Asia Adventure

time ASIA

jazz81 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:26:00 GMT

Its being a long road since I left Oz in October and the time has gone way too fast although not fast enough on some of the infamous bus journeys. I can now in varying degress of success say hello/ thanks/ good bye/ thats too expensive/ I`ll have the special/ beer/ in about 10 languages. I`m not going to even start with what was my favourite country but now I understand why fellow travellers rave about Asia.

My travels have led me to spend -

58 hours flying

A bum numbing 250 hours on buses

A whopping 284 hours on trains begining in Saigon - Moscow last stop.

Crunched my way through 17 books

6 ferry trips

39 moto rides / the best one driving through the rain in Kalimantain and the worst in Phnom Penh where I was glad I arrived in one piece!

The odd budget permitting taxi

I am now an expert in chopsticks and in getting every last grain of rice fromm the bottom of the bowl. The food was amazing throughout and the markets nothing short of a revelation - from traders crushing fresh chillies and making curry paste to dessicating coconut to order. I will never have a bowl of cornflakes for brekkie again.

So now in true shoestringer style I`m off to spend my last night at the airport.......

Vodka & Mayonaise - The Trans Siberian

jazz81 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:08:00 GMT

If you only ever pack 2 things for this iconic journey make sure its the Best Russsian Vodka and a jar of mayonaise. It amazing the tips you pick up from fellow travellers, so along with the vodka and mayo I was also wearing the mandatory tracksuit pants that I had picked up for a bargain in Beijing.

After a slight moment of panic a few days before I went to buy my tickets I found that there were only about 10 seats left on the Train, and I was still in Mongolia, so after a frantic few hours trying to translate the Russian Train website and trying to purchase a ticket I was unsuccessfull, so some more frantic searching brought me back to seat61 and manged to book and confirm a ticket all within 20 mins for a very reasonable commission. It turns out my panic was more than justified as it was actually the Russian Ordothox Easter which is why the train was completely full for the entire journey. Leaving Irkutsk in the early evening I quickly settled into my carriage , I had booked the 3rd class or platzcartny section in which the carriage is configured into open bunks, there are 2 seats by one side the lower one converting to a table and chairs during the day and the other side hs 4 beds 2 up and 2 lower. It was extremely comfortable, much more than I had expected although the bunks themselves were a bit short. ( so far the chinese hard sleeper trains wins hands down over the best budget sleep on this trip)

Once my 3 other neighbours had settled in, dinner began. I had stocked up on some sausage and cheese and pickles in the morning market, along with some mayonaise of course, and no sooner had everyone laid all their fod out on the table I was handed my first glass of vodka, thus the evening continued with broken conversation, eating and more vodka drinking.

Probably the most confusing thing on the train is that it runs on Moscow time, which was 5 hours behind our actual departure time, even all of the train stations in Russia show Moscow Time inside the station but local time outside. Heading towards Moscow made it easier to adjust the time as we went on.

So what do you do on a 4 day train trip when your not eating and drinking ? Along with the basic communication and usual questions there is the reading, finally my bag of books and magazines that I had being lugging around over the previous few months was paying off. Then there is the staring out the window phase , the secenery was actually quite similar throughout and most suprisingly still covered in snow,which passes another few hours and with a few extra naps the time goes quite fast. Although we were always glad of the brief stops along the way to stretch legs and get some fresh air and of course do a beer restock.

Our carriage attendents who looked after us extremely well also kept us entertained by playing everything from russian hip hop and ballads to 80`s pop on the loud speakers. As mentioned earlier it was the Russian Ordothox Easter so there was a real sense of celebration on the train on sunday and more vodka drinking.

A snowy evening arrival into Moscow farewelling my new Russian friends was a great way to end a great trip.

Mongolian salty tea & Trains

jazz81 — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:14:00 GMT

Arriving at the border town of erlian in China was a bit of a let down, it was more of a ghost town than bustling border town. Even the lack of accomodation left me to check in to a cheap hotel, still only $6 . After finally finding the international ticket office and buying a ticket I was set for Mongolia. An easy night journey on an almost empty train left me with a berth to myself, however with Mongolian border crossing procedures it was not until 2 in the morning that we finally got going. This part of the train trip passes through some fairly desolate wilderness so there wasn`t too much to see out the window. An afternoon arrival into Ulaanbaator left me with enough time to get my ticket to Irkutsk , have a quick stroll around the city and grab a tasy bite to eat along with sampling the local beer. food and beer just costing $7 so bargain. Next morning I was off on my trip out of the city to to homestay and to see the coutryside on horse back. After driving for about an hour it felt like I was in the middle of nowwhere, then I finally saw the camp. I was quickly invited in for some breakfast. On the table in the 1 room winter cabin that the family were in was a big tray of sheeps guts stuffed with various other bits and pieces from the animal. I was handed a knife and gestured to dig in, not the most appetising brekkie ever, but I did sapmle some homemade black pudding was very tasty. All of this washed down with some salty milk tea which is made from the meat stock, diffinitely an acquired taste.

Had a great afternoon with 2 local guides just trekking around the countryside. The Mongolian horses are much smaller than their european counterparts but it was still a good trek albeit probably not the best time of the year for scenenry as it all looked quite bleak as the rains do not fall until the summer. Although it wasn`t as cold as I had a expected.

That evening I was shown some local hunting for some animal that looks like a cross between a beaver and a squirrel and helped with the herding. That night we ate a mutton dish and spent the need in the Ger which are the traditional round felt tents that they live in. Next day was back into UB and just did some walking around the City, which has a decidedly dodgy feel to it.

Having being spoilt by the Chinese Trains, I nearly missed my train out of UB to Russia, due to no announcemnets, no number on the trains and the fact that it was only 1 carriage. However I was soon comfortable in a kupe which I hadn`t expected, and was sharing with a Mongoilia teacher, a student and a Babuschka. Apart from the 10 hour stop at the borders all went well and the journey was quite comfortable. As always mealtimes turn into mini buffets with everyone sharing their food and most things being quite tasty. The 2 nights passed qite quickly although I was suprised to be woken at 5.30 on the last morning to help unload the luggage for another Russian Granny who was travelling in a different berth altogether. They really don`t have the concept of tavelling light !

Beijing - Bricks & Birds Nest

jazz81 — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 15:51:00 GMT

I had treated my self to one of the new z trains from Xi`an to Beijing, where I had a very entertaining evening conversing with a chinese couple although I have to say I had more comfortable sleeps on the hard sleeper trains. So I was surprised then at the late arrival into the morning choas of Beijing.

My first morning was spent very frustatingly at 3 different train stations and different offices in diferent queues which always seemed to be getting longer everytime I went back. Unfortunately success did not prevail and I was still unsure about my Trans Mongolian crossing.

I was then glad to find the hostel I had booked was a great little place with a friendly crowd. Next day was spent exploring the mind boggling Forbidden City and of course Tiananemen Square, the worlds largest, and my visit had also coincided with the 20th anniversary of the riots, so the security was extremely tight with all luggage and bags being x-rayed and guards every few meters with fire extinguisher's.

As in Xi`an , the Beijing bites were fantastic,little streetside stalls ranging from savoury to sweet all for only 1-2 yuan (about 20 euro cents ) and of course the Pekng Duck was super. The silk market was nothing more than organised chaos (& daylight robbery) so I came away empty handed.

Another day began with an early start to begin a 10 km trek of the Great Wall. Although our group of 14 started out together the unrepaired parts of the wall proved a challenge too much for some and by the end we were crossing the line in 2`s& 3`s. However it was a fantastic blue sky day and the part of the wall we visited was devoid of the human hordes that flock to the parts nearer Beijing.

Beijing can`t really claim to have a sky line, apart from the suprisingly smallish CBD the most bulidings are residential, needless to say then the Birds Nest has quickly become the citys claim to fame. I was equally impressed at viewing it up close and the Water Cube also proved a worthwhile sight.

Wow ! the months have passed - I`m sure I only began planning this trip a few weeks ago ; now I find myself begining the 3rd but shorter leg of my trip. Shortly I will be hopping on the train to start my final leg home, last stop Moscow.

Tea , Warriors & The 9th Wonder of The World ?

jazz81 — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 13:34:00 GMT

No I haven`t forget about the blog but my last few weeks in China have being jam packed. After Chengdu , I arrived in the city of Xi`an . After a few weeks in China I am turning into a bit of a tea junkie, wherever you go there is always someone holding out a free tea sampler, its usually one of the first things you get when you arrive at a guesthouse or restaurant. Everyone walks around with a little flask of tea all of the time even in the citys.

Xi`an is of course where the famous Terracotta warriors are. I was hoping for this to be one of the highlights of the trip , and even after reading all of the mixed reviews and hearing about people coming away disappointed , I was more than impressed. They are truly amazing and the pit areas where they are displayed are not overly tarted up like most other attractions in China. Even the main pit only has about a 1/3 of the warriors fully reconstructed.

Jacques Chirac suposedly suggested that the Terracotta Army be named as the 8th Wonder of the World. Well I was also suprised to witness the 9th Wonder of the World also in Xi`an. Early reports suggest that evidence of this Chinese Natural Wonder is being contained to the region alone. There are a few rare sightings of this wonder throughout China but not on such a scale as seen in Xi`an. This occurance started at train stations and has now spread to bus stops, merchant stalls and even in Mc Donalds. It has not being confirmed if it is conatgious.

If you haven`t realised what this natural phenomenon is yet, it is the simple fact that for reasons unbeknown local people in Xi`an actually seem to queue for everything. As many travellers will attest queuing is an entirely unfamiliar concept in China. Typical just when I was getting used to the whole lassiez faire attitude and waltzing right up to the ticket office to join the melee and choas to buy a ticket on a sought after train.

Chicken Beard Noodles, Panda`s & Buddha

jazz81 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:54:00 GMT

So after Macau it was another overnight train to Guilin. Guilin is famous for the limestone Karst that dot the countryside. However I was off to a town called Yangshuo which is a bit of a backpacker ghetto and full of domestic tourists. I really can`t believe that even after a months holiday in January thetown was still thronged with Chinese tourists, numbering thousands, so not too much eveidence of a recession here. However some miserable hot and humid and wet weather along with the bustling hoardes did not leave me with any great impressions.

I had booked to do a morning cookery class learning some of the local cuisine which was very informative and tasty :) but the evening before one of the locals who was friends with the the owners of the hostel brought me to a local resturant so I could get some real hands on experience. At first it seemded like a scam but then I realised it was all genuine. Rics` friends had just opened their restaurant 3 months ago and are a couple from Beijing. After a quick tour of the kitchen and restairant which waas located in the outer area of the Town it was time to get to work. Firstly I was given some demonstrations on the art of hand rolling and cutting noodles. After a few times she handed it over to me and I attempted to follow suit. After a few false starts I soon got into rolling and cutting the `Chicken Beard Noodles`; after a while th other chef came out and also shard a few tips. Finally after transforming the bowl of dough ito a 1/2 doz trays of noodles it was time to cook.Firstly I was shown the correct way to cook he noodles, then the other chef brought me into the kitchen to show me how to cook the sauce, then it was time to tuck into a steaming bowl of freshly cut and cooked noodles smothered in a rich soy bean and local pork sauce. Delicous and all this for only 10 yuan or about $2AUD

next day was back on a bus to a town farther away. Although busy with tourists during the day, the evening was quite and peaceful. The newly opened hostel had a great roof top terrace overlooking the Karsts, this location being on the 20 Yuan Note, thus the daytime tourists. My first day I spent wandering around the old streets which gave a much better impression of Old China than Lijang or Yangshuo. The next day I hired a bike and spent a few hours cycling through paddy fields and orange groves stopping at some small villages along the way much to the amusement of the locals.

Another 25 hour pot noodle express brought me to Chengdu in the Sichuan province(where the earthquake was last year) Here I spent the first day in the comapny of the resident Panda`s at the Chengdu research facility, arriving just after feeding time(took the cheaper local transport) left me to enjoy the Pandas just chilling out and playing a bit while everyone else had already left to see the Panda Cubs. The site was great but I had wanted to go on a trek in a Natonal park further away but just don`t have the time, this time.

Next day I was off to see the biggest remaining outdoor seated Buddha in the world. Not as impressive as I expected, but at least it didn`t cost too much, a bit of a hazy day didn`t give the great views expected. However not even having a chance to take out my own camera when I arrived I was mobbed by a school group who queued diligently to have their photograph taken with me. so after 20 minutes (no joke) I was back on my way and had a quick look around the town of Leshan before hopping onthe bus back to Chengdu.

Ace of Tarts & Leftover Butter !

jazz81 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:06:00 GMT

Honestly I do not even see the point of Hong Kong, I have never witnessed such a lousy bunch of slow moving, grumpy and unfriendly people in my entire trip so far. So it was with joy I hopped on the ferry to Macau while riding out my visa waiting time.

Macau , a former Portuguese colony now under China is more a case of Churches instead Tepmles, and of course the ever present casino`s. Still after an afternoon rambling around the narrow cobbled lanes I could have being in Europe. My afternoon caffine hit was complemented by the one of the world famous Portuguese Egg Tarts form `Lord Stows Bakery` which I didn`t realise was piping hot and quickly lost the roof of my mouth !

Evening brought the lights out and the Casinos were in their element with water and light shows, however I think there were more tourists sight seeing as opposed to spending with all of the hotels looking quite empty.

So when do you know you have reached the holy grail of shoe stringing ? I am diffintely not far off from gaining life long staus for sure. I have even being tempted to ask for the leftover butter from a sandwhich `to take away please` on a few occassions. And quite literally last week while skiing instead of hiring a pair of goggles I sacfriced a shoelace and tied it around my sunnys to do the trick. I have given up buying tissues, Mc Donalds is now my main supplier,(same for sugar, ketchup and I have even sussed out the whole free coffee refill thing!) the days paper is courtesy of the local library (in cities anyway), when anything free is being handed out you just queue a few times, lunch on occasion has being courtesy of some food hall samples of a department store and when my bargaining skills fail me for that single dodgy looking piece of fruit, I simply move on to the next stall and try harder. So if all that doesn`t qualify me I don`t know what does.

Well finally I`m back off to China to rejoin the pot noodle express and to start the final leg of my trip,

Gallery: Japan

jazz81 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:49:00 GMT

Gallery: China

jazz81 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:48:00 GMT

Gallery: Vietnam

jazz81 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:27:00 GMT

Sharks Fin, Sake & Snow Monkeys !

jazz81 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:35:00 GMT

So after 2 super flighyts with Chinsa airlines, full meals & tv on 2 short flights, I finally arrived in Japan. 2 hours after touch down and I was already tucking into a meal of grilled mackeral, rice, miso and few other bits with one of the best beers I have tasted so far. It was then off on a night bus to Nagano to hit the slopes.

After a few disappointing snow reports, my luck was in and mother nature had dumped 40cms of snow the day before I arrived. Matched with one of those rare blue sky days in Japan, and my ski legs were back in full form in no time. So after a day of carving I headed to the local onsen to soothe those weary muscles and sample some local sake and what they call pub food, but was actually a mini gourmet feast by anyone else`s standards, including mine.

Next morning I realised how lucky I had being the previous day when I woke up to the the mountain covered in cloud and raining. Nevertheless with such a tight schedule I headed off to see the famous Snow Monkeys. They can only be found in Japan and there is only a few hundred of them. After a train , bus and 30 minute hike in the rain I arrived at the monkey park and they were out in force relaxing in the hot spring. They basically come down from the mountains every morning and bathe in the hot spring all day during the winter(photos will be here soon!)I was glad I had made the effort to visit.

Then it was back to Nagano and a quick break before hopping on the train to Kyoto, after 3 hours changed onto the famous bullet trains and in no time at all I had arrived at Kyoto. The train was amazing and in true Japanese style every time an attendant passes through the carriage they even bow in front of all the passengers.

Kyoto was amazing from Geishas to Temples everything was impressive. To get the full Japanese experience I checked into a Ryokan on my second night. A Ryokan is basically traditional Japanese style inn, with tatami mats and a futon to sleep on. I was really impressed with the hospitality and the whole experience was amazing, they even demonstated a traditional Tea Cermony with homemade sweets that Kyoto are famous for. However in Kyoto the Ryokans are famous for serving 'Kasieko' cuisine which is a number of small courses(read 12)focusing on simple flavours of foods in season. They are works of art. Each little course comes with some intricate garnishes and the flavours were superb. The sharks fin soup was amazing and not at all what I expected. Needless to say breakfast was another veritable feast in the morning of grilled salmon, the feshest tofu I`ve ever tasted, Japanesed style omelette, rice and of course buckets of green tea and miso.

After another day of roaming around it was back on another night bus(that stopped every 2 hours) for the hop back to Tokyo.Another early arrival made sure I got a full days sight seeing in, from the gate to the imperial palace( no one knows what it looks like, there are no photos and only the royal family are let in) to the Sony building where I failed miserably at attempting to play some new games. Tucking into the odd bowl of steaming ramen noodles topped with tempura along the way.

Another day in Tokyo ensured my wallet was much lighter then usual with my money disappearing faster than a fresh Tuna at the Tsukiji Fish market. However I was still managed to fit in a sushi lunch and a enjoyed an evening in a local pub with a load of giggly waitresses who took it in turns to serve me, each request entailing my basic guidebook Japanese, some sign language, pointing and the odd trip outside to point at the plastic foods on display.

Japan is the kind of country that as soon as you step of the plane there is some one to help you and guide you the whole way throughout the country . And so before I knew it I was back on the plane(with my next trip already planned out) to dreaded Hong Kong ; which has failed to impress me on all counts so far, and even excelling in that failre on certain occasions.

Leaping Tigers & 28 Bends

jazz81 — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:12:00 GMT

As a foot note to `Stuck in Shangri-La`, I obviously got off lightly as it has being closed off for the past few days due to heavy snow and the army!

So my main reason in coming to this part of China was to do the Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek.There`s lots of info around about how difficult an dangerous it is but I FOUND IT FINE EVEN AFTER A FEW UNPLANNED DETOURS.(OK I HAVE HIT SOME BUTTON ON THE KEYPAD AND ITS IN CHINESE AND I HAVENT A CLUE HOW TO CHANGE IT, SO EXCUSE THE CAPS)

FIRST DETOUR WAS BYPASSING THE TOWN COMPLETELY DUE TO SOME MISCOMMUNICATION, SO THE DRIVER DROPPED ME OFF AT THE NEXT STATION MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF THE STATION MANAGER WHO SETTLED ME IN THEIR OFFICE BESIDE THE FIRE WHILE I WAITED FOR A FREE SEAT TO GET BACK TO THE TOWN. THEY ARE PEDANTIC ABOUT EVERY PERSON HAVING A SEAT ON THE BUS AND WILL NOT OVERCROWD THEM EVEN BY 1 PERSON. SO EVENTUALLY AFTER ARRIVING I GOT THE LOW DOWN ON THE CONDITIONS OF THE TREK THEN OFF TO ACCOMMODATION TO GET ORGANISED. NEXT MORNING I SET OFF WHICH WAS GOING TO BE MY LONGEST DAY OF 6 HOURS. THE TRAIL WAS FINE AND WELL MARKED , THE WEATHER STARTED OUT SUNNY BUT SOME GOT COLD AND A BIT WINDY. OF COURSE THE SCENERY WAS AMAZING AND YOU REALLY ARE UP IN THE MOUNTAIN LOOKING DEEP INTO THE GORGE. NOW THE FAMOUS 28 BENDS IS MEANT TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE TREK AS ITS PRETTY MUCH A STARIGHT ASCENT. WHOEVER GAVE THE NAME 28 BENDS COULDN`T COUNT OR LOST COUNT HALF WAY AND STARTED AGAIN, BUT AFTER THE LONG HIKE UP IT WAS DIFFINETLY WORTH IT.

STAYED IN GREAT LITTLE GUEST HOUSE THE FIRST NIGHT AND SAMPLED SOME LOCAL FOOD AND A KNOCK OUT LOCAL WINE. NEXT MORNING WAS A BIT SHORTER WITH ONLY A 4 HOUR HIKE. DOINTG IT IN FULL SHOESTRINGER STYLE I WAS DOING THE TREK BACK ALSO ,TO AVOID HAVING TO PAY A CAR TO BRING ME BACK TO THE VILLAGE START. EVEN GOING BACK IT WAS A TOUGH HIKE IN SOME SPOTS ANS WAS WINDY AND BITTERLY COLD, AFTER A QUICK COFFEE AT ANOTHER LOCAL HOUSE I WAS OFF AGAIN AND ARRIVED MID AFTERNOON AT THE NAXI GUESTHOUSE, WHERE EVEN THE PACKET OF CHOPSTICKS HAD A SMILE ON IT. GREAT FAMILY SERVICE SUPER FOOD AND FREE RICE WINE ADDED UP TO ANOTHER GREAT EVENING.

NEXT MORNING, WITH A FEW SORE MUSCLES IT WAS ONLY AN HOURS WALK BACK TO THE VILLAGE WHERE I CAUGHT A LOCAL VAN ONTO MY NEXT DESTINATION OF LIJANG.

Stuck in Shangri-La ?

jazz81 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:10:00 GMT

Some people may argue that its probably a good thing, however if you have ever watched the movie `Terminal` with Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta J. you will understand. After arriving on a night sleeper bus for which I was way too long and only mananged a few hours sleep, I was offloaded at a good unearthly hour of 6.am in darkness and artic tempertures. Later in the day after wandering around the old town of Shangri-La village whom the majority of villagers are of Tibetan descent, I had a tasty snack of grilled yak & baba which is a local bread.

A short bus journey took me to the biggest and most important Monastry in south China, where I wandered around for a few hours and was impressed. Off to the local market which even after SE Asia was an eye opener and where `Can I have the chicken to go?`, means it being killed, plucked and butchered while you wait. All this happening while I was tucking into a massive bowl of melt in the mouth Tibetan dumplings in a little stall a few foot away.

Next morning I had planned to visit another Tibetan village further away. It began well, purcahsing a ticket with ease, although the departure time had changed. So I settled into the waiting hall and my day began, took out my Krama for Cambodia made myself comfy, stuck on a sixth layer and the wait began. My 11 oclock 3n1 nescafe passed, my pot noodle lunch passed , another 3 o clock nescafe passed. WHERE IS THE BUS?

Although it was quite entertaining watching the coming and goings of locals, most of whom in national dress, the odd difficult conversation struck up, my book read, and the toilet attendant making a fortune from me I was becoming fed up 6 hours later.

Eventually we were called to board, and all squashed in, the scenery was amazing, if you think Switzerland has mountains you`ve seen nothing yet. 2 hours in to the journey, we came upon the source of the delay a 2 truck collision on a bend on the narrowest piece of road ever. And so another wait began, boredom struck again, however I was keeping everyone entertained with my presence. I gave my camera to a guy on the bus to take my photo(it wasnt` as if he was going anywhere) but it took a while to get it right and then it dawned on me that it was probably the first time he even had held one. Eventually the log jam cleared and 2 hours later but over 6 hours late I rolle dinto Benzilan. After a quick tour of the town, the only hotel in my LP was closed I found a bed and went for a bite to eat, which after a lot of pointing and hand signals turned into a great meal.

Next morning it was an early start to catch the only bus and I was back in Shangri-La.

Pot Noodle Express

jazz81 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:59:00 GMT

Cutting it quite fine I collected my visa from Chinese Embassy with my bags in tow and once in hand was on a bus 30 mins later to the border。My passport was in order， bags nicely packed， my lonely planet well hidden in the bottom to escape confiscation and was well dressed， having being turned away from the Embassy on my 2nd visit for wearing a pair of flip flops。 I had readied myself for hours of processing， more form filling and stamping and handing over more precious dollars。 Well crossing the Chinese border had to be the biggest anti-climax of my trip so far。 Got off the bus， finished Vietnamise customs， given an ID tag for my bus on the other side， driven in a little buggy up to the Chinese section， which was probably the size of Dublin airport， but with only about 30 people milling through， twice more staff， filled out 1 form， handed it to the immmigration desk where you have to press a button to rate their preformance while stamping you in， then off in another buggy to our bus on the other side where a can of congee and a bottle of water greeted us。 All this happening in the space of 10 mins， I have had worse experiences arriving in Sydney！After a bit of commuication it was finally decided by a 3 person vote on what staion I had to get off。

I was being optimistic in hoping that I would be able to catch a night sleeper train from Nanning to Kumming as soon as I arrived， however my luck did not prevail and I found my self accommodation hunting， finding an ok option in a cheap hotel。

Spent the next morning wondering around the city and was pleasently surprised， after Hectic Hanoi the lack of noise from traffic was considerable， I think the motos are all electric so no noise and fumes， it has to be the quietest city I have ever being in。Managed to send some post back with some sign language， its great how you just rock up at a post office with everything in a plastic bag and they wrap everything up for you。 Tasted some local cured ham and goat cheese which was really tasty。 Then it was off to the train station to cath my night train， the train staion is bigger than most airports with the same security， but after a short wait I was on the train， which was looking quite new ， the hard sleepers and basically 6 bunk open berths with bunks 3 high， the top one the cheapest。After about an hour the stares died down and I settled into my book。 Having found out from some travellers that everywhere you go in china boiling water is available for food/drink， so having come prepared with my pot noodles and 3n1 Instant Nescafe and was tucking in to steaming hot bowl of spicy noodels along with the rest of the train for my supper。 Lights out at 10 on the dot and managed a few hours sleep arriving at 6 am the next morning into a city called Kumming。

10 Days in Hanoi

jazz81 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:49:00 GMT

Hanoi seems to bear the brunt of everyones dislike in Vietnam, they are either heading off to Halong Bay or Sapa, maybe have just arrived and want to head down south straight away or haven`t left enought time to have a look around at the end of their trip. Having to spend over a week there while organising my visas for Mongolia and China was not a problem, Hanoi has a lot of contrasts, locals sowing rice in the paddy fields at the edge of the city vie with space for the new large motorways. You will not go 5 feet on Hanoi`s narrow warren of streets without coming across a boiling vat of chicken broth with a sign selling "Pho" the national rice noodle soup dish which can be eaten any time and is a super filler.

Locals seem to even cook their own meals pretty much on their door step with a charcoal burner so along with the constant buzz of traffic whizzing past you get these wonderful smells all day long. Little cafes set up on the street side in the morning where you sit on these impossibly low stools and sip fresh coffee, only to disappear a few hours later and be replaced by another vendor selling some dried cuttlefish or spring rolls.

One of the best things Hanoi offers over any other Asian city is the oppertunity to just sit at a corner stall or small square or park and watch the hectic pace that is Asia.

Of course all this cultural la de da had to be offset with some serious partying, which Hanoi has also plenty to offer, evings where kicked off on the roof top bar of our Hostel, heading to the bar downstairs after that and then hitting the streets for the Bia Huoi which is a fresh beer, for only 25 c per glass and although some of the brews taste a bit iffy its generally a great refreshing beer and good to just sit around on those low stools on the road with everyone swapping travel stories.

I really enjoyed Hanoi and it was a great way to end the south east Asia part of my trip. So having packed my winter warmers and and put on a pair of shoes for the first time since october I`m off to China.

The Worst Fried Rice - EVER !

jazz81 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:29:00 GMT

And the award goes to Vietnam! Stuck on another 16 hour scam bus( paying for a sleeping bus and ending up in something more of a truck) on my way to Hanoi we eventually stopped at a random restaurant,after a bit of a wait the ordered dish fnally arrived, even looking at it alarm bells rang, but with another 10 hours to go I was pretty hungry. And I have being suffering the past few days for that mistake, which along with the dodgy meal on the boat while snorkelling last week hasn`t added up to a great week.

Since Saigon I have endured a 9 hour trip on a train which was actually entertaining, some local girls trying to teach me the lingo, but to no avail, although the wooden seats were a bit uncomfortable after a few hours. This little expedition got me as far as Nha Trang, which was disappointingly more like Salthill or Surfers , so didn`t hang around too much. My next bus adventure involved another dodgy sleeper bus, where my bunk was on the lower level down the back of the bus where I had the privilage of being squeezed inbetween the bus driver and another random person, with no light or toilet on board, and not enough space to even sit up, another 11 hour coffin experience which landed me in Hoi An.

Hoi An was fine ,a bit touristy and too expennive to linger for a few days. So after the dodgy rice bus experience I find myself in Hanoi. Found a great little hostel with plenty of travellers for info and beers, suspect we ended up eating bbq dog (the local speciality) last night because it certainly wasn`t anything like I tasted before and they were falling over themselves to serve us, we had 5 people hovering around us the whole time along with passing bemused locals.

So getting geared up for China, just for the VISA. Not too sure whats going to happen as I don`t have any tickets out of the country so I`ll have to cross the fingers. Off to Halong Bay for a few days doing a cruise and some local trekking and kayaking. Hopefully my visa awaits on my return.

Waking up to Ho Chi Minh

jazz81 — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 23:27:00 GMT

I knew I`d like Ho Chi Minh even before I got off the bus. Arriving on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the city was like a ghost town, there wasn`t even the usual barrage of touts and moto drivers that normally greet you. Taking a walk along the main backpacker route to sus out accommodation I was tracked down by a guesthouse owner and after some quick barganing, from $12 to $7 I was settling into a really nice room hidden in a warren of side streets. I was happily surprised with the city, of course your never too sure what to call it but the locals seem to prefer Saigon. It was truly asian but modern, no MC D`s or Starbucks, and although the traffic was a bit hectic, nothing like Jakarta. The next day was pretty quite and there was`nt much happening but the city really woke up on the 3rd day with everyone back to work after TET which is their Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. The street stalls sprung up serving almost toxic local coffee, fresh baguettes and rice rolls, all for a dollar. The people greeting you with smiles all the time.

So having wandered the city for a few days it was off to the beach. And trying to save a buck I opted for a 9 hour train journey with wooden seats. The day passed quite quickly with the locals trying to teach me some lingo and at one stage haven woken from a brief nap I woke up to 5 smiling faces peering over me. So having arrived at Nha Trang on the coast I found my accommodation which was overbooked but they happilly gave me a room in a much better hotel so I was`nt complaining. Off to do a bit of snorkling tomorrow and then a bit of Island hopping.

Gallery: Cambodia

jazz81 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:14:00 GMT

Gallery: Laos

jazz81 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:41:00 GMT

Where There`s a Dollar There`s a Way !

jazz81 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:17:00 GMT

O.k. so my bout of writers block is over, but to be honest I haven`t really gotten up to much over the last 2 weeks anyway, like most Cambodians.Since I am pretty much half way through the trip it was time to just relax and give the sight seeing and bus journeys a break, although I have being up to Angkor Wat for the sunrise and spent the morning wandering around the 3 main temples, which was more than enough. Being to another large town and also down the Coast which I left after 1 day since they have decided to turn the pristine beach into a de facto landfill site. Now that the Chinese New Year is over ( and over priced accommodation with it)I can start my venture into Vietnam which I am really looking forward to. With my trip to China on the horizon I have being gleaming as much info as possible from other travellers so I have a good stock of ideas to get me started.

Phnom Penh is chaotic, even the locals seem afraid to cross the road, there are a few pedestrian crossings but no has told them what the green man means yet! The tuk tuks and motos are ready to bring you on a city tour at every oppertunity. The food is tasty but the market food is best left for the locals, or anyone game enough for fried cockroaches and crispy tarantulas. The dollar is in use here and very much ingrained in the tourist traps and its begining to get a bit pricey, everything is a dollar and everything is rounded up from the local currency. The weather has being fantastic, sunshine all day long with temps at 30c and the best way to enjoy a sundowner is on the river banks or one of the parks. I have enjoyed my time here and it is diffinetly way ahead of Laos in all aspects so all in all a really interesting destination.