Natalya's Travel Blog

Bangkok, Thailand

2011-03-27T11:06:00.002+01:00

We're about to head to the airport, to start our journey back to London, via Mumbai. Our last day was good. We took a taxi to Khao San Road, and wandered around for a bit, before going to the Grand Palace. It was good to see it again and admire the glass tiled architecture. We looked around the old town, before grabbing lunch and heading back to our hotel in the Siam area. Goodbye Asia.

Seminyak, Bali

2011-03-25T23:41:00.001Z

Ubud, Bali

2011-03-25T15:54:00.001Z

On our last trip back to the teak house, I asked the driver if Ubud
had changed much over the last ten years. He confirmed what I had
thought, that it used to have rice fields, where there are now rows of
endless tourist shops, selling colourful backpacker paraphenalia. And
that with all the tourists, brings large coaches, which clog up the
narrow streets and cause traffic jams.

It felt like we were missing something. Ubud portrays an image of
being a relaxed town, surrounded by rice fields, offering plenty of
cultural experiences - until you get there that is. And while it is a
perfectly pleasant place, there isn't that much to see. The main
streets soon become boring, unless you're here to buy your own hippy
lifestyle. I kept wondering what it was that people were looking for
in Ubud? The nearest rice terrace was a car ride away. The hastle
factor has been higher than anywhere else on the trip.

Yesterday we took a trip out to Ceking, to see the nearest rice
terraces. The view during the entire thirty minute journey was filled
with shops, each specialising in a particular item, ready to export
around the world in bulk. Many of the shops sell prints and paintings,
but there is no meaning in the art, its purely commercial. Once we
arrived in Ceking, we were immediatly ponced upon by hawkers,
continually following us, asking over and over if we wanted to buy a
scalf or chopsticks, barely taking no for an answer. The view of the
rice terraces was nice, but the pictures don't show the view from the
other side of the camera. We managed to escape the hastle, once we had
walked away from the main view point, and had a late lunch in a
deserted restaurant, overlooking the terraces.

We also took a trip out to the Botanical gardens, which were located
on the edge of a rainforest, with some well maintained areas, showing
brightly coloured tropical plants and huge bamboo canes. It was a
great escape from the endless hastle of Ubud, although I was slightly
on edge, after coming face to face with more wild life than I had
intended to see, earlier that morning, having caught my first
sightings of plate sized spiders, hiding amongst some shady plants,
that I photographed. It was a fairly terrifying experience! Maybe the
spiders at home won't bother me as much, after being in Bali!

We also visited some temples, took a day trip out to the beach at
Seminyak, and walked through the monkey forest, during our time in
Bali. I'm glad that we came here, as it has been an interesting
experience, but it's not what I was expecting. Bali has changed -
especially in Ubud. There are plenty of better places to go in Asia.
For trekking in beautiful rice terrace surroundings, go to Sapa in
Vietnam. Perhaps that paradise island feel still exists somewhere on
Bali, but I'm not sure where it can be found.

Tomorrow, we are flying back to Bangkok, so for now I shall go to
sleep to the sound of frogs, crickets and geckos singing the night
chorus.

Ceking, Bali

2011-03-24T10:53:00.001Z

KajaNe Yangloni Villa, Ubud

2011-03-22T04:59:00.001Z

We've just moved to a teak villa, on the edge of a rice field. It's
stunning here.

Ubud, Bali

2011-03-21T15:24:00.001Z

We had an interesting journey back to Bangkok. We left Siem Reap at
9am, and were at the border a few hours later. We had to wait outside
for about an hour, to pass through Thai immigrations. Thankfully there
was a tarpauline to wait under, but as the queue grew, people who
arrived another twenty minutes later, found themselves waiting under
the scorching midday sun. It felt like a furnace. As we waited, we saw
lorry loads of live pigs being transported into Cambodia, some of them
were red with sun burn. It wasn't nice seeing so many of them crammed
into open topped lorries, for what was probably a few hours.
Eventually the immgration queue moved, and we were back in Thailand.

We decided to get a taxi to Bangkok airport, as we thought it was
preferable to a five hour bus ride. While it was fun on the way out, I
think we have experienced enough locals on busses and all the drama
that this entails. All was going well until a horrendous thumping
noise came from the rear tyre and we had a blow out. The driver was
able to stop, but we were on lane four of a motorway, and I was
petrified that someone would go into the back of us. People drive
really fast and across any lane on Thai motorways. Luckily the driver
was able to limp the car back, across four lanes, to do a quick tyre
change. While we were waiting, we saw someone do an undertake via the
hard shoulder doing at least 90 mph. We were glad to get moving again.

Our flight to Bali was at 6am, so I booked to stay at the airport
Novotel. We decided to get a quick snack at the hotel's very expensive
restaurant, before going into central Bangkok for dinner. Half way
through Robin's soup, he discovered one of the larger pieces of
chicken was raw in the middle. We made a big fuss, as the restaurant
had only four customers, so it wasn't as if they were stressed out.
Also, discovering your meal is raw, just before an early morning
flight, is not ideal. Thankfully Robin was fine - I'd said before the
trip, to check that every piece of chicken is cooked, so luckily he
did. We were annoyed as we had expected better things, from a fairly
squish restaurant. They didn't deal with the situation well either,
firstly trying to bring out another dish, while I had to ask them to
take away the plate of undercooked chicken from our table. This
followed by a hotel manager telling us not to worry, as the particular
dish was meant to be cooked that way. Not great customer service at
the Novotel.

We're now in Bali. We flew with AirAsia, the Ryanair equivallent. It
was fine apart from the passengers. Robin and I were catching some
sleep and had stretched out as we had three seats to ourself. I came
out of a daze to see Robin sat bolt upright, as a Chinese man had
moved Robin's legs out of the way, woken us up, and sat on the third
seat. After a lot of glarring and trying to ask what he was doing, he
was either playing dumb or genuinely had a slate missing, as he sat
there like it was the most normal thing in the world. We were in the
middle of the plane, so it wasn't as if he was sitting on a spair seat
until a toilet was free. Still annoyed at being woken up for no
reason, and the fact that the annoyance was still sat there, I
stretched my legs out, so that my feet were in his face. He then
started taking reading material out of Robin's seat pocket and tried
to put it back, around my feet. It took him far too many minutes to
get the message that he wasn't welcome, before he got up and wandered
to the front of the plane.

The Indonesian visa on arrival process was smooth enough. We exchanged
some travellers cheques, and met our taxi pickup. The journey to Ubud
was about an hour. We were surprised how narrow the roads were. The
journey was interesting, as the streets were lined with temple
entrances and statues of religious icons. Eventually we left Denpasar
behind, and drove along glistening rice fields and towering palm
trees, until our hotel. The Aniraka had good reviews online with some
enticing photos on their website, but when we got there, we were
dissapointed. I went to find a plug socket beside the bed, only to
discover layers of dirt and various tiny insects. I looked under the
wardrobe, to check for spiders, but it was layers deep in cobwebs, so
I couldn't really tell. The room itself, was dark and claustrophobic,
with a half wall between the bedroom and bathroom. We moved to the
kitchen area, only to jump a meter back, as something dark and hand
sized, scuttled up the curtains. Thankfully it was just a gecho. When
we were outside, Robin told me he saw a spider beside the bed. Not
what we were hoping for.

Back in November, I had emailed the KajaNe Mau spa hotel, for a quote.
It was way out of our budget. However, over a few emails, they had
wanted to know why we did not want to stay with them, and what our
budget was. The end result was an offer to stay in their new villa,
for half of the original price. I gave them a call and asked if they
had any availibility. They did. I forwarded the original emails and
they even honoured the price quoted in November. Within half an hour
of explaining to the situation to the Aniraka Hotel staff, and that we
had expected a higher standard of cleanliness from a hundread dollar a
night room (which is a lot in Indonesia), we were on our way to KajaNe
Mua. The spa hotel looked like something straight out of a coffee
table photobook. It's even more luxurious than the hotel in Cambodia,
but in a ultra chic, outdoor style, with infinity pools and lush
gardens with real peace lillies and other gorgeous plants. We love it
here. The bathroom has a fixed pebble floor, with a path of wooden
stepping stones. We are currently staying in one of their mansion
villas, but will move to their new villas tomorrow. Aparently, these
all have a rice terrace view in a peaceful corner of Ubud. Below, is a
quick photo of our room and the view from one of our windows.

Photos from Angkor, Cambodia

2011-03-19T12:00:00.003Z

Today was scorchingly hot. This morning we went out to Banteay Srei, followed by Ta Som, Pre Rup, East Mabon and Preah Khan. Going out to the more remote temples seemed to increase the desparation of the hawkers, some just young girls. As soon as our tuk tuk arrived at a temple, we were surrounded by desperate pleas to buy from them. I came away with a few more wooden bracelets and some place settings.

The temples were stunning. I also have a new favourite - Preah Khan. With similarities to Ta Prohm, but larger. Around every corner was another exquisite display of 12th century stone work, against a backdrop of forest green.

Tomorrow we will do the overland journey back to Thailand, so tonight we have been making the most of our hotel, sitting in the tranquil grounds, sipping fruit smoothies as the sun goes down. We will miss this place. I hope our hotel in Bali will be as nice.

Angkor, Cambodia

2011-03-18T16:14:00.000Z

Some photos from Ta Prohm...

Siem Reap, Cambodia

2011-03-18T15:35:00.004Z

Yesterday, we made the overland trip from Thailand into Cambodia. After a four bus ride we made it to Aranyaprathet and took a tuk tuk to the border. Rather than being the border, it was a visa agency, who ripped us off slightly for the visa. I insisted on paying US Dollars, but they said things had changed and we had to pay in Thai Baht. Not being sure of the current situation, it was difficult to argue. However, they arranged a taxi driver, for the two and a half hour ride from Poipet to Siem Reap, at $50 dollars, which was just less than I paid six years ago, so I was happy with that. Our driver was really nice, however towards the end of the journey, he told us about the taxi mafia, and that he had to drop us off in Siem Reap, to his 'friend', a tuk tuk driver, otherwise he would get into trouble back at the border. Assured that the tuk tuk ride was free, and that the driver just wanted our trade, while we were touring Angkor, we agreed.

We arrived at the Borei Angkor Resort and Spa Hotel, which was even more luxurious than I had imagined. We were greeted with a glass of pandan juice and a sticky rice cake, before being shown to our room. With lots of dark wood, and a colour scheme of green, gold and the occasional purple orchid, it feels very tranquil. Their spa facilities and pool look tempting, although we are not really here long enough to make use of them.

The restaurant was a little intimidating to start with, as our wardrobe wasn't quite ready for five star dining, but the food was amazing. This morning, they provided the best breakfast buffet that I have ever seen. There was a large choice of tropical fruit, cooking stations with hot food made to order - such as the delicious rice noodle and pak choi soup that I enjoyed, and many hot dished with Western style cooked breakfast items, such as a gormet eggs benedict, to oriental rice based dishes. Tomorrow, I shall definitely be going to breakfast a lot earlier.

We took a tuk tuk out to the temples, and took many photos of intricate carvings, as we explored Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat. We're here out of season, so the temples were a lot quieter than the last time that I was here.

Tomorrow we are going to see some temples a bit further away, including some that I haven't seen, which I'm looking forward to. We also have a new driver, as we told the previous one that we had decided on a spa day, as we weren't happy with him. While we appreciated that he had a family and wanted to make money, he didn't help himself, by telling us that it was too far to go back to Siem Reap for lunch, and that there were 'restaurants' around the temple complex. I told him that we didn't eat at them, using my allergies as an excuse for it being difficult (as opposed to the stalls being known for their food poisoning). Thankfully, I had a few snack bars on me, so I had those and we bought extra cold drinks. Not breaking for lunch, meant that we nearly had some parts of Angkor Wat to ourselves, which was great, as we got to wander along the outer corridors, reading the bas-relief carving. They depicted battle scenes with men, horses, elephants and lions, as well as the occasional god. Afterwards, we got the driver to drop us into town, to look around the old market and I bought a few wooden bracelets. I'm hoping now that my wrists are adorned, the street hawkers will give me some peace, but probably they'll just try to sell us something else.

Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thailand

2011-03-18T15:10:00.002Z

During our time in Bangkok, we saw many different sides to the city. From the futuristic sky train stations, to the tranquil Lumpini Park, with its collection of labelled trees. My allergies made eating out tricky, so after a few days of eating fried rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I felt in need of something more substantial. After flicking through the guide book, we decided on Le Bouchon, a French restaurant with particularly good reviews. What the guide book didn't mention, was that Le Bouchon was situated in the heart of Bangkok's red light district, so I was quite surprised to hear all the calls for various 'shows' as we walked down the brightly lit road. Eventually, I realised that the name 'Patapong' was familiar from the series, 'Big Trouble in Thailand', where tourists are regularly scammed by lady boys.

The restaurant itself, was nearly hidden, midway down Patapong I, with an extremely dark interior. Somehow we could just about make out the moving wall of insects, and I spent my meal doing what must have looked like, thumping the wall with my umbrella, in an attempt to keep a stray cockroach at bay. However, we were greeted in French, (which felt like we were somewhere civilised), and the food was superb. I enjoyed a great tasting fillet of lamb, before deciding that it was time to leave, before we saw the cockroach again.

The next day, we took a trip to Ayutthaya, and headed for the old town center by tuk tuk, to visit Wat Mahathat. We wandered around the spacious temple complex, looking at the six hundred year old architecture. We stopped off for lunch at an eclectic Thai cafe, for more fried rice, and a break from the heat, even though the thunderstorm and heavy rain on our arrival, made it cooler than my previous visit. We also visited Wat Prah Ram and Wat Yai, before getting the train back to Bangkok. It was good to get away from the traffic noise and pollution of the capital for a while.

Bangkok, Thailand

2011-03-17T02:37:00.001Z

Mumbai, India

2011-03-14T17:25:00.005Z

Mumbai has been a complete surprise. The locals are delightful. Everyone has gone out of their way to be friendly and helpful, which found Robin and I posing for a photo on a Royal Enfield after the owner saw us photographing the bike. Robin had a bindi painted on his face and some colourful string tired around his wrist and my quest for a gluten free dinner was solved.

We took a taxi from the airport into Mumbai, which involved cars, tuk tuks and the occasional cow taking every spair inch of what should have been a two laned carriageway. All the vehicles tooted and jostled for space. We passed some slums that we recognised from recent documentaries, which were a sharp contrast to the brand new skyscrappers.

Our hotel is great. It does feel as if we have stepped back in time. Everyone is very formal and attentive, but also genuinely warm hearted.

We braved the 35 degree heat and went to explore the city. We wandered around the Fort area and went to see Victoria station. There's some stunning colonial architecture. We took a taxi out to the Gateway of India and watched the crowds gather for the sunset, looking out to sea. We found a French restaurant nearby, and intended just to stop for a drink, but their stunning menu persuaded us to order dinner.

I was dreading trying to convey that I couldn't eat gluten, lactose, nuts or chilli, but I found a suitable steak and vegetable dish. The waiter was so attentive and even took my translation card to the chef to make sure there were no problems. I was so impressed by the willingness of the waiter, to cater to my awkward requirements without any fuss. The steak was delicious, which was equally unexpected as I wasn't sure what the quality of meat would be like. It was a great meal. We wandered around the city a bit more before heading back to the hotel to repack for Thailand.

We've loved our time in Mumbai. It has a great atmosphere and feels like one of the friendliest cities in the world.

A weekend in Marrakech, Morocco

2009-03-01T19:11:00.004Z

We arrived in Marrakesh slightly jaded, after a two am flight, already delayed from London. Thankfully our riad owner had sent us a taxi, so ten minutes later we were in the familiar surrounds of the old city walls. The streets were deserted, as the taxi wound it's way to the edge of the souk and stopped. The rest of the journey was on foot, through narrow streets and dark alley ways. Eventually we arrived at our riad, in the heart of a residential district. We were ushered inside and straight to our room, where we briefly admired the decor and fell asleep.

The following morning, we were woken by the faint sounds of children being sent off to school and people walking in the alley way below. We stayed in Riad Badra, a beautiful homely riad, with friendly staff who immediately made us feel welcome. A breakfast was prepared for us, consisting of various breads, jam, coffee and juice, in a cosy living room of low down seating and mosaic tiled walls. I loved this riad straight away, painted in warm red shades with a gorgeous selection of Moorish furnishings. The atmosphere was relaxed and tranquil, just what we needed to wake up to.

By mid morning, we found ourselves wandering through the maze of souks, to the familiar grounds of the main square, or Jemma el Fna as its known. Our riad was located to the north of the souks, so this area of Marrakesh was new to me. We passed endless stores of spices and colourful skins, stretched over frames, to form decorative lamps. Unusually, we were not approached by sellers and left alone to continue through. I think as soon as they spot your pace slowing and your head turning to look at something that catches your eye, the store holders pounce and begin calling after you. I find the solution is usually to smile and say, non Merci, while continuing to walk forward.

Already, the sun felt quite hot by the time we had made it to Jemma el Fna. So we decided to go for mint tea, at the Princes patisserie on Rue Bab Agnaou. There is always something calming about a glass of mint tea before going out to face the chaos and intensity of Marrakesh, with street hawkers and entertainers on every corner. We decided to do something touristy for a change, and took an open tour bus around the city. It was the perfect amount of distance, letting us observe the city, while being free from the endless interaction from people trying to sell things or just make money from the nearest tourist. We took the romantic route, which led us around the palmeries on the edge of the city. I enjoyed looking out across open views of palm trees with the mountains in the distance, especially after the bustling streets of Marrakesh.

We arrived back in the new town, where we decided to have lunch. We looked at the menu of quite a few cafes until finding one that we liked the look of. We were led inside, but the place stank of smoke, so the waiters found a table for us outside. We both ordered chicken brochette with fries, but the meal was a disappointment as the chicken was pink in the middle. Under cooked meat seems to be a feature of Marrakesh and I recommend going vegetarian (their cheese is best avoided) or only eating meat in expensive restaurants.

We returned back to our riad, to enjoy the late afternoon sun, while relaxing on the roof terrace with a book.

In the evening, we had dinner at Narwama, a previous favourite restaurant of mine, complete with strong cocktails, a water feature that shoots flames into the air and a luxurious decor. They do a Thai and Moroccan themed menu, with far more flavour than the surrounding restaurants. Also, they seem to be one of the few places that consistently served properly cooked meat and a choice of something other than tagine.

The following morning was sunny and I felt very relaxed. Despite it being my fifth visit to Morocco, there were parts of Marrakech that I hadn't explored and wanted to. One of these areas was the grounds of the Koutoubia. I enjoyed wandering though gardens of cacti, on to well kept pathways with orange trees on either side, heavy with fruit and birds chirping away. There were plenty of benches to sit on, looking out across green hedges to the Koutoubia with fountains in the foreground. We headed to Portofino's for a lunch of pasta and a view back to the Koutoubia.

In the afternoon, still intent on trying things that I had never done before, we took a celeche around the old city walls. After a discussion over price, we settled on half an hour for 100dh. We sat in a carriage as our driver shouted and whipped the horses to trot. He had a brief tour around the old city walls and through an exclusive part of town with new hotels and casinos. The experience was fairly forgettable and not something I would recommend, but I wanted to try it in case I was missing something.

Once back in Jemma el Fna, we went into the souks and did some shopping. I bought a bag of harissa for 20dh and mint tea for the same. We also bought some colourful fabric poufs for the living room and made our way back to the riad. We spent the last day light hour exploring the residential area in the north east of the souks, with its beautiful doorways.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

2008-07-04T11:48:00.006+01:00

Buldging watermelons were placed under shady parasols, stacked on top of each other in a great mound. I followed the flow of people to a blue tiled dome, expecting to find the main market, but instead, I discovered a collection of spice vendors. I walked around the maze of tables and back into the outdoor stands. The sun was piercing, as it beat down upon the stalls of clothes and toiletries. Expecting to find a section of handicrafts and local fabric, I continued to wander. I was unsuccessful and found the Chorsu Bazaar to be dissapointing, with little of interest to someone with no desire to purchase a broom or a synthetic tshirt. However, the people were quite charasmatic, only noticing that I wasn't local when I brought out a camera. There is an Asian look to the people, with a strong Russian influence.

Compared to other Uzbek cities, begging has become quite noticable in both Samarkand and Tashkent. I wonder how much of this is due to tourism, with small children being taught to ask for money and how many tourists have previously handed them a note, so that now they come to expect it from foreigners. As I walked around the entrance of a mosque, I was followed by a young boy and a girl, who grabbed at my arm and skirt, asking for money. There were no signs of desperation, the girl seemed quite indignant about getting something. I was surprised at the mothers attitude, seemingly completely calm about her children pestering a tourist, as they stood waiting at a bus stop.

Tashkent seems such a vast city, that taxis are an essential mode of transport. It is too hot to walk for any distance. We are staying at the Hotel Grand Orzu, which is perfectly acceptable, but nothing special. The swimming pool was a dissapointment. A tiny plunge pool with cloudy water and a guy trying to skim away the dead flies, in an attempt to entice us in. Considering that the hotel is located on the edge of the city, it seems to lack reasons to stay there, since it is so far from the metro station or any of the old sites.

Last night we all went out for a group meal, as three of us are leaving the tour tomorrow. Our guide recommended the Sim Sim Cafe, a great restaurant with an extensive menu of local dishes. I ordered a vegetable salad, which they did very well, and a green shi soup. I was puzzeled that my soup was infact red and seasoned with paprika, nothing like the parsley flavoured green shi that I had eaten in Samarkand. I gave the soup to Jallel to eat and ordered some fries with ketchup, which arrived with chilli flakes in. The rest of the food in Uzbekistan has been surprisingly chilli and paprika free. A disco began in one of the rooms downstairs while people ate, although the dancing wouldn't begin for many hours. In another room, a cabaret act began to set up.

Tonight, a few of us are going to a Syrian restaurant, known for providing some of the best cuisine in town. I think after eating so much greasy kebab meat, we are all longing for a delicious dinner.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

2008-07-02T07:44:00.004+01:00

I have to admit that I found Samarkand a little dissapointing, after the atmosphere of Khiva and Bukhara. The city does have some beautiful architecture, mainly consisting of Registan square, with a collection of mosques and medresses, but surrounding that is a busy road and with modern buildings, all slightly dirty. There are a few parks with trees and concrete pathways, which provide shade and a hang out for local teenagers but the area lacks the relaxed feel of other Uzbek cities. Many aspects remind me of a typical Asian city, with run down buildings and dirty food stalls, except Samarkand has retained an exquisite center piece, with a few ornate buildings scattered amongst the monotonous sprawl of grey.

We are staying at B&B Private Hotel Furkat, which is so bad that I felt compelled to photograph it, as on the first night, a few of us sat around laughing at how terrible it is. The good news is that a lot of building work is going on and there are plans for a restaurant and proper rooms, so perhaps in the future it could be really nice. The staff do try their best and are quite accomodating with the resources that they have. Unfortunately, we have been staying there for the last few nights. Upon arrival, the first room we were given was in line with the afternoon sun, furnace like inside, with no sign of the tired airconditioning unit even switching on. In the last few hotels, we have had the hottest rooms and we were getting a bit fed up of it, particularly at the previous hotel, when I spent the first night sleeping on a table in the court yard because I couldn't bear sweating all night and not feeling any breeze. We were moved to another room on the ground floor, with a toilet so fowl smelling, the stench was visable even when the door was closed. With the thought of being here for three nights, and the smell a permenant result of blocked drains and the road being dug up on the other side of the hotel, I asked if there was another room we could be moved to. I had a tour of the hotel, as I was led into five different rooms, trying to decide the things we could live with, such as a clear glass door to the bathroom, if a room had air conditioning, or the smell of sewage if the electricity worked. In most of the rooms either the bathroom smelt horribly or power lines were not able to run the airconditioning. Eventually the best option was a dark and dingy room, with hideous fifties decor, containing a working air con unit. The bathroom door was unable to close completely and would have looked more inkeeping on an industrial fridge, with a hole in the floor for the shower to drain, yet with a flat floor, taking a shower with a door that wouldn't close ment that the bedroom would be flooded. A quarter of the bathroom was taken up with a ridiculous looking boiler, which was most uneffective. The main door to our room in unable to close also, with no facility to lock at night, so I sleep with my bag of valuables and hope for the best. At least I have a room mate and we are above the ground floor. Our local guide reassures us that the next hotel is a nice one.

Aydarkul Lake, Uzbekistan

2008-07-01T10:46:00.003+01:00

After a few dodgy stomachs, we got on the truck to head to a yurt camp between Bukhara and Samarkand. I faired pretty well compared to some, with only minor aches after eating at the local pondside restaurants. I think that the salad and noodle dishes didn't do any favours.

We arrived at the yurt camp in the afternoon and a few of us took a camel ride through the desert. It was a brilliant experience and my camel had a pleasant temperment, providing a smooth ride across the sand. I was lead by a young boy, who knew exactly how to handle the
fearsome beasts, one of which continually huffed, as another screamed out in protest, suddenly sitting down after being led just a few meters. It was a memorable way to spend the end of the afternoon, as long shadows formed on the sand and the sun lowered in the sky, as our camels meandered back to camp.

The yurts are beautiful, with colourful fabric covering the wooden framework and comfortable mattresses placed on the floor.

A meal was prepared for us, with a wonderful salad of grated carrots, beetroot, cabbage and potatoes, accompanied by a local vodka which was recommended to stop us from getting ill. Our guide told us that the local people always drink vodka followed by green tea during a meal, so I am doing the same.

I had a good night sleep in the yurt, under several blankets. The following morning we got up early and drove towards Samarkand, stopping at a beautiful lake along the way. Some people swam and a few of us wandered across the sandy hills, for a stunning view of turquoise waters in the middle of the desert. It was a very tranquil place.

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

2008-06-28T12:41:00.004+01:00

Bukhara is another gorgeous city, with a walled part, housing its historic city, with beautiful mosques and medresses. The ornate archways lead to shady retreats, often revealing handicraft stalls and carpet sellers. We stopped by one today and a lady asked us where we were from, and upon replying England, she proceeded to talk to us, keen to practise her English. We discussed many things, such as comparing the cost of living, her marriage to her husband at the age of nineteen and how she was unable to travel to America, despite paying one hundred dollars for a visa. Travel really does seem very difficult here for local people, even if they can save up the money. The lady thought that once she reaches thirty five, getting a visa to travel will become easier. Perhaps things will change slowly, although international news websites appear to be blocked in Uzbekistan.

Yesterday we had a walking tour of the city, by our guide, Jallel, an intelligent and witty character who has sussed out the group dynamics very quickly, noticing who wants to eat together and the few people that we would rather loose. We went to a street cafe last night and ate beef kebab, which arrived on an impressively large skewer. The seating area is raised from the ground and resembled sitting on a large bed with a table in the middle. Underneath us, an assortment of cats, geese and a the occassional dog wandered past the tables. Occassionally a fight would break out amongst the animals and a goose would run past, scattering my flip flops across the cafe floor. It was a fun experience, and Jallel, our local guide came and sat with us in the evening as we chatted. It feels like I am learning a lot about local life through the poeple being so friendly and honest.

This afternoon we visited a tea house and enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere, sampling local tea flavoured with herbs and spices, accompanied by various sweet treats such as sultanas and sugary seed cakes. I wandered through market stalls and bought a few local items to bring back and found an internet cafe that works, as things like internet and mobile phone signal seem to be very tempermental here.

Khiva, Uzbekistan

2008-06-25T14:32:00.005+01:00

Upon arriving in Khiva, it felt like I had found what I came on this trip for. A city guarded by solid sand stone walls, with baked bricks forming medresses and minerets, decorated with turquoise tiled conicals. It really is completely magical, and our hotel is right in the heart of the old town. From the roof terrace, there is a fantastic view of Islamic styled architecture, from ornate mosaic tiles to plain, sand coloured domes, as local boys ride bicycles and men push carts on the road below. Although this city was restored a few years ago, it still holds a lot of charm and te people here are keen to say hello, seeming genuinely happy to see us and speak a few words of English.

On our first night, the hotel prepared a fantastic meal for us, as the table was adorned with bread, nuts and dried fruit. Our host brought out small bowls of bean and beetroot salad and another dish of fried vegetables, with tomatoes and aubergine. Our starter consisted of a watery soup, with a few chunks of meat, floating next to potatoes. The main course was peppers, stuffed with meat and rice, accompanied by more potatoes and a selection of vegetables. Plates of watermelon and apricot were dispersed amongst the table for dessert. It felt like quite a feast and I was very happy with all the fruit and vegetables, after what felt like a week of snacking on crisps and packet marble cake, in order to satisfy my hunger. It seems like the variety of fruit available here is good.

We went for an evening stroll, and as we passed peoples houses, small children would wave and say goodbye to us, which was quite funny, so we said hello and the child looked quite confused, and eventually smiled and said hello. As we continued walking we then said 'bye'. The streets felt completely safe as children could play in the street after dark and old ladies would smile at us. We ended up in a tea house, sitting on low down furniture, sipping our choice of lemonade, beer and tea. It was a good end to the day.

The morning we had a delightful breakfast of bread, fried egg, pancakes and jam in a large dining room, before setting off, for a tour of Khiva. We have a new guide, who is enthusiastic and opinionated, putting great energy into telling us about the city, which is the oldest in Uzbekistan, interspersed with jokes and great insight into an observation of religious trends of new Islam, and whether the country is ready for religious freedom. He has a great mind for such topics and seems to take a very pragmatic approach to life. It has been interesting, listening to him talk about such subjects, particularly regarding young people who get into Islam without understanding the true values, which trying to combine a modern lifestyle with old traditions, in a way that isn't always successful.

We visited many wonderful medresses, in a city surrounded by an astounding display of architecture, each with their own embellishment of hand painted tiles, forming star shapes and circular patterns. We exit through wooden doorways, with carvings as intricate as the patterns on the walls. The city is so peaceful, with just a handful of tourists, discovering the secrets of central Asia, the architectural delights remain absent from the minds of most Westerners, whose idea of a holiday consists of little more than a beachside villa on mainland Spain, rather than something more adventurous. Khiva feels like an entirely different land, far removed from the Western world in both style and culture, having developed on a seperate path from the heritage that I am familiar with. I am looking forward to seeing more of Uzbekistan. Already, this is a place that I would like to return to, with people to share the experience with. It utterly preceeds my expectations, and runs only in parallel to Cambodia, for a place so visually stunning with likeable, easy going people.

The Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

2008-06-25T14:14:00.004+01:00

Since leaving Ashgabat, the following two days consisted of a long drive through the Karakum Desert, with sand dunes and heards of goats, scavaging for food. On the first night, we set up camp and pitched our tents as a family of wooly brown goats wandered over. I hearded them away from the cook group, who were trying to prepare dinner, and towards some discarded watermelon skins, which they happily chomped on. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, a few men on motorbikes passed through the dust track, and waved to us, all inquisative as to what we were doing. We must look quite an odd sight to locals, with a big orange truck and our dome tents.

As night fell, it was arranged for an old Russian truck to pick us up and take us to a flaming gas pit, with eruptions of fire, in a huge gas crater. Spurts of gas seemed to escape from the edges of the ground, creating swirling twisters of dust. Moths swooped over us, diving towards the flames in this apocalyptic vision of hell.

Taking the truck to and from the pit was an adventure in itself, as we stood in the back, griping onto a rickety bar, as the truck reved up, over sand dunes and ducking sharply down the other side, with a short beam of light providing the only warning of our unpredictable terrain. We clung on, during a journey that resembled a rollar coaster, hoping that such a primitive vehicle was up to the task of negotiating bumpy sand hills. It was an amazing experience, especially the gas crater, the heat that it produced and the contrast of the flames against the surrounding blackness.

The following night, we bush camped near a river, where some people took a swim, while dinner was prepared. The camp meal usually consists of potatoes, tomatoes, meat and anything that can be found at the local markets and cooked on our gas stove. Tonight the guys cooked us a meal of pasta, with onions and sausage in a tomato sauce. There was a beautiful sunset, which we watched dissapear being our tents. A camp fire was made, and we sat around what has been dubbed the 'bush television', eating our dinner and chatting away until we were sleepy enough to go to our tents.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

2008-06-25T13:50:00.010+01:00

In the morning we drove to Ashgabat, passing Turkmenbashi Ruhy, the second biggest mosque in Asia along the way. It had glimmering gold domes, and a pool of fountains in front of the entrance. It was an impressive sight. The city of Ashgabat is quite a surreal place, built to indulge the fantasies of one man, as white marble buildings line the streets, with gleaming domes of blue and gold. The layout is grid like, with impossing marble building running in parrallel, and gardens blocked into rectangles. Golden statues and tranquil blue fountains are the normality here, and we accended the arch of neutrality for a birds eye view over the Sim City-esque creation. We tried to take photographs of the main square, but were stopped, the guards presuming our cameras were wide angle, capturing the forbidden presidentual buildings. We had to cross the roads precisely on the white lines, and where there were no lines, we were waved to the subway. Police and military guards continually stood on duty, around the city and even said hello to us.

On our walk around Ashgabat, we paused at the theatre and sat in the grounds, as local women gathered for a performance. Their dresses were so colourful and they smiled as we looked over, so I approached a few groups and photographed them. This seemed to cause much amusement, as the ladies laughed, revealing gold covered teeth. Many people seemed to know a few words of English.

A golden statue of Turkmenbashi on top of the Arch of Neutrality - there are lifts that go up to viewing platforms where you can photograph the city below.

We discovered the Russian market, with huge stalls, including an enticing display of homemade cake, so I sampled one with layers of rich chocolate and vanilla sponge, which was huge. The same portion may have served three people, in England. So all caked up, we returned to the luxurious hotel, to relax in an air conditioned room. The following day I enjoyed swimming in a beautifully clean, outdoor pool, as temperatures reached forty degrees.

In the evening we went to the English Pub out of curiosity as much as to make the most of a steak dinner, before heading off into the desert. The steak was good, although the tiramisu was a bit disapointing. They had an extensive drinks menu and did good cocktails. By eleven pm, a disco began, so we joined the locals on the dancefloor and enjoyed a lively night, with a Russian football game on the big screens, and dancers celebrating as their team won. We took a taxi back to the hotel in the early hours, for a few dollars. The eleven pm curfew seemed relevant to the streets, rather than being in a restaurant or club, particularly being seen walking infront of the presidentual buildings, so we made the most of a good night out.

The following morning we visited the Ashgabat market, a few km out of town. There was a lot of interesting jewelery, traditional Russian hats, fabric, carpets, clothes and just about everything that a community would need. The market stretched across a huge distance. I bought bags of fresh bread and a watermelon for the journey. I also managed to find a pretty wooden necklace for myself.

The Ferry from Baku to Turkmenbashi

2008-06-25T13:16:00.008+01:00

I had been trying not to think about the twelve hour boat ride between Baku and Turkmenbashi, but inevitably that day arrived and it was time for me to face the journey. We left our hotel around midday, as confirmations were made that the ship would be going to Turkmenistan and not to somewhere else. For quite a while this was unclear, so we made our way to the harbour, hoping that our appearance would speed things up. We watched huge lorries and even train carriages drive onto the ship, as railway sleepers extended onto the ferry floor. We were stamped out of Azerbaijan and by three pm we were on board Ms Mercury.

The ship was larger than I imagined and very sturdy. I had a twin cabin, which was perfectly adequate, with a desk, bunk bed, an ensuite bathroom with a shower and sink. These were the best cabins at one hundred dollars each, and thankfully came lacking the cockroaches that I had expected. It was quite a relief that we had our own Western style toilets and not some grim, communal squatter. There were a few communal areas and a basic restaurant, which would cook dishes like chicken and chips or lamb and chick peas for a few dollars should you wish. There was a fridge with a selection of water, coke and fanta for sale at a dollar, but not a lot else. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, we set sail at eleven pm. We ate some cold pizza and a few snacks that we had brought with is and went to sleep. We had the windows open, as it was good to have a breeze in our cabin but the sound of the wind gusting in and the crashing of the waves was so loud, that I put my earplugs in to sleep.

The following morning I awoke to the gentle lull of turquoise blue water and passed the day by sitting out on deck, under a shady pillar. I ate my way through a bag of snacks and read a book about the life of a Japanesse family, through the eyes of a cat. In the afternoon they put down the ankors and we remained stationary, waiting in a queue of ships, for our place to dock. Mid afternoon, we began to move again, and by five pm we had docked. It took another six hours for us to pass through immigrations, by which point we had reached the curfew and were unable to drive to our camping ground.

We have a young and enthusiastic guide, who brought us some containters of meat, potatoes and salad, which was promptly consumed on the waiting room floor. We were all so hungry by this point as it felt like hours since the food that we were given for lunch. The various containers of cooked beef, pork, lamb and fish tasted delicious, and we were delighted with the baked jacket potatoes and dishes of chopped cucumber and tomato. We tucked in, to the envy of the local people, who were now trying to sleep across the plastic seats.

Due to the eleven pm curfew for tourists, we had to camp outside the immigrations building, and began to pitch our tents in the dimly lit car park, just as the wind began to pick up. We met some local people who had been waiting all day to get the ferry to Baku, and would still have to wait longer, since they were told that a storm was coming and the ship would not be leaving the port. I thought how lucky were, to get in when we did, rather than being stuck out at sea, in turbulant waters.

I put up my tent and tried to sleep, but when I could see the street lights from the gap that the top sheet left behind, having risen a foot from the base of the tent, I knew that it wasn't going well. I lay on my sleeping mat, constantly buffeted by the wind and decided that with a storm on its way, things would only get worse. I slept on the back seat of the truck, and watched the guide's tent rolling around the car park, upside down. I went to see if he was trapped in it, but no one answered when I called. Several people tried to move their tents in the night, to somewhere less windy but it was a fairly fruitless task.

The following day we called by a market stall at Turkmenbashi and bought ingredients for dinner that night. Most of the day was spent driving through various stages of dried mud landscape, dry and desert like until early evening, when we set up camp outside an underground lake. I was awakened in the night to the sound of rain drops, but fell back to sleep shortly after.

Baku, Azerbaijan

2008-06-17T07:04:00.007+01:00

I've been in Baku for a few days. The first was spent wandering around the new town, through wide shopping boulivards with shimmering water fountains, in persuit of a pirate costume. In order to make the ferry crossing slightly less dull, we will be having a pirate fashion show. With a budget of a few dollars I have been scouring the local markets and second hand shops for bandanas, tops to cut up, pirate badges and trashy bracelets. We each picked out someone else to dress up, so later tonight, I may discover my outfit, as we board our ship. I stocked up at a supermarket and have a large bag of food and drink, incase we end up on board for days.

In the evening we were treated to a stunning fireworks display over the sea front, as it was a national holiday. I had a brilliant view from my fifteenth floor hotel room.

Yesterday we had a local guide who gave us a walking tour of the old town. We saw some gorgeous architecture with ornate carvings and archways, as well as the Maiden Tower, which unfortunatly was closed so we couldn't climb it. We were also shown a few very atmospheric
caravanserais, with their stables and guest rooms converted into restaurants. Eventually we stopped for lunch, where I enjoyed the local dish of dolmas, meat and rice wrapped in edible vine leaves.

By the end of the afternoon I joined the crowds of locals, walking along the sea front in their best summer dresses. Bright colours are very fashionable here, especially yellow, with many friends wearing nearly identical tops. Couples and families seem to gather at the refreshing fountains, to talk and eat ice creams. There is also a permanent fair ground further down the promenade with remote controlled cars for children to drive around in. The whole city feels very cosmopolitan and upbeat, with its liberal attitude and well maintained buildings. I have enjoyed spending time here.

Mud Volcanoes, Azerbaijan

2008-06-16T19:51:00.006+01:00

The journey to the boarder was fairly uneventful, as an official came onto our truck to gather passports, reading our names and staring intently at us. Eventually they were returned to us and two hours after arriving on the Georgian side, we set off into Azerbaijan. The air was noticeably drier, the sun hotter and the fields golden with corn. At least I know that the bread will be plentiful.

Our accommodation for the night was at the grand Caravanserai, a gorgeous inn, famous for providing food and a bed for passing traders, with a large wooden door and a beautiful domed ceiling. There was a courtyard in the center with plants and seating, providing a peaceful retreat.

The journey the next day was long and consisted of driving through hours of nothingness with the occasional rocky sand dune. We stopped by an inland lake for lunch, which was a beautiful spot, sparse and dry apart from the shimmering water. Our cook group put out a selection of bread, meat, cheese and veg, and then we were on our way again.

In the evening we camped on a hill surrounded by mud volcanoes and began to prepare the evening meal to the bubbling eruptions and the sound of mud trickling out. Dinner was a success as we peeled and soated potatoes with sausages and tomatoes. Gradually the sun went down, leaving a gorgeous red glow over the mountains and a sky full of stars. The gurgling sound of the mud erruptions was a little disturbing for sleeping to, so I put in my earplugs and slept deeply until the morning. I awoke to the hurried clanging of boxes being put back into the truck, as rain clouds had formed and we needed to leave before we would be stuck. Where we were camping is very dry and it rarely rains but we couldn't take the chance.

The drive back was an interesting one, as the drivers tried retracing the sandy track we had taken previously, but somehow we were on a different path which led us around a maze of never ending gas pipes and a railway line. Eventually we found civilisation and a smooth road, which took us towards Baku. We stopped off at a display of Petroglyphs on the way, with ancient carvings of bulls, hunters and primitive boats.

Telavi, Georgia

2008-06-16T12:53:00.004+01:00

Today I left the luxury of my hotel room for the truck and we made our way towards Telavi, stopping at the newly renovated tourist town of Signagi along the way. The town felt very out of place, with its picture perfect facades and decorative window boxes, after all the delapidated buildings of nearby Tbilisi. There were police on every corner, maintaining the sense of peace, as hordes of Georgian tourists flocked to the newly created Pleasantville, to pose against the sparkling fountain and take a yellow tourist bus out to the boundary walls.

A huge amount of money had been spent on turning this town into an attraction, so much so, that it felt like a themed city, sterile and false, with a hint of something sinister, underneath the artificially created surface. The surrounding landscape was idyllic and resembled images of Tuscany, with terracotta roofs and green rolling hills. I sat on the fountain steps and ate my lunch, when even a cheerful dog sat beside me, well mannered and tail wagging as I tore off some scraps of bread.

Later in the afternoon we arrived at our homestay, a large family house with huge rooms and a balcony, overlooking a garden with herbs and fruit trees. We went fr a walk to the nearest town, while our host prepared a delicious meal for us, with a meaty soup, various dishes of vegetables and peppers stuffed with meat and rice. I also had a small dish of sliced mushrooms mixed with herbs. The soft drinks, however, were quite disgusting, artificial and fizzy, barely resembling the flavour that they were supposed to be. Much local wine was consumed by the others as a string of toasts were made. Part of the way through the evening the power cut off and we were in darkness. Our hosts brought out candles and we continued to eat.

The next day we said goodbye to our hosts and drove to a monestry in use by a group of nuns. Photography was not allowed and we were given long skirts to wear, on top of trousers. The main building was oppressive, with faded frescos, dimly lit by candle light and guarded by stern faced nuns. The next stop was a wine tasting experience, which a few of us decided to skip. The rest of the group came back quite merry and continued to drink throughout the day. They also filled a jerry can for the journey through the Stans, with cheap Georgian wine.

We sat up camp by the end of the afternoon in a clearing, surrounded by wooded hills and a lake. A local farmer hearded his sheep around the campsite and out towards distant pastures and a few of us gathered wood for the fire. Meat was cooked over an impromptu barbecue of hot wood with jacket potato and vegetables. It tasted divine.

Shortly after going to bed I became aware of drunken singing growing louder as a group of locals wandered around our campsite, probably curious as to who we were and wanting someone to drink with. After a while of us laying silently in our tents, they moved on and all that could be heard was the trickle of the stream.

Tbilisi, Georgia

2008-06-10T11:44:00.005+01:00

Tbilisi is a fusion of Western high street stores and Soviet style grocery shops, with a small selection of meats, veg and an assortment of plastic goods. The main high street has a very modern feel, with imposing architecture and interesting churches, but as soon as I stray from the main area, the side streets display a vision of chaotic wiring and crumbling facades. Many of these buildings are still habited but they look more like a scene from a shanty town, than modern Tbilisi. There is another part of town near the river, with pavement cafes and bars, providing a great atmosphere and somewhere relaxed to eat in the evenings.

The food in Tbilisi is wonderful. There is a lot of choice and salads are served to a Western standard. On the first night, I ate at a pavement cafe and ordered a potato with veg salad and a dish of chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce, accompanied by green tarragon flavoured lemonade. The waitresses here are very friendly and service has so far been with a smile. A mix of rock and pop songs are played in the background and groups of friends chat and laugh over a selection of European cuisine.

Yesterday we had a walking tour, through botanical gardens and church grounds on a hillside, which gave great views of the city. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch and continued to the modern town, passing grand Parliment buildings and an ornate theatre. Our young guide was in her final year at University and coincidently is the daughter of the family whose guesthouse that we stayed at in Mestia. This really does feel a very small country.

By mid afternoon it had started to rain and by the evening it was torrential, so I took the metro to the new town, which was clean, efficient and in cryllic. I commited the ultimate traveller sin and ate at McDonalds. I think that the last time I did this was in Prague, many years ago. Again, it was raining a lot and I hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the chain at home. So I ordered my hamburger meal and took advantage of the free wifi. The city looked really beautiful at night so I took a few photos. I took the metro back to hotel GTM and got quite soaked on the quick walk back. This morning I bought an umbrella, although today is has been hot and sunny. We have another two days in Georgia, including a night camping and a home stay.

Mestia, Georgia

2008-06-09T20:22:00.007+01:00

The musical sound of bells can be heard, as a cow emerges from a cluster of pine trees. We trek for a few hours, through woods and large rocky landscapes, precariously negotiating my way across a stoney valley.

Both sides are forested and infront stands a glacier, dwarfed by a peak of ice. On the other side of the glacier is Russia. I pause for a while and eat my supply of cake, biscuits and turkish delight, standing in a mix of snow and grit. I try to shelter by a large rock as some of the group trek right up to the glacier. The weather begins to turn, so we head back.

We have been staying in the rural town of Mestia, after a long drive from Batumi, into the mountains.

We arrived late after a slow journey, not helped by a spring breaking on the truck. Tired and admitting defeat, we checked into a guesthouse, where within half an hour, our host had prepared a meal for us, consisting of soups, potato salad, a homemade pizza, yogurt and an incredibley sweet walnut cake. Much wine was consumed by the others and it was a fairly joyous night. In the morning we were treated to a hearty breakfast of potatoes, egg and barely wheat, at the Nino and Eka Japaridze guesthouse, before our trek into the Caucasus mountains.

By the time we arrived back in town, the leaders had nearly finished working on the truck and we had gathered quite a crowd. I sat on the park railings with some of the local kids, as cows strolled past and even a pot bellied pig. There is something quite liberating about staying in a community where animals wander freely and people toot their horns and wave, when we are camping. The people in Georgia are so friendly.

With the truck fixed, we drove a short distance out of town, to a grassy field and pitched our tents. I heard the distant sound of buzzing which was rapidly getting louder. Some of the guys were sitting around the camp fire, blissfully unaware and after a brief moment of panic, we jumped into the back of the truck, as a swarm of either wasps or bees flew by. After returning to the field, we soon had company in the form of a drooling dog, who kept his distance while staring intently at the food being prepared. A group of children also appeared, who lit their own camp fire and proceeded to jump over it. As night fell, the children left but we were surrounded by dogs and cows. I fell asleep quickly and all to soon it was morning and time to pack our tents and drive back to Kutasi, which we had stopped at a few days earlier.

Batumi, Georgia

2008-06-04T16:33:00.005+01:00

We made it into Georgia, after a lengthy police stop and much waiting for the truck to get through the border crossing. We have stopped in the town of Batumi, an interesting town with a port and many individual stalls. The people have a very different face shape to Turkey and so far have been lovely.

I took a few photos in one of the side streets of various merchants, including one of myself and a flower seller. For lunch we found a pavement cafe where I ordered grey mullet fish and bread. Many of the items on the menu were unavailable, but the meal was delicious and our hosts were appreciative of our custom. It's been a relaxing day, with a stroll along the sea front and various wandering through streets. There is noticeably more povety here, with many people begging and even a baby left on the street, to attract money. However, Georgia looks like a fascinating country, which I shall see more of soon. Tomorrow we leave Batumi for our homestay.

Cappadocia to Trabzon

2008-06-03T20:23:00.004+01:00

Last night we arrived in Trabzon after a grueling journey through endless mountain passes and twisty roads. What was expected to be a four hour journey turned into a ten hour expedition, through mountain passes of 3200m, in the mist, clouds, and hill sides covered in pine trees. There was even snow and a flock of very woolly rams.

The landscape changed dramatically from the dusty rock scape of Cappadocia. We passed through lush green plains, next to poppy fields and inland lakes until we reached alpine scenery. I took many photos along the journey as the mountain roads provided breath taking views. Unfortunately I felt very dizzy, but thankfully I survived with the help of several motion sickness tablets. Eight hours of those roads was exhausting and I was very glad to arrive, even if Trabzon is possibly the ugliest town that I have ever seen! The weather here is pretty similar to at home. It's cold and grey, with stormy looking clouds. Not quite the Turkish seaside resort that I was expecting. However, I went to see an old church this morning with some of the group and then wandered around the town. There were streets of brightly coloured clothes shops and market stalls with fabric and fresh fish. I tried to buy a silk head scarf but I couldn't find a colour scheme that suited me. Most of them tended to use floral prints in bright colour and I decided that the choice of head scalf represented the wearers personality. There are times when blending in is really useful, but when I walk around on my own I don't seem to have many problems since many of the local girls have curly brown hair and western style clothes.

Despite there being not a lot here for tourists to see, it's an interesting place with lovely fresh bread and great fish restaurants. I enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, which showed a very honest representation of the way of life here, in industrial Turkey.

This afternoon we took a trip out of town to the Sumela Monastery which is built into a cliff face, hidden in the forested Karadaglar mountains. It was incredibley atmospheric, covered in mist, with a vertical rock face that continued as far as the eye could see. Inside the monastery were religious frescos that covered the entire surface area. Although the visibility was pretty bad, and we weren't able to see the building from the valley, it was still an interesting trip.

Cappadocia, Turkey

2008-05-30T18:58:00.007+01:00

Today a few of us went for a wander from the campsite to the town of Gerome, passing several rock formations along the way. I tried to take a fairly slow walk in the hot sun as apparently today the temperature reached the mid thirties. I think that I am beginning to get used to it, as I'm feeling a lot better.

The people on the tour are all really nice and its been fun just chatting and trekking. For lunch we stopped off at a restaurant and I had lamb kabab and rice which was nice. My idea for being vegetarian really doesn't work out here, as I feel so much better for eating meat.

Tomorrow we are leaving and heading to the North East of Turkey. We have our first bush camp in the evening and then we arrive in Trabzon the following day.

Istanbul to Cappadocia

2008-05-29T18:58:00.002+01:00

After a slight mix up with the group meeting point, we were directed to a different hostel, where I met the rest of my travel companions. There are nine of us in total plus two drivers. This provided much relief as the group combines a range of ages, a fairly balanced male/female mix and so far, the people seem pretty nice. The group leaders seemed like great guys too. For the rest of the day we went off to explore Istanbul and I found myself mostly ignoring various forms of hastle from Turkish men as I walked to the Blue Mosque. Although this part of town had some great architecture, it felt quite sleazy as it had many obvious tourist shops and cafes. I preferred the area around Taksim Square and its happening main street.

The following morning we left our hostel at six am and took a tram to the edge of the city. From there we met the truck for the first time and the drivers negotiated grid locked roads as we made our way towards central Turkey. They drove for thirteen hours, with frequentent breaks at service stations along the way.

After a few hours the countryside changed into a landscape of rolling hills with scattered villages and uniform housing blocks, to dry, arid mountains. I managed to sleep for quite a lot of the journey due to such an early start as well as the continual rocking of the vehicle. We watched the sunset against the mountains and a few hours later we turned up at a campsite. We were given a quick demonstration in putting up tents and fed a meaty pizza. I found this disgusting as it had been ordered for our arrival, by which point it was warm, greasy with a scattering of minced meat and possibly some vegetables. I tried to satisfy the rest of my hunger with a packet of crisps.

The night was cold. Very cold. It felt like I woke up every hour and put on another layer of clothing until three am, when I decided there was still enough of the night left that I couldn't stay as I was until morning. By this point I was in the sleeping bag wearing a full set of clothes with thermals, a fleece and a coat with a hood. I began to wonder whether I had the sleeping bag inside out, and had to get out into the cold tent, turn it the other way and in desperation I grabbed all the clothes that I had with me, to stuff into the sleeping bag around me. All our tents were so close together I was slightly concerned about waking the others, since every movement sounded so loud, but I became too cold to think about that. I awoke to hot morning sunlight and realised that I was sleeping next a mesh layer without a cover. In the morning I was set up with a different tent which I shall try tonight.

Today we went on a tour of the Cappadocia region and encountered great rock structures, referred to as fairy chimmney, where people use to live until the ninteen fifties. We went inside one of the buildings but I found it far too claustrophopic, with narrow tunnels and low ceilings in the darkness. The rest of the group explored the underground city, where people use to live, their existance completely undetected by those above. The group were told to leave their backpacks behind to ensure that they could fit through some vary small spaces. After seeing the photos from the rest of the group, I think that I made the right decision in staying above ground.

On the way back, we stopped off in a large town and I bought duvet to put over the top of my sleeping bag and a towel, since I think my travel towel is back in England, in a different backpack. I am hoping that with a warmer tent, being fully prepared with thermal clothing and a duvet to cover the sleeping bag, I should be able to feel warm.

I feel that I am starting to get to know the group a bit more tonight and we had our first evening dinner at the camp which was a fun experience.

Istanbul, Turkey

2008-05-27T16:08:00.003+01:00

I've arrived in sunny Istanbul. I'm staying at a hostel near Tasksim square in the modern part of the city. The streets here are bustling with people and everything is very colourful, from the shop fronts, to the clothes that people are wearing. It definately has that feel of Europe meets Asia, with a very happening yet chilled atmosphere.

So far Istanbul seems like an interesting city, which I shall see a totally different side to tomorrow, when I go to the old part of town to meet up with the Dragoman group and start the tour. There's a small supermarket next to the hostel so I'm going to head back and relax. So far so good...

Pirita Beach, Tallinn, Estonia

2008-04-18T16:24:00.002+01:00

Another part of Tallinn that I wanted to visit was the Pirita beach and the old Olympic village. We took a bus out to the east of Tallinn, where we wandered through a beautiful pine forest, before emerging onto an empty beach. In the distance stood a desolute looking, white soviet building, which formed part of the 1980 Olympic village. The whole area was incredibly quiet and peaceful.

There are many cycling and walking trails nearby, so we followed a path through woodland for a few miles. We were considering walking to the TV Tower, but it is a long walk from the main road (many miles), so we turned back and returned to Tallinn.

I wanted to see some of the new town, so we wandered through the modern city, with it's glass fronted department stores and high rise buildings. It felt like consumerism is really alive here. I missed the character of the old town and felt glad that we weren't staying here, as it would give such a different impression of Tallinn. Visually, it was an interesting place to be, with old soviet buildings in between ultra modern department stores.

In the morning, a medieval fair was being set up in the main square, and upon our return it was in full swing with stalls selling bags of spiced nuts and interesting crafts, such as pointy felt hats and traditional clothes. We found out that at the weekend, there would be many more stalls all over Tallinn, as part of a Medieval Festival and we had just caught the edge of it.

We had been admiring the menu of the Olde Hansa all week and decided that since it was our last night in Tallinn, we should go. So in the evening we headed to the old town hall, with its atmospheric lanterns at the entrance. It was a grand affair and we were greeted by the lady of the house wearing traditional costume, who led us into a magnificent banquetting hall with flickering candles and string musicians. The food was wonderful, with an incredible selection of hearty feasts from the middle ages, from wild bore to quail eggs and everything in between. The evening contained many surprises, including jesters and viking ships covered in sparklers. We both enjoyed our meals. I chose a meat dish accompanied with berries and a 'bean bag'. The waitors played the perfect hosts, as everything arrived with compliments and best wishes from the chef. The atmosphere was great too, with large parties of diners celebrating, it was easy to have a good time.

Eco Museum, Tallinn, Estonia

2008-04-17T16:26:00.001+01:00

Having explored much of old Tallinn, we decided to take a trip out of town to the open air Eco Museum. With a collection of rescued buildings from the 17th - 19th century in a large parkland. It was a cold and windy day, but the musuem was beautiful, situated along a rugged coastline, looking back towards Tallinn. One of the ground staff was keen to have someone to chat to and seemed curious as to why we would visit Estonia, with so many larger countries to could go to. We tried to explain that we thought it was interesting and we liked Estonia because it was somewhere different. The man took our photo infront of a blacksmith's house.

I love architecture, especially old wooden buildings and I really enjoyed a day of walking around and photographing different styles of windmills and farmhouses. I also liked how quiet it was, with only a handful of tourists in the time that we were there. We had lunch within the park and enjoyed the hearty rustic food. The open air museum is quite large, so in the afternoon we explored another part of it.

Architecture in Tallinn, Estonia

2008-04-16T17:19:00.005+01:00

After a breakfast of cake and hot chocolate at the Anneli Viik Cafe, we walked to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its domes and ice cream coloured exterior. We continued to explore the surrounding streets with narrow alley ways and pastel coloured buildings.

In the afternoon we headed to Kalamaja, on the other side of the river. Its known for being quite a creative district, with the city's remaining wooden houses.

One of the restaurants that had been recommended to us was the Troika, a Russian themed restaurant in the heart of the old town. Curious as to what we would be served, we booked a table. The restaurant was quite beautiful and the vodka plentiful. However, our table was placed directly under a podium which an Opera singer would wail from. I've never appreciated opera and it was almost comical, but we were quite glad when she finished! The food was interesting and I was impressed with the presentation, as my beef hot pot arrived, baked in bread, which the waitress cut open infront of me. We also ordered dumplings, which came in a rustic bowl with a hand painted, wooden serving spoon. I wasn't keen on the slightly sour taste, but in general the food was good and definately flavoursome.

The Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia

2008-04-15T17:04:00.001+01:00

We took a bus from the airport, into Tallinn and found ourselves confronted by a beautiful walled city, with an arched entrance, that led us into the old town. There are so many medieval buildings and tall merchant houses as well as a gorgeous town square. I didn't expect it to be so stunning. We found the Alur Hostel, which is a few minutes walk from the main square, with fairly cheap but basic double rooms.

We wandered around the old city, with it's wonderful architecture, finding an old church tower to take photographs from. The spiral staircase was very claustrophobic and I hated every moment, but thankfully I had Robin behind me, persuading me to keep going. When we got to the top, the view was fantastic and I saw the domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the distance, which we are hoping to see tomorrow.

We also discovered a great place to go for cake and hot chocolate, Anneli Viik Handmade Chocolates Cafe, on Pikk 30, has the most delicious cakes and a selection of hand made chocolates to die for. I ended up eating some while we were in the cafe and then buying more to take away. Madame Butterfly was my favourite, with its smooth Baileys truffle center. They also did a good selection of dark chocolates.

On our first night we ventured to Turg restaurant, an outdoor market themed restaurant, with simply cooked dishes from around the world. Unpretentious and friendly, the food was both inexpensive and enjoyable. We had a nice evening and decided to try the Depeche Mode bar that had been recommended by a friend. I love Depeche Mode, so we went into the bar, which played a continual loop of DM videos on a screen. The atmosphere was relaxed as an alternative crowd gathered on bright red sofas, enjoying the strong cocktails that were served.

Art Nouveau District, Riga

2008-03-18T21:49:00.002Z

In the morning I took some photos of the city from St Peter's church tower. I love being able to look down upon a city as the buildings seem quite different from above, with brightly coloured roofs jammed in between a maze of architecture. The traces of snow left from the day before glistened in the sun light.

I had never taken much notice of Art Nouveau architecture before, but after feeling that I had seen most of they city, I thought that the Art Nouveau district could show a different side to Riga. The buildings were stunning, probably the most elaborate collection of architecture that I have ever seen. I couldn't believe how much detail had gone into carving the facades of these buildings, embellished with sculptures of women and machines.

Riga in the snow

2008-03-17T19:00:00.002Z

While the Riga Old Town Hostel is a great place to stay, they don't do breakfast, so after a short walk, Double Coffee was discovered. I was so impressed with this like-Starbucks but better chain, offering a menu of breakfasts, lunches, cakes, sushi and cocktails at cafe prices, that it became a bit of an institution. They all had a large newspaper style menu printed in English and a selection of grumpy waitresses, but the food was amazing.

I tried to photograph the architecture in the Old Town but it rained so much that a trendy shopping mall seemed like a much better idea. The twenty-something Latvians really do like there clothes, shoes and handbags and the women looked so much more stylish than in London.

While I was in the shopping mall, the rain had changed to snow and there was now quite a covering. The previously dull looking parks had been transformed into something magical and the trees looked like they had been coated in icing sugar. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral was beautiful too. The intricate pattern on the outside looked like the whole building had been covered in stripy wallpaper with elaborate plaster decorations. I loved the shape of it too, with it's multiple domes and arched doorways. Riga suddenly seemed a lot more exciting now that there was snow. I just hoped that it would be there in the morning.

Leaving Lithuania behind

2008-02-23T17:54:00.003Z

Anticipating another awkward journey of getting buses back to the airport, I looked up the words for bus station so that I could make sure my first bus would be going in the right direction. I also found out the word for airport and set off two hours early, not knowing how frequent the buses were. I was half way to the bus stop, when I found the 120 mini bus that I wanted two days ago. Although the driver was on a break, I persuaded him to let me on there, since I had no idea where the proper bus stop was. It was a really quick and direct journey, although this meant arriving at a tiny airport stupidly early. There were only three flights out, that day. The airport had one cafe and a shop.

Kaunas, Lithuania

2008-02-22T18:33:00.003Z

Kaunas in February feels like a sleepy little town, rather than Lithuania's second largest city. The old town seems empty and even the new town, with its long street of fashion stores and cafes is so quiet for a place of this size. I keep thinking if this was London, the streets would be packed, but Kaunas is nothing like a British city. The people here seem relaxed and go about their daily life with an acceptance of what they have. Some of the buildings are quite run down and many unoccupied, yet the people seem content.

Today it rained a lot, so I made my way to The Devils museum, which had some really imaginative carvings of Lithuanian devils as well as a floor of international exhibits such as Mongolian masks and Bolivian straw dolls. As with everywhere else, I had the museum to myself, apart from the staff, who really should know better than to rustle about behind curtains, in a dimly lit room of devils because it felt a bit spooky. They were working on the display, completely oblivious to the macabre situation. Most of the depictions were quite sweet but there were a few masks, with hair and teeth that conveyed the horror that was intended.

I would really like to visit Vilnius because I hear its a lot like Kaunas, except that its bigger with more to do and see. They also have a craft market and a lot of art galleries. After seeing the standard of their illustrations and creativity, it sounds like somewhere that I would like to see.

Kaunas, Lithuania

2008-02-21T17:46:00.014Z

Getting into town was quite a task. The words for place names are destinctly unfamilar and trying to understand written signs felt impossible. After arriving at Kaunas airport, I waited at a bus stop with a group of people until no. 29 turned up. Not the one I was expecting but everyone got on, and usually following the majority usually leads to the town center. The driver pulled away before I had chance to ask, and I was on board, so I had blind faith as well as a bit of reassurance from the other passengers that they thought the bus 'might' be going via the train station. At least that was on my map. The driver took payment and juggling change whilst negotiating duel carriage way slip roads and other obsticles. The view became more build up and we were approaching the edge of the new town. I began to catch street names, so knowing roughly where I was helped. A while later, the driver looked over and hinted that this was my stop, either that or it was as far as I had paid for, so I got off. The guidebook mentioned bus 1, 3, 5, or 7 all lead to the old town, so I got on the next no. 3, presuming that since we had been heading towards town on that side of the road, that it would be the right direction, but to my horror, the bus was heading back out of town. A girl on the bus confirmed this and told me to get a no. 1 trolleybus to the old town, from the other side of the road. It felt identical to the last bus, packed with locals and the same system of payment to the driver. Eventually I made it to within a short walk of the guesthouse.

Kaunas is a really creative place, with beautifully illustrated books, wooden toys and amber jewelery. There is a strong sense of individual style, heavily influenced by folklore. I think I may have to visit the museum of devils tomorrow because we don't have one of those at home!

I like the architecture here. The buildings in the old town look a lot like Prague, or any other European city, with tall merchant houses, painted in pastel shades. However, the churches and cathedrals seem to have a Russian influence, being more domed than angular, in whites and grey. I'm staying in a converted church, which is a gorgeous building. My room is cosy, although the crucifix on the wall is a bit disconcerting, as is a Lithuanian version of the Bible next to my bed.

Zacopane, Poland

2008-01-27T21:48:00.002Z

As the guy on the bus said, Zacopane is like a different country to the rest of Poland. It's quite close to the border of Slovakia, amongst the Tatra mountains. Once we had left Krakow, the landscape soon changed from dull, square buildings to beautiful wooden houses, painted in different colours, set against the hill side. We began to see patches of snow in the fields, which increased gradually until we reached the roads leading up to Zacopane, with skiers set against the pure white slopes.

The Polish guy I met on the bus showed me where to buy tickets for my journey back and then I continued towards the town. Zacopane has wonderful open markets with interesting food and smells. I decided that I should buy a warm hat since they are so much cheaper here than in England. Prettier too.

I walked through various market stalls until I reached a funicular railway, leading up the mountain side. I took the train, which provided amazing views across to the mountains opposite. I slowly edged around, as the snow had frozen over and was packed hard. Despite this, I fell backwards hitting my back and possibly my head on the ice. I can't actually remember. Momentarily I felt a shockwave of concussion but as the sensation left, I forgot all about it and carried on taking photos. I finally found some great tasting food on top of a mountain in Poland. I passed a stall cooking sausages and sauteed potatoes on a large, outdoor grill and I had to turn back because the smell was amazing.

It turned out that they day I chose to visit Zacopane, the town was hosting a ski jumping competition, so crowds of Polish tourists filled the streets, celebrating with crazy hats and red and white costumes. It felt like the Polish equivalent of Benidorm as everyone was out to have a good time, but it was impossible not to feel part of the fun and celebration.

I took the coach back to Krakow, where I arrived in the early evening. I returned to the hostel where I made some dinner and met an English guy who teaches Polish students and decided to see the country for himself. We went out to an Irish pub and talked about the places that we had travelled to and life in England. Later, we moved on to a rock club which I felt much more at home in. It made me smile, as the long haired bartender was playing chess with one of the regulars, as black metal music played loudly in the room. Everyone was friendly and we enjoyed a great selection of mainly Scandinavian metal bands, smiling at some of the over the top mixes of club anthems that were played, all metaled up.

***

I had a really bad headache that night and it didn't become apparent until the following evening, when I returned to London and my friends noticed that I had bruises on my shoulder blades, that I remembered the fall in the mountains. I realised that I had concussion. That would explain a lot, all the falling asleep, the clumsiness and the feeling slightly off, but within two days it was gone. I don't recommend going to rock clubs when concussed.

Krakow, Poland

2008-01-24T21:18:00.001Z

I didn’t have any expectations for Krakow other than the photos I had seen that looked pretty and that people told me it snows alot. However, there still isn’t any snow despite BBC saying there will be today, it hasn’t happened yet and isn’t looking likely. Krakow has a lot of character and many interesting buildings.

I arrived yesterday afternoon after a good flight and an express train to the town center. The train station is next to a huge shopping mall, which is nearly as extravagent as the one in Prague. After a short walk, I found the main town square with its gothic style church and decorative buildings. The hostel is right in the centre, so I unpacked my stuff and headed out for food. I decided to go for Polish, which came with a similar style bread and spread course to Prague, however the pork and dumplings that I ordered were quite different! Unfortunately it came in a red/orange/oily sauce with a smell that made me feel nauseous. Not a good start, so I tried to scrape the sauce off the dumplings but that didn’t improve the situation. The waiter said they were dumplings with potato in the middle, which sounded fine but the texture reminded me of a savoury version of the oriental dessert, Moochi, except they tasted of fat. I was only able to eat a few of them because they were too aweful! The pork itself was fine but the taste of the sauce was too much so I left a lot of it. I think I got really unlucky finding such a revolting flavour and hopefully next time will be better. I have no idea what the sauce was.

When I returned to the hostel, I met a Polish girl called Dorothea who knew Krakow quite well so she took me out to find cake. I bought what looked like a marble cake but even that was a bit strange. With poppy seeds and icing on the top, and a nutty chocolate mix with pieces of fruit peel, it was more of a success than the previous meal. I went to a Mexican restaurant with Dorothea and had a drink while she ate her spicey dish. Later, she showed me around Krakow, pointing out all the sites that I’d return to in the morning. We finished the evening in a coffee shop with surrealist artwork covering the wall and large yellow tulips on our table.

I spent today walking around and taking photos. I found an apple cake that I actually liked, and bought some food from a supermarket for lunch. I think I’m going to return to the hostel and see if I meet anyone who feels like going for dinner.

***

I decided to cook my own ‘Polish’ food tonight, since I thought at least that way I get to choose what I eat and hopefully make something nice. I found spinach pasta in a supermarket, and after much time working out what each sauce was, I found a cheese and mushroom mix which I thought would go with the pasta. As soon as I added water it smelt disgusting. I continued cooking it anyway in the hope that it might improve when heated. It tasted like mouldy sock and plastic mushroom sauce and was promptly binned. Thankfully the pasta was edible and I amused a group of French people in my attempts to cook. It didn’t help that there was no appropriate cooking utensils, saucepans, microwave or working oven, so all things considered, I feel it was quite an achievement.

Krakow town square, Poland from Natalya Dyer on Vimeo.

Krakow feels incredibly small compared to Prague and I think I’ve covered it pretty well. It’s a nice city, but compact. It doesn’t look like there will be any snow here so I’m planning on getting a bus to Zacopane tomorrow, known for its timber buildings and mountains. I asked the lady on reception what the roads would be like and if they were icy and she assured me that they will be ok. I might google for other travel blogs to find out how bad the journey is. It’s also two hours each way.

I have a feeling that when I return home, I won’t want to eat bread for a while! Breakfast at the hostel is either cereal and milk which I don’t have or stale bread and jam. Bread is available everywhere and great slabs of it arrive with fat at the beginning of each meal. I bought some ham at the supermarket, which even that tasted like nothing I’d had before. I wasn’t keen on the flavour. After having several mini frankfurters for lunch, I think that might be another snack that I’ll skip for a while! Polish people must really struggle with our food when they come to England, so I see why so many Polish delis have opened. It does seem to be a set of flavours completely isolated to this country. It’s a shame that I’m not enjoying them.

Prague in the snow, Video...

2008-01-05T00:56:00.000Z

Prague town square in the snow:

Prague town square, Czech. from Natalya Dyer on Vimeo.

Prague, Czech Rep.

2008-01-03T21:20:00.005Z

Today Prague has shown itself to be a contrast of interesting architecture and extravagant, sparkling shopping malls. We arrived in town by bus, and were greeted by fields of snow and grey buildings along the roadside, until we reached the town center. The landscape transformed into tall, grand architecture and copper domed spires. Each building appears to be different to the next in a European mixture of styles, colours and ornate stone facades.

By the early evening we were hungry, particularly after the steep uphill walk to the Castlesteps building, where we are staying. We headed out for food and eventually found U Sadlu, a medieval themed restaurant that I ate at a few years ago, and wanted to return to. Upon arriving we were told they were full, so we made a reservation for tomorrow night and ended up in a nearby Italian restaurant. They served a good pizza, a novel tiramisu and a medley of Madonna songs all evening. The atmosphere was relaxed and it was a nice place to eat.

We wandered into the cold, dressed in layers of fleeces and coats, back tracking to a huge Christmas tree which we had passed earlier. Their sense of decoration really captured me as it flashed like hundreds of tiny camera flashes and sparkled brightly in the square, so I decided to video the tree and its surroundings.

The tree stood in front of a huge shopping mall and worked like a siren, attracting us in, to take a look. It was quite incredible, even for someone that does a lot of shopping, it was breathtaking. There is nowhere in London that could match it in terms of size, design or the array of shops that it held. It felt like such a surprise after the ex communist Prague, to find a glittering, glass interiored shopping mall, like a retail palace of fantasy. The top floor even included a cake shop and various cocktail bars with futuristic lighting, as if it had been rendered by a computer program. We did lots of jewelery shopping and generally had a good time finding things that we could never get at home. It's been a fun day.

Essouira, Morocco

2007-09-14T20:52:00.002+01:00

Essouira provided a calm and relaxing break from the heat, dust and hastle of Marrakesh. The pace was laid back and we could enjoy walking around the souks and various jewelery shops without recieving as much attention as before. I ended up buying silver earrings from a shop that trains young men without skills to become competent silversmiths. The designs here are beautiful and so intricately made.

We stayed at Dar Afram, a pretty riad on the edge of the medina, with a roof terrace that over looked the rest of the town and then out to sea. Everyone was really friendly and we enjoyed exchanging stories over breakfast, mostly about how ill we all felt in Marrakesh after eating at the Djemma el Fna! Somehow, we had all made it to Essouira and felt a lot better for being here.

I enjoyed my time here a lot, especially being able to walk along the beach, bare foot, parallel to the lapping sea. The strong wind created mini sand dunes and the sails of windsurfers glistened in the distance.

Marrakesh, Morocco

2007-09-12T19:52:00.004+01:00

Marrakech feels incredibly different from being at home, and it has been nice to sit around drinking mint tea whilst enjoying the Moorish surroundings. At the top of our riad is a patio area with palm trees and coloured glass lanterns, where we sit for breakfast. Next to it is an outdoor structure with walls covered in fabric and window holes framed with red archways. The wood is dark and intricately carved and low down sofas occupy the walls. We have spent lots of time relaxing in this beautiful outdoor lounge, which provides a shady retreat from the chaos of the city.

We stayed at Riad Jnane Mogador as well as Riad Hotel Assia in Marrakesh, both of which were nice. Our favourite restaurant was Narwama, a magical and atmospheric restaurant with a fountain of fire, stylish background music and various bubbling water displays. The food is a combination of Thai and Moroccan gourmet cuisine accompanied by an attractive menu of cocktails too. The service was amazing, as was the venue and the whole evening. Infact it was so good, we went back twice during the holiday.

The souks have just as much character as I remember and some of the store holders and waitors recognise me from when I was here last in March, seeming genuinely happy to see a customer return, as they grab my hand and ask how I am.

Today we found a different part of the Medina that I hadn’t seen before and wandered down alley ways that led through interesting streets. There were buildings with pretty tiled entrances and others that lean in odd directions with gnarled sandstone fronts.

From the roof terrace of our riad the beat of tribal drums can be heard in the distance and the sight of smoke wafts into the sky as the afternoon draws to a close. This is when the main square Djemma el Fna comes alive, as large crowds gather around story tellers and the street kitchens buzz with conversation.

I think that most of all we have been enjoying the tranquil environment of the riad, which is gorgeous with its blue tiled courtyard and geometric patterns which continue through each floor. The fabric covered frame is amazing and the staff here can cook a delicious tagine at lunchtime with chicken, lemons and fresh herbs. We also took a taxi to the ‘Supratours’ coach station and booked tickets to Essouira for Saturday which should be fun.

Storks nests at the Palace El Badi

2007-03-15T14:41:00.006Z

On my last day in Marrakesh, I walked to the Palais el Badi, which is currently occupied only by storks. Their nests are balanced precariously on the top of the pink, sandstone walls. They sail over the courtyard like prehistoric pterodactyls, casting a menacing shadow as they go. The crumbling walls are surrounded by orange trees although they provided little shade from the piercing sun. I continued back to the darkness of the Medina.

Shopping in the Souks, Marrakesh

2007-03-14T18:50:00.005Z

This afternoon in sunny Morocco it rained, large wet spots, as people scurried into doorways and merchants covered their stalls. This followed an overcast morning where I decided to take the Marrakesh tour bus around the city, hoping to see sights which I otherwise wouldn’t. It was a disappointment and turned out to be more a tour of the hotels and modern city than the old part that I was interested in. But I sat with the other tourists and listened to their opinions on the city. It always surprises me how clueless some people are on the culture of the country they are visiting.

I sat in my usual cafe, over looking the Djemaa el Fna square, with its orange juice stalls and crowds of tourists like insects, swarming around a honey pot. I ordered a dish of couscous accompanied by something else, the description was lost in translation, so I ordered, hopeful that it would be something nice. It turned out to be couscous covered by a selection of vegetables in an aromatic Moroccan sauce. It wasn't as good as last nights meal of Rabbit Tagine.

Deciding it was not a day for photography, it seemed like an oppertunity for shopping. I disappeared into the souks, to browse an endless assortment of dimly lit stalls with interesting objects and shiny silver jewlerry stalls. The sellers were friendly and I recieved the usual ‘Moroccan face’ comments. I did my best to play up to this and knew I was getting a good deal when the store holder put my chosen silver items on the scales to work out a good price for me. He told me I was getting English price not American, and I told him I was getting Moroccan price because I was an English friend. It helped that he had an older brother in Bristol and liked the English, but I came away with lots of pretty things. The glass lamps here are gorgeous, but the thought of carrying them back with all my other hand luggage doesn’t appeal. Instead I settled for taking photographs of them, glistening through their coloured panels in the darkness of the souk. I think I shall print them out big and stick them on my wall.

Henna in Marrakesh, Morocco

2007-03-13T18:49:00.002Z

With the shutters closed and a bed covered in heavy blankets I managed to sleep for twelve hours. To the sound of chirping birds, I made me way to the roof terrace and ordered bread and jam. The mid morning sun felt intense as I sat there drinking orange juice.

Finally I gathered my camera gear with the intention of photographing the sand coloured architecture. I followed a long road through the medina, passing market stalls either side until I came to a court yard of palm trees opposite a dusty road.

Away from the touristy part of town, I wandered through the streets and found myself in the weekly berber market. At this point I met my first guide who took me to a friends spice stall, where I was introduced to various teas, herbs and incense. Despite telling them I had no money they were perfectly happy to continue telling me about the flavours they use in their cooking as we drank sweet mint tea. Eventually I left and made my way to the Jewish quarter where a young group of school boys offered to show me to the synagog and seemed bemused when I stopped to photograph a donkey eating grass. I chatted to a group of teenagers and told them we have no donkeys on the streets of London. They understood, but everyone laughed when I showed them the pictures.

The synagog was interesting but not very photogenic. The boys seemed proud to have taken me there. I wondered if they aspired to be tour guides when they were older and wanted to practise their English skills. I didn’t pass a single tourist while I was with them.

With so many alley ways I am always curious to see what appears around the next corner. Where I am seems to be residentual with a school and an old stone bakery. Children play in the street and older men lurk in doorways. A young man tells me there is nothing ‘this way’, and takes me through the souks to a Jewish cemetary. I meet another man who’s job it is to look after the cemetary and tells me some of its history. It consists of hundreds of raised mounds in the earth, stretched over a field sized piece of land.

My new guide tells me he is studying medicine and we begin to talk about life. He asks if I would like to drink tea with his brothers and sisters, so I accept. I remembered the tales of Summer, my tour leader from a previous visit, and her Moroccan ‘family’. We go through a small wooden doorway with a stone floored basement covered in diamond shaped tiles. In a typical style for Moroccan houses there is a narrow staircase which leads up to a courtyard, filtering off to the kitchen and living room. I am introduced to his sisters, brother and mother who sit on low down sofas watching tv. They seem completely relaxed at my presence and Braheim brings everyone mint tea. I photograph the silver tea pot and Braheim takes my photo with his little sister who wraps her arms around me and seems delighted to be photographed.

As we talk, my new friend asks if I have tried henna tattoos and I tell him I want to get one before I leave. He tells me he knows a berber woman who is very good and we set off to find her. As we walk through the streets, young boys kick a football around and a group of men are throwing playing cards into a circle. Women chatter amongst each other and teenagers hang around on bicycles. The pace here is slow, with much warmth and compassion for others. Braheim yells ‘Jamelia’ into several doorways and we walk up and down the street a few times before he asks an older woman who appears with a wild looking berber woman, with thick straight hair and fierce eyes.

I take the oppertunity for Jamelia to mix a solution of sugar, water and henna as Braheim tells her I want traditonal brown henna. This seems ideal as I sit in the woman’s home, under the recomendation of locals, feeling as if I am being accepted into their community. She is very good compared to the women that work in the heat of the main square. She probably takes half an hour and begins adorning my hands with swirls and petal shapes. While I wait for the henna to set, an older woman makes the four of us mint tea and we sit chatting, with music playing in the background.

They treat me as a friend and tell me I have a Moroccan face and look like ‘Fatima’. I find this amusing but it seems that they see me as one of them, and feel happy to talk to me and show me around without money. Apparently because I have ‘Moroccan face’ and ‘nice smile’. I shake hands and leave my new found friends to head back to the hotel. Everywhere I look people are generous, helpful and welcoming.

Marrakesh, Morocco

2007-03-12T18:49:00.007Z

We left Harrow in the crisp night air to arrive at a nearly deserted Luton airport. By six am I was on the way to Marrakesh, not sure whether to sleep or stay awake. The night time seems a blur. I ended up repacking my bags as no liquids were aloud and managed to smear my kaftan in deodrant as I was too tired to realise I was wearing it under my fleece.

A few hours later I found myself chatting to a couple as we waited in line at passport control. They were heading to the Medina also, so after happily being reunited with my baggage we made our way to the taxi rank and haggled mildly over the fare.

Everything I had remembered about Marrakesh seemed emphasised. It was somehow brighter, more alive and even the architecture felt more intense. I felt welcomed once again to this Medieval city, flowing with character. This time, it is no longer Rammedan and people are going about their daily routines in a way that seems to have changed little over the centuries.

I paid a young boy to find my hotel, which turned out to be a beautifully ornate riad with Moorish archways adorned in blue tiles. We wove our way along narrow streets and dusty alleyways, passing donkeys carrying colourful woven bags and locals selling fresh mint leaves. The atmosphere is both magical, exciting and alluring, with souks to explore and old walls to photograph. Everywhere I look is paradise to my unfamiliar eyes.

Hotel Essaouira, Marrakesh.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2007-01-06T19:47:00.002Z

There must be a special trick to peeling mangoes but I don’t know it. Instead I cut off a piece at a time and enjoy this sweet, juicy treat. I came back from Psar Thamei market with bags of fruit, some of which I don’t even know the names, in various colours and textures. I have fresh lychees too and clementines. I know that when I return the thing I’ll miss the most will be, being able to buy fresh tropical fruit at any time of the year. Mangoes in the supermarkets at home are never as good or as cheap. Maybe I will develop an a taste for English fruit and learn to appreciate apples and pears.

I’ve been feeling better and decided to veture out to the largest market in Phnom Penn, with its huge dome shaped roof which covers a hall full of jewlery sellers and their brightly coloured jem stones. Spiralling off in all directions are various clothes, food and electrical stalls. I spent a few hours browsing, slowly taking in the smells, the sight of fresh m eat being prepared. The trickles of blood that run silently along the dark, stained floors. Shiny, plucked chickens hang from wires, next to tables of golden apples. The gentle smiles I recieve are refreshing, once the tourist stalls of endless scalves and sarongs are left behind. I find baskets stacked high with squeezably ripe mangoes, bananas and an indistinguishable selection of leafy green herbs and root vegetables.

I pay a dollar between two stalls, run by wise, hardened women who have lived through a lot but their eyes remain eager and their lips upturned in good humour. As my fruit is placed on the scales I am offered various samples to try. I add some prickly fruit to the basket before handing over my riels. I leave the women to their chatter and feel inspired by the contentedness they display in simple but peaceful lives.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

2007-01-01T19:45:00.000Z

My first impression of Ho Chi Minh City was the vastness. The night train had chugged along for miles through urban sprawl. I arrived in the backpackers area of De Tham and started looking for somewhere to stay. I began to get worried when all the budget hotels were full but a moto driver found me a cheap room in a private house. It’s been really interesting staying with a family who spend the majority of the day cooking food in big pots to sell on the side of the street.

Yesterday I took a tour of the Mekong Delta, which was dissapointing as we spent too long on islands with souvenir stalls and not enough of seeing local life along the river. However it was still a good way to spend time away from the suffocatingly noisy city of Ho Chi Minh. I spent a while getting to know some Japanesse girls and a Khmer family who shared a custard apple with me. The Delta is full of unusal fruit.

For the final part of the tour we took a small wooden boat and weaved our way through narrow parts of the Delta, covered with leafy archways. There were some beautiful butterflies too.

I arrived back in time to find the New Year celebrations were just beginning, as various manned dragons paraded up and down the street, dancing in time to the tribal beat of a drum. The atmosphere was electric as locals and tourists a like were out to have a good time.

The pavements were lined with colourful food stalls and street vendors. Not long after sitting down I was joined by a group of British travellers. We all got on well, so we decided to head off to a top Vietnamesse night club, Apocalpse Now. The bar was adorned with red silk lanterns, the dancefloor packed with a friendly crowd and there was even a tropical garden area serving food. It was a brilliant night with the usual count down to midnight where baloons filled with sparkly streamers were released and lots of happy faces beamed. A raffle followed with a top prize of a refridgerator which we found slightly strange, and pitied the poor girl from Bangkok who had to contemplate getting her new prize home. By three am things were winding down and we finished the night off with a basket of chips at the indoor garden. As places go, Ho Chi Minh City has been a surprisingly happening place to spend New Year.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

2007-01-01T19:44:00.000Z

I had expected not to like Nha Trang, from what I had heard it was a beach resort with a happening night life scene. Two things I hadn’t come for but to my surprise the town is small and although I could only describe it as peaceful if I was able to block out the jarring horns, traffic fumes and motorbikes, it does have its own charm. The beach is long and beautiful, the sea mesmerising and the horizon dotted with fishing boats. The town is lined with both cheap and expensive restaurants, many serving delicious fruit shakes and tasty noodle snacks but its not a place I could call pretty.

It felt so refreshing yesterday to escape the bustle of Nha Trang and head off into the countryside with my guide. I had a lovely day of driving through rice fields, seeing waterfalls and stopping off at fishing villages. It was a beautifully sunny day too and it felt perfect for seeing mountains covered in luscious green foliage and then stopping off at a beach with turquoise waters and fine white sand.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

2006-12-29T19:43:00.000Z

Today I did something I never thought I would do. I joined the beach whales and bought swimwear. While it’s not exactly a bikini, a sarong and a bandeau style top seemed like a step in the right direction. I was beyond hot wearing trousers and a strappy top, so now I feel a lot more comfortable.

The waves here are quite something. I’ve never seen so much spray crashing upon a shore line. At first I wondered if we were expecting a typhoon but I’m told this is normal. I felt slightly smug about not booking a boat trip. The water around Thailand was so tranquil, that I hadn’t expected it to be so different here. Instead I booked a tour of the local countryside, where I shall see fishing villages and salt fields. For the moment, I’m enjoying the sun, sand and seafood.

Hue to Nha Trang by train, Vietnam

2006-12-29T19:42:00.000Z

I’ve just watched the mountains fade into darkness and farmers abandon their fields for the night after a glorious day in the central plains. I’ve been on the train since this morning, originally feeling somewhat cautious about having an entire carriage to myself, let alone the cabin. A few hours later we passed the station of Danang where the train became alive with voices and I shared my cabin with the most unfriendly European couple.

The views have been incredible. As the train climbed uphill we passed through jungle, and wound alongside shanty towns and eventually proceeded to follow the coastline where I watched the waves crashing against the rocks and golden sands that continued for miles. During the second part of the journey the scenery became much flatter, as we cut our way across paddy fields that stretched to the horizon, glistening in the sun.

The journey itself consisted of a few meals, in the form of plastic containers filled with rice, leaves and possibly pork. I decided against eating the meat, as everything was barely warm and far from appetising. I was thankful for the supply of pasteries I had bought before leaving Hue.

A particular side pocket in my backpack seems doomed, after the previous nights ant infestation, as today it was the sunscream that decided to leak. The ants proved not to be too much of a problem as the hotel provided a huge can of insect spray (which I had hoped not to use) and took my pack in the hallway, where there was a lurking cockroach, and gave the ants a blast. I noticed the bathroom had a colony of tiny ants but other than that I’m not sure how they got there.

A few hours after dark we pulled into Nha Trang station where the hotel owner picked me up, balancing my pack on the front of his scooter and me behind. It can also be said by this point that my pack is quite heavy. The room is ok, plain but cheap. I also have an ensuite and a tv with a rock music channel so all is well. Not that I’ve come to Vietnam to watch satelite tv, but its still amusing where you can watch a copy of a mid nineties movie.

Hue, Vietnam

2006-12-25T19:42:00.000Z

Today I visited the Forbidden City, which provided a peaceful escape from the constant horns and traffic fumes of Hue. The architecture was beautiful. I arrived yesterday morning, where initially there was some confusion over the $12 room and asking for a room with internet access. In the end they let me stay in a luxurious $30 room for the lower price, so I’ve been spending quite a bit of time online. Last night was the first time I’ve had my own room since I’ve been traveling and I had the most wonderful twelve hour sleep. Even though flights, dorms and night trains are fine, it does feel like I’ve been trying to fit sleep in around everyone else.

Other than the Forbidden City, there isn’t much else to see in Hue. It’s a very average city, with many restaurants and cafes providing menus for tours as well as food. Many tourists seem to come here as a stepping off point.

I have found it a lot friendlier than Hanoi. Maybe it’s because I walk everywhere that the locals stop and say hello, but even in street side cafes the owners are a lot more talkative. The downside to being in a smaller city is the hassle from the moto drivers, which fall into the ‘unskilled labour’ bracket. I get tired of the constant calls as I walk past and sometimes follow you, asking where you’re going and why you don’t take a moto. Even when eating at cafes men come to the tables, trying to sell drawings. I think out of principle, every Westerner says no. The other thing to get use to is when asking a question that they don’t understand, the answer is always ‘yes’.

Tomorrow morning I take the train to Nga Trang.

Vietnam photos

Vietnam Photos

2006-12-25T19:40:00.000Z

I’m staying in Hue, and have a computer in my room so here are a few photos…
Click here for more photos of Hanoi and Sapa

Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam

2006-12-23T19:40:00.000Z

I’ve returned from Sapa with so many incredible memories, that I have no idea where to begin. So instead, I sit in my favourite cafe and order a mushroom omlette and freshly squeezed mango juice. It makes me think of my first breakfast in Sapa, after a long, grueling overnight train journey. I order ‘bread with eggs’ and ‘pancake with banana’ not quite expecting the menu to be so literal. My first plate arrives with a crusty roll on one side and some scrambled egg on the other. The pancake was a similar story, no sauce, no extras. I quickly began to realise that the food here is very basic in a way that mirrors local life.

I took a minibus past the other tourists to the base of a mountain, where I was greeted by two young Hmong girls wearing dyed indigo clothes adorned with jewellery. Already their English was good as I told them about England and they told me how many brothers and sisters they had, while I following the guide to the meeting point. I was introduced to an American guy who I would do the tour with. For the next two hours we trekked up and down steep mountain paths alongside beautiful rice terraces. Unfortunately, like other treks I’ve done in dramatic mountain scenery, the guide walked too fast and if you raised your eyes for more than a moment you risked a twisted ankle or worse.

Along the way I met several local tribes women who were keen to sell hand woven goods, but also liked to talk and laugh. One particular lady, Su walked with me for a good half an hour, gripping my hand on near verticle slopes. I started wondering why I was doing this tour as it was exhausting, and I had to spend the whole time concerntrating rather than taking photos.

We stopped for lunch at a local cafe where I was ready for the egg and noodle soup that was served. The American guy barely touched his. I thought he must be starving after the mornings trek, but instead he paced up and down along the road side. A few minutes later our guide flagged down a motorbike to take him back to Sapa town. Apparently he had started to question whether he should be doing the trek as an American, and felt that people would resent him for events in the past. The guide told me that this wasn’t the case and that everyone was welcome. I could have understood it had he been a soldier in the war, but he wasn’t. He was just a young guy in his twenties.

The guide and I continued our trek, this time along a gravel road where I was finally able to walk at my own pace and take photos of the terraces. I have never seen such stunning landscapes anywhere, from the snowscapes in Iceland to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, there was something more magical about the glistening water which hung in the gently curved terraces, sparkling against the green. The whole mountainside and valley was covered by this huge man made sculpture. It’s something I’ve wanted to see for so long, so it was a pretty special experience and the only thing I can compare it to at home is the pattern of a ploughed field, when viewed on a hill side. In between the terraces would be houses and small villages.

The guide took me back to his home, which was a wooden framed house, finished beautifully in bamboo, from the walls to the upstairs floor. The view from the patio was amazing. The house looked out across a valley and mountains that stretched for miles. After the long trek I was hungry and waited until after dark when the family invited me to join them for dinner. I was a little apprehensive as I had read about various customs of ways not to offend your host, but the rice wine caught me out. I tried to start eating my soup before I had finished the vile tasting and incredibly strong local drink. Somehow I managed to keep swallowing it, and everyone smiled.

Dinner always begins with a soup, this one was a mixture of vegetables and tasted good. A communal bowl of rice followed, which we all took from as well as a plate of heavily charcoaled fish, omelette and green veg. I couln’t quite say that it was nice, but the experience of eating dinner and staying with local tribes people was the highlight.

I slept on a mattress, above the other living quarters, and covered myself with a mosquito net and thick blanket. The night was very cold. The following morning I enjoyed a plate of pancakes which I smothered in honey and lime juice, until I felt prepared the the trek. We visited a traditional poor family house, which two sisters and husband lived together in two small rooms. One had a baby, but the other’s had died and so the family was cooking buffalow meat on the fire to protect the baby’s spirit. It was very sad, and I couldn’t fully understand what was going on, but the two sisters were lovely and had a great sense of humour.

Afterwards we took a long walk over large bolders next to a river, until we came to a huge waterfall. There was a lot of very tall mountains and jungle nearby. We headed back to the guide’s house for a noodle soup and pork lunch before saying thank you to the family and waving goodbye. The trek back to a nearby village took about an hour in the midday sun and involved some steep uphill paths, which was exhausting with my pack. Relieved to make it to a small village we stopped for bottled water, before squeezing onto a motorbike, between the driver and guide for a few miles. To see three people on a bike here is really common, and the driving is slow and careful. Another hour later we completed the rest of the journey in a Russian jeep.

Having bought several bracelets and hand woven products during the trek, I avoided the shops which were full of the same thing, only more expensive, and made my way to the local market. I was looking for pieces of hand made fabric for Ferret, as she seems quite creative with unusual patterns. Women of all ages swarmed me, quickly latching onto what I was looking for. There was no agression, just desperation to make money. I barely spent a few dollars on scraps of fabric but the women were greatful. Again, there were lots of smiles during the process, and the interaction was fun. I think for the Lisa women, having a foreigner come to the market and buy from them, rather than the tourist shops, was a new experience too.

My train from Lao Cai back to Hanoi was much more comfortable than the previous journey. I shared with a couple from Hong Kong, and a local business man. We all exchanged travel stories before putting off the lights and getting rocked to sleep.

Hanoi, Vietnam

2006-12-19T19:38:00.000Z

There’s something quite liberating about drawing three million out of the bank, shame its only dong. The currency here can be hard to get your head around, but the street sellers make sure you spend it.

It’s been an interesting few days. I got picked up from the airport and saw a cow walking across a fast dual carriageway. I hate to think what happened after we drove by. The suburbs seemed vast and I hoped the driver would take me somewhere nice. Eventually we drew to a halt and he said, you have to walk up there, pointing to a narrow street with great mounds of soil piled up. Apprehensively, I balanced my pack and crossed a wooden plank over a ditch to the hostel entrance and was greated by lots of smiles and relaxed people.

After putting my things in the dorm I realised I was hungry, when another girl arrived, along with Janette, an Australian lady with the most amazing sense of humour asking if I wanted to head out for some food. Before long she was leading us down the busy streets of Hanoi, telling us many useful tips that she had picked up over the last two months.

On my first night in Vietnam I ate seafood at a street stall, along with the other two and many locals. We sat on red plastic stools and ordered freshly prepared crab, prawns and various shell fish. It was priced by weight and came with various tools to eat with. I have never seen prawns as big before, or tasted such a sweet flavour. It was a delicious meal despite the surrounding, where discarded shells and unwanted fish debris was discarded on the pavement around us. Everything was dirty but the food was good.

Despite eating three large prawns I still felt hungry so we stopped off at another stall where I had a bowl of chicken and noodle soup with some green veg floating on the top. Next to us was a lady with baskets of fruit laid out around her, and she split open a clementine for us to try. It was wonderfully sweet. Janette bought some mangos and a dragon fruit, which I’d only ever seen sold in waitrose for at least 5 pounds each and had never tried one. The lady asked if we wanted her to cut it for us, so she did. Promptly she pulled out more plastic stools and we laughed and joked with her, as she showed us how to peel the pink rubbery skin, to reveal a soft white flesh. The taste is somewhere between a watermelon and a strawberry, sweet and subtle. I enjoyed is so much that I bought one (for about 40p) and shared it at the hostel this afternoon.

Today has been full of all sorts, waking up to the noise of workmen digging in the road below. I was thankful for my ear plugs. Later I headed out to the ‘Russian shop’ which was located in the Hanoi Towers. Luckily the shops are located on the ground floor. After sampling the street stalls, going into a proper shop felt quite odd. The owners of the hostel sent me there to buy a cheap windproof coat as I became quite worried when other travellers said they weren’t going to Sapa because it was too cold, and coming from Bangkok, Hanoi felt cold. I shall be taking an overnight train there tomorrow night and doing a two day tour. It’s really close to the boarder of China and has dramatic mountain scenery.

After returning with my new clothes I felt really hungry and decided it was time to find food. In the light of day the streets were chaotic, the sound of beeping horns constant and the dust was everywhere. I found a street kitchen with rice and various meats and veg, so I joined the locals who were all very friendly. They put me at ease and offered me the right soup spoon and implements for the meal for the meal, and asked me where I was from and a few other standard questions that followed but it was nice.

I walked down some more roads and it wasn’t long before the chaos of the city made me question why I had come to this over whelming place, at which point I just happened to be passing a cafe with a menu of cake while having this thought so I wandered in. After a creme caramel everything felt much better and I followed the road around to the main lake, which the guestbook described as the soul of Hanoi. Compared to the other streets it certainly felt really mellow. I visited a temple in the middle of a lake and spent some time sitting in the sun and enjoying the warmth.

Later I returned to the cafe for a plate of indulgent chocolate cake. I wasn’t sure what to expect as many non-European countries fail miserably when trying to imitate Western style desserts, but the cake was no dissapointment. It must be the Frech influence. After a trip to the Bank I came back to the cafe for a plate of spring rolls, my first Vietnamese spring rolls. I had expected something a bit like the ones you find in Chinese restaurants, with the flaky pastery but these were clear and full of beautifully fresh shredded veg and cellophane noodles accompanied by a sweet spicy sauce.

I made me way back to the hostel that happens to be celebrating it’s second birthday so there’s been a bit of a party with lots of free food and drink, and a geography related quiz. It was all quite fun, except I’m still feeling hungry and shall probably head out soon for some more food. I’m looking forward to spending most of tomorrow exploring Hanoi some more.

Arriving in Bangkok

2006-12-17T19:37:00.001Z

I’m sitting by a pond of huge carp in the gentle afternoon sun, partially hidden by luscious palm trees. Today has been so much easier than anticipated. I arrived at the shiny new airport (they both use the same BKK code). So that turned out to be a useful surprise since I’d been preparing myself to go from the old airport, to the new one in order to pick up my tickets for I need tomorrow (before the ticket office opens) but all was well. I even left my larger bag in left luggage.

Getting the bus into Bangkok was easy and enjoyable, watching the colourful city pass me by. The ticket lady onboard has a clever bamboo cane like gadget which she would flick open in different ways according to the notes she wanted. So many quirky things here. I got to use the sky train also, which is lots of fun on a bright sunny day.

My guesthouse took a bit more finding, but its lovely with a nice garden and lots of ornate wooden furniture. I’m sleeping in a dorm with five others, so hopefully I get to sleep, but it’s only for one night. I have all the ear plugs I could wish for and it seems a pretty good place.

Tomorrow I shall get the bus back to the airport and board my flight to Hanoi. For now though, I’m off to find some dinner…

Marrakesh, Morocco

2006-10-01T19:35:00.001+01:00

My last afternoon in Morocco and I sit by the pool side, after a busy morning of shopping. I decided that the leather here is gorgeous and managed to come back with five belts, including one snake skin, a red leather belt, a wide black platted one and two that have camel bones set into them and are incredibly beautiful.

Having been here just over a week, I feel as comfortable going into the souks as I would going to a market at home. In my mind, it has transformed from being this dark and chaotic maze to a place of many individual stalls run by generally nice people with a great sense of humour. I no longer feel apprehensive or wary, as I did to start with, continually paranoid for my bag and its contents. Its much easier to over charge, than directly steal. Also religion is strong and people are honest.

Yesterday afternoon I wandered through the Djemaa el Fna where women were calling out to do henna. I kept going but a slow in pace made it obvious that I was interested, and the lady in her early thirties followed me into the souk with a picture book. Despite our lack of common language I could see the desperation in her eyes, as she pleaded with me. It was something I wanted to experience anyway so a price was agreed and a design chosen in traditional one day red dye. I sat transfixed as the lady doodled a dark brown pattern of swirls and dots across my hand. After an hour the dark brown layer peels off, leaving a dark red cast.

In the evening we went for a meal, this time to somewhere pretty special. I shall add the name in later, but it was a mix of Moroccan and Thai, located in a beautifully restored riad. Other than the mosque, it is the only building in Marrakesh to have a sliding roof. We sat in the open, as candles flickered lighting up the surrounding walls, with amazing wood carvings and fine silk curtains. The owner was a well known DJ in seventies who came over to welcome us. The ambient music was perfect, as was the service, the food and everything about the evening. In one corner stood huge bamboo shoots, as wide as young trees, while the entrance contained an illuminated, bubbling water feature which we all rushed over to admire. Part way through our meal some sort of decorative burner was lit, as jets of fire whooshed out, causing more gasps of surprise. It was as if Ali had thought about what would make the most amazing dining experience, combining both taste and aesthetics, and then went about making his fantasy come to life, over the next ten years. It was truly lovely, the interior more amazing than words or even dreams could describe.

This evening I enjoyed a much more simple meal in the main square with the one remaining member of the tour, which has been fun. We even had ice cream. For now though, I shall head back to the hotel and look forward to my four thirty am wake up call.

Nightlife in Marrakesh

2006-09-30T19:34:00.000+01:00

Morocco is great for doing quirky things, like hiring a cart to carry out luggage back to the bus station, or taking a mule plus guide for a couple of pounds to carry to carry ten people’s bags up a mountain side. Much more fun than a Heathrow baggage trolley. Anyway yesterday afternoon we took a public coach back to Marrakesh, which was quite a leisurely affair, with a twenty minute break at a cafe, followed by a frantic hammering on the horn to which we all piled in. I watched the desert pass us by and various settlements with shepherds herding small flocks of sheep, in a fruitless search for grass.

We had come back to the hectic pace of the city, with hordes of taxi drivers swarming around us, saying things like, ‘You want taxi? how many? I take you there.’ Our tour leader negotiated a price and we set off back to the hotel.

A quick change of clothing and everyone emerged for our final group dinner, in their recently purchased glass bead necklaces and silk scarves as we made our way to modern Marrakesh, with its boutiques and stylish eateries. Our restaurant was no exception, with a cascading wall of water behind us and sparkly red fairy lights in-twined in the green foliage above. The meal was wonderful, olives and fresh bread plentiful as we enjoyed various tagines, and a selection of decadent puddings.

Deciding to continue in the same vein we visited Monty Crystal, a stylish bar where the walls are draped in dark red silk, the seats made of soft leather and the lighting atmospheric, with traditional lanterns adorning every table. A mint sheesha pipe was ordered, and expensive cocktails with badly mixed ingredients. Satisfactory drinks here tend to be a novelty!

A man in the corner played tribal beat music, as his group sat around, entranced. As the evening drew on a disco started, where Moroccan women danced to the latest Euro pop hits. Everyone seemed to be having fun so we joined in as well. Music videos were played on big screens, people smiled and joked, it was like one big party. By half past one the music got worse and the dance floor became flooded with uncoordinated men, so we thought it was time to leave. Ten minutes later a little fiat taxi had dropped us back at the hotel, after what had been a lovely night with great memories of a beautiful venue and friendly people.

Essouira, Morocco

2006-09-29T19:33:00.000+01:00

The sweet sounds of ‘Castle made of sand’ ran through my head, as I walked along golden sands, with creamy stone buildings and white washed walls. This is the paradise that inspired Hendrix back in the sixties. Essouira is a beautiful seaside town, with a relaxed pace and cult hippy following.

Huge waves crash into the rocks, as sea spray dances high into the air. There is a constant breeze and a perfectly clear aquamarine sky. Fishermen bring back a fresh catch twice a day, in tiny wooden boats, much to the delight of hundreds of seagulls that swarm over head. A few are lucky and sit along the concrete walls, squabbling over a freshly bleeding Herring.

The heart of the town is the market squares and mini souks. A vibrant and chaotic mix of crafts, spices and fish stalls. Everyone seems to be buying or selling something, from the flea market auctions to the patisery, with various cinnamon and almond cakes sold by the weight.

The architecture is beautiful, with many adorned doorways and decorated tiles. Moroccan interiors are another interesting concept, with many clashing patterns and colours, which all work together in creating a design that challenged our senses. The last two nights have been spent in a riad, with a small garden and water feature in the middle and a terrace at the top. Our riad is next to a temple, but I no longer hear the prayer calls that happen throughout the day.

The bars and restaurants here are quite stylish, with coloured lighting, live bands and strong cocktails on the roof terrace, surrounded by lucious plants and comfy garden chairs. I have sampled a variety of cuisine from traditional tagines to omlettes and Italian pasta dishes, while catching up with the rest of the group, followed by the occasional chocolate cake or apple tart.

I have really enjoyed my time here and hope to return to this laid back fishing town, full of interesting things to see, and places to be enjoyed. It’s a lot more friendly than Marrakesh, with clean costal air and empty beaches. I have done much shopping and shall return home in a few days with lovely hand made wooden boxes, silver bracelets and rows of glass beads. This afternoon we leave, and head back to the medival city of Marrakesh by public bus, where I shall enjoy the delights of Djemaa el Fna.

The Atlas Mountains, Morocco

2006-09-28T19:32:00.000+01:00

The Atlas mountains were incredible. I went on a four hour trek, high into the clouds and up to a remote shrine. Just staying in the village of Armed was an experience in itself. We lived with the locals, and saw how they survive in a fairly unforgiving environment. Every day the women use a communal oven to bake the bread, and prepare a tagine of couscous and various meats. I’m in Morocco during the religious festival of Ramadam, where fasting takes place during the day and then food is eaten after darkness. For this reason people seem quite wiped out during the day, but I have a feeling that the pace is petty relaxed here anyway.

The mountain people of Armed were truely warm and friendly, and made us feel very welcome in their village. We stayed on the top floor of an old house, with sofa style seating around the edge that we slept upon at night, and a balcony that looked out upon jagged mountain scenery. The family cooked us three meals a day, of the freshest most beautiful produce. Lunch consisted of a wide variety of veg, with cheese, eggs and fish. Evening dinner arrived in the form of a spicy soup followed by a communal tagine, brimming with rich flavours, carrots, sweet potatoes and chicken or mutton, as well as a large selection of bread. Fresh oranges or melon was provided for dessert. Every meal was followed by the most aromatic sweet mint tea. Even the smell was moorish.

An hours drive followed two nights in Armed, where we hired a mule to take our bags back down the hillside. We took a mini bus to Ouirigane, where we stayed in a really lovely Moroccan countryside hotel with beautiful pink walls covered in lucious green vines, a spacious garden and pool.

That afternoon we had lunch in a traditional Berber house, where we were invited to see how the bread was made, and were shown around the house until we settled in the living room and were served a delicious three course meal. The tables here are very low down, with soft padded cushions to sit on and lots of colourful fabric to adorn the room. Our hosts were wonderful, and we sat around chatting for a couple of hours.

Later that afternoon most of us went on a walk into the hills, across to neighbouring villages, with a local guide who pointed to new electricity pilons, and proceeded to tell us that electricity had arrived for these people just two weeks ago. There were many very old mud brick houses, set against furtile red soil. The villages resembled an ancient civilisation, unchanged for centuries, and was like nothing I had ever seen before.

That evening we had a meal at the hotel, which was lovely but we were surrounded by many tiny cats who fought each other over scraps of food. We later found out that cats are sacred here, as there does seem to be more of these wild ‘cat like’ creatures than people, many of them in a bad state. Anyway the meal was particularly satisfying and after a few rounds of cards I went off to bed, ready for Essouira the following morning.

Marrakesh and the Souks

2006-09-24T19:30:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I encountered the delight of the souks, magical and maze like. I walked around slowly watching people, seeing other photographers and how the locals reacted to them. After a while I got use to the new environment and managed to take many photos without offending anyone. I would upload them here, but despite finding an computer new enough to have a USB port in the back, it still refuses to let me access my camera, so it’s looking like photos will have to wait until my return, and then they shall be uploaded.

By midday the dappled light was incredibly dramatic, as it made its way to the mud floor. The air was thick with the pungent smell of spice, and something else that I was unable to identify that wafted through the souk.

The touristy part is full of all the usual crafts and clothing, but the further you go the more authentic is becomes, with less white people and more reasonable prices. There was also stalls of delicious Moroccan pastries and freshly squeezed orange juice, which was so refreshing.

In the evening I met the Intrepid tour group that I shall be joining for the next few days. It seems like everyone is greener than me, in terms of travelling so in the evening I led them through the Medina. There are only three out of ten of us that can speak any French. The people seem mostly nice though, and come from all corners in the globe.

The Moroccans here are truly friendly. Even in the souks I was able to have a laugh with the store holders, and deflect any hassle. People respond well to a smile. Unfortunately my travel partners weren’t so lucky or diplomatic, and seemed to have a rough time with it. Thankfully I’m not having that problem.

Marrakesh, Morocco

2006-09-23T19:29:00.000+01:00

I’m looking out upon dusty pink buildings, seperated by concrete walkways and chunky palm trees. In the distance the glow of floodlights attracts groups of teenage boys as they sing merrily in loud voices. I later find out Marrakesh are playing Casablanca at the city stadium.

So far Morocco has been a lot easier than I expected. The airport resembled the chaos sampled at The Queen Alia, in Jordan, with disorderly queues and hours of not much happening with little explanation, but this should be considered normal when visiting such places. A while later I found myself outside the airport trying to suss out the best option of getting to the hotel. I was a little wary of the taxi hustlers, mostly due to my experiences of trying to get a taxi just about anywhere in Bangkok, to which the drivers had their own agendas.

Here the price agreed at the start of the journey was not only fair but stuck to. The driver also knew where the hotel was and took me straight there, which is always a bonus! He also made jokes about ‘un cadeau pour moi’ which he recieved due to my relief at not having to suffer any scams. And with the most dreaded part of my journey over I arrived at Hotel de la Minara, with its beautiful Moorish decor and tranquil courtyard.

Still feeling a little apprehensive, I wandered down the main street looking for somewhere to have dinner. I stopped to ask a white couple who turned out to be French and they pointed me in the direction of a Pizza hut. Ironically it isn’t somewhere I would normally go at home and as much as I laugh at English people who go abroad and eat at McDonalds, the prices were cheap and it was starting to get dark.

The familiarity of the French language is comforting, as I am able to communicate on a basic level. It is a lot less scary than being in remote parts of Asia where no common language is shared. I like the Moroccan people. So far they have been warm friendly, and show definate humour.

I have barely encountered any of the hastle I read about, as a single female. It is difficult not to respond to a friendly bonjour in the street, but with the knowledge that once conversation is started it is very difficult to escape, I just keep walking. I have been careful to adopt the mannerisms of Moroccan women and in many ways I look quite similar with my dark hair and long floating kaftan. Here the men would never approach a woman on the streets if they respected her, yet tourists in their inappropriate tank tops seem fair game. I try to walk purposely, which is always difficult when you are lost, as not to attract hastle, but so far it’s working and I feel that I am starting to gain an insight into Moroccan culture.

***

This morning I had breakfast at the hotel and started talking to a group of travellers who are at the end of their Intrepid tour, and gave me lots of tips on bargaining, the various places they visited and seemed to have thouroughly enjoy it. I headed out and in the general direction of the main square, walking alongside noisy roads and sandy pavements, spotting my first internet cafe. I am told there are many. Anyway I shall continue exploring, and post again soon, with hopefully many exciting tales…

Rennes, France

2006-09-16T19:28:00.000+01:00

The moment I stepped outside the airport the difference was noticeable. Just an hours flight from Southampton and I was in the provincial city of Rennes, struggling to remember my French as I ordered drinks and bought various items of clothing. After a freshly squeezed apricot juice and a brief catch up with my parents, sitting in a colourful outdoor cafe, I wandered off to the alternative part of town. The streets are lined with old timber buildings, as music plays from the floors above and stylishly dressed people pass below, the place is alive with energy. The atmosphere is relaxed as locals shop and chat, and the cafes are filled with smiling faces and joyous conversation.

I continued to the interesting ethnic shops that I visited the year before, as I absorbed the sense of decoration displayed in the jewellery stands, and cave like layout of never ending shops, filled with tables of loose beads in every size, shape and colour, bowls of swirled glass rings and rails of earth coloured sarongs. The shop assistants were genuinely friendly and helpful as tribal beat music played in the background and the subtle smell of incense wafted through the air.

As the afternoon drew to a close we gathered in the old square and ordered delicious crepes filled with spinach, cheese and salmon, as waiters bustled between the tables and an accordionist serenaded the diners with lulling French folk music. As the evening went on, families, friends and couples gathered together chatting merrily, displaying a contentedness that becomes apparent when observed by an outsider, from a world of deadlines and demands. Here the emphasis is on family and friends, where people take time to enjoy life and appreciate its pleasures. Rennes is an inspiring city of both beauty and culture, mixed with its easy going street vibe and affectionate heart. Its a place that I like a lot and shall probably return to many times for its uniqueness and just for being Rennes.

Final thoughts and recommendations...

2006-01-10T19:27:00.000Z

The morning after we got back it was snowing, and having been back in the UK four days now I’ve nearly got used to the temperature and waking up at the right time. I’ve been looking at all the photos I took in Thailand and Cambodia, 2500 of them, and feel quite amazed at some of the things I saw and did.

The photos will be bigger than on here and there are more of them. At the moment I’m trying to fight a bad cold. Looking back at the trip, it does feel like an amazing journey where every day I experienced something new. I’m really glad I saw Cambodia and such a different way of life. I want to travel again, and will probably go along to Destinations 2006 for inspiration (2-5 Feb). It has been such an amazing experience and I want to see more of the world.

Recommendations and Advice

During our visit to Thailand and Cambodia we stayed at some great places, as well as some that weren’t so nice. I think that choosing a good guesthouse or hotel can play a large part in the enjoyment of a place, as we found out in Bangkok.

Bangkok:

I don’t recommend staying in the area Downtown of Thanon Rama IV, it’s fairly grim. Sukhumvit is a much smarter and more expensive area. We stayed at the SV Guesthouse (Tel. (0066) 22 531747) (just around the corner from the metro) which was 600 baht a night for a double room with ensuite. All the hotels in that area seem more expensive than other parts of Bangkok, but its definately worth it for the great public transport links and for a street free of rats and rubbish. Khoa San Road looks a fun place if you’re young, into hostels and willing to stay in the same place as all the other tourists. Chinatown looked another fun option, definately worth investigating.

Sukhothai:

We stayed at the Ban Thai guesthouse in New Sukhothai (Tel. (0066) 55 610163) which was the most enchanting guesthouse we came across in Thailand, and I completely recommend it to anybody. They have beautiful wooden bungalows with ensuites based in a pretty garden for 250 baht a night, and dorms in a separate building for less. There is also a lovely restaurant area which has a brilliant menu of thai food at good prices. We really enjoyed staying here.

Chiang Mai:

I don’t have anywhere to recommend for Chiang Mai, as the place we stayed was fairly basic and provided small, grotty blankets for the bed and wanted to charge extra for sheets. Despite being Western run they kept a poor dog in a cage and the staff weren’t overly friendly. However there are lots of nice looking guesthouses in Chiang Mai, so I think it would be easy to find somewhere that looked good when you get there rather than booking in advance.

Krabi:

The KR Mansion Hotel (Tel. (0066) 75 612761) was ok, but not brilliant. I booked it over the phone and they had said 300 baht a night for a double room with ensuite, but when we got there they were saying 350. They did accept 300, but I’m sure for their new price you could find a nicer place to stay. The food wasn’t great either.

Siem Reap, Cambodia:

I completely recommend The Two Dragons Guesthouse to anybody going to Siem Reap and visiting Angkor. Our room was lovely and clean with nice bedding and a hot shower. The guesthouse is Western run, with a helpful owner and friendly staff. They have a clean restaurant with lovely Thai and Khmer food at good prices. Our room was $12 a night for a double bed, air con and a hot shower ensuite. This guesthouse is popular and gets full quickly so I recommend booking in advance. Also we met our tuk tuk driver Sot’lar at the entrance when we arrived, offering to be our driver, and he was very likeable so I would highly recommend him also.

Queen Alia Int. Airport, Jordan

2006-01-07T19:26:00.000Z

We arrived in Jordan in the evening and found out that we had a free transit hotel already arranged, which I was surprised about. It seemed like half the people from the flight knew about it and the rest didn’t, and like myself had already booked accomodation in Amman. We were lucky, as a lady at the hotel phoned up the hotel where I had a reservation and cancelled for me and thankfully they won’t charge my card. The hotel itself was ok, really large and included a free evening meal and breakfast. Neither were much good though!

The organisation at the airport the following morning was terrible. We arrived at 9.00am for our 11.00am flight and were pointed in the direction of a transit desk where no one was there to serve us. After a while we were moved on to a different desk where there was one woman between two lines of about fifty people, and it was so slow. As people from our flight neared the front she started calling for passengers for flights to Tunis and then New York. Eventually every time she called out New York we all screamed back London. After standing in a queue for over an hour she told us to gather round and started reading out our names. Of course with the number of people for our flight and how quiet her voice was, nobody could hear a thing. Thankfully a loud man from our flight took the cards from her and read out our names. It astounded me that after getting to the airport so early we then had to stand in a queue for an hour and a half, only for another passenger to read out our names and give us our boarding cards. With half an hour to spare we proceeded to the boarding gate.

Bangkok, Thailand

2006-01-05T19:25:00.001Z

Last night we were collected from the hotel and taken to Krabi bus station, where we waited an hour before boarding a coach. We were fairly tightly packed but for our 550 baht each to go from Krabi to Bangkok I hadn’t expected much else. The toilet on board was tiny and had no light, which seems a common feature of Asian busses, so for future reference always travel with a pocket torch!

Three hours later the bus pulled in at a little place with palm trees and a ‘cafe’. We thought it was just a toilet stop, but our luggage was being taken off the coach and everyone got out. Nobody knew what was going on or why we had been dropped here, but we had to go over to a desk and write down our names for Bangkok. Eventually we managed to get out of one of the drivers that we were going on a ‘big coach’. All of a sudden there was shouting of ‘quick’, ‘Bangkok’ and ‘coach one’ but for some reason that coach wasn’t for us and we were allocated on the next one.

We found a Canadian couple to talk to and waited for about an hour, in this swamp like, coconut plantation, surrounded by bull frogs and moths the size of birds. Eventually our coach did turn up, and it was more spacious with aircon, comfy seats and blankets. I was slightly concerned and puzzeled that for such a nice coach there were no toilets on board and we had ten hours ahead of us! However as it happened the coach made three stops at various service stations for us to get out, buy food or use the toilets, so that was a relief! I just found it difficult with the lack of communication from the drivers, that we didn’t know what was going on or whether we would have to sit on the coach for the entire journey and if so I shouldn’t drink any water, and after we did stop I wondered if we would stop again. However I managed to get some sleep and it was fairly comfortable - just a bit cold!

We arrived in Bangkok at six am, despite all the delays. The difficult bit was finding a taxi driver that would use the meter to take us for a short journey to the train station. The taxi drivers in Bangkok can be such idiots, as we said Hua Lamphong station, and the driver asked where we were going after, and we said the airport this afternoon and he seemed genuinely puzzeled as to why we wanted the train station if we were going to the airport, so we walked off and had similar experiences with a few more drivers, until finding one who would use the meter and take us where we wanted to go. We did have to tell him we were going to take the train to Chiang Mai, which he seemed happy with, as if our journey had to make sense, rather than us deciding where we wanted to go. The train was slightly delayed but we’re here now, having checked in with an hour or so before our flight.

Krabi, Thailand

2006-01-04T19:24:00.002Z

Our last day in Krabi and we awoke to more monsoon rain. We walked down to a restaurant for breakfast which looked fine, except for the fact that when getting to the bottom of my fruit juice I noticed a worm! I was fairly horrified and we promptly left and went somewhere else. I suppose in all likeliness I probably didn’t drink any more worms as they are heavier than water and float to the bottom and it could have just been a worm from the fruit, but either way it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

At a restaurant we knew to be fine I drank a cup of boiling water in the hope of killing anything bad followed by breakfast. After that Al suggested vodka, which wasn’t particularly nice either, but hopefully it sterilised my stomach, and I’m currently drinking lots of bottled water. So its just a case of waiting to go to the doctors when I get back and maybe taking some antibiotics. As its so hot here I just though that a glass of tropical fruit juice would be nice, but in future its just a can of coke or bottled water!

We have a coach booked overnight back to Bangkok, which arrives early tomorrow morning and then our flight back to Jordan. I’ve enjoyed Krabi, it’s a relaxing seaside town.

Krabi, West Railey, Thailand

2006-01-03T19:22:00.003Z

So much for our plans this morning to get up early and take a boat to the nearby beaches. We awoke to the sound of the South’s monsoon rain. A few hours later it had passed so we walked down to the pier and waited, for ages. The guys that ran the boats said we’d have to wait for 8 to 10 people but after sitting by the river for a long time we decided to walk upstream to the famous Krabi crags. We took a pathway through the mangroves and eventually ended up at a pier opposite one of the huge limestone crags. A local guy was offering boat trips to the crag and back for 100B for the two of us, and to start with I was a bit scared of the thought of going on this tiny wooden boat, but it was only 50 meters or so in calm water, and I even enjoyed the boat ride! We were really low down in the water, and it was amazing to see these big limestone crags towering above us. We arrived on the island, which had a small sandy area and explored a cave with interesting stalagmites and stalactites.

We walked back down the Krabi river passing the pier where the longtail boats go from, and this time we were in luck as there were enough people to leave for East Railay beach. Again the sea was fairly calm, as we followed the coastline around, passing interesting looking islands on the way. It probably took about half an hour. When we arrived at East Railay the boat came as close as it could to the sand and then we had to jump!

The beaches were beautiful. I felt really excited to see turquoise blue sea. However the weather still wasn’t that great and it spend most of the afternoon being cloudy. We had food at a restaurant looking out onto the beach when we arrived and then walked across to West Railey. The beach was very crowded and more popular than the guidebook suggested but it was still good to walk on lovely white sand and look out at limestone crags in the sea.

There were lots of stalls selling various beach clothing and jewellery and I bought an interesting bracelet with shells threaded on and some rings. We walked back to the bay where longtail boats were leaving to head back to Krabi and had to wade out quite a way into the sea before climbing onto the boat! At that point it was looking fairly stormy and soon after it started to rain. The journey back was fine and we had the boat to ourselves as the owner wanted to get back. When we returned I felt really pleased that I’d managed to do the boat trips today, as normally I’d do anything to avoid going by sea. I took a travel tablet and wore seabands which worked well. I quite enjoyed the experience of being on a longtail boat in South Thailand.

Leaving Cambodia, to Bangkok, then Krabi...

2006-01-02T19:21:00.002Z

I’m currently hiding in an internet cafe from what feels like a semi-monsoon. The clouds started to go dramatically dark and all of a sudden it started. Our first afternoon in Krabi.

…

It’s been a long journey to get here. We left Siem Reap (Cambodia) at 6.50am in a taxi, and passed beautiful rice fields and palm trees glowing in the early morning sun. We were well on our way to the border, when in front of us was a long queue of cars. Our driver overtook them and got near the front. It was at this point we found out that the bridge was broken and there was a huge hole, where one of the metal plates had fallen in. Soon after the vehicles had caused gridlock in about three rows of cars on either side of the bridge for as far as you could see, so even if they did mend the bridge we were all blocked in!

It was really hot by this point and lots of people were trying to find shade behind cars. The dirt road covered us all in browny orange dust. Several hours passed and eventually people managed to botch up the bridge and eventually people moved their vehicles to let the other direction through. Some cars from our side tried to go across and it took a further half an hour of arguing before they decided who should go first and we were finally on our way again! I think I should be thankful that it was only five and a half hours to the border and not longer, considering what chaos the bridge was.

We passed through the border after a lot of queuing, and only just made the 1.30pm bus to Bangkok. We arrived at six and were in quite a hurry to get to the train station for 7.15pm. We must have looked confused but were very thankful when a German guy offered to translate for us and got us on the right bus to the nearest metro. From there it was another twenty minutes to Hualamphong station and we just made in time to buy food before the journey and get on the train!

I put my earplugs in and slept really well in the train. I woke about six am, and the bunks were made into seats. Soon after it got light and we started passing dramatic scenery with forests and limestone crags. From Surat Thani we got a coach to Krabi bus station, which was a further three hours, and finally a songthaw to our hotel.

It was really hot when we arrived here. After a lunch of fried noodles, veg and chicken we walked down to the river, from where the boats go to the Railey beaches. It doesn’t look to bad, and tomorrow we’re hoping to make a trip out to the beaches. Unfortunately there’s thundery showers forecast for the next day or so, and then its sunny when we go back home! I like the feel of Krabi, the atmosphere here is relaxed and quite different from other parts of Thailand.

Siem Reap, Tonle Sap Floating Village, Cambodia

2005-12-31T19:18:00.002Z

Our last day at Siem Reap has mostly been a relaxing one, exploring the town and countryside. We hired our friendly tuk tuk driver for one more day, and started off in the busy part of town, watching the rush hour happen around us. People here mostly travel by bicycle or scooter, often with at least three people on the back of one. Everything is transported on the scooters, from pigs, both dead and alive in cages, huge bundles of fruit and veg, long lengths of wood, pipes to sheets of glass.

We headed out towards the floating village of Tonle Sap lake but drove through several small villages on the way and stopped to photograph interesting houses and water buffaloes. As we got out lots of children followed us around, and I took their photo. They seemed to have lots of fun seeing images of themselves on the playback screen on my digital camera.

Next we drove to the lake of Tonle Sap, and although I didn’t take the one hour boat ride to see the village, Al did. Instead I wandered around the narrow strip of land with floating houses on either side. I dídn’t like the place very much. To start with I was plagued with children asking for a dollar, without any small goods to offer, and I thought it was a shame that in the past enough irresponsible tourists had done so for them to expect it. Instead I practised a few new phrases of Khmer and took their photographs.

The area was incredibly dusty and the people lived in very basic conditions - although they had houses, and casual stalls selling food and veg, as well as a primary and secondary school, so they weren’t living in complete poverty. Their way of life appeared very demanding. They didn’t have anything to offer tourists, apart from the boat rides lower down the road, and I recieved a lot of stares and felt the locals wondered what I was doing there. The people weren’t as friendly as other parts of Cambodia, but in a way I felt they weren’t use to seeing tourists in their community, apart from further down the road in boats that visit a floating village 4km away, so most tourists probably ignore this part. While I was there I bought a whole bunch of about 20 small bananas for $0.25 and was then followed by small children who kept asking for one, so I gave most away. It surprised me in a way that when the children saw I had a bag of bananas they stopped asking for a dollar, as I suppose they could eat it rather than giving the money to their parents to spend.

After lunch we went to the old market which was full of local goods at reasonable prices. The market was huge and filled with colourful stalls from Cambodian silk to fresh fruit and veg. I spent over an hour or so looking through the stalls and bought a patchwork bag, several scarves with varying silky textures and wooden beaded bracelets. The women at the market stalls were friendly although some were understandably keen that I bought from them, as most of the stalls sold similar silk scarves or bags.

We came back to the hotel and thanked the tuk tuk driver and paid him for the last four days. We thought he was probably about 25, and chatting to him earlier I found out that he had three children, two young boys and a girl. For western standards he seemed so young to have a family, but he appeared proud to talk about the subject.

We had a nice meal at the guesthouse and settled up for our food and accomodation. As I’ve been writing this post we’ve had very heavy rain outside but its finally stopped. We plan to go out for a cocktail to celebrate the New Year, followed by an early night. We have a taxi booked for 6.30am tomorrow morning. Happy New Year.

The Bayon Temples, Cambodia

2005-12-30T19:16:00.003Z

We went to the Bayon temple early to photograph the soft yellow morning light on some of the 37 stone heads. The heads depicted figures from Buddhist mythology and were very striking to look at. The temple comlex itself was also architecturally impressive. After wandering around we found a monkey sat on one of the stones and several people were having their picture taken with it so I did as well! It was quite old, and just relaxing in the sun.

We went around Angkor Thom and saw the Terrace of the Elephants which included several walls of sculpted elephants. The time and detail it must have taken was amazing. On the drive back we saw lots of monkeys sitting around by the trees which were funny to watch. The baby monkeys were quite cheeky and came right up to me looking for food. We also saw elephants carrying people to and from the temple.

After lunch our tuk tuk driver took us out to Bakong (13km east) - one of the older temples of Angkor. Other than a tourist bus which came and went, we practically had the whole temple to ourselves. It was set in a really beautiful location with palm trees and a huge moat around the outside. There was also interesting brick buildings around the outside of the temple with big holes in for cooking and a tall chimney. The outer wall was covered in funnel webs, which was interesting to see.

It was another really hot day today so by this point we were both quite tired, but stopped off at Banteay Kdei to take some pictures of stone carvings and then briefly onto Ta Prohm, where the surrounding jungles contain nearly deafening birds, that make a continual high pitched, shrieking sounds. It took us ages to work out the strange sound was birds, we heard it on and off for the last few days. We returned back to our guesthouse for food after a long and exhausting day.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2005-12-29T19:14:00.001Z

Another early start this morning as we drove to the temple of Banteay Srey. There was a beautiful sunrise and I could feel the warmth of the sun as it rose into the sky. The 37km journey was lovely, and I felt so happy as we drove alongside fields of water buffaloes, villages with palm trees and wooden houses, with people cooking and children happily playing in the gardens. They all waved at the tourists and some tried to sell us things or asked for pens or sweets but I just smiled and said the Khmer for no thank you.

We arrived at Banteay Srey at about 8am and were surprised to find tourist busses arriving at this remote temple just after we had. However, the temple was beautiful and I took some photos. Next we went to Banteay Samre and although the temple was nice, I was too hot and tired to appreciate it.

After lunch we went up in the Angkor balloon. To start with it kept moving awkwardly upwards in semi circles which was quite scary, and we were told to hold on. After I got over the initial fear and was able to let go of the sides to take photographs I enjoyed it. It was tethered to the height of 200ft, looking out across Angkor Wat. It was amazing looking down on the land and once up there I was fine. The decent was so gradual I didn’t notice to start with.

We went back to Angkor Wat to take more photos and found some kids playing in the lily ponds infront of the temple.

We decided to stay for sunset but I couldn’t find anywhere to frame it against on the lower level without the trees getting in the way, so I decided to climb to the top of the inner tower. The first time I tried I got half way up before deciding it was too high and went back down, but after walking around and I knew the sun was about to go down and that we wouldn’t be here again for sunset, I told myself to just keep going and I climbed 25m of steep, semi eroded stone steps. There was probably over a hundred people on the top level, watching the sunset so I found a level part to stand on and take photos.

As soon as the sun set temple staff told us it was time to go back down at which point the height really got to me. Thankfully one of the guides carried my things and I went down one of the stairways with a hand rail. This took several minutes as going down backwards I couldn’t see the steps and had to feel them with my feet first. Also it got dark really quickly. It was quite a relief to get back to the guesthouse.

Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, Cambodia

2005-12-28T19:12:00.002Z

Angkor is amazing. The scale and complexity of the temples built nearly a thousand years ago is stunning. Nothing compares to these structures. As the tuk tuk drove closer and the track to Angkor Wat was in sight I felt a sense of excitment and suspense as to what I was about to see, and felt really excited when I recognised the silouette of these famous structures from pictures I had seen.

I have been reading about Angkor for months and it felt quite surreal to begin with, being in Cambodia and seeing it with my own eyes. I instantly loved Angkor Wat, which reminded me of a lavish castle, except on a much bigger scale, and in a very different style to anything I had seen in Europe.

Angkor Wat is beautiful and very complex, with several layers of dark stone monuments before accessing the central part, combining the outer and inner walls with the main temple, which included its own courtyards and corridors. It took around ten minutes to walk from one side to the other, through the middle of the temple (1 km), although I spent several hours exploring every corridor and pathway. I even came across a monk who was my age and asked me where I was from and that sort of thing.

By late morning we were both hungry and our tuk tuk driver dropped us back at the guesthouse for lunch. We were glad to rest for a while as it must have been at least 30 degrees today and was really sunny up until midday. Thankfully the only part of me that’s burnt is a small strip where my mosquito wristband was, as I didn’t put sunscreen there, but nothing too bad. We enjoyed a nice noodle and chicken lunch.

After lunch we were going to have a balloon ride over Angkor Wat but it was too cloudy.

Our next destination was Ta Prohm, a temple filmed in Tomb Raider, famous for its intricate stone monuments build in 1186 and forgotten about. The area is covered by jungle where many of the temples are swallowed by tree roots and the stone carvings are so old looking. Just to see the way nature has taken over, I found Ta Prohm equally as impressive as Angkor Wat as it felt so abandoned and I felt like an explorer, viewing something lost for such a long time.

We’ve both decided that we like it here so much, that we will stay an extra day and return to Bangkok on the day of our train to Krabi as opposed to the day before. This means spending New Years Eve in Siem Reap, which is definately a good thing. I feel happy about an extra day here. It’s a really nice place, a lot more relaxing than Thailand. I’m enjoying it.

Thailand / Cambodia Border

2005-12-27T19:09:00.001Z

If the journey was easy perhaps I wouldn’t feel like I’ve achieved much, and in this case I feel like we’ve achieved a lot!

We woke at about 5am this morning in Bangkok, where the rain was torrential. Apparently it had only been raining three hours and some of the roads were covered in nearly a foot of water. We grabbed a metered taxi and asked to take us to the skytrain, which was just around the corner, but as usual we found a stupid driver who tried to take us to the train station which also had the skytrain. Eventually he turned around and dropped us at the nearest station, so we payed him for what it would have cost had he gone there to start with, and onto the sky train. This was the straight forward part as Bangkok does have a great metro and skytrain system. Clean, efficient and signs in English. We got off at Ho Chit, near the nothern bus terminal.

The guidebook says go to the northern bus terminal and there are busses every hour to Aranyprathet, the Thai border to Cambodia. So we carried the heavy luggage down the stairs and to the bus stops. It was all very complicated and different people told us different bus numbers. Everything was in Thai and nobody could speak particularly good English, and at one point I thought we were never going to make it. However eventually someone pointed us in the right direction and we got a bus to the bus station and bought a ticket for a bus to Aran.

We left at 7.45am and arrived in Aran at about 12.00. We didn’t have any problems getting a tuk-tuk to the actual border and were met on the Thai side with English speaking officials, specially to help tourists. I got the Thai exit stamp and have a Cambodian stamp in my passport. I was pleased as I got the visa for $20, no scams or ‘tea money’ requests. After taking another tuk-tuk to where the taxies departed from we found a German couple to share 3 hour ish taxi ride with.

As soon as we were driving out into the countryside I had a really positive feeling about Cambodia. I think I like it more than Thailand. Our guesthouse (Two Dragons) is luxurious compared to what we’ve been used to, and I’ve just had a lovely meal of freshwater fish with lemon grass and an orange sauce. Despite it feeling like such hard work to get here and travelling for nearly twelve hours it feels good. Tomorrow we shall see Angkor.

Ayuttaya, Thailand

2005-12-26T19:07:00.003Z

After the previous post we took a tuk tuk to Chiang Mai’s train station and stocked up with bottled water, crisps and generous slices of banana cake which was only 10 baht! We got there early and found some seats to sit down on and were shortly joined by a couple from South Africa who were catching the same train as us. They had travelled from Singapore, up through Malaysia to Thailand, and told us about the lovely beaches and diving in the south.

As the time came for our train, we walked down the platform to where the sleeper carriages would be (the trains are very long) and sat down next to an American couple travelling with a young child. It was beginning to get quite cold by this point and the train still hadn’t turned up, and then there was an annoucement that the train was delayed and wouldn’t get in until after midnight. Somehow we chatted and waited for another three hours until the train eventually did turn up and they attached the sleeper cars.

Instead of getting to Ayuttaya mid morning, we didn’t arrive until early afternoon. At the station we were constantly hastled by tuk tuk drivers wanted to charge huge amounts to drive us around the temples. Instead we followed a map walked a km or so to Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol. It was so hot and Ayuttaya felt like just another modern city with ancient temples hidden away, around the edge of the old capital. The parts we saw were cleaner than Bangkok, busy and not particularly pretty.

The temple was interesting. Built in 1593, it was huge and well kept. I climbed to the top level of the main tower and looked down on rows of Buddahs and other temples. There seemed to be lots of local people who lived on the edge of the park and maintained the grounds. The temples were covered in pretty, blue butterflies.

In the evening we ate at noodle stands alongside the station and I even found a stall with cakes and tried some tasty coconut bread pastries. We took a train back to Bangkok and stayed at the SV Guesthouse in Sukhumvit. The area was a lot nicer, but more expensive and was filled with big tourist hotels and shopping malls.

Doi Inthanon, Rice Terraces and Hill Tribes...

2005-12-25T19:05:00.001Z

Today has been amazing. We went on a tour to Doi Inthanon, about two hours to the west with a few other people. It started off in the normal fashion with half an hour at a huge waterfall, and then back in the minibus and up to the highest mountain in Thailand. It was quite cold and misty and all the Thai people were shivering although we found it quite mild. Our minibus driver was a lunatic and did some really doggy blind bend style overtakes but the roads were just about wide enough for three cars to pass! It was very scary though. The roads themselves were in good condition and no horrible sheer drops too close to the road.

We saw the King and Queen Pagodas which were each based upon a mountain with jungle in the surrounding area. It was very beautiful. After this we went to a village for lunch and had lovely Thai food. They brought out lots of nicely flavoured meat and vegetable dishes which we shared, followed by slices of fresh pineapple and melon.

Our next destination was The Royal Project, which was an agricultural place, with a pond, good view, pretty waterfalls and funnel web spiders webs on the trees! I wandered off ahead and saw several monks in bright orange robes gathered around one of the viewpoints, so I walked up and asked if they could take their picture too. After which they pointed me to a stone to sit on and gathered around asking if I could be in theirs! One of the monks was given four digital cameras and proceeded to take the photos. I found this so amusing. They were from a fairly remote part nearby and I suppose they didn’t see many white girls with curly hair!

Finally we got back into the minibus and drove to a Hilltribe village. We saw some girls weaving and they were selling beautiful scarves and drapes. I thought this was a really positive thing, as they were selling their products directly, which would encourage the local people not to grow opium if they could make money by other means. So I bought a gorgeous woven scalf. At this point I started chatting to an Australian lady on our tour, and we walked around the village.

The huts looked like wooden tree houses, except with TVs. We saw a path out into a rice field which was amazing. We asked the guide what time we were due back and he said it was the last stop and as long as we wanted, so we walked probably for fifteen minutes along the paddy fields, and said hello to the local people working on the land. They were polite but it’s hard to know what they thought of foreigners. I don’t think they cared too much. The paddy fields were huge, and we walked along raised areas with small sections of rice below and then followed a trail along the hill. Forested mountains covered the background and it was an incredible experience to see. I have really enjoyed today. Only a few times have I rememberd that its Christmas. Anyway we have a night train in a few hours and will be in Ayuttaya tomorrow morning, followed by Bangkok in the evening.

Doi Suthep, Thailand

2005-12-24T19:03:00.006Z

After having a lie in this morning we took the songthaw to Doi Suthep, just out of Chiang Mai. The journey itself was a bit scary as we climbed a mile up along twisty roads and the drivers tending to go for the middle in either direction! But it was worth it as we went into the temple and took a lot of photos and saw monks and asked them if I could take their photo which I did. There were a lot of locals there making offerings of flowers and incense, practising Buddism.

A few hours later we walked along a steep road on the edge of some jungle which was amazing!

Last night we booked a tour for tomorrow, so I shall be spending Christmas day on the highest mountain in Thailand, as well as seeing hilltribes, waterfalls and countryside. I’m really excited. I never thought I would be doing something like that for Christmas last year. I shall write about that tomorrow as we will have a few hours to spare after getting back, before our night train.

Al got bitten on the night train when we came here so I hope that doesn’t happen again. Anyway Happy Christmas, will write something tomorrow…

Chiang Mai, Thailand

2005-12-23T19:02:00.001Z

We arrived in Chiang Mai at just about six this morning after leaving Phitsanulok. The train itself was ok, the bunks were comfortable with clean bedding and it was a bit strange as all the sleeping bunks were packed in one after another. I had the lower bunk which was nice. I tried to sleep but got very little of it as every time I finally felt I was about to the train would pull into a station with about an hours interval, and for some reason when the train stopped moving I became awake. The tracks were really noisy too. For some reason I had this idea that trains were smooth since they could only travel on tracks but all night long you could hear the clickety-click. It wasn’t too bad though and next time I’ll be prepared with earplugs and an extra layer of clothing since there was mesh at the windows.

When we pulled into Chiang Mai it was just getting light. We got a tuk tuk to the guesthouse which took forever due to the driver dropping some people off on the other side of town, and then stopped outside the wrong guesthouse - ’seven sun’ instead of ’sarah’. Eventually we got out a map and he redelivered us to the right place. It’s quite nice. It’s clean and they do a good breakfast and we have an adequate bathroom and shower.

We took the day fairly slowly and walked around the city and saw a pretty white temple. Well, several white temples in a huge field.

We found the Hill Tribe Foundation shop which sold products made by the local tribes and they recieved part of the money. I personally think that’s better than going to see the local tribes as they parade outside their huts for tourists to take pictures of like a living zoo. So I bought a black fabric bag with colourful patterns woven in.

This evening we’ve just had fish and chips at a place run by an English guy. It was quite comforting, and a change from Noodle soup or curries that we’ve been having since arriving. The food here is really good though. We might go to the night market tonight, suggested to us by some people we bumped into on our way to the internet cafe, who we met yesterday at Sukhothai. Tomorrow, hopefully we’ll be going further north into the countryside of Doi Suthep to find waterfalls and to get away from the city.

Sukhothai, Thailand

2005-12-22T19:00:00.004Z

It feels like I’ve been in Thailand for ages, despite it only being our third day here. On Tuesday we left Bangkok behind and took the train to Phitsanulok which took about six hours. We were a bit disapointed that the glass in the windows had a black mesh layer in the middle which made it really difficult to see anything, but the seats were comfortable and there was food included in the journey. The only really horrible part was the toilets, but I’ve survived!

I felt really overwhelmed when we arrived at Phitsanulok. Maybe part of it was to do with getting not much sleep, as my body still hasn’t completely adjusted to the time zone, and because it was so busy and confusing. We walked to the bus stop as we needed to get to New Sukhothai and were very thankful to find an English guy who knew which bus to get as the place names are in Thai writing and there was a lack of timetables. It was such a relief to get to the guesthouse after trying to navigate our way through unfamiliar cities in the heat of the afternoon.

The guesthouse is so beautiful. (Ban Thai, New Sukhothai) We stayed in a little wooden bungalow, with a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom with a hot shower! There was a restaurant area under cover and it has a very alternative feel to it. The area with the bungalows was surrounded by gardens and quite hippy-ish in a way. It was all very fun apart from in the night when there was a lot of rustling and scratching around the windows and roof, and I was slightly worried about whatever it was getting in. We weren’t sure whether it was a monkey, although there were also lots of cats at the guesthouse, but it was making a lot of noise! Eventually it went away and we went to sleep.

Today we went to old Sukhothai to see the temples. It was really amazing. Lots of Budhas and huge Wats with beautiful lakes with pink waterlilies. We got up just after six am and got to the temples fairly early so we were lucky to get beautiful photos without crowds of people in the way. It started off feeling quite cool but by mid morning it was very hot. Anyway I’ve really enjoyed today and getting to know the real Thailand because we both hated Bangkok. Although the people are nice there its pretty grim and I couldn’t get any positive feelings from the place. When we visited Koah San Road that felt more relaxed but it was just a tourist bubble.

People live in theses amazing wooden houses here and its been so interesting to see a different way of life. They are also really friendly and helpful. We came back to New Sukhothai this afternoon and took some photos of the streets and the caotic sense of travel. Which reminds me, we went on a Songthaw today, which is like a truck with open sides and bench seats so that was a fun experience. When we came back from the temples loads of school kids got on and I was amazed they could fit so many people in this vehicle.

Later tonight we are going to get the train north to Chiang Mai, which I’m looking forward to. We arrive at 5.35am! Anyway it should be good. Will write more then.

Bangkok, Thailand

2005-12-20T18:55:00.002Z

I’m in Bangkok finally, after a long day of travelling yesterday. Despite what I’d heard Jordanian Airlines were fine and we had two good meals on both of the flights, which was a nice surprise as the ticket said no meal and I’d bought a donut specially! The airport in Amman looks so modern and again I don’t have anything bad to say about them. The second part of the flight went very slowly especially as there was only two hours of darkness before dawn and I found it hard to sleep when it’s light outside. However while it was dark I looked out of the window and saw the new cities that have been built in Dubai, so that was amazing. There were whole islands outlined with lights and long coastlines illuminated in artificial shapes. It was quite stunning to look down upon.

We arrived in Bangkok and headed to the train station only to find the next train to the city was in two hours time, so we shared a taxi with a couple from Holland. The journey was an experience, as the driver pulled over at various places to ask other drivers for directions and seemed quite confused to start with as to where we wanted to go, and we seemed to take a very indirect route but we arrived near our hotel in the end!

My first impression of the roads was caotic. Cars, busses, tuk-tuks and motorcycles swerve between lanes and there’s lots of beeping on horns and general madness. However despite the lack of road rules, drivers do tend to look out for each other and are patient with other vehicles, and even people pushing trolleys of fruit in the road.

This morning we had our first experience of a tuk-tuk, complete with a scam. We decided it would be a good way of getting to the Grand Palace. Originally I thought about getting a river taxi however one look at the waves and I decided against it! So we waved a tuk-tuk driver, thinking that it would be a cheap and quick way of getting around. We mentioned a Wat nearby instead of the Grand Palace and he seemed to understand where we wanted to go. The ride was enjoyable. Tuk-tuks are a bit like a motorbike with a raised carriage, and felt like a go kart with a chauffeur! However, the driver pulled over and a taxi driver talked to us - it seems all taxi rides involve stopping part of the way and chatting to other drivers. Our driver said he needed petrol and would drop us off at a shop near the station and would be back in ten minutes. It turned out that if we bought something he would get a voucher for free petrol, and then he would take us to the Wat for the price we’d agreed on… So we had arrived at the infamous gem shop. We found an English speaking assistant who explained about the petrol voucher scheme and continued to show us around the store. After a few minutes we said thank you and left with the intention of telling the tuk-tuk driver we weren’t interested in buying any goods, however he hadn’t returned and we weren’t very impressed with being dropped off somewhere other than where we wanted. We were also on the wrong side of Bangkok too. After asking other tuk-tuk drivers how much, and trying to find a bus we flagged down a metered taxi. Eventually we arrived outside the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace was quite amazing and I took loads of photos. There were lots of monks in orange robes wandering about. When I went to Prague I was constantly in persuit of trams to photograph, but I think my new thing is Monks.

From there we have walked to Khao San Road which is much more relaxed than where we’re staying but seemingly fake, since there is nowhere else quite like it in Bangkok and none of the locals live like that.