Merry Xmas and New year !!!!

I wish everyone a very merry xmas and new year. I'm going to be in 90 percent muslim country for 25th, (indo). Gonna be well festive.

Hope the last of the work parties go with a swing as they always do!

Once again have a damn good xmas and new years, I hope you all get fat.

MTXXXXXXXX ;->

p.s. Jake took this picture the other day when we were waiting for a bus.

p.p.s. Jake also says Happy bleemin Xmas and a Happy bloody New Year.

Saigon // HCMC

Saigon, pretty crazy place to find yourself. Spent 4 days here, got to know the city real well. Not somewhere you'd want to stay long though.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay. We lived on a boat like this for a couple of days. jolly good fun.

Sapa // Northern Vietnam

This one is of us playing pool with local Hmong village girls, they were very good at pool and cards. We had some girls join us for the 2 days we were in Sapa, the small alpine town.

Mucking about in rivers

Jake backflips into beautiful blue warm water.

Loas sunset.

I havent posted many images on here, so i'd thought i'd throw up a few of my favourites.

This was our river front chalet at sunset. Loas was stunning. I will go back one day.

Vietnam//Hanoi

I flew in to Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, a pretty crazy town. more motorbikes than people. I think thats the same for the whole country. We headed up too a stunning alpine french village near the chinese border, called Sapa. It was good to get some fresh mountain air running through the body. We trekked and bikes through the mountains, made friends with local villagers - some of whom stayed with us for a day or 2.

We also spent 3 days in Halong Bay, a thousand islands in the chinese sea. We slept on the roof of the boat one night which was pretty beautiful, surrounded by other boats and small islands.

Back to Hanoi and it started to get cold. The first time for me in 2months. I secretly quite like the cold. but if your in blighty at the moment, you really dont want to hear that. I wore trainers and jacket for the first time in 2 months.

I've flown down to Saigon now. Another insane city. bikes constantly flooding down the road, shanty towns full of friendly faces, intriguing temples with a influences from many different religions.

Its pretty hot and sweaty here so i'm tomorrow to Mekong delta, then eventually to Cambodia, Phnom Penn and the killing fields.

MTX

Real Laos

So, haven't written on here in a while been a busy old couple of weeks. Took a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong in to Laos, a pretty stunning country. Ended up at Luang Prabang, loads of temples, bit of french colonialism left over. oh and the start of the Party trail.
Which brings me to Vang Vieng an true party town, after a heart seizing bus ride through mountains passes we ended up in dusty Van Vieng. We stayed at the foot of the mountain next to the river. The sunsets were something else.
How about sitting on tube, floating down the river, drinking beerloa and jumping from trees on swings and aerail slide? Water parks have got nothing on this its the real deal. Alot of fun.
I Kayaked to the capital - Vientienne which was good fun, A bit of a dry town not too much to do.
I'm in Hanoi now, northern vietnam - its cold and rainy here. Off to Saigon in the morning.
ToodlePip.
MTX

Bug eating.

Heres a pic of me eating a huge bug/cockroach. It had yellowy insides.

Chaing Mai

Went for a cycle today, took this.

Chaing Mai // Trekking

So, been a while since i've posted on here. I've been on a trekking tour through the Northern Thailand mountains for the last week. Elephant riding, bamboo rafting and some of the most stunning scenery imaginable. We walked through jungle type terrain, swimming in waterfalls and camping at small hill tribe villages.
Its been bleemin' marvellous. Met some wicked europeans, night before last we went too a huge festival in Chaing Mai, similar in size to New years eve in uk. They let off thousands of fire balloons into the sky and send candles floating down the river; a way of repenting sins. I also ended up pouring a bag of fish into the river for good luck -just after eating a fried 4inch cockroach, nice.
We finally found our way home at 7am, and that was the night of getting home from trekking. I'm heading to Laos tomorrow -luang prabang and vang vieng.
Should be a good crack.
MTX

Kuala Lumpa // Petronas Towers

Just thought i'd slap this pic up, Petronas Towers are now the third highest building the world! and guess what its owned by an oil company - Petronas.

MTX

Rain anyone?

So, whos great idea was it to come to South east asia, during bleemin monsoon season? Everywhere seems to be in the middle of monsoon, we head west to get away from it and it follows us, we head east and it follows us, brillaint. We are just about to head up to Chaing mai, and guess the paper says? It thunderstorms up there - nice.

I'm allowed to moan about the weather, i'm English after all - its in our blood.

Its not too bad though we get a couple of days a week of blistering heat.

MTX

Notes on Phi Phi Don.

We spent a week or so on Phi phi Don, The island is recovering from the tsunami which hit on boxing day last year, the people have been and are still working hard to get it back to shape, about half of the places are open with building stil going on throughout the night. About 600-1000 people died when it hit, the reason for the 400 or so unknown was because the records of who was staying in the guest houses were washed away too.

I met a guy who had been out snorkelling and he found a couple of backpacks. Quite eerie.

Just before the tsunami hit, the water at the shore was sucked out to sea, revealing the seabed. People walked out to pick up the fish that had been left flapping. Then the 6.5 metre wash came in, destructing everythng in its path. The main high street of Phi Phi is now open but the back streets are still quite a building site.

Generally, the island is back to normal but with a few reminders, so not too forget.

Koh Toa Viewpoint

It looks like I can only upload one pic at a time. What fun! Heres a pic I took after hiking up a great big hill on Koh toa.


Also with that previous picture, any one recognise the corridor?

Clue : 'Ladies, don't Mop the lightbulb'

MTX

News from afar // Bangkok or bust.

Hello there, anyone who happens to have stumbled across this post, I've written this with sole intention of attempting an online Travel diary. If it works out, then i'll be detailing my activities and adventures from around the world, the reason for this being instead of posting a huge email to all and sundry, it will be availible for people to come too, rather than be forced into an already full inbox.

I left London on 11th Oct with travel buddies jake and Bianca, We spent the first couple of weeks zig zagging across Malaysia, a great country, topped off by some funy place called thailand. We spent a week on Perenthian islands which were paradisic, passed my Padi open water in some horrendous monsoon conditions, with awful visability.

Then up to Phi Phi, bit of snorkelling and drinking etc. then i've left the others and headed to koh toa. Very beautiful place with stunning scenery. Met up with matem Draper and had a good couple of days.

Now just arrived in bangkok waiting to meet up with jake and biance after not travelling with them for a week or so.

(i'm getting bored writing this let alone reading it.)

Now you've caught up - i'll throw in some funny stories next time!

MTXXX