G and A on tour

The final chapter......Peru!

2007-08-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: I'm in such a fluster that this is the last posting, I can't think where to start! Of course I can really. I'm just being dramatic!

Right, just for the record, we missioned it on a 27 hour bus journey from Guaquille in Ecuador to Lima, the capital of Peru. Our final country. (Have I already said that? Impact!) But we did not hang around in Lima....oh no!

ALEX: After our 'long bus journey' PB we very quickly realised that the best thing about Lima was leaving Lima - having been to several capital cities on our travels it was without doubt the most uninspiring one!

GEORGE: Our rear ends were shot to pieces, the budget blown out of the water.......so we jumped on a flight and headed to beautiful Arequipa (SE Peru in the desert) to rest for a few days.

Full of beautiful colonial architecture and squares, this was a lovely place to enjoy the sun, shops and even the odd convent!

Even Alex really enjoyed this convent. It was a small wall enclosed city that was only open to the public in the 1970's. Until then, no one knew what it was like inside, except the nuns but they never came out! And so it remained a curious mystery for so many years.

ALEX: Yes, that's right, I enjoyed a sight seeing tour of a convent - would you 'Adam and Eve it'?! Clearly an illustration of how I've grown as a person as a result of exposure to many many wonderful cultural sights around the world........

GEORGE: Have I mentioned that so far, all the avocados I have eaten in South America have been amazing?

Right, after a well deserved rest, it was time to head north east....and up, to Puno where lies Lake Titicaca. The largest and highest (I think) navigable lake in the world, stretching a 130KM across the border between Peru and Bolivia.

It was kinda cool. Now, I'm sorry if I sound cynical. And perhaps I have now just been too spoilt by so many things over the last 7 months, but Lake Titicaca is so big, I felt like I was sailing on a calm sea. This was another 'tick the box' adventure. We met a few families that live on the lake of man-made reed islands. They showed us how they were made. This was interesting but felt like such a tourist trap rather than experiencing their way of life! (Ooooo....the cynic!) Anyhoo.... and on another one of the islands they were having a colourful festival with lots of beer and dancing which was fun.

Travel tip: For all those planning a trip to Peru. Despite my negatives, it is worth going to see Lake Titicaca, but don't plan to spend longer than two days there (in fact one day is enough), as there is nothing else to do in Puno!

Anyway.....with the clock counting down, we had no time to waste and headed on to Cuzco. At an altitude of 3,400m, this is the base where people come to do the Inca trail. We actually decided to do a slightly different and less touristy route called the 'Lares trail'. It is actually slightly easier than the Inca trail (less of a continuous steep gradient), and still ends in Machu Picchu, but we actually only passed one other group over the four days! You still walk along Inca original paths though. Oh the detail, the detail!

This trip was fantastic. Stunning landscapes and physically demanding. Really physically demanding! Trekking at 4,400m I thought my chest was going to explode! Along the way, the local children always run after you in the hope of getting sweets, pencils, hair clips! They all had such red cheeks. And they wore bare feet in sandals despite it being really cold!

ALEX: What a great way to come to the end of our trip! This trek was incredible - very physical but incredible. And It was definitely my idea of camping - largely because you have a porter who puts all your stuff on the back of his horse, risks his life running ahead of you to make sure he gets to camp ahead of time, then sets up your tent (complete with mattress and pillows) and lays on a 3 course meal when you arrive at camp that evening - and all for a wage that most beggars in London would turn their nose up at! Why they scrapped the British Empire is beyond me.........

GEORGE: Each day we walked about 4 or 5 hours. And at night we camped at 3,700m in a local village. During the night the temperature dropped to -3 degrees. So we slept fully clothed and with thick sleeping bags and blankets. We were really cosy and warm. No showers on this trek!

Sorry the middle picture is on it's side. If you just turn your head to the left, you'll see the inside and kitchen area of a local home.

In the morning, our guides loaded up the horses, and we set off again.

We had an international group and everyone got on really well. This picture was taken when we reached the 4,400m pass.

We were lucky enough to be invited into one of the local schools in the area. We went into one of the classrooms and hung out with the over excited kids which was great! Of course it cost us sweets, pencils and hair clips! And they loved having their photos taken.

I was trying to read and pronounce their ridiculously long words which they found hysterical. I can't remember what their language is called!

ALEX: Having left school some time ago, the girls took pity on George and ran her through the complexities of nuclear physics.

GEORGE: After about 30 minutes and enough distraction we kept going until we reached the next town for lunch and football. 'Peru' v's 'The rest of the world!'

It was a close high scoring game with 'The rest of the world' winning 8-7.

ALEX: Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the fittest guy in the world but you try running round like an idiot for an hour, playing a sport you haven't played for 10 years (in hiking boots) at altitude. Needless to say no offers of a contract with any of the big clubs emerged.

GEORGE: I hung out with the cheer leaders and eyed up all the good looking players!

Our final stop was Machu Picchu. The lost city of the Incas. We were up at 5:30am with hoards of tourists to get up the mountain and appreciate the sights before the 10:30am train arrived carrying far too many more tourists to mention.

Because I keep using the same adjectives....'stunning', 'amazing' and 'beautiful'. I'm not going to write too much here. You can just look at the pictures!

ALEX: Indeed you can - this place was amazing. One bit of local knowledge is that if you want to climb Waynapichu (the big peak that overlooks the site), head there first as they only let in 400 people per day and by 8.30am the gates to the path were closed.

ALEX: Difficult to tell from the pictures, but this is the view of the site and surrounding area from the top of Waynapichu.

GEORGE: I know the below looks like a ridiculous postcard shot, but the lamas really were there!

Us with our gorgeous guide Paull.

At the end of a true highlight (hee..hee) of our trip....we got the train back to Cuzco.....

where Alex and I came down with colds, were aching all over, so needed to chill for a few days. Sorry, not many pictures here.

Then a 20 hr bus ride to Nazca, to see the Nazca Lines. Our final sight seeing stop.

What we were not expecting was the earthquake which happened about 9 hours after our arrival at 6:45pm. It was so scary. We were on the first floor of an internet cafe when we were plunged into darkness and the whole building started shaking. The noise of moving metal and concrete is the scariest bit. We fumbled our way out of the building and ran into the open square where we stood whilst the earth carried on shaking beneath us. It was such a horrible experience. The epicentre was 200km north in Ica and Pisco. Unfortunately these old towns with old buildings are not built to withstand earthquakes and were pretty much flattened. Anyway, I guess you all saw the news. The aftershocks carried on for about 24 hours.

Despite the chaos and lack of electricity, the next morning we were up in a small airplane by 8:15am to look down on the mysterious Nazca Lines. Huge geometric lines spread over 500km squared.

If you look closely at the picture on the right you might be able to make out a 'humming bird'. There are lots of theories behind the existence of these lines, which you will find on 'wikipedia' I'm sure.

ALEX: With only days to go and having just survived an earthquake we still managed to squeeze some more fun in.

GEORGE: After delays we finally managed to get back to Lima. The main road we needed, passed through Ica and Pisco. There were 1 metre cracks down the centre of the road and at time the opposite traffic was 1 metre higher than we were! Nuts!

ALEX: We should also mention that in South America when a bridge is out of action due to an earthquake, there is no need to worry because although your journey will be delayed, the bus will simply drive down to the river the bridge crosses, drive through the river and then up the other side - wallop!

GEORGE: Safely back in Lima we celebrated the end of our 7 month AMAZING adventure with champagne in a posh hotel! Nice!

(I know I keep talking about us going to places to relax, which probably sounds ridiculous, but from Lima we went to stay with my family in LA for a week........to relax!)

ALEX: Three words - God Bless America. We're off to relax which means 200 inch plasma screens, 14 meals a day, 4x4s bigger than most commercial jets, the zenith of customer service ("have a nice day!"), skinny double shot caramel mocha frappucino's with eggs over easy, a side of wheat free, low carb sour dough bread, and most importantly of all - guns in your glove box.

GEORGE: My closing speech: Thank you all for following our blog and adventures over the last 7 months. And for all the emails we have received throughout. It has all been incredible. Thanks to my friends and family for all their support... I love you all (said in an American accent)! Big thank you to Alex for everything. Wallop!

ALEX: My closing speech: Thank you George for forcing the issue on this conversational approach to the blog which after 7 months I will admit does work (well, I think it does anyway). Thanks also for coming with me because it's been amazing and finally thank you for for being brave enough to say yes! Hope you've all enjoyed it guys, looking forward to seeing you all soon.

GEORGE: (oh my God....is it really all over? So soon?)

Ecuador and the Galapagos

2007-07-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: Heavens.....this is the penultimate post. 'Noooooo' I hear you cry! But please don't fret. It's not over just yet....so lets get on with the story!

As we flew into Quito, the capital, Ecuador's landscape was stunning. From a vast dramatic mountainous landscape to really green hills and valleys, as far as the eye could see. I haven't seen such a diverse and impressive landscape from the air.

I'm not sure I capture it in this picture, but it seemed approprite to include to suit the story!

Quito itself......as I have just said, is impressive from the air. But once inside the city, the word 'pollution' immediatly hits....your nose. It is really bad. The Old Town is quite attractive, but we mainly hung out in the new town where there were great cafes and restaurants.

Anyway...I have to move on quickly to our trip to the Galapagos. Because this really was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience! G and A become one with nature......

Below is our boat, The Encantarda. Looks good from a distance doesn't it? A sailing motor boat. A nice rainbow in the background. But actually, the Encantarda was knackered! We just managed to finish our trip before it went out of service for repairs....so we were lucky.

ALEX: When we first arrived we were taken by dingy to our boat and motored past all of these huge, plush boats and finally the Encantada came into view, hiding sheepishly behind them all! It's seen (much) better days but it was home and we had a good time.

(GEORGE: Please note: A couple we met went to the Galapagos on an 8 day tour for their honeymoon. But their boat broke down after four days, so their trip was cancelled and they were sent home...just like that! No replacement boat. How gutted would you be? This is quite common though so be warned future travellers.)

GEORGE: So, the set up of our trip so you can all picture the scene; large breakfast, morning visit to an island, back to the boat for large lunch, afternoon visit to island with snorkelling, back to boat for large dinner and finally navigate at night - everyone is FAT and happy!

Day one - my sea legs gave way to nausia at approximtely 1pm. But onwards and upwards....

ALEX: Always a good start. Fortunately my time in the SBS prevented this condition affecting me....

GEORGE: Below is our main man. Our guide 'Juan' - born and bred on the Galapagos. He was like a terrifying army officer who requested 'our co-oporation' 10 times a day, hated tourists and loved the wildlife.!!!!!!! But we liked him.

ALEX: SIR YES SIR!

GEORGE: There are a few things I didn't realise about the Galapagos. Just how far apart all the islands are (spread over about 200KM), how dramatically diverse all the islands are and finally, how unobtrusive you feel as a short stay visitor to the wildlife. After hoards of tourists have visiteed the islands over the years, they all seem pretty non plused now. Even the birds. Juan said they view us as animals, so I felt OK about the whole thing. Alex behaved like an animal!

ALEX: That last statement has no truth in it whatsoever.

When visiting the islands you always have to stay with your group and within the limits of the path.

ALEX: And if you don't, Juan will have you doing 50 push ups before you can say "oh look, it's a blue footed booby"

GEORGE: Perhaps I shouldn't say too much for those of you who intend to visit. So I'll just give snippits. And show you pictures of most of the wildlife we saw.

Tonnes of seal lions who were so cute. Despite the revolting belching noise they make.

Alex: I have finally found an animal to blame 'bodily noises' on. "George, we're getting a pet sea lion....."

Look boys, a sea lion using a stone as a pillow - how cute?

My favourite....a blue footed boobie!

.... and a masked boobie and a red footed boobie.

Below is me standing in a lava tunnel! Now, I'm not sure if you'd like me to go into the science of how these are formed, but...I can't be bothered and I'm sure using logic, you can work it out. But they are extremly impressive. For those who have never been in a lava tunnel, you'll have to take my word for it, as I appreciate you can see f*** all in this photo!

Tonnes of ugly Iguanas

Ummm...Alex!
I'm sure you can recognise all these animals, so I'm going to stop spelling them out for you.

Below is 'Lonesome George'....the last one of his kind left in the world!

ALEX: He's approx 90 years old and the turtle sanctury are having real problems getting him to mate with female tutles. I suggested to our guide that they should try dressing up the female tutles to try and excite him a little. If it works, the world will have me to thank for continuing his blood line......

GEORGE: The colours on this island were beautiful. We visited it for sunrise.

And the 'G and A photography' prize goes to Mr Alex Weaving, who snapped this amazing shot of Frigate birds and a Boobie, fighting over food.

Ummm.... a crab.....eating what looks to be another crab!

ALEX: That's right ladies, it's me in a wetsuit! I was taking a break from filming my latest motion picture 'Only Alex Weaving can save us now' Take a minute and your heart rates will soon return to normal.......

GEORGE: Everyday there was amazing snorkeling. I have never seen such a variety of sealife, all of which you are normally less then 3 meters from; sea lions, sea turtles, white tip sharks, eagle rays, sting rays, yellow box fish, angel fish, parrot fish, yellow sergent fish, trigger fish.....ummm ugly fish. I could keep going, but....I want to tell you about the ultimate snorkel on the last day...

We had baby sea lions playing all around us and chasing pebbles and us - they were amazing. And when we started heading back to the boat, we looked below us to see a mahoosive school of eagle rays swimming below. I counted 40 before I gave up. It was an incredible sight. They were so close you could see all their detail so clearly. All they blue spots. Needless to say we ended our snorkeling on a massive high!

ALEX: I waited for 20 minutes to take this shot and managed to get it just right - for those of you who haven't worked it out, this is the boat's GPS system as we crossed the equator.

GEORGE: although back in Quito and exhausted, no rest for the adventurous. We went straight off to spend four long days in the Amazon rain forest. Basically I'm glad I did it, can tick the box.....a beautiful place to view from afar, but I'm just not a jungle girl! Far too many horrible large poisonous insects for me.

ALEX: The Amazon Hilton....

GEORGE: On the trek we met some 'jolly fun chaps' who became our drinking buddies once back in Quito. Fair play to Steve and Dan who took Alex's endless taunting (they were American!) on the chin!

ALEX: 'Hey Randy, this Quito is so quaint............' Top guys, thanks for a fun few days in Quito.

GEORGE: After Quito we went south to beautiful Banos where we did some AMAZING white water rafting. We then headed to the boarder of Peru..... wallop!

Uh-oh.....final chapter coming up!!!!

Chile.....the second leg

2007-07-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

ALEX: So the Bolivia trip ended with us crossing back into Chile to a great border town called San Pedro de Atacama, next to the Atacama desert (fact of the day - the driest desert in the world) which is way up north.

We spent a few days relaxing in San Pedro and even managed to get some sandboarding in. It was nowhere near as balletic as it might look - we spent most of the time on our backsides!

Yet more stunning scenery and incredibly blue skies.

And of course more fun (for fun, read booze) with our friends Truke and Lars.....

GEORGE: Two catalogue models I passed on a photo shoot......

Our final days were spent relaxing in the Elqui Valley - yet more gorgeous scenery and restaurants...

before heading back to Santiago for the final time to catch our flight outta there and onto our next big adventure.

CRIKEY....we only have about 7 weeks left now!

Bolivia - great driver, but my he needed a shower!

2007-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: Where the hell are we?

We thought we were in a place called The Arse-End-Of-Nowhere. But later found out we were infact in a place called Uyuni......in Bolivia.....with strange, scruffy little children!

Why? Because this is the hot spot where everybody starts to go on a trek to the salt flats!!!! YEAHY!!! Bring it on!

So the next day, off we went in our 4x4. Now, this question has been raised by a number of you, so for those of you with little or no experience, we will explain why you need to travel in a 4x4 on salt FLATS.....

There is little if no purchase on table salt!

ALEX: Forget 'seen one, seen a million' provincial cities, this is where the real man stuff begins - big, battered 4x4s, 12,000m sq of salt (clearly we didn't drive all the way across but it helps with the impact), luggage lashed on the roof with rope, a (stinking - but great) driver who could probably drive for a year non-stop if you fed him enough cocoa leaves, and frozen radiators de-frosted by the driver holding a naked flame (I know; it's stupid) next to them for 20 minutes - GGGGRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Yet another highlight (top 3, no question) and thoroughly worth it.

GEORGE: And yet another location for a student photography project! We did have quite a giggle doing this...it's too tempting.

ALEX: Now that we are engaged I took the opportunity to explain to George how the balance of power works in a relationship...."

GEORGE: The salt flats were incredible. And I'm sure all of you are bored reading what I'm about to say next....again, but......this was such a highlight of our trip! They are a good enough reason to pack up your job and go exploring.....a must see......a sea of salt innit! (I'm actually pretty over tired now. Trying to upload 3 countries in one go onto the blog takes its toll!)

We had a fab nutty Dutch couple to explore with. They kept us amused and enjoyed the odd tipple too.

ALEX: Ya for shure! (You know I'm only messing guys!)

GEORGE: Boys, you can skip this bit if you want to...... but this was a little friend I made. She was SOOOOOOOO CUUUUTE!!!!!!!! OHHHHHH MYYYY GOD! And she kept making these cute little squeeking noises. Don't ask me what she is, I can't remember, but her wool is more expensive than a lama's - this is the other reason I wanted to bring her home with me. Alas she wouldn't follow!

And we saw amazing lagoons with flamingos....

ALEX: Weird aliens with very oversized legs........

GEORGE: Geysers.....

Hot Springs..... (just deleted the picture here by mistake, so you'll have to use your imagination!)

Picture: hot springs!

BBC Planet Earth! Has everyone seen that? Need I say more?

And just when we thought we were going to have to stay in Bolivia forever.....Alex managed to make radio contact and get us the hell out of there! Onwards to the boarder of Chile......

ALEX: "10-4. Out"

Argentina...

2007-06-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: Having crossed the boarder south in Patagonia, we missioned it across the country, and headed straight to Buenos Aries. This is a wicked city. I could definitley live here for a while. We loved spending a week chilling and visiting all the different areas, and eating STEAK! Gorgeous.....yet so cheap!

ALEX: Let's talk about the bus journey to Buenos Aires. 19 hours - "painful!" I hear you say? No way Jose! for 40 quid we travelled in what can only be described as first class luxury, with the biggest seats you have ever seen that reclined to create a completely flat bed. On top of that, this rather charming fello kept bringing us food, whiskey and champagne which we consumed while watching Hollywood's finest movies - who said this travelling lark was hard work?!

Buenos Aires is a fantastic city - very cosmopolitan feel to it, dirt cheap, and loads to see.

Oh yes and of course, amazing steak and fine wine - need I say more?

GEORGE: The Pink Palace from where Madge.....I mean Evita, used to stand at the balcony and speak to the people!

There's a street in an area called Bocca which is painted like toy town. Every photography students dream! Half an hour is sufficient before you start feeling a bit sick!

We went to watch the Bocca Juniors play. As you can see from our photography, it was touch and go as to whether we were actually going to literally see them play. I'm pleased to say the fog cleared and we got to see the whole game and feel the stands sway from all the Bocca fans jumping.

Due to ticket availability, we were in the Columbian pit....who lost.....hence lack enthusiam in this picture.

ALEX: Ah, the footy! Classic Latin American passion with managers running on the pitch in the middle of the game to go crazy at the ref (and then receiving a red card), flares being thrown on the pitch, and more theatricals than you can shake a stick at.

GEORGE: The Iguazu Falls followed. At the northern tip between Brazil and Argentina. (Hands up who's been to Brazil for the day?) The falls were spectacular. I'm not sure if ours will, but I'll try and let the pictures speak for themselves.....

I have never seen so many rainbows, they were beautiful. Whole rainbows!!!! And I thought you never saw the end of one. Well, there ain't no pot of gold, but I did try and 'taste the rainbow' as advised in the skittles ad!

You had to be prepared to get wet! Some did more than others! I got soaked!

Oh, and as you may have heard. Alex popped the question, and I said yes!

ALEX: Quite possibly the most amazing natural wonder I have ever seen - absolutely mindblowing - despite these photos being quite good (apart from the random Japanese arse shot of course), they really don't do the falls enough justice.

Clearly the trip was made a million times better for George.........

GEORGE: Onwards and upwards still....

YES....we've become hardened travellers. Who ever said travelling was easy, obvioulsy hasn't really travelled....like us!

We found ourselves West of the country in Mendoza (and a 4* hotel), the wine region.

ALEX: Picture the scene, I've just pulled out the hero card and asked George the question she's been desperate for me to ask for almost the last 4 years and the next evening we arrive at Mendoza airport after a terrible (incredible turbulance) flight, tired and with nowhere to stay - THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK SIMPSON! - "By the way precious, as a little celebratory pressie, I've booked us into a swanky hotel for 5 nights" WHAM - my work here is done!

GEORGE: Despite all the drinking, we did manage to take one photo!

ALEX: I am pleased to say that following a very tough and palate challenging wine tasting course, George and I now hold certificates in er, wine tasting. We had a great time touring the vineyards and also drank plenty of wine - which is so incredibly cheap it would be rude not to!

GEORGE: Then North to Salta.

We did a lovely day trip out to see some countryside....very nice! But I must say, by this point we'd had enough of cities and towns and were ready for another trek of some sort!

Bring on Bolivia!

Chile...the first leg

2007-06-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: We had quite a strange start to Chile. Having travelled from Sydney, 9 hours ahead of the UK, to Chile, now 5 hours behind, we were completely jet lagged. We spent the first two days wandering around Santiago like zombies. But it didn't matter....coz it was the weekend, and Santiago....the CITY....the CAPITAL of Chile.....was DEAD!

With a mix of attractive old architecture, and revolting 'modern' buildings, we spent our time celebrating their memorial day and visiting museums.

To be honest, the best bit was enjoying some really good bottles of red wine!

ALEX: Hello wine!

GEORGE: After a couple of days we headed south into Patagonia to the lake district. It was beautiful, but freezing! Here, we did lots of walking, mountain biking, horse riding and volcano climbing.

ALEX: The day we spent hiking in one of the many national parks (clearly forgotten/no idea how you spell the name of the one we visited) in Patagonia was great. In a strange way the rain made it more fun as we felt that we were really getting stuck in. Not to mention the fact that gaters make you feel rather manly in a Brian Blessed kinda way......

GEORGE: The horse riding was great - niether of us had ridden before....yet there we were, galloping through the countryside. It was so exhilirating. I have to say I didn't actually ask my horse to gallop....but it just followed the other horses (Alex being the speed freak). Apart from trying to stay on, I can remember seeing the sparks fly from under the horses hooves in front of me! (I'm not saying I'm ready to join a 'pony club' ...Chris!) It was great fun.

ALEX: Two words, Leather Chaps! Despite having blonde hair, my horse was quite with it and didn't mind charging through the countryside at speeds that would make Frankie Detori get a bit wobbly. Had a great day and even made it back in one piece which I was a little surprised at. I also don't need to join a Pony Club - sorry Chris......

GEORGE: Right...now this is where we were a bit clever. Forgetting after three hours of horse riding and using muscles we never knew we had we might be in pain the following day, we had arranged to climb a volcano! Oooooooo me legs!

So the next day, at 7am we started our ascent of an active volcano! It was exhausting. We had crampons on which helped, but it was a long zig-zagging climb up and into the wind. The first 2 hours for me were agony as my legs were aching and tired from the previous day. We stopped every 30 minutes for a break. Every time we a lip, we climbed over and there was still sooo much mountain to go. BUT the last 30 minute stretch was really exciting.

When we got to the top, it was AMAZING!!!!! Not only the sense of acheivement (and the thank f*** I've made it), but the sight inside the volcano and the views across the lake district both Chile and Argentinean side.

The smell of sulphur was literally chocking. But it was very cool to see the lumps of molton rock being spat out of the top, high into the air, before falling back in.

I was very relieved that we then put pads on our bums and slid like little bob sleighs down the mountain, stearing with our weight and feet. It was childish and so much fun.

ALEX: Despite dressing up as if we were on work experience with the local gas board, this was definitley a highlight for me. What George has failed to tell you is that the night before, golden balls here dropped our camera on the kitchen floor in our hostel which rendered it useless - oops. Needless to say we very quickly became incredibly good friends with the other 3 people in our group, showing great interest in them and their lives so that we could get them not only to take some pictures of us, but also email them to us afterwards - and no, I can't remember any of their names!

GEORGE: After all that exertion we decided it was time to sit on a bus for 19 hours and make our way into Argentina to Buenos Aires.

This was a brief visit to Chile as we will be re-visiting later on! Oh the suspense.

Flying visit to Sydney

2007-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

ALEX: Following a great time in China, we jumped on a jet plane in Hong Kong and took the 9 hour flight to Sydney.

After arriving and dumping our stuff at the hostel it seemed only right that we should head straight out and take a stroll to the Sydney Opera House. Arriving there at night not only gave us a good opportunity to get a feel for both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, having not seen it before, but also meant that we could go back the next day and get to see it all in daylight for the first time - 2 treats in less than 24 hours can´t be too bad really!

The big thing that struck us about Sydney on our first morning was how blue and clear the sky was (and also how incredibly friendly everyone is - now I´m no expert but I´m thinking there´s a correlation here...). Having seen a number of international skylines on our trip (oooo! look at him I hear you say to yourself...), it has been surprising that so many of them have been ruined by smog and a hazy sky. Sydney was far from dissapointing and although the attached pictures may not do it justice, the views were spectacular and also helped to reassure us that despite early fears the new camera we purchased in Cambodia was in fact not malfunctioning.

Our first morning was spent at Taronga Zoo, a 15 minute ferry trip from the centre of Sydney. The zoo is set on a hillside with the entrance being at the top. It was amazing! Not only were there Kangaroos and other wild animals neither George nor I had seen before, but the zoo was organised in a way that enabled you to walk throught their enclosures, literally feet from them. All a bit hard to explain on a blog but if anyone reading this is going to Sydney for the first time, I would highly recommend going and especially seeing the bird and seal shows (can´t believe I´m 32 and raving about a zoo - "oh, you must watch the bird show, it was just fantastic....") which were very impressive.

We met our friend Dave who is living (not sure about his legal status so if you are reading this and also happen to work for Australian Immigration........) just north of Brisbane at the moment so popped down to see us for a few days. We had a great time mooching about and seeing the real Sydney with him and his Aussie mate ´Cakey´.

We had a great time and I was surprised to see that they really do have arm wrestling and spitting competitions in pubs which women all seem to win.

So all in all a short 5 day break Sydney was a great opportunity to re-charge the batteries in a stunning location and enjoy some extremely good weather - it was also made easier by the fact that everybody spoke and understood English. Well, except for one barmaid I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with:

Barmaid: "So how´s your day going so far?"

Alex: "Really good thanks, it´s my first day ever in Sydney"

Barmaid: "Wow, really?"

Alex : "Yes, in fact it´s also my first day ever in Australia"

Barmaid "Wow, really? So, have you been to Australia before?"

.....Conversation ends......

Knee-how China!

2007-05-11T00:29:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: It is the end of our China leg already? Heavens!

What will I be taking away with me? Many happy memories, some new friends, two words of Maderin and appalling table manners! (I now tend to shovel food into my mouth which is only a few inches from my bowl with accompanying slurping noises!) Now you've pictured that, I'll tell you what we've been up to for the last 25 days....

After a month of being vegetarian (coz of India for all those who have forgotten) we landed in Beijing and went straight out for some duck pancakes! I couldn't even wait to smile for a photo!

ALEX: After India it was a huge relief to walk along the street (paved street I should add) without having to dodge cows, dead bodies, cows, every mode of transport you can think of, cows................

We met our group and the great China trip began. It was strange at first being in a group on an organised tour, especially having been used to making our own decisions for a while but at the same time it was nice not really having to make any decisions and going where we were told, when we were told. What became apparent very quickly was that having a Chinese speaking guide (Catherine) with us was a huge help and without her ("it´s my English name - when we were at school the teacher showed us a list of names and we chose one each") things would have not only taken a lot longer but to be honest probably just not happened.

The first part of the trip was spent in Beijing seeing all the tourist sites - Tianemen Square, Forbidden City etc.

GEORGE: And then we went to the Great Wall! It really was amazing. Just like you see in all the pictures. A dragons spine that winds it´s way over the hills into the distance. We walked along it for 7 miles and most of the way hardley passed anyone.

BUT the ´extra primo good sir´ bit.....one of the highlights of my LIFE......has to be the wall at sunrise. A group of us got up at 4:30AM and ventured off to one of the high points of the wall and waited! It slowly came to life and it was magic!

ALEX: Words don´t really do it justice so for once I´ll not say much on this one.

GEORGE: After Beijing we headed to Xi'an, which is a great city. It is smallerer and feels more cosmopolitan. Great city wall, temples, markets....nightclubs, that kinda thing. Then to the Terricota Warriors....which were OK. I´ll stop there as I don´t want to ruin it for people as I hear they are coming to London!

ALEX: The quick and exciting update on Xian is that other than seeing the Warriors, we also went to a very lively nightclub (bit gutted that I seemed to get more male attention than female but what with me looking rather buff at the moment, can´t really blame them...) where we all proceed to drink far too much and on the way home George thought it would be a good idea to climb onto a 9ft statue of a Lion and then fall off it onto her wrist.

GEORGE: It still hurts actually. Think I must have torn a ligament. Anyway, you´ll be pleased to know the whole ordeal has made me grow up some what! I am now a mature responsible drinker.

Another long train journey took us to Shanghai. We only had 1.5 days there so really just wandered along the Bund (by the river - our South Bank!) and took in the views at night. Everything lights up and flashes. I preferred it here to Beijing.

Then yet another overnight train journey to Guilin and on to Yangshou were we did a great cycle ride through the countryside, in amongst the camel hump hills - we came across a primary school where Alex proceeded to work the kids up into a frenzie before we said our goodbyes - and a fab cooking class - PS. I now appreciate that all Asians use bloody rice steamers!

ALEX: Max showing Geoge his chopper. You wouldn´t think that we´re technically old enough to be his parents would you!

GEORGE: Speak for yourself...for the record, I´m NOT old enough!

Now let´s talk about Longji! 'ello Longji'. This place is one of my highlights of ther trip!!! We trekked through the rice terreces of Longji. We had peace and quiet, butterflies to accompany us and spectacular 360 views.

ALEX: It was great to get out of the city for a few days and experience rural China - stunning views and some great relaxing strolls through the rice terraces.

GEORGE: In the evening we found oursleves having to give a performance to the locals. But never fear, I with the help of two others, wrote a song 'The 12 days of China' (apart from we had 15 days) which we were all able to take part in in rounds (if you know what I mean). It was very funny, mainly thanks to a crazy old Swedish guy in our group. See if you can stop him in the photo...

Rice wine and dancing was had by all!

ALEX: Final stop Hong Kong. Best bloody cityscape I´ve ever seen! Made even better by the fact that every night at 8pm they lay on a 20 min light show which basically involves most of the buildings on Hong Kong island playing Space Invaders with each other. And we squeezed in an art gallery for George...

GEORGE: Oh, and did I mention my hand is bigger than Jackie Chan´s?

Incredible Indiaaaaaaaaa.......

2007-04-16T04:22:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: Everything I've heard, read and seen of India in the past is true! It's all true!!! (And I thought Hanoi was hectic!)

India has been a colourful emotional rollercoaster......it's a love hate thing! It gives all your senses, infact your whole being, a serious workout. It's a pleasure followed by pain thing....just when you've been ripped off for the 100th time and you're about to scream and kick out at the nearest begging child....you meet an adorable family who invite you to their home, their Birthday party and then their wedding! Where to start....

I could start with the fact that I seem to have developed a 'head wobble' when talking....but I'll start at the beginning...

We flew into Mumbai (Bombay) on 29 March and spent only a day wandering around the city which was good. Neither of us were knocked over by culture shock which we had braced ourselves for.

We then started to head south, our aim being to eventually meet our friends Simon and Vicky in Kerela.

I thought a quick stop in Goa was a good idea as I'd heard from people what a beautiful place it is. Unfortunately we didn't know where in Goa. So at the airport we quickly consulted our Lonely Planet and decided that Kolva sounded like a nice place and not too far from the airport!

Oh my God!!! Once we had booked ourselves into the 'Williams Beach Resort', we looked around to find ourselves in Costa-del-Goa, with Rodney, Del-boy and Raquel proping up the bar! Despite exploring Kolva in the hope of being mistaken, we didn't find anything. So deciding not to waste anymore time, we jumped on the first plane out of there.....wallop!

ALEX: I did however manage a 9 dart finish to win the Wednesday night darts challenge. To top it all we came second in the meat raffle which is always a result....

GEORGE: We arrived in Cochin to meet our lovely pals Simon and Vicky (ello Si and V!). Respecting that in Kerela (India?), on the first day of every month it is forbidden to sell/drink alcohol, we drank our celebratary beer from teapots and milk jugs. It was really good to see them on their temporary turf.

We then headed to Allepey, where after a day of tough negotiations, we found our house boat and crew, and set off on our 3 day voyage of Kerela's backwaters.

Our daily routine consisted of: admiring the stunning morning views from our lounge chairs before moving to the table where breakfast was served. We then returned to our lounge chairs to carry on admiring the view until we were called back to the table where lunch was served...after which we returned again to the lounge chairs where afternoon tea was served. And then at around 8pm we were called to be seated and dinner was served. And lest I forget, we then retired to our lounge chairs to relax (some more) before bed.

All this for 3 days......it was amazing!!!

To make sure our brain power remained switched on we played lots of cards, and so our muscles did not deteriotrate, we did some shotput with coconuts (well I did anyway!).

ALEX: After so much time in one place (when I say one place, I mean a 6m x 15m 'place'), one starts to understand what life must me like doing a 'stretch' in Wandsworth nick. As the pictures below show the cross dressing that took place was merely in aid of the final night caberet laid on to honour our fantastic .......................... SERVANTS!!!!!!!!!

GEORGE: And what better way to spend a Birthday. Big thanks to you Si and V and of course Alex for making it so special with pressies, cake and champagne!

The boat trip was perfect and recommended to all.

So after that mini holiday, we didn't hang around. We changed from summer gear into winter gear and flew right up North into the Himalayas, to Leh in Ladak.

'Jooooo-lay' everyone! (It means hello/goodbye/thankyou)

Leh is SPECTACULAR! You actually feel like you are in Tibet rather than India. The people are gorgeous, and because it was off season there, it was very chilled (relaxing as well as temp').

In a 4x4 we toured the mountains. A highlight was Prangong Lake, 130km wide and half in China. It was frozen. We took the opportunity to pose for our album cover for our group called 'Do What?' (said in a loud East London accent), first single release called 'Yorkshire Dales'! Unfortunately this is a 'you had to be there joke', and even then it probably wasn't funny, but we were all dizzy with altitude sickness!

The army were up for it though!

I've got to speed up a bit now....after Leh we tackled Delhi. NUTS!!!
People, dogs, cows, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, horses, carts, cars and buses all coming at you from all directions and missing your toes by cm's. You either love the craze or hate it. I loved it...Alex didn't!

ALEX: Perhaps a little strong but not too far off the mark to be fair! Not being the most patient man in the world, it is at times a rather 'challenging' city ...............

GEORGE: Here we said goodbye to Si and V and carried on to Rajasthan.....two down. We went to Jaipur (jewellery shops)...

ALEX: After a lovely (if not a little too spicy) meal, we decided to walk home to digest our dinner. It was pretty dark and on a number of occassions the paving stones ended but the pavement continued and took the form of a dirt track. So when the same thing happened after about the fourth time, I (being in front, blazing our trail) thought nothing of it and stepped confidently off the paving stones, onto what I thought was another dirt track. It was only when I was almost up to my knees in human 'waste' (bearing in mind I was wearing shorts and Birkenstocks!), that it very quickly became clear the dirt track was not exactly what it said on the tin. George followed after me but managed to stop herself in time to keep one foot out of the sewer. A very smelly rickshaw ride and a shower involving a whole bottle of TCP later we were feeling relatively normal again!

GEORGE: before heading onto Jodhpur, the blue city, which I loved. So compact with lots of narrow streets.

On the train on the way there we met a father and his gorgeous children (remember I mentioned this at the beginning? How many of you have actually read this far?) After lots of chats and games of Ludo, we were invited to their house the following day for lunch. We both felt extremly lucky.

We were treated like celebrities. They all sat and watched just the two of us eat on our own, before we were dragged into the front room for dancing. We were both pretty embarrassed, but in these situations, you have no choice as saying 'no' is never an option. That includes when being offered more food, whisky and more dancing!

They then invited us to a family wedding (which I was sooooooo thrilled to receive. Of course we will be in China but to receive one is rare treat!). Instead they settled to us attending a Birthday party the following day.

The whole experience was magic. We were able to watch and take part in family traditions. Their hospitality was quite over whelming.

When it was time to leave, we were sent on our way with their blessing.

Back in Delhi, the one thing we still need to do before we leave is visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal! We are doing this tomorrow before we leave.

I feel relieved we have both made it through India in one piece and with our sanity still intact. And I've surprised myself by thinking I am actually going to miss it. For me, doses of India should be taken little and infrequently, but definetly taken. India really is a world of it's own.

ALEX: India has been a great experience and I have taken a lot from our time here - just as you think things can't get any worse - they do! That said, it's the completely random acts of completely selfless generosity on a number of levels that more than make the whole experience so worth while.

Well, having successfully been veggies for the last month - China will bring with it the prospect of something we have both been looking forward to for a while now - CRISPY DUCK PANCAKES!!!!!!

Relaxing in Koh Tao

2007-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

ALEX: Having been away from Thailand for so long, it soon became apparent how much more developed and geared up for westerners the place is. After a rather spine crushing journey on what essentially was an under construction dirt track from Siem Reap to the Thai border on a hot, sweaty, five hour bus trip, we were greeted by a Rolling Stones tour bus (minus the obvious extra curricular activities that no doubt take place on this type of vehicle) which whisked us in luxurious comfort to Bangkok.

GEORGE: So.....for our final week in SE Asia (Boooooooooooooooo!), we decided we deserved a relaxing week on a beautiful Thai island (yeeeeeeeeeeahy!).

ALEX: Being the seasoned travellers that we now are, we decided to 'leave the city as soon as we can man' and jumped on an equally, if not more luxurious coach for the overnight trip to Chumpon, where we caught the high speed (complete with blacked out windows and go very, very faster stripes) catamaran to Koh Tao. It was the perfect way to arrive and despite a sprinkling of rain when we got off the boat, it was all we could have asked for - the sea was crystal clear, the sun was shining (five minute shower a thing of the past!), the sand was white, the palm trees were 'just like in the movies!'........ Will give you a minute to wipe your eyes/run to the loo to be sick.

Right, now you're back, I'll continue.

We stayed in a fantastic beach hut which although it had sand at the front of it, 'technically' wasn't on the beach but in my mind 15m away is as near as damn it. After spending a few days relaxing and getting used to doing even less than we have been doing for the last two and a bit months (took five, maybe six minutes and we were away) we took the plunge (see what I did there?!) and did our first two scuba dives of the week. The visibility wasn't as good as in Vietnam, although there was definitely more marine life to see which was great.

So after another day sitting on our backsides with me trying to stay evenly tanned and George trying to stay evenly not that red, I did my first wreck dive which was at the site of a merchant ship which sank about 20 years ago. In all honesty once we got down there, it wasn't actually all that great! It was so dark, I could just about see a bit of rope and what looked like er, something, but the exciting bit was that fact that we went down to 45m which is very humbling to say the least - especially when you realise that there is 44m of water above you and it's just you with a few pipes and a bit of air strapped to your back!

GEORGE: I added a few more 'fun dives' to my log book and went down to 23m this time. They were pretty cool. The best bit was chilling with a large sea turtle. I followed him (or her) for a little while which was magic!

ALEX: Being the adventurous types we also hired a couple of quad bikes (in truth, I was too much of a wimp to hire a scooter having never riden one before) to explore the island in style, and dedicated one afternoon to trying our best to look like the lead roles in a Club Med promotional DVD as we raced around the island laughing and joking like the ridiculously content young lovers we are - had it not been so bloody hot, I would have completed my outfit with a nice light knit merino number knotted over my chest. Still, it wasn't to be so a small damp patch on my back was far more fitting.

GEORGE: I know in the picture the road looks pretty flat, but at times, to get to the other side of the island, the roads were very bumpy and at 45 degree angles.

ALEX: So all in all, Koh Tao was AMAZING and definitely a great destination for a relaxing beach break with a few fun activities thrown in for good measure.

Well it's goodbye from SE Asia......

GEORGE: Nooooooooooooo!

ALEX:... and (as I write) hello India in less than 24 hours time!

GEORGE: OK then....

ALEX: With phase one as near as finished, we are both looking forward to the next chapter in our little jaunt around the globe and hope to send you all many more envy inducing emails and pictures which I'm sure you can't wait to receive!

GEORGE: XX

'ello' Cambodia

2007-03-21T03:37:00.000-07:00

GEORGE: So we've made it to Cambodia....our forth country. We is flyin'!

Straight to Phnom Penh which is wicked!

A truely chilled sophisticated city which was a perfect surprise. This is infact somewhere I wouldn't mind living (btw Alex)

As all male travellers do, Alex is checking out the beard look - what do you reckon readers?

ALEX: it's gone now - far too itchy. That said it would appear it's the only place on my head where hair grows in any sort of reliable fashion! Did enjoy rubbing it with a pensive look on my face whilst trying to haggle with street vendors.

So we spent our days exploring, drinking in the Foreign Correspondents Club, celebrating 'International Womens Day' and visting the palace and museums - all despite the surpressing heat.

ALEX - great city to potter around - really enjoyed it.

We visited the 'killing fields' and the S21 prison which obviously left us feeling quite subdued - very thought provoking places.

ELEPHANTS!

We then headed north to Siem Ream - another fab city with plenty of cafes to chill in. Below is The Blue Pumkin if anyone is heading that way.

The highlight without question (for me anyway)here. We got up at 5AM so we could watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat = a goose bumping moment.

ALEX: Me too!

It is massive. Everyone who hasn't already needs to go and see for themselves.

The number of temples in the area and the detailed stonework is so impressive. I went back for a second day on my own........Alex can only take so many temples.

Alex: That is the biggest understatement!

ALEX - Loved Cambodia and everything about the place. The people are so friendly and the kids never stop smiling. Phnom Penh is without question a surprise new entry on my favourite cities list. It's like a toned down city with wide roads that aren't full of traffic and great open spaces to relax in. As for moving there one day, let's wait and see shall we......

Vietnam we love you....

2007-03-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

GEORGE: Gimmie a 'V'.....gimmie an 'I'....gimmie an 'E'.....and so on and so forth!!!!!
Yes, we made it to Vietnam - and I love everything about it! So, starting from the top...

Hanoi is full to the brim if not spilling over with character; people, scooters, colour and noise everywhere. We have been lucky enough to celebrate NY twice this year as we were there for their Tet celebrations.

We watched fire works by the big lake before being invited to join a family celebration at the bar we had entered looking for a beer. We ate their traditional food, which I have to say was thoroughly disgusting (even Alex wretched but had to hold it together - think Pedigree Chum!), before drinking and singing until the early hours. This was then followed shortly by the realisation we had been locked out of our hotel and a quick contemplation of being homeless in Hanoi - surprisingly I was actually quite curious about the prospect! (we did get in eventually though.)

Five people on a scooter is the most I've seen so far.

Being travellers on a tight budget! as well as timescale, we then flew down to Danang, to reach Hoi An. A gorgeous small french influenced town full of silk, tailors, restaurants and all the good photo dream stuff. We explored on bikes, got a few bits and pieces made and ate their very tasty local food.

We were in a gallery we heard some almighty singing/shouting....so loud! I finally tracked down where it was coming from and found these two children sitting in their wee plastic chairs shouting their hearts out. Karaoke seems to be very popular in the home.

If you lookclosely the beach is actually really busy......all the Vietnamise are all crammed under the palm trees.

A painful overnight bus journey took us down to Nha Trang which I wasn't too taken by until I discovered I did actually like scuba diving. We found a brilliant school (called CoCo for anyone planning a visit) and I was lucky enough to have one on one tuition for three days swimming in amongst coral to gain my Open Water qualification. Alex did his Advanced. It's amazing....as was the visibility. I saw octopus, eel (1.5m long), flat fish, clown fish...oooo...all sorts! I can now scuba up to 18m and already planning to do more when we head back to Thailand.

The photo of me in the scuba outfit.... does Charlie's Angels immediately pop into your head?

Me with my scuba instructer.....as you can see, she thought the temp was pretty cold!!!!!!!!

From here we took a bus up into the mountains to Dalat - again, nice french influence. Took a look around on the back of a motorbike before deciding to do a two day bike trip to HCMC. This was a great move. We saw so much of rural Vietnam which finally quenched my thirst.

I had to put this picture in of Alex with this woman (owner of the guest house we stayed in), because not only did she really fancy him and spend all night staring at him, but she also thought he was Indian! This made me laugh so much. I said I didn't mind if he wanted to change direction in life and run this B&B with her instead! He declined.

So if you want a test of bravery, enter HCMC on the back of a motorbike. Heavens! It is nuts! My first impression of HCMC is a mahoosive helping of mayhem, with a generous drizzle of pollution and a steaming hot cherry on top! Crossing 4 lanes of on-coming scooters is just like a computer game and actually very enjoyable.... I guess it is like playing chicken but with a cheeky confidence that they will actually miss you. So, we did all the tourist stuff; the war museum, Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta.

Vietnam really has been FAB from top to bottom. The people have been so friendly, the teeny weeny children yet again are gorgeous and constantly wave whilst shouting 'helloooooooooooo' and all in all it is beautiful.

Oh, what a competitive materialistic life we lead in London - don't worry though, I haven't changed. It will only take me a few days to get back into the swing of it!

I hope this wasn't too long and boring - I've tried to keep it brief. Feeling very sad about leaving here, but excited about the next venture. We are now in Chau Doc on the border to Cambodia. Tomorrow we are up at 6AM to catch a boat along the Mekong to take us to Phnom Penh.

Only me this time, as Alex has just discovered messenger.

Sorry if the photos all seem a bit random......this seems so take so much time!

LOL XXXXXX

Lovely Laos

2007-02-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

GEORGE: Ello everyone.... next installment if you fancy a wee read...
Soooo....we left gorgeous Chaing Mai and did the slooooooow 2 day boat trip into Laos with a couple we met on the trek (Chris and Jaki). The deeper into Laos you go the better the scenery gets, although your numb bum does stop you from losing yourself in some heroic(A)/romantic(G) daydream.

ALEX: Not forgetting the somewhat comical border crossing from Thailand to Laos (pic left). The Mekong river forms the border between Chiang Kong on the Thai side and Huay Xai on the Laos side in the north of both countries. After filing in a short form to get our visas sorted out, we boarded a tiny boat for all of about 15 seconds (it's about as wide as the Thames) before getting off on the other side and being greeted by a very smiley chap saying "Welcome to Laos!" bish, bash, bosh - simple as that!

Here's the crossing, the far bit of land is Laos

GEORGE: We had a one night stop in Pak Beng - what can I say? A small remote place that rips of tourists (built up my assertiveness here), has no electricity (fair enough.....but they lie and I hadn't showered for 2 days!) and the sights whilst eating dinner are dogs having a threesome everywhere. The bit I did actually enjoy was in the restaurant. The waitress took our order before she and the chef ran across the road to their house to watch TV for 20 minutes! Nuts! Anyway...

The boat trip ended up in Luang Prabang. I loved it here. It is a bustling friendly place where everyone ones smiles, says 'sabaai-dii' (hello) obviously closely followed by 'you buy, you buy'. We spent our days; cycling, walking, visiting temples, waterfalls and going to the night market. (NB. Jim White, I think I found your younger brother here!)

ALEX: Loved Luang Prabang too. With reference to 'The Market', please read 'collection of stalls mainly selling cr*p to gooey eyed tourists'!

GEORGE: Urgent - I need a decent shopping buddy....any volunteers?

ALEX: I did a far more sensible (and productive) thing with Chris (of Jaki and Chris who we met in Chiang Mai) which involved playing pool and drinking Beer Lao for 3 hours!

GEORGE: After 6 days we travelled south by bus to Vang Veine. Saw more of stunning mountainous Laos and gorgeous children who all run after you with big grins shouting 'Sabaai-diiiiiiiiiiiiiiii' - I wish I could bring them all home for 'show and tell'.

Vang Viene = student heaven! (Deansy why have you popped into my head?) The tubing was amazing, the 'happy' shakes went down well as did a few episodes of the Simpsons (we haven't watched TV for ages.)

I know the photo far right below is dark, but if you look closely you'll see little Alex. It was a massive cave, quite intimidating - the guys said you couldn't get lost!!! We did....only for about 2 minutes, but even that with a wee torch was enough to make me nervous.

From here nipped down to Vientiene where I proceeded to become extremely ill and didn't leave my room for three days, so I didn't see much there apart from my ribs!!!!!!

ALEX: Have reassured George that she timed being ill very well and didn't miss much. Considering Luang Prabang was once the capital, I have no idea why they decided to hand the task over to Vientiane. Needless to say it was a very romantic Valentines, with George spending the day in bed/the bathroom, with me running out every now and then for more loo roll - ah, romance!

GEORGE: Thanks for that - I guess we'll end on that note! X

PS. As you all know, I'm a pretty good actress - can you guess the film and scene I am re-enacting below?

Our Trek

2007-02-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

GEORGE: For those who have already done it - aren't the treks in Northern Thailand amazing!!??!! We did one last week, and I have to say it was one of the most magical things I've done. Our group and guide named 'Dat' helped make the experience what it was.

ALEX: We went on a great 3 day trek from Chiang Mai in Thailand to the Doi Inthanon National Park. Started off with riding elephants at a sanctuary about 2 hours north of Chiang Mai...

GEORGE: Although loving the elephants I felt quite uncomfortable seeing them being bossed about by humans.....would rather see them chilling and doing their own thing next time.

ALEX: ...before heading further north to the point where we started walking through the jungle towards a Karen (hill tribe) village where we spent the first night.We arrived just as it was getting dark and after a quick shower - which consisted of leaving your pride in the village and taking a walk down to the river with a bar of soap, sat around the camp fire for a slap up meal and a chat in sign language with the locals. The kids were fantastic, especially three boys who were about 10 years old. It goes without saying that their names were Michael Owen, John Terry and Ronaldo.

Later that evening we were invited into the home of a Karen family which was quite a humbling experience - small bamboo hut on stilts.The conversations were fascinating with our guide translating - they were as intrigued by how we live as we were them. We covered a range of topics from snowmen to the fact that (much to their surprise) in 'our country' family members sleep in different rooms. One particular conversation resulted in a rather uncomfortable silence - we asked how old people in the village are when they get married. The father of the family explained to us that when girls are 17 they get married to the boy who has asked them to marry him. We then (I now realise rather foolishly) asked him how old his daughter who was sitting with us was. The response was quick and a little short - "17, but no one's come knocking yet".

The second day consisted of a pretty hard 6 hour walk which ended in a great camp area and very good sleep.

Day three was great - after breakfast and another "shower" we spent about an hour travelling down stream huge flat rafts made of bamboo. Great fun and everyone except George managed to stay on the raft and therefore dry!

GEORGE: I swear it was white water rafting..... fell in up to my knees but by the time I'd retrieved my flip flop I was swimming! Against all odds I made it back on to the raft....exhausted! Soooo much fun!

We have the fondest memories.
XX

We're here...

2007-01-30T00:54:00.000-08:00

GEORGE: ello all.... an e-mail from us both to all you lovely peeps....

ALEX: Hope everyone is ok - here is issue 1 of what i hope will become a very irritating update on what fun we are having here! photo's will follow in time - read on to find out why they are currently none available (dont worry mum, I havent been mugged yet).....

GEORGE: IDIOT!!!

ALEX: You'll have to ignore the inconsistent grammer and spelling - what do i care - i'm unemployed!

GEORGE: Mine too....and me too!

ALEX: schedule has now changed as we realised it would be silly to arrive full of 'we want to travel' energy and then try to sit on a beach for a week doing nothing.

GEORGE: Spent a few days in bangkok - colourful, noisey, hectic....I kinda like it - I think the 5* hotel we stayed in helped! So many westerners everywhere......they all kinda ignore each other. pretending they are the only westerners here in Thailand!!! Headed up to Chiang Mai yesterday.

ALEX: much prefer chiang mai to bangkok - bangkok is 1,000mph and very westernised. this place is v cool city with nice river running through it and amazing markets - will get some photos that probably wont do them justice but think national geographic. were having dinner last night and trying to work out the night setting on the camera to get better pics - I took the classic bloke approach and didn't really think about what I was doing but just selected as many options as I could - resulting in me wiping all the pictures we've taken so far!

GEORGE: I can't speak!!!!!

ALEX: booked ourselves on a 3 day jungle trek starting tomorrow which is going to be amazing. we trek to hill tribe villages where we sleep, ride on elephants and raft down rivers on flat bamboo rafts.

GEORGE: ELEPHANTS!!!!!!!

ALEX: anyway, have just done what i said i wouldnt which is write lengthy email detailing everything we are doing and boring the hell out of you all.Hope to have some pictures in our next edition which, let's face it will be far more interesting to look at than listen to me or George waffling on!

GEORGE: Lots of love to you all.....I'm missing English loos!!!! Let me know how you are.

ALEX: Speak soon

GEORGE: In September....

Alex and George
XXX