badlyDrawnToy

Sin Choi! Greetings from Vietnam - the land of the motorbike. They are absolutely everywhere, and I’ve grown to love them!

Last week we finally departed Laos, a country which I really fell for and am certain that I will revisit. Our entry into Vietnam was at a border crossing in the North. We spent our final night in Laos as guests of a border village. As is exceedingly common, the village is situated on a river. The locals utilise the river for fishing, bathing and washing.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and as the day cooled, we embarked upon a short river trip aboard the local long boats… made from old B52 missiles! Laos was the most heavily carpet-bombed country in the Vietnam War. Over 2 million tonnes of missiles were dropped. Everyone now seems to own their own B52 boat. more »

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Sabaidee! - greetings from the Socialist Democratic Republic of Laos, the trendiest country in South-East Asia. The country and their people are truly beautiful.

Bangkok is but a distant memory. Sorry to disappoint you all; contrary to my emails, I never did get a tattoo, nose-piercing nor hair extensions: Its probably more alternative to dress normally. Though I did get to see Liverpool stuff Chelsea. The commentary was all in Thai, but from what I gather the ball was definitely over the line.

Having well and truly done Bangkok - it’s temples, its massages, its pollution - we escaped on the overnight train to the northern city of Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. more »

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Murray Head once sang one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble. I haven’t a clue what he was on about, but one night in Pat Pong can certainly make a humble man hard!

After one month, I’ve finally left Malaysia and am now trying to adjust to the utter madness that is Bangkok. I imagine many of you reading this have visited the city. It’s my first visit, and I don’t think I was entirely prepared. Having just left an island whose circumference can be walked in 15 minutes, and having stayed in cities in Borneo that are essentially one, long main street, I’ve become accustomed to getting my bearings when I first arrive, by going for a quick walk around town. Not possible in Bangkok. It’s one massive sprawl, and every street is as wide and busy as a motorway. It’s necessary to take taxis or tuk-tuks to get anywhere. Every purchase requires bartering; everyone wants to sell you a tour, or worse some time with a lady of leisure. It’s impossible to escape the incessant traffic. Thank god I went diving before visiting here, else my lung capacity might have halved! more »

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