The blog is running off a old database. Which means pictures and posts either don’t work or are old.

Hopefully this will be sorted at some point.

Anyway, I will be redeveloping this site soon.

In the mean time, check out some of the panoramic pictures I have put together from travelling.

Others here

animal…… but it was all worth it because yesterday I went TUBING!!!

Tubing is a unusual pass time and I couldn’t imagine that it happens anywhere else in the world… after-all this is the place that shows friends all day!!

Tubing consists of you floating down the river on a inner tube from a truck tyre. Wooden shack type bars are dotted along the side. You don’t even have to make any effort to get yourself to the bars as they throw ropes out and pull you in. So you spend your day chatting, drinking and generally having fun. Each bar has its own swing, zip-line or diving platform.

The swings are a intimidating prospect but you soon get used to swinging 30 feet along along the river and up into the air…. Landing wasn’t so fun though and I suspect this is why I’m not feeling great today.

We set off slightly to late to get back before sunset but so did loads of other people. This just meant another gathering of people on the river, we were at-least 10 strong by the time we got out again. Spirits were kept high by singing of 80’s/90’s rock ballads while we gently floated down river.

 If you haven’t noticed already, I have added some more Laos pictures.

Inspiration was taken from a Lemon Jelly song - Ramblin’ Man

I’m in Vang Vien - Laos, it was such a beautiful journey from Luang Phabang to here. Limestone mountains either side of you. They seem to just shoot up into the sky and peak in rounded curves… Really a weird but amazing thing to see. Vang Vien is a small village by the Mekong, Friends gets played all day and all the food is ‘happy’. Kids and tourist play in the water, the only difference is the tourist is on a inflatable tube getting drunk.

We have met up with 2 people who we last saw in Sihanoukvile - Cambodia and plan on spending the next week having fun and exploring the caves and mountains around us.

This is just a small update for now, so expect lots of amazing photos and a few more stories.

We have just completed 33 hours of travel and yes I do feel like having a buttock lobotomy. The trip started at 19:00 in Hanoi, we arrived at Laos - Vietnam border at 06:00  and left again at 09:00…. most of that time was spent staring at people who were supposed to be doing their job but instead they were more interested in talking to each other or looking at stamps in your passport. Everyone wanted extra money! For leaving the country, for entering the country and for giving you a stamp! Its like a final kick in the nuts after a whole country trying to squeeze every $ out of you.

The trip continued to Vientiane, arriving at 16:30. We decided this wasn’t enough punishment and pushed on to Luang Phabang another 10 hours!! 18:00 to 04:30 was spent on a shity bus designed for hobbit people who like to sing karaoke at obscene hours!

 Since we arrived so early we spent 2 hours at the road side drinking Beer Lao. Its amazing how early people get up here!! It turned out to be a fun experience if you can forget all the pain, we even go to see monks receiving alms during sunset.

 The last few hours have been spent drinking Laos coffee, which is just as strong as Vietnam’s! and trying to sleep through building work…

If you havent already check out all the new pictures.

In the mean time, check out all the new picturesI have put up, from Cambodia onwards + Check out Laura and Gudge’s new pictures.

And speaking of which I got back from a day trip there yesterday. It’s such a beautiful place if you can ignore the hundreds of boats that frequent the place every day. We even got to see yet another location from a James Bond film (That makes 2 on the trip so far - The other being Udaipur India). Maybe that should be my goal from now on, how many James Bond Locations can I visit in 1 trip ?

 Im really excited about getting to Laos, its just a 20hour bus ride that stands in my way!

 So I’ve still got hundreds of pictures that I need to upload! + all the other things I’ve been going on about. If you want to leave me a quick comment or some words of inspiration then I (by this I mean Simon) have added a guestbook just for this. You can get to it via the Message Wall link at the top of the page.

I’m really happy with it and it looks beautiful its just not the suit I asked for. I wanted a skinny fit designer style suit, instead I got a slim well fitted that looks formal. Anyway you can’t complain for $70. I also got a wool jacket, 3 shirts and 2 pairs of shoes all custom made. Hoian seems to be the tailor capital of Vietnam! Its meant to have over 500 tailors, so almost 1 for every tourist that is in town.

The weather here in Hoian is remarkable like home, its amazing how cold dreary weather can make you feel like your back in England! Thankfully I will be back in the sun within a month to top up that much needed David Dickinson look.

The motorbike tour blog is still in the pipeline…

Currently this site is undergoing a lot of changes, please be patient as I try and make it look pretty whilst adding some practical functions for you all.

Last but not least, Simon (my brother) should get some thanks for making this all possible, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here today. etc. etc… actually literally I wouldn’t he has helped me massively!! Setting up this site and supplementing my travel funds, so Kudos Bro!! 

For anyone interested I am currently in Hoian and staying at Thanh Van Hotel A proper post will follow shortly with tales from my motorbike trip to see the Village People.