For all you whingers....

Just a little reminder to you all that Debs and me are unemployed and no longer have responsibilities such as web site update deadlines!! I dont know, there are some whingers out there who have been pestering for further information and updates as to our travels - so here it is. We love you all really!

We fly to NZ on the 12th December - having brought this date forward due to my potential employer recommending I be there for the start of their season in January. It looks like I will get to do what I set out to do in the first place - ride the mecca of all of 'off' road riding, which is New Zealand. I have not been guaranteed a place - but have my informal meeting with Cameron of Kiwi Adventures who will make a decision probably based on intuition when he meets me. Can't wait - but can wait, if you understand!? We are having such a good time in Asia that we really dont want it to end, but are aware that in a few days time we will have to draw to a close the end of another chapter.

We left off previously having mentioned a little about Saigon - or Ho Chi Min City - in Vietnam. That seems such a long time ago now, and I'm having to remind myself what we got up to by reading Debbie's journal and rekindling those memories. Those who know the Olivers also know that we were not blessed with that particular gene!

Beans on toast with fried eggs and HP sauce. That's what welcomed us in the Cafe Royale just next door to our hostel. After numerous curries and rice dishes we were at last blessed with a western menu - not that we got sick of all the local food, it was just marvelous to get some tucker in the belly that tasted heavenly. This set us up nicely for the tour we had booked to the Chu Chi Tunnels which the Viet Cong used in their efforts against the US and South Vietnam armies. We had a guide who used to be an interpreter for the South Vietnamese Army and worked alongside the US army during the conflict. The tales he told were macabre and unreal - and he really slated the US as being incompetent in action.

After seeing a video and a few newspaper highlights in the museum we were then shown the tunnels themsleves. The hole in the ground was so small that some of the tourists were unable to get through! Debs and I managed no problem and we crouched down to scramble the 20 or so metres along the first tunnel. This was a taster to the main tunnel, which was smaller in height, but was over 100mtr long. You could have gone further if allowed as they stretch for some 350km in total - tourist length was limited for a good reason though. Having got down the small trap door you entered numerous rooms, such as the 'hospital', 'fighting bunker' and 'meeting room'. There was a group of about 12 of us and we were last going through. The tunnels were extremely cramped as you had to go on either hands and knees, or if you were small enough you could squat along. Once we entered the meeting room I set up my camera to take a timed shot with me at the table with the Viet Cong dummies. As I was going about my business I was getting shouted at by Debbie to get a move on as all the others had started to go down the next tunnel without us! I ended up being on my own in the room whilst Debbies cries were heard in the tunnel shouting me to get a move on - she left me behind! There was no lighting in the tunnels themselves - the guide at the front had a torch - so you could see naff all anyway. By the time I got in the tunnel I could hear the group somewhere in the distance with Debbie fretting at me to get a move on and to get the torch out as she could not see anything. 'But you have the torch Debbie' - I shouted. 'No I dont - you have it' - was the reply, and so it went until I finally caught up along way down. 'Dont ever do that again to me' - Debbie said, as we finally made our way out of the exit hatchway. It really was cramped and sweaty down there and you had to wash yourself down afterwards - quite an ordeal and well worth the experience.

Outside there were exhibits showing all the man made traps the Viet Cong used to use against their aggressors - some nastly looking ones with venomous snake spikes. There was also a small show of local wild life and the biggest Annocondor we have ever seen. It was huge!!! No lie - it would have eaten all 12 of us given the opportunity.

Pick your weapon. At the firing range you could chose to unleash an AK47 or any number of leathal arsenal. AT 1 Dollar a bullet it was outside our price range so we gave it a miss - a cartridge for the AK47 is 15 Dollars and lasts for less than 10 seconds. Maybe next time eh?

Having spent 3 days in Saigon we moved on to Cambodia via the Mekong River. The trip included an overnight stay near the border and a tour of a crocodile farm and Cham-tribe fish farm, with neither being much to write about. The border wait took ages, long enough for me to join in a game of football with some local kids. Playing bare foot is not that comfortable and as well as losing I ended up with blisters on both feet in addition to a number of small cuts.

We got to Phnom Phen around 19.00 hours having completed the last of the transfer by minibus. Having previously read "The Killing Fields' and 'S21' during our time in Vietnam, the journey through the countryside to PP had an eerie feel to it. We checked in to a clean hostel and went round the corner to the main road to find a cafe recommended by the hostel owner. Here we were served sumptuous amounts of tasty dishes and local Angkor Beer - poured by Beer Women who were dressed in short-tight skirts and filled your glass after literally every sip! Nice touch.

We didn't plan on spending too much time in Cambodia as we had to be in Thailand to meet up with the lads for their holiday. So the next day we booked a tour to one of the 'Killing Fields' and then to S21 Prison. There wasn't too much to see at the Killing Fields sight - it was kept simple and respectful - and we were shown around by a local man who had endured the Pol Pot era. It was quite harrowing at times especially when you are having to walk over surfacing clothes and human bones. The S21 prison had a similar in aura, with pictures depicting the brutal crimes of torture that occured. How can one human be so brutal and cruel to another is beyond us both - but it happened on such a grand scale that we cant ever imagine the true extent of this genocide.

Seemingly out of place we caught a first class coach to Siem Reap to see the wonders of Angkor Wat. This bus was the best we have ever been on - I mean, you were served 'In Flight' meals and hand wipes - it was just like being on a plane. The bus was a brand spanker too.

Angkor Wat is just the most amazing man made 'object' either of us have had the pleasure of seeing. Nestled in the middle of a jungle is a myriad of around 200 stone temples which are beyond splendour. How these would have been made and the effort involved is unimagineable. The sheer size and intracasy of the carvings is awesome. We hired a tuk-tuk and driver to take us round the main temples over a two day period. The driver cost 10 dollars per day and the entry fee was 40 dollars each for the two day period - but it was worth every cent. We have some great photos of this experience that will help us cherish seeing one of the great wonders of the world - breath taking. We even rose at 04.30 one morning in order to photo the sunrise over Angkor - and for one who enjoys his sleep - it shows how worthy this place was.

Overall, one week in Cambodia was just not enough. We both liked the place and given the opportunity would both come back to explore further afield. Our next destination was Laos - and we took only our second flight of the whole trip to Vientienne it's capital. Not knowing too much about Laos Aviation got us a little nervy - and we checked and rechecked the safety record of the airline before booking the ATR72 tickets. We had to touch down in Pakse for 30 minutes before progressing further north in to Laos and its somewhat sleepy capital. This place is so laid back its unreal. A country of just over 5 million people and the size of Germany! Debbie even commented that Dronfield was busier.

Similar to Cambodia, we had planned a fleeting week long visit travelling from Vientienne to Luang Prubang and staying in Vang Vieng en-route. We only spent one full day in the capital - and wittled that away in the National Football stadium setting a new frisbee record previously held by our friends from Mui Ne in Vietnam! We also manged to get 2 laps of the track in and feel absolutely jiggered - how unfit are we now!?

The 'road rage' bus trip to Vang Vieng was making us feel pretty sick. Although there is little traffic on the roads in Laos it gives no excuse for local bus drivers to give little consideration to tourist stomachs. The scenery along the road, rivers and villages is lush green vegetation with rocky hills and cliffs forming a beautiful background. Vang Vieng is a small town with a French colonial lagacy, even bakeries and baguettes! We stayed here for 3 nights and could have stayed much, much longer. We hired a moped the next day and were never passed by another vehicle - and we were on Highway 14 which is the main North South artery. The only un-nerving situation was passing a man at the side of the road wielding an AK47 around his shoulder. We exchanged glances as we passed him, but he looked as bemused as we did having seen two westerners darting past on two wheels! The other two days were spent exploring the country side checking out caves and rivers which you could jump in to in order to cool off. In order to get to some of these places it was necessary to venture over wooden toll bridges which spanned the rivers - all very Indiana Jones'ish. One evening we even managed to find a cafe that did Guiness meat pie followed by apple crumble and ice cream - we were both fed for less than 4 quid.

The bus trip to Luang Prubang was similarly stomach churning as it snaked up and down the mountain passes at great speed - just too fast for comfort in old technology. We also had an armed guard on the bus - who placed his AK47 on the dashboard - but in all honesty this would have prevented little had any trouble flared up. Route 14 was not one of those routes deemed dangerous though and our destination was to be one of our favourite places of the trip so far. We had nice accomodation (which always helps), a fine selection of eating establishments and a place that was horizontally laid back. Nothing moved fast. Our time there was spent exploring the jungle looking at waterfalls and sites of local interest - all unspoilt by the tourist so far. Laos is a place that you can do nothing but marvel at the slendour of the environment and habitat whilst relaxing at the slow pace of its friendly people. We would both go back - preferably before the tourist hoardes start to spoil its true feel though.

We furnished Laos Aviation with more dollars and flew from Luang Prubang to Chiang Mai in Thailand - and were immediately thrown in to a daze with how busy this place was. We were finding it really difficult to adjust.

CM is a market City where we could pick up a few bits and pieces - such as new clothes to replce the well used threads we had worn for the last 5 months. Someone also bought their fifth pair of shoes! It was here that Debbie did her Thai cookery class - and boy was it good nosh. There will be friends and family who will be spoiled when we get back with these newly acquired recipes. It was also the starting point for our two day/one night trek to stay with the local Karen Tribe in the jungle. This was a great experience, riding elephants through the jungle and staying in a local village with no electricity or running water. It was rounded off with bamboo rafting down the river where the game was to get Debbie as wet as possible without capsizing...

Our transport to Bangkok was an overnight train. OK I suppose, adequate just. This saved on accomodation costs but did nothing for banking any sleep. We arrived bang on time at 06.25 to a throbbing city and were immediately hassled by taxi drivers trying to rip you off with rediculous fares. Having seen through such tricks many times on this trip already we found a realisticly priced ride to the legenday Koa San Road back packer heavan!

It was here that we were meeting my friends from back home - Reece, Daz and Rob - on the 14th November. Prior to this we had already booked our flights to NZ for the 12th December and thereofre new we had a full 4 weeks of beach life to come! We had a few days to kill in BK before the lads came out and Debbie wanted to see the Snake Hospital to see her friends again!! This is a world renowned hospital where they breed snakes in order to develop anti-venom syrums. The snake handlers brought out numerous poionous beasts including King Cobras, Banded Kraits and also Pythons. Debbie even managed to touch a few and have her picture taken with one round her neck. Very emotional it was for her - but still not solved the snake phobia though!

The next two weeks, when the lads arrived, can not go down in print on this site. However, we took in the islands of Koh Samet, Koh Chang and then on to Pattaya. There are numerous photos somewhere...

Currently, we have spent the last 5 hours sat in an internet cafe updating e-mails and this site. Having been to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia and then back in to Thailand - Krabi and Kho Phi Phi (where we will definitely come back to one day - it was paradise. We bide our time over the next few days until we fly to NZ and further adventures - so that's the end of the web page for Asian Adventures.

Can't wait.........

Oh, and by the way, Debbie had the bloody torch!!!

Good morning Vietnam.

Hope you are all doing well?

The World Health Organisation (2000), in their Quality Of Worldwide Healthcare study ranked Cambodia as 174 out of 191 countries, marginally ahead of renowned kingdoms such as Angola, Chad and Sierra Leone. So where are we going on the 26th October? Well, yes you've guessed! But first we have to inform you on how we've managed to get on in good old Vietnam (which, by the way is ranked surprisingly at 160).

So where do we start?? We have to go back as far as the 2nd of October - which seems like an age ago for us as so much has happened in between. After successfully flying Sischuan Airlines to Nanning in Southern China, we were then made to wait three days before we could get one of the twice weekly trains that crossed the border in to Vietnam and Hanoi to be precise. After all the previous rail road fun this was not much different really. With the exception of the border crossing everything very much went smoothly. It is not just a case of handing over the passport for visa checks - but also quarantine, immunisation, x-ray and re-checking in for a new sleeper assignment for Viet-Rail who would talk us for the final leg. That's five different queues and windows to negotiate without a murmer in English.

Contrast, different parts of the spectrum, call it what you may but Vietnam was instantly different to China despite the Communist brotherhood cloaking them both. As soon as we touched down in Hanoi - we liked it! This capital has a quaint French quarter and modern business district whilst being manageable in size and small enough for us to hire old fashioned push bikes to traverse the city (old farts will remember the kind with wicker baskets on the front!).

Travelling by bike has something about it that our well trodden feet found much more enjoyable. After two days we had managed to obtain our Cambodian Visas (prior to ascertaining prior mentioned league table), visit the infamous 'Hanoi Hilton' prison which housed POW during the Vietnam War, see the airforce museum (eventually as it was 8km out of town in the middle of nowhere - and we only found it by default), and Le Matt snake village! More on that later.

Our Hostel was typical of all the buildings we have stayed in here with its architecture. The fronts of buildings are very small whilst they go back off the road some considerable way. They are also several stories high. The reason for this is that the taxes are higher for those buildings that take up more street length - hence better to go back and high. We had the usual visitor on our first night - a rat living behind our head board. Not a real probolem other than the knawing keeping us awake for longer than we wished.

Hanoi was the ideal stopping off place for arranging a trip to Ha Long Bay which is located off the North East coastline. Here, in excess of 3000 islands jut out of the South China Sea which creates a beautiful visual paradise. We sailed on a wooden boat with 10 other travellers around the islands stopping off at Cat Ba Town. Here we were able to disembark for the evening and stay the night on one of the islands. The next morning we had organised a trek on a different island to a place where the Vietnamese used to watch for American planes coming in to bomb their targets. This was on a peak standing only 300mtr, but was very deceptive as it was a tropical island with lush vegitation and limestone cravaces which made both ascent and descent rather arduous and tricky. The views on top were glorious.

After spending the next night staying in the cabin of the boat we made our way back to the mainland port called Haiphong. This was not before anchoring up and having a swim in a couple of secluded coves. I even jumped off the top of the boat - well, peer pressure made me do it really as all the other blokes had already splashed down!

Back in Hanoi Debra decided to have her hair cut - and for 30,000 Dong (that's just over a quid to you and I) it was washed, washed, washed, washed, cut and then straightened. Two and a half hours later we were ready to find food. That night we dined on Hanois finest for under a fiver and had time to find a bar recommended in one of our guide books. This was an avent in itself. Not quite knowing where it was we decided to take a cycle taxi to find it. So imagine Debbie and I being peddalled through the manic streets of Hanoi by mad Vietnamese blokes with thighs the size Pat Butchers. We seemed to be going round in circles and indeed we were as we were taken a tour of the city before ending up just round the corner from where we had set off! It seemed that the taxi blokes knew this as they collected their Dong in giggles.

Now to Le Matt snake village. Many people will know that Debbie is scared shitless of snakes, so with a bribe of a new pair of flip-flops we went in search of this little known place! It was a few clicks out of the city but the ride was an enjoyable one across the river. No sooner had we arrived when a snake restaurant owner picked up on our unfamiliour complexions and took us to his pad. Having propped the bikes up and perched on the sofa we hadn't even got comfy when we turned round and were comfronted by another bloke fileding a King Cobra Steve Urwin style. This stealth-like manouvre immediately freaked us both and resulted in Debra breaking down in tears. Cobra back to cage.

Time was taken to calm down before any more of that. But we were brave enough to summon another meeting and I managed to have one round my neck (whilst restraunteur clenched snakes head very tightly), and Debra touched at full strecth the last millimetre of its tail. Photos taken, job done, returned home, bought flip-flops.

Just over 600km south of Hanoi is a town called Hue which we decided to reach by open tour bus. This is where you can travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min in the south for $27 - stop off at certain places as and when you want. Great value if you like Alton Towers. This was an 18 hour overnight journey where we managed to knock over a bike, run out of diesel and inspect every hand ligament during this epic white knuckle ride. Our driver was cross eyed and like all other drivers used the immense horn as a surrogate brake. The largest vehicle is king of the road and overtaking is the norm - despite going up hill and round a blind corner at 5mph faster than the overladen truck you are trying to pass. Not good for the fain hearted, but after arriving in Ho Chi Min we are now tamed by the experience.

Before arrival in Hue we had a pit stop in Dong Dang where we were talked in to taking a motorbike tour with one of the locals around the De Militarized Zone. We are so glad we did. This was a full day on the back of a bike screeching through villages on our way around the historical battle grounds of the Vietnamese War. We saw land flattened by carpet bombing, old US fire bases and bunkers, the Ho Chi Min Trail, Vietnamese army cemetry, and the spectacular Vin Moch Tunnels. The latter being built by villagers to escape the ravages of bombing at depths of 12, 15 and 23mtr. We were able to crawl down to the last two depths and see how these people must haved lived in such trying conditions - fascinating.

Hue was not up to much for us. We stayed for a day and hired a moped to ride to the beach which was 15km away. On arrival we both had a cold beer and BBQ'd prawns whilst relaxing on a somewhat deserted stretch of sand. All for under 2 quid. The next day we decided to head for Hoi An, a small fishing village which must have satellite TV to watch England V Wales!

This place was more on the pulse for us. Quiet, laid back, great beach and food. The locals here specialised in tailoring and textiles and for $30 you can get a suit made and ready for pick up the next day. Needless to say we were measured for potential purchases when we return home - pending weights and measures on us both remain the same. Great result with the footy meant a late get up the next day, but hey the beach can wait.... We spent 3 nights there in our best hotel yet for $6 per night. It was luxury indeed.

With beach life unfolding our next destination was Nha Trang - 12km of pure white sand. It was here that Debbie had sleepless nights going to the toilet to relieve the thought of the scuba diving we decided to try! Snakes and diving - very proud I am! Two dives were booked and the result in each was different. From floundering on the first and letting her air out of the jacket too quickly - therefore struggling to equalise quick enough - the second was much more like it as Debbie found weightless gliding at its best and managed to do a perfect dive. Not too good visability but it was worth the expense. Nha Trang had some good restaurants and bars - again with satellite to watch England - and we liked it.

With the visa ticking away it was time to move on to the next beach resort of Mui Ne. A 22km road with a beach running all the way along one side and beach huts the other. We were 20mtr from the sea and had 5 glorious days catching the rays, diving the waves and eating sea food. We met some really nice friends there and in the end it was a wrench to leave. Having gained a tan and time permitted we move on to HCM. On our last day Debbie managed to get the trots and is now like Kate Moss.

HCM is nice but too big for us - we are used to small and personal now. Tomorrow we have a tour to the Vietcong tunnels in Cu Chi - where we can clamber down tunnels made by soldiers rather than villagers - smaller and longer apparently. Afterwards you can pick from the menu your fire arm of choice and for $1/bullet try an AK47 or UZI. I think we will be trying water pistols on pur budget but dont piss me off Debra or else! On Monday (the historic day of work) we have a trip along Mekong Delta and on Tuesday arrive in Pnom Phen - Cambodia.

Here we dont know what to expect. However, Laos is next on the agenda and their ranking is 165. Maybe the 2000 data is out of date and four years will have meant monumental leaps in health provision as we dont want to be finding out personally.

We hope everyone is well and we thank all those for sending us e-mails. Dont worry, any snippet of gossip is good for us - we only found out the other day that Kerry McFadden had split with Brain!!

(By the way the stats are correct - just in case there are any Norris McWirters hooking up!)

There goes China

This evening we have managed to book, by luck or default, a soft sleeper compartment that takes us from Nanning to Hanoi in northern Vietnam. This is the first time we have managed to bestow such luxurious train travel on ourselves - and of course we are looking forward to sampling it! It makes a change from the hard seat option - which is what it says - just a hard seat with all the locals. This class of travel is OK for journeys of less than 5 or 6 hours, but anything over this and the sleeper option is a must. Hard seat mens sharing a compartment with 200 or so of the local bandits who may have never seen a western complexion before - so that’s 198 pairs of eyes looking at your every move for the duration of the journey! The toilets are not that good - just a hole in the floor with squat marks for your shoes to cover. When those 198 pair of eyes have visited it creates a mental block that prevents you from going even though you've managed to squirm your way to the end of the carriage. Just imagine the dirtiest race you have encountered - who spit and throw litter freely - inhabiting such premises for several hours and there you have it...

So, soft sleeper tonight it is. This should be a compartment for four persons with potted plants, lace curtains and even air con. Although we will probably end up being flouted by the consumer description act so will have to wait and see. We arrive in Hanoi sometime on the second of October mid morning. We are ready to move on - but both seem to think we will come back to China at some point - having done a little more homework on areas of natural beauty rather than just the big cities. Maybe Tibet and Lhasa, but that's another adventure.

In Shanghai we managed to obtain some tickets for the F1 GP through family contacts we have back home. Good old Uncle Jack has a manufacturing facility over there, and it was through this connection that we met up with Danial Rong - the General Manager of the plant. We were taken out for lunch in a top notch hotel restaurant. One where I thought I may get refusal due to wearing my Umbro shorts! Danial ordered several dishes that Debra devoured, whilst I peppered Danial with numerous questions to create a business type setting. Good training at GAL! As Debra was just polishing off the last pigs trotter, out came the tickets for a section just at the end of the start finish straight on turn 1! Face value 16000 yuan or one hundred and ten pounds each - we were both extremely happy, more so when Danial refused to accept payment from us of course!

The organisation for the event was superb. It had to be in order for 200,000 people to get in and out on cue. There were several pick up points within the city and for two pounds you were taken by air con bus to the stadium. No cars, other than officials and VIP's, were allowed near the circuit. Having spent 450 million dollars, not us but the Shangai government (although it feels like us with all Debras new shoes purchased), you would expect a really spiffing facility and that's what it was. Faultless considering the lack of experience the Chinese have in producing such infrastructure concerning leisure.

We ended up spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the track. Pre-qualifying, qualifying and the race itself. Button could have moved up just one place to make the experience perfect with Schue not even grabbing a point - having been made to start from the pit lane and spinning mid race. The only two draw backs from the whole event were 1) the lack of atmosphere, as the Chinese do not know how to let them selves go yet, and 2) the Chinese all supported Ferrari and Schue because they knew no different. Typical glory hunters - sounds like someone we all know who works at Maher - sorry Vinnie!

From Shanghai we managed to obtain a flight by Shenzhen Airways to Nanning. I was rather worried about chartered Russian planes and an unheard-of airline - but in the end I needn't have been. The airport was as good as any we'd been to, the aircraft a new 737-700, and the flight was great. It substituted an otherwise 36 hours of hard sleeper on the train for just over two hours of uneventful travel.

Nanning is around 350 km from Vietnam and we have had to spent 3 nights here in order to get the next train out. Its a small provincial town of about 2 million spitters. Cockroach killed in the room and numerous showers to wash away the humid sweat, its not a bad place at all. Manageable in size compared to many of the other cities we have been to - we can walk from one side to the other and have done twice, spotting a massive rat rummaging around in the undergrowth the other day. The speciality on the menu here (if you can read it) is dog meat. Apparently the sandy coloured variety is said to taste best!? I managed to prevent Debrah from finishing one beef stir fry by commenting on similarities between the two! We've managed to get back in budget recently and cover the air fare we splashed out on. We can both easily get by on fifteen pounds per day covering hotel and food - its just when transport is added that you start to struggle and have nightmares about 36 hours hard sleeper rides.

We are both looking forward to getting to Vietnam and sampling Vietnam - we are expecting warmer people, cheaper everything, and maybe a day or two on a beach for some R+R. Believe me this travelling is no holiday - more of a roller coaster adventure so far!

We apologise now for any delay in getting in touch for the next month or so - with average annual income of less than 200 US dollars - we don’t expect coming across too many computers in either Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos.

Love to you all

Deborah and Andrew

China to date .........

China to date...

A few personal messages to a number of people. Congratulations to Rohit on his impending marriage and thanks for the pictures (I am sure you are very happy with the situation!). Apologies to Pam for not replying as yet, and only just finding out that you are no longer at GAL. The same goes for Nigel - things don’t stay the same for long do they. Good luck and best wishes to you all!!

So here we both are in Shanghai after numerous hours spent travelling the length and breadth across China on the train. We have been here only 1 night and have found this city to be the most welcoming yet. There is more of a developed feel and things just seem more manageable. We had some good news today when we met up with a contact we had from home. He managed to get us two tickets to see the F1 GP this weekend - for all three days. We would have been able to afford this on our budget - so to say we are pleased is an understatement. So keep your eyes peeled on ITV this Sunday - I'll be the one wearing a Mansfield shirt!

We've also landed lucky with the hostel we are in too. Although we are sharing with 6 other people - it is so clean and also has a western toilet. We have had enough of the Chinese variety now. You just dont feel like going when its a smelly hole in the floor. The hostel is costing us just over 6 quid a night for us both - so it is chance for us to catch up a little on the budget front.

So where have we been in China? Firstly we did the touristy bit in Beijing spending 5 days there because we also needed to obtain a Visa for Vietnam. Our hostel was in the basement of a large department store - so we felt a little claustrophobic having no windows. It also smelt a little fusty and the showers and toilets where only just passable.

We have been to the Forbidden City and walked the Great Wall. The latter was our highlight so far. We went further afield than most travellers to a place called Jinshanling which meant fewer people there’ and less Chinese trying to sell you something. We walked for 15km to a place called Simatie where the wall gets really steep and takes a lot of energy to negotiate. Staying overnight near the wall we were able to venture in the opposite direction the next day, where it was even steeper and more difficult an ascent. We were extremely impressed with the level of engineering and the extent to which the Chinese would have gone to build such a project.

Having fattened up a little on Beijing Duck and dumplings - we needed to get out of the city and see the countryside - so what better than a hike up Tai Shan, one of the 5 sacred Chinese mountains. There is a total of 6660 steps to the summit - and boy are you knackered when you get there. We stayed the night in a hotel on the mountain top so we could see the sunset and sunrise (we were up at 05.00!!). If going up was hard on the thighs than coming down was even worse on the knees. Well, for the next three days we felt we had done something...

It was 7 hours on the train from Beijing to Tai Shan, but 17 hours from Tai Shan to Xi An - where we saw the Terracotta Army. This was another impressive sight, which must have taken decades to complete. I don’t think you can start to describe the monumental effort that must have been required to build this site. It stretches for 400mtr, all filled with 2/3rd life size warriors made of stone.

Xi An was in Sichuan province which meant the food was laced with spices and chillies in particular. I was in my element - but Debbie struggled somewhat with the cuisine. Although we did manage to fine a nice simple dish of noodles for her that didn’t require tissues at every stage.

A momentous 21 hour train journey took us to Chegdu. We spent this in hard class sleeper carriage - which basically consists of rows of 6 bunks in an open carriage. No privacy at all. This is the next up from hard seat - which is literally what it says. The previous 7 hour journey was spent in this class - which was with the peasant majority of China. Here you see how dirty the people are as they spit on the floor and throw rubbish all over. No wonder there were cockroaches for Debbie to bash.

Chengdu was the stop off for Chongquing (3 hours by bus) for the river tour of the 3 Gorges. This we needed to see as in 2009 the valleys will be flooded for the huge dam that is being built further down the Yangtze River. We bought 3rd class, as 4th wasn't available on our boat as it was too small, and shared a small room with 4 other Chinese people who, as usual spoke no English. Please do not get any illusions about a Paul Gould type cruise - we had cockroaches here too and the obliging insect bites during the night. However, the gorges themselves could have been breath taking had there not been as much pollution in the river (it was brown) and you could see further than 1 mile (alll the smog from the industrial towns). We ventured down a tributary to see the lesser 3 gorges which were much more picturesque. Its a shame that in 5 years it will all change - and no wonder Friends of the Earth are up in arms too. Glad we have done it and another tick in the box.

We got off at Yinchang and caught a bus that sat in the station at 03.00am for 3 hours with no explanation or driver - as he went missing as soon as we got on! Eventually we jouneyed for 6 hours to Wuhan before catching the 18 hour train to Shanghai. All very tiring and we are glad to be here for a few days before heading off once more.

At present we plan to catch a plane (Yes!!!) from Shanghai to Kunming near the Vietnam border, where we can then catch the train (No!!!) to Hanoi. At present we are on a high with getting the GP tickets, but maybe a few days ago we needed this lift as China is such a tricky place to travel on a budget. OK if you speak the lingo - but if not, all the Chinese are trying to rip you off and make money from you. Oh, and they spit anywhere they want - women too. On a whole, the country is huge and has some magnificent scenery (whilst it remains unpolluted), but it will take a few decades yet before the majority of people become hospitable. Saying that, we have met some nice people who have been so friendly and helpful. Maybe next time we can venture more west and head to Tibet and do some tracking...

We apologise for not keeping the site more updated and e-mailing people more frequently (sorry Sandra) - we have had so many problems with finding internet resources and actually using them when we do. We think it will be even worse in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - so please bear with us... Reece, Daz and Rob will be meeting us in Thailand on 14th Nov - so any early Xmas prezzies will be welcome!We hope you are all doing well - and we genuinely like to hear from all of you the news from back home, no matter how trivial you may think it is.

Bye for now

Love Andrew and Debs xxx

continued...

Having struggled purchasing a ticket for the 8 hour bus ride to Olkhon - we had to be at the station the following morning at 8am. We set our alarm for 6am and decided that leaving the hostel at 7 should give us enough time... Well sleeping through the alarm does not help - cracking the eyelids open at 7 we really had to motor. We thought we would have no chance making it as every mini bus to the station was full and it was impossible even attempting to get on in front of the russians - our backpacks made the task impossible. We had to turn then to taxis and having been refused by the first driver we landed lucky with a young man who spoke no english and his lada. We ended up at first at the airport and eventually managed to communicate sufficiently for him to divert and full lada speed in the direction of the station. We ended up getting the last two seats, even though we had pre booked the ticket it never guarantees a seat. First on - best served! Some even arrived after us and had to endure the entire journey sat on the floor - and it was not comfy. The bus was really old and not conducive to dirt track driving - just what you would imagine in a backward place.

It was worth the hassle when we touched down on the island. It was so serene - it has no electricity or power supply other than the odd generator. It really is at one with nature and most people live off the land or from the lake. We spent 3 nights there staying with a local family. We were cooked breakfast and evening meal - so delicious, and the rooms cost us 16 quid all in per night. We were even treated to a russian style banya every night - mix between a sauna and a bath over the fire. Such a luxury for these people and we were in heaven...

We had a tour up to the top end of the island in a russian stylejeep which was so out of date but practical. The pictures are great. We had a BBQ with the local Omul fish being on the menu - all very pleasant. it really was a good time.

We were now adept at obtaining tickets for the russian train by now and Debbie even managed to write down the request for the next leg to Mongolia - albeit the lady at the ticket office didnt even smile with appreciation that we had at least tried. The journey was very similar to previous, but taking 3 days and two nights to complete. It was a pity that most of the best scenery was at night so we missed this unfortunately. The most eventful time was had crossing the border from Russia. We had to endure 6 hours of waiting before being allowed to pass throuh to Mongolia. The toilets here at the border station were diabolical - the stench alone was horrendous. However, once we passed in to Mongolia the transformation was stark.

The people from this country are the most friendliest we have met so far - even the border guards were waving at us as we came through the security fences and in to this beautiful nation. The capital, Ulan Bataar, is the coldest capital on the globe - -45 degrees in winter, but +38in summer. The country is 5 times bigger than Germany but has less than 2 million population with 1 m of those in the capital! It really is third world but from the smiles on faces you couldnt tell. The capital is grey and the Russian influence is in full effect with the buildings and what infrastructure is available. We obtained our Chinese visas here with relative ease - other than queues and decided to book an 8 night tour to the Gobi desert!

Our driver was a local 52 year old who spoke no english - oh we had fun with charads yet again!! The first two days were hard 7 hour drives due south in to the desert environment. The landscape looked green, but on closer inspection it was just the occassional tuft of grass speckled in between gravel rather than sand. We were staying with local herds people in their tents (Gers) at night when it got so cold. The hospitality these people showed was immense - they have nothing other than goats and horses to show - but took you in for food and warmth and wanted nothing in return!

The second night we ended up staying with a family who kept camels and sure enough the next morning we were camel trecking in the Gobi - and turned up to find dinosaur bones buried in the rocks. We were unearthing bones from millions of years previous - a first for us both. The next night was spent at a giant sand dune - 150km long and 40kn wide. We scaled it the next morning over 2 hours - really gruelling in the heat especially as you took 2 steps forward and one back! The views across the desert were unbelievable. Debbie found this task really difficult as the previous night was spent over the toilet relieving both ends - not nice at all. We were shown the ice valley - where it was actually snowing in the desert, and then the waterfall where Debbie encountered her first live snake!!

The food was a little bland in the end but understandable as all there was to cook was mutton and mares milk, and plenty of it. Needless to say that when we returned to UB a western menu was eagerly sought!

So here we are in Beijing - and we will update the sight before we leave in 5 or so days time. Wer have been inundated with e-mails from all you kind people and we will do our very best to respond to you all either via this site or direct if we get the opportunity - it seems a lot has gone on back 'home'. Thanks for keeping in touch - much appreciated by us both.

We will be back soon. Lots of love,
Andrew and Debs
xxxx

Apologies for the long delay...

Dear All,

We would like to apologise for the delay in posting a new update recently - for several reasons it just was not possible. Firstly we have been spending long periods on the trans mongolian train and have not had access to any computers. When we did get to a city to attempt a posting we got caught up in a power cut and all the city went down! We have also been on two excursions away from it all - Olkhon Island and the Gobi, all will be revealed...

We managed to purchase an overnight sleeper compartment to take us from St Petersburg to Moscow - straight forward really with the exception of booking the ticket in the first place. Russians are so not used to being helpful and the Cyrillic alphabet takes some getting used to.

Some of our friends have asked what a typical day entails - well upon arrival in Moscow it went like this...

Touching base at the main train station in the early hours of the morning we firstly try and get accomodation sorted out. This can be arranged beforehand on the web - but then you have the difficulty then finding where it is. In Moscow the Metro was a great asset but deciphering all the stations and street names takes a long time to do. You really stand out as a tourist checking all the booklets for spellings and place names etc. Having found the room it is time to organise the laundry - which also takes time to find and make sure you have the correct money in addition to waiting for it to finish the cycle itself. Once clothes are clean you can then concentrate on obtaining food for the next couple of days. This is really tricky in Russia as all the supermarkets have food locked up in freezers or behind the counter - all to prevent theft. Even if you did manage to slip some salami in your trou - you then had to get past the armed security guard! So communication and charades comes in handy! Once you have done the basics you then have to concentrate on your next onward transport tickets - as they are sometimes in short supply and the trains and buses are frequently booked up days in advance. When going to a new country there is also the complication of obtaining new visas - which takes anywhere up to a week to complete before you can collect your passport and think of moving on. So planning is essential. Once all this is done you can start to see a little of the country and maybe relax a little...

In Moscow we had to obtain two visas - ideally. Mongolia and China. We eventually found the Chinese embassy and it was so difficult to communicate and isolated that we decided to leave this one until we arrived in Mongolia. In all the process of even getting to the embassy and returning to the hostel took most of our day up. The next day we found the Mongolian embassy which was less daunting and the staff were so approachable and helpful. We ended up getting our visas within the morning with a little more payment. So this was our next leg sorted paperwork wise. We then had to collect our voucher for the trans mongolian leg of the train (we had pre-booked this in england). Initially this was also a fruitless exercise. When we found the correct ticket office we were told to return in 3 days time when they would be eventually ready for pick up - another morning wasted!

Everything was eventually sorted for moving on and we spent some quality time exploring the city. We had a 2 hour boat cruise along the main artery through Moscow which dropped you off at the Kremlin. From there we could see all the usual sights shown by reporters on the news. St Basils Cathederal, Red Square, Lenins Tomb (which we went through to see what i thought was a wax dummy!) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier etc... All very touristy - but nice experiences.

One of the highlights for Debra was going to see Rangers play CSKA Moscow in the Euro Champions league qualifier. I got dragged along - and we both ended up in the russian end with the patriotic crowd. A very good game in the end I could even get used to this football stuff! The amount of army and police on show was unbelievable - there were more there than Spireites at Saltergate...

Although you dont get any involvement with the Mafia - there is enough evidence of their presence. Cars with blue lights on them are Mafia related and are allowed by the police to flaunt all the road rules - numerous times we saw them running red lights and doing u turn on dual carriageways. At the football match there must have been in excess of 100 Mafia cars on show.

Moscow was so expensive - apparently only Paris is in the same league - we got on the trans mongolian train for 4 nights travel across siberia to Irkutsk. Not once did we get bored - it was such a pleasant trip. I suppose most have the view that it would be like the Orient Express - but its far from it. These trains are working trains for locals and general public. We shared a carriage with a Russian woman who spoke no English - so we had a good time trying to communicate. Also a girl from Holland who was well adept at travelling and was still in the army back home. We all got on extremely well and shared our provisions and stories for the full 5 days. It seemed to go quickly but the mile markers on the track informed that we had done over 3000 miles and navigated across 5 time zones.

Irkustk was a backward place - as would be expected in Siberia. It did not have much to offer but it is the stop off place for Lake Baikal and Olkhon island. To give a measure of the magnitude of this water - it is the deepest fresh water lake in the world at nearly 2000mtr deep and if all the other fresh water on the earth vanished tomorrow it would furnish the entire population with water for 40 years. As it is so deep and because of the tributaries running in to it from the north - it is so coooold.

(will post this and do another just in case we get moved of the comp in a minute...)

Riga to Moscow...

Hello all,

Apologies for the length of time it has taken for getting on the keyboard again...

Well Riga was similar to the other Baltic capital we had visited previous, Vilnius - but bigger and signs of more affluence. Mercs and BMS's were all about - so there's definitely money getting in to certain pockets. Which also meant the disparity between the everday Latvian was greater and there were also more beggars.

We started off staying in the usual hostel type establishment in a mixed dorm for 10 persons - which was OK apart from the hot/cold running showers - and that's when they decided to run at all. We heard of a cheaper Russin style hotel and decided to spend our last night there. Good experience it was too - the ceiling was approx 20ft tall, no decoration had taken place since it was opened many years previous with posters filling holes in walls etc... The shower room was another thing - damp, with paint falling off and all the fittings rusting with decay. The old woman who kept reception actually used an abacus to tot up our bill! It can't get any worse than this - although no bed bug bites were attained...

We went out for a few drinks with an Austrian couple who we had met in the hostel in Klaipeda and were now in Riga. We ventured to a local bar called - 'Nobody writes to the Colonel' - and sampled the local beer. Well, we only had four pints each and were well and trully leathered. With a destinct lack of eating beforehand and with finding out that the brew was 8.5% - we now know why. Bad head day followed for both of us - so doing the usually touristy sites the next day was all we managed.

One downer in Riga was that the Kodak photo booth managed to lose our last photos on the CD we gave them - in order to burn another lot from the memory card we provided them with! So we lost all the photos from Warsaw and Vilnius...

We moved in to a National Park and stayed in a locals house in a small town called Sigulda - similar to Baslow type size/area. There were extremely nice outlined walks through the valley and across the rive to castles and places of interest. We managed to walk 21km in one afternoon/evening - but not before getting bitten by mozzies 32 times between us. Debs 17 and me 15 times. They just attacked when dusk was moving in - which was 2/3 of the way round the walk - and we couldnt keep brushing them off fast enough!!

To get to Estonia, and Tallinn, we had to get back to Riga for the coach. We made good time on the train for the 12.00 coach which left Riga that day. However, with it being fully booked the best we could hope for was to stand in line and wait for no shows in order to create more spaces. It just so happened that two people did not turn up and with us being the first in line we would get on. However, an Estonian women pushed her way through with an old man and managed to get on before us. We couldnt speak the lingo - and ended up missing the coach. What we have found out since is that queueing does not happen in these parts - its just whoever is most ignorent gets their way. In fact most people we have met up to Moscow have been the same - not even holding doors open or saying thanks if you happen to oblige!!

It just so happened that there was no space on the 17.00 also - we had to wait for the 23.00 and spent much of the day reading by the river. It was good to eventually get on and try and sleep before arriving in Estonia at 06.30 the next day.

Tallinn is the best of the Baltic capitals by our reconning. Its smaller - more manageable, and has a quaint old town which is much prettier than any others we have seen. It's also very much up to date with all the mod cons and technology with Finland being its sister country. We stayed in the best hostel yet at the university - very clean and everything on hand. Helpful staff and no bed bugs/mozzies.

We had our first real treat on the Sturday evening - eating out at a pleasant sea food restaurant in the old town - blowing our budget with ease. The following day was a visit to the harbour and beach for a stroll along the sand. Very relaxing it was too. Other than that it was the same old sight seeing and photo routine - and we are getting a little sick of the 'buildings and history' routine - just spoilt really.

Only two nights were spent there before the 8 hour coach journey to Russia and St Petersburg. The coach had aircon - but it blew hot air all the way - good job I had my shorts on, but Debbie was a little sweaty with full regalea. The border crossing in to Russia was regimental with customes - as would be expected - and as soon as we crossed the river in to our new country - it was just miles apart from Estonia.

It was just as would be expected - old flats and crumbling buildings were everywhere. The place looked as though it needed a good spring clean and a few bob for upkeep. What proved more difficult was the new alphabet which we are having to master - Cyrillic - very difficult to decipher. We had to get on the metro and do a few stops to find the hostel - which was tricky not being able to fully comprehend all the new alphabet letters - but we made it pretty well intact.

St P. is a city of approx. 6 million - so it has the big city feel. For museum buffs and those wanting to venture inside galleries its a dream place to spend time. For us guys - a couple of days did us and we were museumed out after that - so spent a day chilling out and planning the next few days ahead. We managed to book the overnight train to Moscow with the aid of Russian assistance in the hostel and book hostels as far ahead as Mongolia.

The overnight train ran like clock work - and was a pleasure to travel this way. We were in a couchette for 4 - the other two persons being Russian but not English speaking - so we got to sleep virtually as soon as we got going. Arriving in Moscow early the next morning we had the metro routine to master yet again - this time with two changes before our final destination. We have found a nice friendly hostel about three miles from the main Red Square - which we ventured to yesterday and saw most of the sites on a River Boat Trip.

We decided to wait until Mongolia to get our Chinese visa - and instead went to the Mongolian Visa to obtain said papers - all was attained for $110 within the hour - extremely efficient! So we have a day to burn tomorrow before the main four night stint on the Trans Siberian. We stop off at Lake Baikal for 3 days before heading in to Mongolia - from now on we think it will start to be more of an adventure as we clasp Asia. In addition, thankfully cheaper too.

That's all for now folks - hope you are all keeping OK?
Love
A+D
xxx

Leaving Lithuania for Latvia.

Hello everyone,

It is nearly 1 week since we last updated the site so we hope to have a little reading matter for you all. This time we have a proper keyboard so it should be easier to decipher what we've been up to.

We left off previously having booked tickets from Warsaw in Poland for the overnight train heading to Vilnius in Lithuania - and not knowing really what to expect. Having got to Warsaw station in good time for the 21.40, with vodka stashed in backpack, we killed a few minutes waiting for the train to roll in - bang on time.

We had purchased a second class ticket in a couchette carrige which sleeps 6 persons - with the sleeping allocation already allocated during purchase. As soon as the train came to a halt we clambered on board and passed our tickets to the conductor who waved us in the direction of our beds. Beeing first in the couchette we quickly laid claim to the majority of storage space and hauled ourselves up to opposite bunks at the top. This was going to be a great adventure having never travelled by such means before!

Much to our surprise, as the platform was busy with other people, we were the only ones in our couchette as the train lurched forward... Having settled in nicely and made our beds for the night, in addition to a makeshift card table, we played black jack and swigged vodka on our way to Vilnius.

The journey was great, on time and uninterupted with the exception of a spurt of passion and the border check point for passports. Arriving in Vilnius having got a good few hours sleep we had to find our hostel. We headed for a bus and by good fortune were able to alight at the correct stop and find the hostel with little problem. It was 10 minutes walk from the town centre and we shared a private double which we were more than happy with.

Vilnius is a pleasant capital - reminiscant of a smaller Prague with quant buildings, plenty of museums and places of interest to see. Unfortunately we had just missed an Inter Toto cup game versus Arhus of Denmark - and the next round versus Portadown of NI. But we have pictures of the ground - and its not a patch on the mighty Field Mill!

The weather was was still fine and sunny and allowed us to venture out on a few trips further afield. We visited yet another memorial to SS slaughtered people, appox 100,000, which reinforced the brutality and inhumanity of their actions. A little more scenic was Trakai, a small town with two castles located on extensive lakes. Having spent three days in Vilnius we moved on to Klaipeda on the Baltic Coast - wishing for R+R and nice weather by the sea. Debbie requiring the recouperation from the 24 bed bug bites from the previous nights hostel. They even itch now! This was not before a night on the tiles with Stefan our belgium compatriat - and a stinking head ache after eventual wake up in the afternoon! Cheers Stefan.

Klaipeda was a let down from what we expected and we think the weather has a lot to do with it - being overcast and chilly. In some places it looks like Middlesborough with all the industry located in the port - but today it seemed a better place with sunshine. Across a small lagoon from Klaipeda is a 97km sand spit which is accessed via a small ferry, similar to that which ventures across Cowes on the Isle of Wight. An afternoon was spent walking along the coast, sufficient to summen up a hearty appetite for a nice steak on the way home.

Today we went on a trip to a former Russian nuclear missile bunker - which was extremely eerie. It had been stripped of its steel content, as much as was humanly possible, by locals selling it on for scrap metal. However, the larger components of the bunker were still intact if not in decay. You were able to go down the steps and venture in to a labyrinth of rooms - well those which were safe - and you could feel the cold war atmosphere distinctly. During its operation, the first access chamber in to the silo was keycoded - and if you buggered up the digits, like you sometimes do at the ATM, then you were gassed! Having trodden down what felt like precarious corridoors we arrived at the missile chamber itself! This formerly housed the 25mtr missiles and looking down the shafts was awesome... There were four silos in total with each pointing to a different European target during its operation. One of which was the UK. This facility was the provider of the Cuban missiles which found their way over the Atlantic.  I dont think it will be everyday that we will have the opportunity to experience something like this (and apparently this site will become so unsafe that it will be shut down completely in two years).

Well tomorrow we will be in another country - Latvia, and Riga to be precice. So we will be updating the news in another week or so.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish 'Happy Birthday' to the following for birthdays during August - Beccie, Leo, Nathan (hope you know about this site - Daz please let him know!). Also, can Shirley please provide me with Manny's e-mail so I can wish him well for his wedding?

Congrats to Rodders on her latest pregnancy - fertile water in your neck of the woods!

We will reply to all persons who have individually mailed us as soon as we get some hours to respond!! Many thanks for them all.

Love and best wishes,
Andrew and Debs.
xxx