whom we met in Puerto Natales, Chili back in Nov/Dec 07. Their wonderful trip is almost at an end but we managed to spend some time exchanging stories and future plans.

Whilst staying  at Zuela guest house we had been chatting to a couple of researchers who have been studying the hill tribes. Apparently, on advice from other “countries”, the government has ruled that the villagers must come down from the hills and live by the roadsides as it would be easier and cheaper than building roads to them.  Sadly, in removing these forest dwellers from their natural food sources and environment, many have died from malaria or water-borne illnesses and infections. The water is pure and unpolluted in the hills and mosquitoes do not exist there so the people have no immunity to these illnesses. There is now also some underlying friction between many of the 20+ tribes that now have to live in close proximity to those with differing tribal cultures - Is this progress??

Once again we have been touched by the generosity of those who have very little. As we pulled over for a leg stretch on a quiet piece of road, a man and his mum appeared from the bushes carrying large sacks. They gave us a sample of 2 different vegetables but refused to take payment, they must have thought us in need of nourishment. Talking of nourishment, the people and children we have seen so far have all looked very healthy and fit. Not one could “pinch an inch” of fat. The combination of the natural unprocessed food and exercise makes many look fitter than athletes.  However, in some regions, poor health education means that many children die of malnutrition. The children often walk over 3 miles to school and they still have the energy to work and play until dusk. There are few cars on the roads, mainly trucks and buses so people have to walk many miles a day often carrying large heavy loads.

At the quiet village of Nong Khiaw on the Nam Ou River the scenery changed to dramatic limestone rocks that towered over us. In the morning the cloud and mist hovered over the rocks making it quite mysterious. A wander through the village led us to Tham Pha Tok, a cave where the villagers hid through the heavy bombing during the Vietnam War around 1964.  It is now peacefully surrounded by rice fields which are almost ready for harvest.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city on the banks of the chocolate-coloured Mekong River where some of the buildings do actually remind us of France. At every turn of a corner you can see the bright orange of a novice monk’s robes as they make their way to and from school or to one of the many ornate temples that appear on almost every corner. At night a road is closed for the market displaying endless stalls of tempting local crafts which are really testing my willpower. My conscience (Nick) reminds me that I have no room in my pannier and no home to return to, so I resist...this time!

The young Novice monks often join the temples aged from about 14yrs and can stay for a month or for the rest of their lives. It is an honour for any family to have a son in “robes”.  Many stay as Novices to gain an education and often if there has been a death in the family a son will become a novice during the bereavement period. On a couple of occasions it has been suggested that some  adults have had a close brush with the law will take sanctuary within the temples, publicly asking for forgiveness and don the orange robes instead of serving a prison sentence.

One of the highlights during our stay was an elephant ride through a jungle area, splashing through rivers high upon this magnificent animal’s back. It was here that I had to remind Nick that he couldn't take one home as a souvenir, a photo will suffice!!!

There are many charitable organisations based in Luang Prabang mostly directed towards the children of Laos.  All are very worthy causes and include www.Bigbrothermouse.com books for young children, www.lao-kids.org  and www.friends-international.org aimed at helping the many street kids. Our attention had also been drawn to the alarming number of deaths and injuries caused by the huge amounts of unexploded ordinance which litter the countryside.  It has been estimated that it would take 100 years to clear the most heavily bombed nation in the world of these devastating hidden killers.  At least 2 million tonnes of ordnance was dropped on the country between 1964 and 1973 and it has been estimated that up to 30% did not detonate. About half the country’s rural areas are still affected which makes farming difficult and very dangerous. The Mines Advisory group (MAG) is doing its best but people are still dying, check out - www.maginternational.org

Moving on before I really get on my ‘soap box’... Thanks to MAG we were able to visit the Plain of Jars near Phonsavan.  A really unusual scattering of large stone pots estimated at over 2000 years old. They litter a hillside engulfed in mystery and are of unknown origin. Once again the workmanship was incredible for objects of that age.

It is supposed to be the end of the “Wet season” but unfortunately there has been an unexpected very wet spell just as the rice was ready to be harvested. The peasant farmers were out cutting the rice crops by hand through driving rain in the hope of salvaging as much as possible. In some instances the rice grain has become mouldy because of the wet conditions. Already newspaper reports tell of great concerns for this year’s harvest which could have quite devastating repercussions for the locals.

Vientiane, the capital city, is a great disappointment. I had hoped that we could take a few days of “down-time” as we are getting very tired.  A combination of physical tiredness and mental/ emotional overload has left us a bit jaded.  Two years is a long time to be travelling as we have been doing, taking in as much as we can of the countries we have passed through. Maybe we have “peaked?” Or maybe it’s the depressing surrounding of the past few days and city life. We will just have to take it day by day as usual because we just never know what’s around the next bend and who we will meet next....and that’s what has been the most stimulating and exciting part of the journey so far.

Until next time... Lesley

Chiang Mai, Thailand; 18^th October 2008

I would like to quote the words of a not particularly good song,” The Heat is On!” Every time we stop the humidity hits us and we have to drink as much fluid as we can. Hydration is a bit of an issue at the moment as we are perspiring 24/7 and air conditioning units in hotel rooms add to the dehydration, but we do need the air con just for a while, (enough of this whining)!!

As we strolled along the very quiet Pranburi Beach watching pink dolphins on the Gulf of Thailand, south of Bangkok, the peace was shattered by small boys running around in the twilight brandishing sticks and playing chase. There were no adults around to supervise or to confiscate the sticks which would surely endanger life, or at the very least remove and eye. It was a case of children being allowed to use their imagination and find their own boundaries and limitations through good honest play, not something learned through computer games.

Throughout South America we watched children and families at work and play. At times we were amazed at the responsibilities put upon young children in the rearing of their siblings and day to day running of their family's small holdings. However, when these children were free of their chores they played happily with whatever was at hand. Hours could be spent with an old cycle tyre, plastic bottle on a piece of string and of course a decent stick. No one ever appeared to get hurt and most importantly there were very few rules. The same applies here in Asia although city dwellers are slightly more restricted.

On the subject of Rules ... Health and safety rules do not seem to exist here either. Pavements are uneven and disappear without any warning, holes appear without warning where the pavements may have been, the list is endless.  We saw a group of men, some barefooted, some in flip flops climbing a tall tower to extend the bamboo pole scaffolding across a road bridge. No hardhats, steel-toe-capped boots, safety harnesses, cones, lifting gear, warning signs etc. The workers were balancing as though on a trapeze wire without a safety net ... it wouldn't happen back home!!!  Then I began wonder what would happen if a group of indigenous people from the High Peruvian Andes or folks from the hill villages in Thailand visited the UK for the first time. They would be amazed at the complicated list of rules and regulations we have to abide by before attempting such a task?  I am sure they would also be horrified if not mystified by our use of the moped. Surely the moped, small motorbike or pedal cycle was not designed to transport as many people as possible with their belongings from A to B. The towns are filled with motorcycle taxi's which transport people who often sit side-saddle balancing their goods for the market. It really does make me wonder who has the right idea. I often think that the combination of our cultures would be very interesting and maybe ideal.

I have been travelling through a bit of an “emotional minefield” the past week or so, (maybe it's the dodgy hormones?)  I felt rather uncomfortable in the “Farang”, (foreigners) resorts of Phuket, hoping that the locals didn't put me in the same category as the majority of tourists in the area. Several times we have been embarrassed by loud, rude, ”white skins“ and their demands, always wanting something for nothing and not giving a thought to the waitress who earns less a month than they are spending on their next beer or ice-cream!

A walk through the pristine War Cemetery at Kanchanaburi on the River Kwai sent shivers down my spine when I saw how many lives were lost generally, but noticeable from the Norfolk regiment. The ages on the small plaques ranged from 20 to 27 years, the same age as our two lovely sons, another wake up call; even the gentle rocking of our houseboat on the river that night didn't assist the broken sleep caused by a head full of thoughts.

The roads and scenery became more interesting as we headed for Mae Sot, a very busy border town a short distance from Myanmar, (Burma). There was a real mixture of races and cultures but once again they were all busy going about their business, buying and selling their produce at the markets and trying to make a living.  For the first time I saw some children that looked as though they had walked off the film set of “The King and I”. They had beautiful almond-shaped eyes and very different from the Thai/Chinese we have been used to. There was a surprisingly large number of fellow ”white-skins” in the town . Lusy, our host, told us that they were the NGO and Volunteer workers from the Refugee camps further north.

The road following the Myanmar border was wonderful. Nick was happily smiling at the twisty narrowing roads encased by vibrant green jungle. We had been told to look out for the refugee camp but I wasn't prepared for what we saw.  A huge town of bamboo and banana-leaf huts had been erected with hardly a space between them. The houses followed the contours of the hills and were fenced off from the road. Washing hung on porches and it was so busy with people getting on with their unsettled lives.  I was reduced to tears on the back of the bike at this totally gut-wrenching sight. The people we saw on the roadside seemed happy enough but looked at us with a hint of suspicion, and they are the “lucky ones”! How strong must their will to survive be as they make the best of what they have? But it is thinking of those that have been left behind that is more upsetting.  My total admiration and respect to all those people who are working within the NGO (Non Government Organisations) and volunteer programmes within the camp and surrounding areas. I felt a very strong calling to stop and offer my assistance but do not have the skills that are really needed, mainly medical staff, construction specialists, teachers and health care advisors. I can only pass on the word.

An overnight stop at Pai acted as a soothing balm to my unsettled thoughts. Even though this small town by a river is a tourist hot spot it has maintained its “Hippy Era “ambience. Stalls were set out in the streets in the evening where local crafts were displayed for sale and delicious smells invaded the air as delicacies where being cooked over burning coals. The atmosphere was relaxing and for the first time in ages I felt as though I could let down my guard and enjoy a wander without having to fend off someone trying to sell me something

The Thai people are hard working but always seem so cheerful. Unfortunately in the cities, like here in Chiang Mai, some have been adapting a “Milk the cash cow” system.  Several scams are running usually involving very smartly dressed Thai English speakers who wish to strike up a conversation. We have come to the conclusion that the questions, though appearing quite innocent, are well planned. “Where do you come from”? Translates into “How gullible are you”?   “How long have you been in Thailand”?  Translates into “Have you been here long enough to have been warned about our latest scam”? Etc Etc. Depending on your replies their story will quickly adjust to give you something in common. For example, we realised we were being followed and knew what was coming next so stopped to look in a guitar shop window. Our stalker casually stopped to gaze into the same window as we had expected and started “the” conversation. He then went on to tell us how he longed to buy his daughter a guitar as she had played her old one so much it was broken etc etc. And then he begins to get whiney and pushy, as expected. I am sure many tourists could be very intimidated into parting with their cash thinking they were doing their own charity work but we have become hardened to it.  I find this a very sad situation.

We are now in Chiang Mai, a city where the centre is enclosed by a water-filled moat and a Wat, (Temple) on almost every street. We try our best to use the local Thai-owned hotels and restaurants wherever we stop but we are struggling to find anywhere here that doesn't have some “Ex-pat” involvement.  Only Thai people can own businesses here so many men from UK, Australia and Europe have come to Thailand to marry a Thai girl and open guest houses or restaurant. The £ or Euro goes a lot further here. Not all these marriages are made “in heaven” and certainly many end in “Hell”. We heard of one guy whose wife regularly threatens him with a meat cleaver.  It sounds as though Thai families are very close, tight-knit communities with constant access to mobile phones and contact with other “ex-pat “wives. We are told that no man is safe, the wives always know where they are ... usually in a bar!

John (an Australian) married to (Panadda) a lovely Thai lady are our hosts for the week. John took us out in his motorcycle combination to a nearby saddle repair/makers shop and we hope to be collecting our new, comfortable, Harley “hand-me-down” saddle on Monday so we can be “comfortably” back on the road again on Tuesday. Panadda directed me to her hairdressers, sending one of the girls to translate for me, where I had 15 minutes of the most wonderful head massage/shampoo before I parted company with a good 3-month worth of hot sticky hair. Since then John has been calling me George!!! Try as I might, I just can't get this grey cut out!!!!!

We have another couple of days and nights to wander around these narrow streets and investigate the markets that run day and night. Our stomachs have enjoyed a few “Western” meals such as the legendary “All day breakfasts” which have been a bit of a break from rice and curry, garlic and chilli with everything - three meals a day.  We have rattled around the streets in the early hours in a Tuk-Tuk with Keith from the Isle of Man and tomorrow we are going to watch the Motorcycle GP from Malaysia on the Irish bar's widescreen TV. It's good to do ordinary things for a change, it gives my restless thoughts a break.

Until next time, Lesley

Karen, Phuket, Thailand; 6^th October 2008.

The border crossing was easy and surprisingly fast considering the volume of people travelling between Malaysia and Thailand to be with their families for the end of Ramadan celebrations. The immigration area was thankfully undercover and we were able to get rid of our sweaty waterproof trousers and stay dry even though the skies had once again released a downpour of refreshing rain.

There was now a subtle difference as we changed countries; instead of the Muslim Mosques of Malaysia we were now enjoying ornately decorated Chinese and Buddhist temples. About 95% of Thai people are Buddhist with 4% being of the Muslim faith. Very few women wore head scarves now, most women preferring T-shirts, shorts, jeans or skirts. Where previously we had seen stalls selling looms of beautiful materials and scarves we now saw jazzy T-shirts.

The area around the border was predominantly farming land with acres of paddy fields and forests of rubber plantations with small collections of wooden houses on stilts. Pickup trucks suddenly became very popular, often stacked high with produce and people. Local transport is back to the “collectivo” type bench-seated trucks heavily laden with people and their goods traded at the frequent markets.  Huge bulls were being transported in the rear of pickup trucks and enormous piles of over-hanging bamboo are tied precariously front and rear.

The small bike definitely appears to be the main mode of transport here in Asia. I believe that the wearing of a crash helmet is compulsory but it appears as long as 1 (of the up to 5) passengers wears a helmet then they are okay!  Even when a rider has the luxury of riding solo (which is rare) he seems to forget he is alone and is still perched on the very front 2 inches of the seat. Wicker baby-chairs have also been adapted for the smaller passenger and we have often passed the family with at least 2 of the children fast asleep safely wedged between parents or Grandparents. No one seems to be at all concerned about the safety issues as they whiz through the busy traffic.

We stayed on the famous Phuket Island, the largest island in Thailand. It was very busy and touristy but we had a couple of nights in Phuket Town where we enjoyed some of the festivities of the Annual Vegetarian Festival which lasts for a week.  Apparently it is a Chinese celebration based around 5 of the town’s temples. Each day hundreds of people line the streets to participate in the celebrations. We struggled to understand why large groups of people would inflict so much pain and discomfort on themselves as they run across hot coals in bare feet, beat themselves across the body and backs with, what looked like, axes and then applied extreme, (and I mean extreme) body and face piercings, and all in the name of Vegetarianism??? The constant explosions of fire crackers and jumping jacks thrown around the streets added to the confusion and pollution but some of the vegetable dishes were still very tasty. The whole event is televised and shown on local TV stations.

On the west coast at Karon we based ourselves at the quiet end of the crescent-shaped beach and pretended we were on holiday for a few days, exposing ourselves to the hot burning sun and swimming in the clear turquoise sea. We also met up with Pico and his Thai wife Sao who have been following our adventure for a few months now. We enjoyed following him on his SilverWing with sidecar, which was a real head-turner. We also enjoyed the tastiest meal of tender pork and their great company - thanks Pico and Sao.  It is sad to say that not only have I seen the first pigs in Asia but we have eaten them.  We rode back to Karon at 11pm wearing only shirts, light trousers and sandals just like the locals do but still feeling just a little vulnerable.

Tomorrow, once again, we will look totally over-dressed in our boots, jackets and “Hood” jeans as we head north to continue the exploration of the “Land of smiles”

Until next time, Lesley

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