Round the World in 301 Days As long as we can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, well make it.

Well it had to happen eventually.  After 11 days of perfect sunshine it started to rain and its been drizzling ever since.  Not to be defeated however weve been carrying on like it were mid summer.  A couple of days ago we took as ride up river on a little bamboo raft surrounded by the green cliff like hills that make this area so famous.  Great scenery and a fun experience too, so the next day we decided to do another tour only on another river.  We hired a couple of bikes and followed our guide out into the hills to where his raft was moored - it only took about a half an hour to get there and on the way we got to bike through dozens of little villages and get a look at life behnid the scenes.  Basic stuff indeed, but almost cosy in a 'community spirit' kind of way.  The raft we got this time was even less substantial than the first, 10 bamboo poles strapped together, with 2 deck chairs wired together on top.  And a huge red and yellow parasol right in the middle.  No engine on this little beauty meant that we were going to be driven forwards by our guide balanced on the back using another bamboo pole to power us along, gondola style!  Upstream, into the wind, pushing the weight of three people and a boat, chain smoking and humming unnervingly, this man managed to get us up to what felt like ramming speed in no time and we settled in to out 2 hours long cruise.  When the rain started this guy must have already been shattered, but to make matters worse he insisted on putting up this sail like umbrella which, due to the wind causing the rain to come horizontally into our faces, succeded in doing nothing more than adding another resisting force for him to battle against.  Poor bugger.  After about half an hour we came to a meter high waterfall that we had to pull to raft up in order to continue on our journey.  This guy insisted that he could do it himself, so he did.  Off with socks and shoes and into the water he went and Jo and i wathed as he struggled away.  Back on board we went upstream a while longer until the tour ended at another waterfall which may have been the real end of the tour or the end of this guys pushing power. After we turned around and his job became a whole lot easier.  All was eventually well for our long suffering captain until we went over the waterfall - Jo and i were bone dry, the boat was fine but he took a soaking and the other boat pushers on the river were really rubbing it in.  All in all a great day for us so we gave him a meaty tip and left him to dry off.   

Yesterday we went biking, with me navigating, to find "Moon Hill". A hill that has a hole in it that apparently looks like the moon.  An hours bike and we were there, and it was a chance for some serious photography.  Loads of good snaps were taken yesterday, ill get them on here as soon as possible.  From the bottom looking up the hill was nice but we were told the real views were from the top.  There must have been just shy of 1,000,000 steps up this mountain.  Mount Everest, K2, Moon Hill.  And when we got to the top we were told it wasnt really the top, just a good place to take pictures and that if we looked behind us wed see the way to the real top, through the moon of moon hill and round the back.  Damned moon hill, we couldnt climb for that long and not go to the real top.  So we did.  The views from THE top were very rewarding and today, as testimony to our efforts, i have aches in every under toned muscle in my jelly like body.  In celebration of our tremendous achievement we hit the pub, a climbing place with an indoor climbing wall and all sorts.  We met a Chinese pair who introduced us to a very alcoholic version of Yahtzee which involved almost as much drinking as it did shouting, and there was alot of shouting.  Had there been rules im certain Rule number 1 would have been that the game had to be conducted at maximum volume to add exctiement, which it did.  Too many beers later and we were all climbing to the amusement of the locals who hooted and turned up the volume on their dials to MAX.  You could have heard us from space. 

Today were too hungover to do anything.

Tomorrow were going Caving or Kayaking.  Ill let you know.