Halong Bay

Our second nights sleep in Hanoi in the hotel we aimed for wasn't great as outside our window was a huge water tank which every two seconds made a sound a little like a fork lift truck! This repeated all through the night and coupled with my ridiculous back pain resulted in a fairly grumpy morning. All in all, Hanoi was a bit of a disaster for us. We're sure others have had top experiences here but it's been one thing after another for us and the thought of the beauty and peacefulness of Halong Bay as we got the heck out helped to raise a smile.

We successfully made it to the bus stop after dodging the manic traffic flowing from every direction (sometimes even on the pavement). Two buses and one hydrofoil later got us to the horn-free, gorgeous (if a little drizzly) Cat Ba Island. Within minutes we sorted a place to stay with huge open windows showing the full stretch of the bay.

Our hotel boss was straight on the possible outings we could go on the following day. They seemed steep, almost twice the price the book had suggested and with my back still twitching we decided to take it easy for the time being. We left there and went for a snoop around the streets, which didn't take long as there are only three of them! We settled down to eat at Bamboo Bar cafe where we met a truly brilliant character who owned the restaurant. He was all muscles, long hair and tattoos and one of the kindest people we have met since leaving England. We checked out what prices were good for tours and he let us know our hotel were not ripping us off, then after a splendidly tasty meal (also splendidly cheap!) it was bed time.

As soon as we sat for breakfast the following day we were hassled about tour booking again. My back was feeling better after a rest so we decided that the following day we would head for the seas. We planned to spend today relaxing on one of the island's three beaches but the weather made that seem an unattractive option. Today the internet was our best option and we headed for a blog catch up. A couple of hours after pounding our keyboards we headed back down the street when out of nowhere the weather kicked up a gear. The wind and rain slammed the sea front sending chairs and tables across the street and bending large restaurant umbrellas inside out. We took refuge under the canopy of a small cafe but after seeing more and more things being thrown around and even the metal of the canopy distorting we decided to run through the now ankle deep water back to our hotel. Getting drenched within seconds we did not make it that far, but found a sturdier cafe where we sat with two hot chocolates and watched the chaos unfold before us as we warmed ourselves back up. If there was a day not to be at sea this was it, we were glad to have put Halong Bay off but our plans for the beach were definitely out the window.

Eventually we made it back to the hotel and took comforting hot showers before sitting in front of our huge windows and watching the ships in the harbour get tossed around. On days like this we usually resort to our second favourite thing after sightseeing- eating- and so headed out to dine in not one but two different restaurants! We ordered mains from an expensive and swanky "my-parents-would-like-this" sort of place and then headed to a more budget friendly option for dessert. Fully stuffed the day was over.

As we awoke the following morning we peaked out the windows at the weather anxiously. Today we would finally see the limestone karsts of Halong Bay. Nice and early fifteen of us boarded a wooden motor boat and sat inside, not speaking a word to each other. It felt a little like a doctor's surgery, but it didn't take more than an hour until people started chatting. Being travellers there is always something to talk about (every conversation seems to involve details of where you are going and where you have been!) and yet again we had been lucky, taking the cruise with a really brilliant gang of fellow explorers.

After sailing past a hundred or so jagged rocks scattered with lush vegetation and grottoes we were to visit some caves again. The first was over and done with after some shuffling around for 15 minutes or so,but the second was absolutely humungous and so required no hands and knees or head torch. The high ceiling was illuminated with atmospheric lighting picking out the impressive stalagmites and stalactites and our camera was in constant use.



As we headed back outside the sun was starting to show itself off properly and the emerald water looked rather inviting. This was lucky as the ship's captain headed to a beautiful location to swim. Jumping from the top deck we splashed into the surprisingly warm yet horribly salty water. From here we could swim to a secluded sandy beach with more little caves where Laura and I searched the shoreline for interesting shells and bits of coral that were scattered everywhere like excited little kids again.

Lunch soon followed giving Laura delicious spring rolls and me my first taste of squid, which wasn't at all bad and more rubbery than the slippery slop I thought it might be. We now had our first real chance to sunbathe since leaving England and so relaxed on the deck enjoying the cool breezes the boat took us gently past more stunning scenery.



Our last event of the day couldn't have been much better, as we were given kayaks and an hour to explore where ever we fancied going. Laura and I, slowly becoming kayak masters, swooshed our way to another deserted beach. I don't need to describe anything else- as you can imagine it was perfect.

Making it back on board in time we headed back to Cat Ba after a lot more than we could have hoped for today. The sun had done wonders to our skin, and Laura in particular had quality panda eyes from her tasteful shades. Vietnam was finally getting some plus points and we looked forward to our next destination- Hue!

Whatever Perfuma!

What a difference a day makes! Our last morning pottering around Luang Prabang saw a return to our favourite cafe for extra tasty Laos coffee and lounging in our cosy armchairs, a trip to find a new English language book and a final stroll through this gorgeous town. We had stayed much longer then intended but could have happily stayed longer still if it were not for our upcoming flight.

So it was with some regret that we boarded our plane that would take us from this beautiful spot (coupled with nervousness-Laos Airlines does not publish its safety records and there were black clouds starting to brew!)

An uneventful flight later and we touched down on Vietnamese soil. Filling out our health declarations Blakey lied copiously as his Chicken sandwich the day before had left him in a tender state, and catching his rucksack awkwardly when leaving the tuk tuk has pulled the muscles in his back. Able to conceal it from the inspectors at arrival, by the time we had our bags ready to go he was clearly hurting quite painfully.

As we left the airport we had the usual barrage of taxi drivers competing for our business who we thanked and headed for the Airport bus service. One guy stayed with us and got us started in a space efficient minivan (which is to say they crammed us in!) and we began the 30 minute drive into town.

This was no Laos! The city is massive, its infinite shops sprawling across a great distance and roads jam packed with traffic, mopeds filling every space they can on the roads (sometimes regardless of which direction they are facing). Reminiscent of China, horns blared and messy crowds formed as traffic traversed cross roads with no sense of order or priority.

Once all the locals had disembarked the drivers of the minivan agreed to drop us off at our respective hotels. We were the first Westerners to arrive at our destination where two smiley and super efficient people grabbed our bags and took them inside to what looked like a travel agency. Confused, I asked where we were and the woman replied with the name of our guesthouse "Tam Thuang". Happy to have a bed we secured the cheapest room available and Blakey laid his poor damaged back down.

But as we were taken into the hotel through the stairs next door I was confused. Nothing said Tam Thuang! In fact it all said F.Hotel. Pretty weird. After a shower I went down to give our passport details and the woman who had greeted us, Perfuma, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. She quickly took me back to her office where she wanted to know our plans for Vietnam.

After telling us that "mosquito-flu" was in the city and lots of people were in hospital she emphatically suggested that we leave Hanoi for the next few days and head for Halong Bay, returning when the crisis is over. Now I'm no doctor, but three days is not enough time for an epidemic to subside. I explained that we did not want to come back to Hanoi to stay and that we intended to spend the following day sightseeing.

At this point Perfuma went into elaborate detail regarding all the towns that we could do and how much she could book them for (quite a lot as it turned out!) She reassured me that her tours were good by showing all the correspondence around her office written in many languages though strangely all on similar plain paper. Most odd was a letter from a German couple after which a French couple had used the end of the paper to write their thanks!

Knowing things were not right I asked Perfuma to point to our current location on a map. It was quite obvious we were not at our hotel at all and this host of lies was to get us to this tour operator. I managed to escape for a good nights sleep without parting with any cash, though it was clear there would be another selling onslaught in the morning. I was fuming!

After getting up and looking for a place for breakfast we were trying to be optimistic. At least the hotel was reasonably cheap and fairly central. But as we walked through the streets continually dodging traffic, Blakey in pain and therefore a tad grumpy, we were both pining for the tranquility of Laos. Before even getting a cup of coffee a fruit seller had dumped her baskets and hat on me calling Blakey to take a photo and then demanded 3 pounds for 3 bananas and the photo which we did not want or need. Though we tried to argue we managed to make her go away with 2 pounds, though with her went even more of our opinion of this city.

Breakfast gobbled much later than usual we purchased two tickets for the Water Puppetry Show at 3.30pm that afternoon. Blakey still not right we took refuge in another cafe where an excellent travel agency gave some really impartial advice about our plans for Halong Bay. Knowing we could not stretch to their prices they sent us to the local bus station where we purchased two tickets at the going local rate to Cat Ba Island. Finally things were getting better. Or so we thought.

A quick pit stop at our hotel before the show turned out to be a bad idea. Whilst Blakey ran upstairs to grab a camera with 30 minutes to go before curtain up a guy from the hotel tried to sell me $60 tickets to Halong once more. I explained that we had now and did not need them. He asked me to wait and he would sell them for the same price, but when I said we already had tickets and really must go as we were to watch the performance he got a little angry and found someone to translate. Suddenly we were told we could not stay at the hotel that night as someone else needed the room and we were to move our bags immediately! Explaining our need to get to the show they agreed that we could have one hour, but added they might have to enter and move our stuff before we returned.

By the time we reached the performance it had already started. It was beautifully presented and once again the live music was fascinating, as were the instruments being used to create it. As much as we enjoyed the experience the afternoons events were still weighing on our minds.

Leaving the theatre we followed our map directly to the hotel we intended to stay at and explained our situation asking for help with our bags. Two minutes later Blakey was taken on a motorcycle to collect our bags through the chaotic traffic of Hanoi whilst I was told to wait and enjoy the internet. Upon his return he relayed how the scoundrels at the F.Hotel had tried to charge us more as we checked out later than 12pm- the cheek! He refused to pay any more than was agreed and returned exhausted. My hero!

Finally we tried to perk up our day with a nice meal. Full of farang and locals, a pizza and salad buffet was on offer near the lake- not a local specialty but recommended and with Blakey's dodgy tummy a fairly safe bet. The buffet looked a bit limp so we ordered off the menu. Blake's steak was great, but my veggie lasagna lacked tomato sauce and most surprisingly pasta. I had been served frozen vegetables floating in a cheese sauce. Nice.

So we indulged. We got out of there and headed for "Fanny", an amusingly entitled ice-cream parlour by the lake that makes amazing sundaes. My favourite part of Hanoi so far, it was delicious. A stroll around the atmospherically lit lake whilst young Vietnamese couples snogged each others faces off and back to bed. Maybe we'll try here a fresh after our return from Halong. Maybe.

Last days of Laos

At 7am we were both stood on our ecolodge terrace in our wet Mahout suits ready to get our morning bath one last time with our new hairy friends. Meeting with the elephants we had our usual "Boun Boun" and were getting quite used to the daily routines already but it was time to say goodbye.

With bags packed we still had a few things planned for our last day and next up we were to trek an hour and a half through the rice paddies, streams and jungle to a Khmu hill tribe village. Today was another scorcher though when we arrived at the village our welcome didn't feel as warm, as mothers with their children close at hand pierced us with their gaze. We got the impression that people from Luang Prabang- the Laos Lowlanders- can make money out of bringing people here but don't necessarily share it, and have heard stories of villages turning into "human zoos". Just before we left for the day our guide told us that people often bring presents for the children and that certainly seemed to change things. A small tuck shop opened and we bought two bags of sweets that are apparently their favourite. Within seconds we had about ten tiny hungry bellies around us with their hands out. If we had planned the trip in advance we would have preferred to bring something more useful and sustainable, but the children's huge grins were lovely to see. After they had their fair share the mums also crept forwards and were soon sharing in the sugary goodness and instant friends!

The village itself seemed really clean and well made, there was a school and a few huge satellite dishes that hinted more contact with the outside world than first impressions gave. However, it was still a poor community by our standards, with whole families sharing one simple room in their wooden houses with woven walls. We only stayed for an hour but I would like to have stayed longer as the gangs of little ones were great fun to watch and I was taking some lovely photos of their brilliant expressive faces.

The moment we started to head towards our final destination, the Tad Se waterfall, the sky turned a terrific black thunderous colour as dramatic clouds gathered overhead. Ten minutes on and our blazing day had turned within seconds to a mudstorm! We had to tackle steep paths that had literally turned into waterfalls themselves and every step would see us ankle deep in thick clay mud. Our boots reached three times their original size with all the clumps of dirt underneath and we slipped and slided every second as the ridiculously heavy rain pounded around us.

Forty minutes later we looked like we had swam through swamps to reach the staggering collection of waterfalls, each pouring into beautiful steamy blue pools before creating another cascade down the stepped edges. Most people visit here in the morning so it was quiet when we arrived and there was no-one swimming at all. Our guide said it was too cold but that wasn't going to stop me as I jumped in. He was quite right, it was blooming freezing! A few moments later and everyone else seemed to join in, jumping off steep ledges and swinging from ropes into the pools. It didn't take long before my constant shivering saw me out and our guide, even though fully dressed was clearly ice cold. He had been a great guy over the last few days and we had learned about his wife and history, so we thought we had better go and get him back in the warm. We found out them that during the high season he doesn't take a day off in months and so we really wanted to get out of there and send him home to his family!

It had been utterly incredible and soon we arrived back in Luang Prabang to our nice cheap hotel. What on Earth would we be doing next?! In a week in Laos we had done so much, a year's worth of excitement at home! We walked back to the office we had booked the tour with and were presented with a university degree in Mahout training- that is going straight on our CVs!

The next day we wondered how to follow our time with the elephants but were quite easily taken with the option of doing nothing at all! We managed to eat lots and Laura went for a 3 pound massage where a small girl jumped over her back, clicked every bone in her body (literally) and gave her a few healthy punches for good measure! Whilst Laura got beat up on I started a mammoth internet session sorting out the pictures we had taken in this beautiful country. Laura eventually joined me to sort out our lengthy blog and the day bombed past.

In the evening we checked out a top chill out bar serving great pasta and pizza called the "Hive Bar". Having nothing planned for the next day as we had to wait an extra night for the flight to Hanoi we decided to get a little merry and relax after the last five weeks of utter madness. It was our first drink since we started as we regularly have early starts or strenuous days so our 3 pound jug of strong Sangria into which they had added a little extra whiskey, coupled with two free pints of beer that we were thrown in with the food left us feeling almost drugged up as we slipped further into the Laos relax-mode and stared at the pretty lights for longer than we would usually care to! The bar was playing perfect late night beats and we stayed for ages chatting drunken babble. However, we are still not that hardcore as by the time 8pm hit we were ready to stumble back to our hotel for another sound nights sleep. At home we would not have left the house by this time!

On our last day in Laos we awoke suddenly as I head-butted Laura hard on her forehead. In my dream I was trying to pick up a tree that I was trying to plant, but every time I picked it up the roots would break. I tried extra hard and that's when our brains collided. After that I couldn't work out if I was hung over or not!

A few moments later we were eager to leave and check our messages from home after our new updates. The evening before we had finally spoken to our parents for the first time after over a month of just reading each others adventures. It is so nice to see how excited friends are at home seeing what we are doing and we are really appreciating hearing about everyday life there too. Reading about normal stuff that we take for granted at home really excites us and we're looking forward to coming back for some seemingly mundane things despite our excitement at all we are doing out here. It is nice knowing that for a few days at least a washing machine and a sofa of our own will feel like another version of paradise!

For the afternoon we set out to the Kuang Si waterfall with plans for all over tans (apart from our arms and faces we are still white English newbie travellers!) Packing iPods and swimming gear with plans of ultimate relaxation we were disappointed when we realised our taxi was shared with a number of other tourists and we were given just an hour and a half to ourselves. The waterfall was again magnificent and the camera was in constant use. We trekked past inviting pools before reaching the mother of all waterfalls- it was ginormous! Whilst lining up another camera shot I spotted a cheery man wavy excitedly at me- my smiley mahout teacher! This guy is a serious dude and within a minute we were taking photos together whilst he dressed in my hat and shades. From here we climbed the steep slope to the top of the waterfall and crawled on our hands and knees right across the fast flowing river at the top for a view over the edge of the cliff face. Suddenly, whilst right at the top we realised our taxi was waiting at that very moment! All we had done was walk to the top, we had not swam or sat or had a single ray of sunshine hit our pale chests and worse, it had taken 30 minutes to climb up here. As we skidded back down the slope we secretly hoped they had gone without us so we could continue enjoying this beautiful retreat, but after a further 30 minutes return journey making us over half an hour late we saw a circle of people waiting for us looking somewhat displeased. Ohh, did we feel guilty!

Not quite satisfied with our plans for the day we opted to head for something that has been more reliable- delicious Laos food. As we headed into town we were met with a spectacular dry lighting storm across the sky. It was so powerful that it turned the streets to complete darkness as the towns electricity repeatedly cut out for long periods of time. It made for a very interesting candlelit dinner at the restaurant! Yet another perfect meal later and here I am writing this with Laura snoring like a tiny mouse beside me. I might go head butt her again!

Master Mahouts

After a long winding bus journey through thte mountains (though by our standards they seemed mere hills now!) we arrived in Luang Prabang. Greeted by a heap of guesthouse owners and tuk tuk drivers we settled for the cheapest and were taken to a beautifully located place right at the tip where the two rivers meet, opposite the oldest temple in town (saying something in a place like this!) We were given a room with views across the Mekong and after a quick refresh headed for an evening stroll around town.

People had told us how beautiful Luang Prabang was and we instantly agreed. the big colonial style houses along the quiet streets, palm trees and flowers dotted between and temple building adorned with Nagaprotected gates lined our way into the centre of this little town. As we followed the main street shops full of wooden handicrafts, silk scarves and jewellery caught our eye at various points before we reached the warmly lit night market, rows of stalls catering to the inevitable tourists with more interesting bits and bobs. Allowing the most gruesome things to catch his eye Blakey made a purchase before we realised how hungry we were and went to find a resturant.

Passing somewhere boasting a garden we haeded for a comfortable low table with two cushions in the hope of another romantic setting. Unfoprtunately all chances of that were dashed when our food was bought to the table! Having ordered Aloo Palak (the restaurant specialises in Laos, thai and Indian) the bowl of microwaved potatoes covered in green gunge did not live up to the photographed golden potatoe with fresh spinach I had been anticipating! We had such a keen waiter, it was his fist day on the job, and did not have the heart to send it back, but I didn't have the stomach to eat it either!

After an early night we took a lazy morning getting ready as the monsson rains hit our window outside. It was lovely lying righ under the pane as the torrents slid down the glass, just taking our time. When we did decide to emerge we bought an umbrela before exploring all the town had to offer. W climbed the magolia lined stairs to the top of Phu Si, a hil in the middle of town to see both Buddha's footprint (though if he was that big he was not human, and it is a little vague!)as well as enjoying the views of the town and the rivers. We walked around the Palace Museum where the royal famly ha lived until they were booted out by the revolution in the 70s and saw some amazing cars that Patrick would have loved (but couldn't take photos- sorry!) As we walked around the roms we were both touched by the modesty of it. there were three reception rooms, a throne room and three bedrooms. The reception rooms were beautiful, on with a mural all around that was supposed to be viewed at the corresponding time of day, so as the sun travelled from East to West the light would hit each section which depicted traditional everyday life. It was a beautiful concept. The throne room was the most spectacular, with glass mosaics depicting Laos myths making the walls sparkle, but the bedrooms were so humble (by royal standards) It was like Laos as a whole, enough for comfort, well made and solid but not pretentious and unnecessary.

After a more successful meal than the previous evening we headed for he NAtinal Ballet where sections of the Ramayana were being performed. HAving recently taught the story as part of our Indian Arts course at school I was excited to see a traditional performance. It was elaborately choreographed with sall intricate gestures to create meaning, though by Western standards the pace was a little slow. Still, the story, masks and costumes were spectacle enough and whilst not living up to our Chinese theatre experiences we were pleased to be a part of the udiene.

Next day we had an early start, organising our belongings for a short trip out of town. We were going tobe Mahouts! Mahout is he name given to elephant drivers (after Henri Mahout, the guy who rediscovered Angkor Wat and rode elephants to explore Laos) We wer heading to the camp just outsidethe city where elephants that had previusly been used for logging have maintained employment by proiding rides fo tourists. It is easy work for the elephants and creates a symbiotic relationship between the elephants and the locals who run the organisation.

After arriving with just two other couple we were given denim suits that look like pyjamas and asked to change. As we were staying at the camp with one of the other couples we were shown to our riverside lodge which was AMAZING! A wooden cabin on stilts, the patio doors to the verrandah look straight out across the water with the upper section open to the sloped roof, allowing the air to circulate the large room. Inside are two double beds and four tree trunks supporting the building. At the back is a bathroom, againopen air beneath the roof. It is absolutely beautiful- fit for a honeymoon!

Aftre changing we were taken to a platform where three elephants fitted with riding chairs were waiting for us. Blakey and I jumped on the back of Kha Phan who was being driven by a very smiley man sat around her neck. For the next two hours the elephants trekked around the muddy paths and streams of the surrounding jungle, ours stopping every few feet to rip half a tree out of the ground and stiate her mammoth apetite! We felt so lucky as we swayed from side to side to the slow, ryhthmic gait of the creature- we were obviously getting a far longer outing than advertised as the low season had bought just the six of us to the park.

Halfway around the course our driver turned grinning to Blakey and motioned taht he shuld take the neck. In a very brave move Blakey agreed and a minute later, aftre abalancing acting on the shoulder blades, Blakey was sat with his legs hanging either side of the elephant, tucked behind each ear, resting his hands on the creature's huge head.

After 10 minutes of seeing that Blakey was quite competant some of the others followed and a had a try, and after 45 minutes Blakey and I swapped positions. It was strange to sit so close to the elephant, aware of it's huge size. At first I was worried about holding on to its head in this way, but aftre moments of being in position it was clear that our comparatively meagre size did not bother it at all. its head was covered in wiry black hairs, and with each step its shoulder baldes pushed against my thighs- comfortable for the first ride but a little tender by the second!

We we returned to the camp we were all buzzing, it had been an incredible experience and it had happened so early n the day. Enough time had passd for us to get lunch, and oevr our food we were taugt the MAhout calls, sort of a Hghway Code!

After lunch it was straight back to riding, though this time it was an elephant each to be driven by the learners whilst the MAhouts lazed in the seats on their backs. Unfortunately my Mahout didn't make it in time so I shared with Blakey, though this meant we both got to ride with our miley man again. As we led the elephants with calls of "Bai BAi Bai" we realised we were actually quite good at this! The elephants still eat when tey want (despite calls of "ya ya!" but we did ok!

After a second trek out we were already startingto feel like it had been a full day. Once we got back to the camp the MAhouts took the seats off and drapped large chains over the elephants necks. Another MAhout had turned up npw so I was the first to climb aboard the new elephant, though this time by "map Long', with the elephant laying down so I could climb on its knee and swing my legs over (though not as gracefully as that might sound!)

We headed back into the woods and down a small stream which emerged into a much larger river. We were goign to bathe the elphants, so whilst w clung to their necks the mahouts asked them to lie down, submerging our thighs as well. As they splashed water onto the elephants' heads we scrubbed the dirt and leaves out of teir bristly hair and stroked the topof their heads before the mahouts called "boun boun", at which point the elephants took their cue to splash as much as possible, either by smashing their heads up and down or siphoning water and sprayin git back at us. In no time at all we were utterly drenched- it was amazing!

After messig around in the river we were all starting to get quite tired, ut first we rode the elephants to the jungle where we said goodbye to the mahouts who took them to a place with planty of food for the night. We learned that they only sleep for 30 minutes and spend the rest of the night eating. Having seen how much they eat during the day it is obvious they could clear huge amount of land, which is why this reserve is so nice. Here, locals grow food especially for the elephants as they provide an income, where as wild elephents have ruined crops in other parts of Laos, angering farmers.

The final part of the day saw one of the couples leave before the rest of us tubed down the river, relaxing in large inflatable tyres as the currents took us throughthe lush scenery. Just at the end a torrential downpour hit and suddenly we were drenched and cold. We rushed back to our cabins an jumped under the most satisfying hot shower in a while. After a pleasant dinner with a lovely American couple here on their honeymoon we headed for another ridiculously early night.

The early night was followed by an early morning, meeting our guide at 6.30am to retrieve the elephants from the jungle. We rode them straight to the river for a bath, which did as much to awake and refresh us as it did the elephants before breakfast and goodbyes to our new friends. We were the only couple left at the resort!

Aftre breakfast we climbed on top of two different elephants the otherside of the river. Blakey was aboard an enormous male and I on his girlfriend with the mahouts once mre in the back seat. It was a pleasant sunny morning, so the mahouts decided t take advantage of the low number of clients and try out a new trail they were considering.

We led the elephants alog barely tredded human tracks, not yet large enough for them, thick and overgrown with greenery- a trul;yintrepid journey into the jungle with the elephents happily clearing bamboo and vines by munching as we rode, whilst the guides hacked the higher branches out of the way with machetes. We went up and down the steep muddy banks of the rivers as the elephants feet slid but they maintained their rock steady balance, us not finding it so easy as we leaned ever closer to their heads for support at the most hairy ascents.

Although covering many of the same experiences as the previous day it was an utter privilege to do so solely for us and to take the trial run of the new trail. After lunch and a laze on our verrandah during quick storm we headed back to the river to bath the big pir. These guys really knew how to boun boun and in no time we were drenched! After lots of splashes we rode back to the jungle where they were pu down for the night.

A final afternoons activites involved a five minute boat ride downstream to the resting spot of Henri Mahout who requested a view of the water for his coffin. Then back to the restaurant, cooking for just the two of us before walking back to the chalet.

After two days of pure bliss one minor upset. As we trekked back along the muddy footpath in the near dark our first encounter with a live snake. I am rarely so pathetic but they make my stomach flip, and this tiny creature, about the same diameter as a pencil, had me frozen to the spot whilst Blakey gallantly strode ahead. Both a little jittery we checked each room twice before enteringupon our return. We later discovered we were right to be cautius- those littel blighters are pretty dangerous!

Drifting through Laos

15/09/09



One good night's sleep and a french breakfast scoffed down later we caught the 9.30am bus to Vang Vieng. We'd previously been used to being the only foreigners on the bus but this time we were joined by a whole coach load of tourists eager for a slice of Laos amazing beauty and entertainment.



Three hours later we arrived and as the bus opened its doors we found out where the sun had been hiding! Stepping outside our shoes sizzled on the tarmac and our faces began to melt. Within a few minutes we found ourselves a huge room with ensuite for 50,000 kip (just over 3 pounds a night)-perfect if there were no rats!



We quickly left the hotel to see what Vang Vieng had to offer and as we walked down to the main streets it appeared a little like a ghost town, passing cafes and restaurants without a single soul other than the staff who would greet us with a huge smile. That's something we have loved in Laos, literally everyone is so welcoming, happy and complete with cheek to cheek grins.



About ten minutes from our hotel we stumbled across the amusingly titled 'bridge of death', though the children playing and diving around it undermined its title. As we watched them it seemed a perfect place to spend a childhood with this huge natural playground. The other end of the bridge bought us to the Sunset Bar, lined with hammocks overlooking the river. After getting our feet wet but not quite brave enough to venture further into the murky water we checked out the menu at the bar in search of cold drinks to pass the afternoon. The menu consisted of 'buckets' (large amounts of alcohol), and 'funny for you' drinks- ganja and mushroom shakes. At first I thought it was a joke as the drug laws in Laos are so strict- dealing leads to the death penalty- but then I noticed the signs advising not to smoke cannabis in the hammocks but to talk to a bar tender for further advise regarding a suitable venue! As it ws the afternoon and we were both quite content we opted for a simple Beer Laos instead!



As we curled up in our hammocks we could see why people would want to spend hours doing nothing here, but we soon found ourselves totally relaxed with no need for superficial highs. It couldn't get anymore perfect, the karst mountains raising above the horizon from the opposite bank of the staggering river and lush greenery all around, with the local children having heaps of fun making games with sand and rocks. Mothers were washing their children's hair and clothes in the water and the barman chose Air's 'Talkie Walkie' to sooth us in to a state of pure bliss. We spent a couple of hours just swinging gently watching the world go by.



As the bar started to get a little busier and our bellies started to rumble we made a move and found a restaurant full of low tables surrounded by cushions called Santana's, thankfully not dedicated to the widdling rock group. It was almost empty so we weren't too sure how good the food would be, but the cheap prices drew us in. Watching the smoke rise from the shielded kitchen we could hear our order being frshly prepared and out came a cabonara as good as my mum's with a milkshake so good we ordered another- banana and milo!



It gets dark so quick out here that when it's 8pm it feels a lot more like gone midnight and with our full days it inevitably leads to pathetically early nights. This was where we found our hotel's fault- it's right next to one of the loudest clubs in town! Lying in bed we could feel the walls and floor jumping in time with the kick drum, although after just a couple of songs this had some hjow soothed us to sleep!



The next day we woke and hurried ourselves along to meet a tour group for a days worth of activities. We drove about half an hour up the river for our first challenge, exploring the caves. In order to see them we first had to kayak across the fast flowing river. Most of the group had never done kayaking before, including myself, so we were given a brief tutorial by our awesome English speaking guide named Sang. There was ten of us in our small group anfd it was two per kayak, the person at the back providing the muscles. Laura naurally took the back seat much to the guide's amusement. He then pushed us into the river and for the first twenty seconds we were doing pretty well, but halfway out the current added to some bad steering decisions saw us head down the river and staright into a rock, much to our hilaious panic! We pushed away from it and ended facing the wrong direction, and steering against the current was near impossible, so we shamefully disembarked a fair few feet down the river in a bramble bush! Thankfully the couple to follow did a full reenactment to ease our embarrassment. It was far from lifethreatening but did make me wonder how we would cope with the rapids that would follow later in the day!



As we trekked towards the cave the sky suddenly darkened and the heavens opened. Within five seconds we were drenched in the monsoon rainstorm. It had been blazingly hot so the cool wtare was a relief until the pasth we were following turned into a flowing mudslick. Climbing up rockier paths into the jungle our flipflops were not up to the job, so we continued barefoot like proper jungle trekkers! Arriving at teh cave entrance we had to descend into the eerie black hole on steps covered in mud and utterly trecherous, but aftre a few careful minutes we were in the chmaber with just our headlamps for light. As we began to travel further in there was a sliding thud behind me. I turned to see Laura covered in mud from head to toe. It was damned hilarious, but as we carried on she discovered that she had got a large stone lodged in the ball of her foot causing a large chunk of skin to come away in a flap, which was collecting more gritted as we continued into the still slippery floor, but the huge chamber and amazig rock fromations were keeping us interested. As the guides called 'Be careful' every few seconds in voices designed to echo around the caves walls Laura's injury caused us to lag behind the group until suddenly we had no idea where they were! Thankfully a guide had stayed at the back of the group as we had read stories of tourists getting lost for days and even perihing in the caves vast networks! Nevertheless, we soon found the exit and breathed fresh air again.



The next cave seemed even more daring and was initially quite terrifying! We were exploring a deep, dark water cave on top a a floating inner tube, guiding ourselves along a piece of rope. After a few minutes we left our tyres and crawling on our bellies like cavemen into the depths of the cavern before wading through black water that submerged us to our hips. The guides joked about the snakes in the water whilst repeating their fasvourite 'Be careful!' line. Once again we had to commando crawl through another section, our noses touching the floor as we we made ourselves small enough to fit through- like he film 'The Descent' but without the gore! It anyone had stopped too long to think about what they were doing it would have easily enduced a panic attack, with no easy way out at this point. The guy infront of me looked to be having one of those moments appearing pretty agitated, but Laura and I had massive grins on our ridiculously muddy selves!



When we reached light again then rain returned in an intensely haevy storm. We huddled under the wooden roof and scoffed our luch before heading to the Elephant cave, a much less challenging adventure as the whole in the rock face simply holds a Buddha image and a rock formation which looks a bit like an elephant. It was time to return to Vang Vieng, but this time via the river which we were to kayak down for the next three hours! At points we hasd to negotiate rapids- nothing to difficult but enough to capsize a few members of the group. Somehow Laura and I had learned from our rubbish start and were tackling the waters damn well- getting ahuge buzz each time we completed a hairy section successfully. During the gentler moments we could stop rowing and let the river do the work whilst we sat back and enjoyed the magnificnet scenery. It was mountain peaks and jungle all the way, like a scene from Apocalpse Now, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places ever- until we were three quarters of the way through! Suddenly drum and bass was ripping through the jungle with hoards of testerone pumped guys jumping from high rope swings and playing mud volley ball like the oh-so-camp scene from Top Gun! We had a 20 minute break from rowing here and so joined the action with a couple of boozy milkshakes whilst Rage Against the Machine boomed from the speakers adorning the bar. It was beyond surreal after our peaceful day and whilst I'm sure everyone was having lots of fun from our sober standpoint it was a little embarrassing to see the hordes of drunken Westerners. To a couple of loved up romantics it seemed a bit of a meat market and I was eager to get back to the quiet of the kayak.



After another hours drift we finshed one almighty day with a massive sense of achievement. All we wanted now was a good shower and bed. Just to add a little excitement to the evening LAura emerged from the bathroom and demanded I have a look at something. Hoing it was something kinky but sensing something more sinister I stumbled across a well fed giant bug on the toothbrush; she'd had a shower with a cockroach.

Sloooow down!

So we left China, a land of great paradoxes that made it interesting, exciting but at times frustrating. Travelling through the poorer South West areas it is clear that China is expanding too fast and not fast enough. The lack of infrastructure has kept cultures separate for years, allowing traditions to be maintained and ways of life that seem so historic to us Westerners to exist in the modern world. It is our fascination in their existence that is beginning to dilute it, but more than that, China's realisation of the wealth in tourist dollars (particularly since the Olympics I am told?) that is developing these areas too fast. Every scenic spot has an admission fee and a mountain of plastic bottles near by. The locals, so recently used to a subsistence living, do not have the means to dispose of the waste efficiently- it does not even cross their mind as they simply wind down a window and chuck their wrappers into the most spectacular scenery. This, coupled with the habit of spitting (they find it disgusting to blow your nose and pocket it and would rather hock it up and flob it on the floor outside, on the bus, in the supermarket, wherever!) and a lack of understanding with regards to queuing (I really am proud of the British attitude to this social decency) meant some aspects of China were not as magnificent as the landscape we so enjoyed exploring.

Also, the shift from Communism, or relaxation of the rules whereby individuals can earn as much money as they are prepared to work for (Capitalism?!) led to some forceful sales techniques. It is unnerving walking around a shop being tailed by three sales assistance ready to pounce on an item should you linger on it a second longer than another. It was for these reasons that we were satisfied with ourt Chinese adventure and looking forward to the change of pace a trip in to Laos would offer.

The moment we stepped off the plane things felt different. The heat was the most noticeable thing, and the air smelt more fragrant with sweet scents drifting through. The passport officials wore huge welcoming smiles as they arranged our visas and taught us the most important Laos phrases- hello and thank you. We collected our bags in record time and headed straight for the most touristed part of Vientiane, Nam Phu.

After checking in to a lovely room we wandered briefly around the surrounding streets and headed fro an internet cafe. We were so excited to finally escape the tyranny of Chinese censorship, using Facebook as a safeguard against all our pictures should anything happen to our memory sticks and catching up with friends and family. It has only been a month (though we can barely believe it has been that long!), but we are already excited abut the prospect of returning home and sharing our experiences with the people that will care the most. (I can't wait to see my granny's face when she sees the pictures of The Gorge!)

As the evening started to fall we followed the roads down to the banks of the Mekong, a river seen by so many back home but which has been an ambition of mine for so long. We strolled passed street vendors offering riverside barbeques, promising to return the following evening once suitable doused in insect repellent, bought a frsh coconut and drank the milk through a straw and headed to a rustic French restaurant (this is a colonial town after all!)

As we sat by the open window with views of the fountain, turned on briefly and lit up with a group of Laos children playing nearby, the atmosphere was quite romantic. We enjoyed a delicious meal- Blakey had Steak au Poivre with the most amazing ratatouille and chips I have ever tasted whilst I indulged in my favourite goat's cheese salad. Things in Laos already felt incredibly relaxed and it was definitely catching on. We headed to bed early and were soon fast asleep.

The next day we strolled around Vientiane seeing the sights, amazed at how easy it ws to walk from one to the other considering this is the capital of the nation. The architecture here is more elaborate giving an exotic air- the spindly spires that decorate each corner of the roofs and the colourful paints- reds, whites and golds- which stand so bold against the lush green palms and flower bushes which the temples were nestled within.

By the evening it seemed we had seen most of what we aimed to see in the capital and so we bought our ticket to Vang Vieng before heading back to the Mekong. We were shown to a seat on large rugs down by the river, an upturned crate with a tablecloth surrounded by cushions and a backrest to make us comfortable, and stared across the huge black ribbon of water, mesmerised by the lights reflected in th e surface and occasional fireworks coming from the distant bank across the way. We enjoyed another peaceful and romantic meal in this utterly tranquil p\spot, Blakey indulging in freshly barbecued fish cooked on the temporary stoves carted there by the street vendors each evening. A slow stroll home and a stop for coffee later, we are truly enjoying the relaxed pace of life here.

The Knight Bus

Yesterday was almost a full extra day in Lijiang and after seeing most of the sights there wasn't much else to do other than eat! We stuffed our faces full, retracing our footsteps to our favourite cafes and spent the most money we have on food so far! We had until 7pm before our bus left so we ended up killing time entering pretty much every shop we passed. After hours worth of nosing around 'antiques shops' (it's strange how many one-offs looked similar!) endless jewelery stores (all the same but pulling LAura's magpie instincts) and a very unsuccessful attempt at finding me a cool Chinese T shirt as they were either branded like back home or emblazoned with mis-spelt English, we went for yet more food at the amazing 'Lamu's'. it was interestingly decorated, the kind of place you could sit and chill out for hours looking at the bits and pieces stuck on the walls.

It was time to leave Lijiang, satisfied and relaxed, and head for Kunming. This was the first time we had been on a sleeper bus and did not know what to expect. We found ourselves on a bus fitted with metal bunks, perfectly sized for the average Chinese but a bit of a squeeze for my lanky legs. However, it was comfy enough with its teddy print duvets. tehre was a slight whiff of cheese as ourt heads rested by the feet of the person behind (though I wonder if it was Laura's craggy feet seeping out!)

Two hours into the school-trip like journey I had sat through a deranged and rather violent Chinese comedy called 'Crazy Runner" which i understood about three sentences of though was captivated. I fell asleep for a good five hours excluding a stumble in the dark to find the oh-so-wee-sprayed toilet. Laura had crashed out easily with the help of her new book and some squishy earplugs.

Arrival time was 8am, but at 6am the bus stopped and the lights glared on with people gathering their bags and and nattering in a way that went straight through our weary heads. It felt like the middle of the night but we had to get out quick and get our bags in case anyone else fancied them. The previous day we had posted our Lonely Planet home as we've no more need for it, but this morning we could have used the rtusted pages to find our bearings and head for a hotel. We walked through the unfamiliar streets of Kunming in the pitch black with all the shops and hotels closed.

We slogge dour bags for two gruelling hours and ended up in a park as it got light. A number of older men were doing their morning exercises and walking their dogs . Taking fast and in Chinese they tried to help us, pointing us towards hotels, but they were all well out of our budget. Eventually Laura found information and a translatable map using her phone and we took a taxi to the Camelia Hostel where we crashed out for two hours.

When we woke we felt bloody shattered but forced ourselves up and headed to buy flight tickets at the airline office in the hotel next door. A few minutes later we had tickets to Laos and this was to be our last evening in China! One country down! We went to grab some revival food and got an amazing breakfast at Mama Fu's.

We spent the rest of the day exploring a small portion of Kunming. We headed for the Bird and Flower market, which was disappointing in comparison to what we had experienced in Lijiang, but at least we weren't spending money! To end the day we caught a taxi to a different part of town which was full of lush places to eat and sit down and some seriously cool Chinses clothes shops that Laura got a little carried away with (though she managed to keep her money at bay aftre I refused to throw away my clothes to make space for new purchases). It was definately the place to be, crawling with hip and trendy students. We found a cafe that had attracted many other travellers and found out why, we were trested to some amazing food. Needless to say we stayed for hours before a trip back to bed in preparation for the next country- Laos!

Summer Holiday

I am writing the first half of this blog early as we wait for the 9.30am bus to Lijiang. It's now 11.50am- grr!

As you know from Blakey's blog the Gorge was a challenge for me. Not feeling well, heat exhaustion and constant adreneline from vertigo meant I was more than ready for a good night's sleep, so imagine my anger when I was woken in the middle of the night by a skinny white boy wearing a head lamp and pants, camcorder in one hand with that super bright light also shining, one foot on my bed and one on his trying to capture "rats" in the bathroom on film. There was something in the ceiling, but our room was well built and whatever was in there was staying there, but the noise in the bathroom was just creaky pipes! he looked utterly ridiculous, a sight I wish I could project from my mind so you could all see it too.

So this morning, aftre setting an early alarm to re-pack and catch the bus it's not turning up. Jane, the proprietor of the guesthouse (and quite a character- an effeminate guy with peculiar mannerisms who led me to the internet in a room full of pictures of women and beauty products that put me in mind of Silence of the Lambs!) has been on the phone all morning and talking about us. I think we have missed the bus but he keeps saying it will be here soon.

Later...

Eventually we left Jane's at midday and arrived in Lijiang early aftrenoon. We found ourselves a brilliant room in a new guesthouse (so new that when we arrived the reception area was just a load of sofas and by that evening had a bar that was surrounded by stools that I had picked out) Our room is very comfy and as we have to access across a courtyard we have our own front door, making it feel like a self-contained flat.

After putting our bags down and changing out of our dusty clothes we headed down the cobblestone alleys of the old town. The whole of the area is World Heritage listed and the town has been maintained for years with its network of canals that bring fresh water to the locals and three pools: one for washing clothes, one for pots and one for themselves. they are preserved more for aesthetic reasons than practical nowadays, though we did see some older ladies at the water's edge with their veg.

This pleasant town draws many tourists and with the bright sun beating down there was a definate holiday atmosphere in the air. We idly strolled with nowhere particualr to go until we reached the concert hall for the Naxi Orchestra. We bought tickets for that night, and after a nice meal and a brief return to the hotel set out for the evening concert.

The musicians claim the music they play is a faithful rendition of music composed during the ancient dynasties. I wouldn't be surprised as many of them looked like they may have lived since then! 90% of them were over 70 with 6 or 7 of them over 80. Some of them preserved their amazing instruments by burying them during the Cultural Revolution (when over keen students burned anything relating to old culture).

It was fantastic listening to the busy and irregular sounds of the orchestra and otherworldly voices of the soprano singers. Between each piece the history of the music was explained and when the hostess was talking Chinese it was interesting to watch the musicians starting to nod off (though at one point I was worried it might have been for good!) Halfway through a local historian with international recognition- Xuan Ke- came to the stage. I wish I understood Chinese as he had the whole audience enthralled, though even without understanding there was a soft calmness to him that appeared instantly likeable. The few sentences he said in English for foreign guests proved his humour and charm.

After such a pleasant evening we were shocked to find Lijiang was absolutely pulsing! Every restaurant was lit by red paper lanterns and gold flood lights pick out the details in the traditional tiled rooves. Some of the bigger establishments were playing cheesy pop music with a heavy bass line and the scatter of neon disco lights could be seen through the open walls. Most had live performances; dancers, pop singers, a pair with an acoustic and a jambe. As we walked through the crowds of people girls tried to usher us inside with promises of beer. We enjoyed people watching but walked passed and headed for our bed.

We spent the next day doing much of the same, with the exception of buying a bus ticket with the help of a cafe. Someone phoned and ordered it for us, saying we could pick it up after 2pm. We tried to ask which of the three bus stations but she didn't understand so we headed to the one described as 'bus station', were sent right across town to the 'long distance bus station' and then back to the 'express bus station' to be met by unhelpful and unfriendly staff at each. We turned backed to the cafe to ask what had happened to our 40 pounds, but as we walked in the waitress handed us the tickets. Phew!

By the end of the afternoon the bright sun started to fade and huge claps of thunder echoed around the town, though little came of the rain. We maintained our holiday vibe and passed the evening wandering around the old town and soaking up the festive atmosphere, returning satisfied with our experience of Lijiang- nothing extraordinary, no challenge but a pleasant and friendly town that is beautifully pituresque.

Gorged by Tigers

6th September 2009-Qiaotou 9pm

Three weeks had passed since we arrived in Shangri-La and had been spent well relaxing, attempting to get over our colds. It was now time for a challenge! This would come in the shape of a two day trek of theTiger Leaping Gorge which is 16km long and stands almost 4000m over the Yangste, the longest river in China.
We arrived at midday for after one of our worst bus journeys ever- not because of the dangerous road or driver, for once we were on a paved road- it was having every man and child on the bus smoking and spitting first thing in the morning. The seats that were originally white had turned a shade nicotine and grime. Our just showered clean feeling didn't last long- it's one of the few things in China that we certainly won't miss!!

After leaving our bags at Jane's Tibetan guesthouse (the place where we'll stay tomorrow night) and aftre having the worst poached egg on toast ever with a really hard boiled egg we set off. Neither of us knew what to expect on the trek- the guidebook had said it wasn't to be taken lightly and to expect a serious workout; people had died from the crumbly path and steep edges. The time it estimated varied from person to person but it was meant to be about 4.5 hours the first day and 3 the second.

You would have thought an 8 hour walk would be a breeze for us considering what we had achieved so far but today, desperately trying to feel spritely and cheerful we were still pretty rough, and there was no covering it up. I had an never ending streaming cold and Laura was an utter state complaining of feeling sick and more worryingly seeing star shapes infront of her eyes. Within the first half hours walk we had stopped more times than I could count on both hands. Now that we'd come to a plce of lower altitude the sun was really beating down on our weary bodies. I was dealing with it all quite well, focusing on the beauty of the surrounding areas, but Laura was struggling and after a few more stops I wa seriously considering suggesting we turn back.Afetr seeking the first guest house within an hours walk we decided to push on but at a snail's pace. It really didn't matter taht we had to stop every five minutes as this place was getting staggeringly piterseque. We'd moved from walking on roads to dusty paths and onto tiny rocky tracks up and around the steep edges overlooking the near vertical drop to the Yangste River below.

About three hours passed since starting and we arrived at the Naxi Faily Guesthouse for a serious top up of drink and sat in a courtyard amongst beautiful flower and friendly staff. It would ave been a superb place to stay if needed but Laura was feeling ready for more. We headed for the toughest part of the limb next- the 28 bends! It was literally just that and ws quite a work out walking on sharp loose rocks and ascending quickly and steadily for the next three hours. Every fourth turn of a bend would motivate another sit down but again, the views full of thick green hills and plants bursting from either side of the path made it a stop you neverwanted to move on from. Guides with horses passed frequently, offering an easy ride to the top, but we were not going to be defeated. I refueled with a 1 pound snickers bar (riduculous, I know!) and we darned well made it to the top of that peak!

At the top a lady offered photographic opportunities from a jagged path hanging out over the edge for 10 yuan. Rather than pay twice Laura gave me the camera and instructions to take some good shots. I slowly crept down a narrow walkway and within a few minutes had disappeared from view. The lady at the top, now gone home for the day, left Laura sat alone and starting to get in somewhat of a panic having watched me descend from view on this precarious path. Panic turned into a full blown hissy fit as I sat comfortably under a ledge a safe distance from the ledge but still out of sight, too much for Laura who demanded I return。 I am sure I would have experienced a similar moment if Laura had disappeared whilst I watched， but at the time I found her mis-placed worry quite amusing！

Eight hours later （double the time the guides had suggested！） we arrived at the gorgeous setting of the Tea Horse Guethouse right in time before the sky went black with an impressive full moon。 A huge meal and two hot chocolates later we were tucked up in a very cosy room with amazing views for another well deserved rest。

Sleep is the next topic！ Ever since I have left England I‘ve had the same recurring epic dream of us travlling in steep mountains at night surrounded by huge vertical drops。 I somehow incorporate any light from the hostek we are staying in and manage to incorporate my current surroundings into the dream。 Every time I wake up it takes me more than 10 minutes to work out where I am again。On this particular night's rest I was admantly telling Laura about a big "s" I could see in the ceiling even after she woke me to say I was dreaming, but I could still see this gigantic road ahead of me. It took me a good while to understand we were both still in bed and that I am halucinating, probably as a result of the anti-malarials we are taking. Legal drups that make me see thiongs that aren't there- scary!

The next morning we missed getting up for sunrise, but the extra sleep was welcome and there was cloud covere to start anyway. One strong coffee for me and Laura's regular carton of milk and we were off in the already mile on her face! We moved at a good pace and were more confident shuffling around the narrow cracked paths. Alongside the ever present drop we faced challenges worthy of Bear Grylls- actual waterfalls pouring from the cliff face above us across the path and to the valley below. The only way to keep going was to pick our way throughj over the slippery wet rocks encountering great blasts of wet spray. It was easily my favourite part of the day!

We only stopped around three times and reached our destination within four hours. After a good bite to eat we headed back to Jane's for a good rest. It had been a stunning two days and alongside Laura's cursing (more than I've ever heard her curse before!) and vertigo issues, it was a definate stand out journey!

Shangri-La

4th September- Shangri La

After a long slog to get here and a well deserved rest we awoke yesterday morning with the ambition to take it nice and easy. This was further underlined by the fact that we both had stinking colds (as did a number of others in the hostel it seems.) Nevertheless, of all the places we could find ourselves feeling rough, this is the most homely and welcoming, so we were pleased to be here.

After a tasty breakfast served in the cosy common room- tables laid beautifully and two large sofas around a traditioal wood burning stove, patio doors looking out to the flower filled courtyard, and more often than not the two huge, beautiful and friendly year old alsations, we slowly got ourselves ready and headed for a gentle stroll around the old town.

We were instantly struck by the sense of well-being here. On the drive in to Yunnan it seemed this was the richer provnince- dirt tracks turning to paved roads. This was the first town that wasn't piled high with rubbish and seems quiet for the size- the drivers don't seem to honk their horns nearly as much. For the first time at night, we hear nothing!

The size of the town came as quiet a shock. The guidebook, written two years ago, describes Shangri- La as a taste of Tibet that is just starting to get recognised after a clever council official renamed the sleepy village of Zhongdian after the James Hewitt novel in a bid to encourage tourism. It has certainly worked! The buildings everywhere look new and well maintained and the cost of a meal is far closer to what I would expect to pay at home (however, we have had our favourite meals here- Marco's pizza was amazing!)

As we walked through the cobbled old town (though clearly newly aid cobblestone) we looked at rows of Tibetan handicrafts and traditional items- silver and turquoise jewellery, woven cloth, Buddhist regalia, various body parts of yak and, most astonishingly to Blakey, rows of hunting weapons such as longswords and cross bows.

At 3200m high the climate here is quite pleasant and we enjoyed the gentle stroll through the bright sunlight, both feeling particulalry atrractive having showered in a clean room, put our jeans on as opposed to the most practica;l clothing we could find and even taken the time to brush our hair. I had make-up on no less!!

Aftre exploring all the old town had to offer, coming across some lovely rugs and furniture we headed for the area where the locals would shop, found an internet cafe and spent a lazy afternoon typing our previous experinces, not moving much at all.

Although an utterly lazy day. particularly in comparison to what we have achieved so far, this was far too much excitement for us in our stuffy states. We slowly ambled back to the hostel for a 45 minute nap before going out later that evening.

Despite the fact it was only 5pm, aftre a Lemsip on our lovely big bed we decided to cut our losses and just stayed put. I read all about the political journey of China whilst Blakey brushed up on his Chinese. He is getting pretty good now, despite trying to check that my dish was vegetarian with a waitress that could not understand English by saying "No chicken? No pork?" in English, but with an attempt at a Chinese accent! What a clever boy!

After an extremely long sleep we decided to go the whole hop and has an equally indulgent lie in. Still suffering , we drank our Lemsips slowly and made no effort to move quickly. When we eventually did leave our room at gone 11 it was for another breakfast cooked by the lovely lady that runs it here. We wanted to build our strength before our visit to Gandem Sumtseling Gompa, an important monastery just out of town that was built for the fifth Dalai Lama.

We took the bus as it said to do in the guide book but it stopped far sooner than we were anticipating. We got off at a new building and were shown to a ticket office. The entry fee to see the monastry had risen from 10Y to 85Y in two years! Still, we used our student cards to pay half price and went through the turnstiles to what had been described as the most religiously significant monastry in the South West.

A tour bus came to pick us up and drove us through a far more traditional looking Tibetan village- what I had expected the whole town to look like. The strange thing was that it all seemed so empty. I get the impression that everyone has moved for the more modern convenieces of the exanding town below.

We approached the huge gates to the monatsry and read the long list of rules and regulations visitors must observe- the first time we had been faced with such a sign. As we wlaked up the stairs and around the complex we had mixed emotions about the place. It was lovely to ook back down the hill nad at the surrounding mountain scenery, the bright sunlight and dramatic clouds made for some good photo opportunities, but nothing here felt genuine. Although not BUddhist the Wenshu Temple in Chengdu and mei Shan had a sense of reverence and significance which we could truly appreciate. This place felt more like a Buddhist amusement park, though there were not many visitors.

We sauntered back to town, glad to have been though starting to look forward to leaving China now. It's a fascinating culture with many paradoxes that have me contemplating the ethical significance of its recent economic growth. This town was so refreshing and homely to us because they had invested in keeping things clean. They had put money into sustainable resources- every new roof was fitted with a solar powered water heater- but this came at the prie of turning significant historical relics into cliched tuorist destinations.

We returned to our hoster- honestly worth coming to Shangri-La for alone- and started to organise our stuff ready for tomorrow's early start. We headed out for another fanatstic dinner (in yet another tourist restaurant- we had burritos in preparation for South America, delicious but somehow still Chinese style!) and then took a walk around the old town at night to see the traditional Tibetan dancing in the square. It was very similar to Line Dancing, just with Tibetan/Hip Hop music for accompanimant and everyone joinging in.

Walking back to the hostel Blakey practised his bargaining skills and knocked 2 pounds off an SD card and 18 pounds off a mask for his collection- he was fairly pleased with himself! Now we are packed and readyfor an early morning departure. Colds nealry gone, tomorrow we attempt to trel Tiger Leaping Gorge!

Unwanted Guests and the Highway to Hell!

01/09/09

It's September already! Time is starting to suddently move a lot quicker now and we're really losing track of what day it is. We were shocked to find out we'd been here for two weeks and before we know it wil be Christmas!

Anyway. back to present day. We were set to travel to Xiangcheng and from what we had heard it wasn't going to be easy. As we couldn't book a ticket we had resolved to wait at the bus station with all our bags for what could be hours. We got up and checked out early- Laura had a good rest and I was determined to check into a slightly more clean and comfortable hostel. As we crossed the street the Tibetans hanging outside the bus station once again tried to compete for our business. After explaining we just wanted to catch a bus to Xiangcheng there was an amusing push and shove of taxi drivers offering to take us there. We weren't keen to start with but knew that the bus was not certain and with Laura's altitude sickness did not want to risk disaster. The man offering to take us seemed a genuinely nice guy and told us he was taking some other foreigners too, so we decided to go with him.

After about 20 minutes of us agreeing, we were still stood by the taxi waiting, not entirely sure what was going on. Then along pops a confident nd chatty French guy called... take a guess?! Ben! Although he reminded us far more of my cousin Alex. He had spent the previous day with the taxi drievr and even spent the night at his house and eaten with the family too. Things felt a lot better when he said what a top bloke and competent driver he was!

An hour passed and we were still waiting to go. The driver only had us three and was determined to take another couple of passengers to make it worth his while. This didn't happen so he changed hismind about going, and took us to a friend of his who would take us instead. It was a bigger and swankier minibus so we didn't complain!

After a further hjour we finally set off for another speed rally around the edges of the still-so-highly-dangerous Tibetan Highway. Being in a tiny little minbus (6 seater) with just the 5 of us (we picked up another oh-so-cool Tibetan at the last moment) we were bombing around the corners compared to our sluggish long buses the previous days. The driver was seriously confident and just a tad cocky, and even though we were gripping our seats we felt like he knew what he ws doing.

About halfway thropugh the journey we stopped by a lush flowing river surrounded by great green hills full of boulders that you couldn't quite understand how they got there. It was lunchtime and two other minibuses pulled up- all the drievers seemed to be friends, and we sat in a circle for a highly amusing and memorable picnic. There ws lots of picture taking, them on their mobile phones, and when I got out my camera they all were determined to pose for me.One of them gave me his supercool hat to try on and another swapped sunglasses with Ben and was determined not to give them back. He even started offering copius amounts of money for them! Then followed ahighly confusing conversation in which they tried to give us their addresses so we could send the photos, but all the information was in Chinese characters which I painstakingly copied. This led to them asking for our addresses so they could stay with us if they came to England or France. We manged to avoid giving the information and Ben gave his parents address, just in case they do decide to emigrate!

It had been a really intersting lunch, but after the slow start our four hour trip was already starting to look like a six hour marathon. We eventually reached our destination and the minute we stepped from the bus were handed a card for a hostel just around the corner called the Bamu Tibetan Guesthouse. The journey had been entertaining but long, and we wre ready to collapse. After following the lady across a very grubby slab of concrete with a definate smell of poo in the air we arrived at the rather battered door of a not-so-promising hostel. We entered what looked like the inside of someone's garden shed- piles of wood and 'stuff', but when we went up the first flight of stairs found an ornate and elaborately decorated dorm room in a highly colurful Tibetan style. As a double room cost the same we left our new French fried and headed upstairs for a smaller but jsut as colourful room. The bed sheets didn't look like they had been cleaned for a while, and as we were the only three at the hostel that was probably the case. Such a great looking palce and no-one staying there... what was wrong with this place?....

Laura was feeling a bit defeated so she crashed out and I joined Ben to find a cold beer and an internet cafe. It seems the Chinese drink their beer warm, but aftre quite a search found some 3% pissy stuff and by this time it was damned refreshing. Some Chinese boys walked with us to an unlikely looking building, up some stairs and through corridors to a room full of computers. With our beer and a dodgy way to get on to the censored Facebook we were quite happy with these simple pleasures.

An hour flew by so we walked back to town to find some dinner and settled for a cafe with a very smiley and bouncy proprietor. She didn't understand a word of what we said, but after pointing at the food on the table full of Tibetan dudes next to us we were served a sizeable portion of Chicken and rice. The guys next to us had ordered way more than they could stomach leaving almost complete dishes, so when they got up they passed us all their untouched grub. We eat like kings for 70p!

Ben and I stumbled back, bellies full and parted ways. Laura had slept for hours since we had gone but a minute or two after I got back she was complaining of a noise coming from outside our window on the terrace. I went outside and saw nothing, but wound her up by gently tapping on the windows. When I got back in she was getting more annoyed by it but I knew it was just me winding her up. Then I listened again and began to understand. What I thought were just the noises of the bed creaked started to move around the room. She insisted it was outside but I thought it was coming from under the bed. I stood high on the bed, getting a little frantic now, and realised it was in the ceiling and behind the wood panelling that ran the length of our bed. Our room was infested with rats!! Thankfully they weren't in the room itself, but when we turnned the lights out we were both jittery but so tired we had to put up with it.

Halfway through the night I sprang awake from a horrific nightmare, imagining rats running everywhere. By this time they were twice as loud and actually squeaking. My panic woke Laura up, who wasn't best pleased as getting back to sleep in that environment was not easy. We huddled under our sheets as tight as we could so as not to let one run up our naked bodies. Eventually, I don't know how, we got some more sleep and woke up at 5am to the scampering once more. We needed to get the bus station for 6am to get tickets for our next destiantion that day to Shangri-La.

At the bus station we were told it was about 8 pounds each so we went back to see what the taxi drivers would charge in which turned out to be twice the money. Literally a few minutes later the ticket office shut after only being open for ten minutes! We then thought we'd hang around a bit to see if different drivers might give us a better deal. There was now five of us including two more French guys named Gayle and Anton who both seemed like top blokes.

Come two and a half hours later we were still sat on the side of the road with the sun now fully up and shining bright upon our rather zombie looking tired bodies. Whilst still trying to get a cheap taxi a gut on a bike speeded through town and drove straight into a baby pig infront of us who was walking up the road with its mother. He carried on while the piglet squeeled some truly horrific noises and kicked in agony for about a minute before collapsing dead in the middle of the road.

A bus finally showed up hours later and we ran to make sure we'd get on it as there was quite a crowd gathering now. Unfortunetely for us they had tickets and when we got on board we found there was no room to take us so off we got to sit back down to discuss the next plan. Having no other choice apart from staying another night to hopefully get a bus the following day or fork out for the taxi deal. We chose the latter which was bloody annoying as we could have done that first thing that morning and would have been more than halfway to Shangri-La by now!

Could the day get any more disastrous? Up steps our happy and non stop smiling taxi man who agrees to take us. This was to prove one of our hardest challenges yet. He first took us a few minutes in the wrong direction to top up on fuel and then decided to have someone check his engine for oil, water and whatever else fr a good half hour- fair enough. We left the garage and literally two minutes later he stops again but this time in the mioddle of the road and then hands his keys over to a guy on a motorbike. He looks at us and laughs and procedes to rub his face to which we have no idea what he's doing. The Police then show up and ask to why he was stopped in the middle of traffic to which he mutters something in Chinese and the officer just leaves. Aaaages later the biker returns with a tub containing a toothbrush and flannel. Things start to make sense finally!

We set of again and then within five minutes he blooming well stops again at a random house, stays for a darn long time and comes out with a a bag full of red bull and snacks to which he offers us some. At this point we're getting infuriated and decline quite snapply. We's been awake for since six and it was now reaching midday so we just wanted to get the hell on!

About two hours had past since we first got in the taxi and now we were making tracks, but about an hour later came our biggest nightmare yet- the driver kept almost falling asleep at the wheel!!!! The roads were in the wrost conditions yet and the slope just as steep and we were watching this guy in the rear view mirror closing his eyes for far too long to be comfortable. We demanded he drank his red bull, and after the third time that his head started to droop he even stopped the car and asked Ben to drive! We thought this was an outrageous idea- it was an old and difficult car on hurrendous roads. Our still smiling driver got back in, but rather than taking a break just started to keep himself occupied by eating snacks with one hand and driving with the other. Things were going form ridiculous to bloody insane! Laure even started to curse the guy, clenching her fists on numerous occasions and saying that if her Dad Phil were here then this driver would be flatteb\ned out cold. Ohh Phil, how I would have loved you there!


So things were unbearable and then we step it up a gear. The guy chose a ridiculous path through one of the sodden tracks of road and got the car stuck in the mud halfway up a mountain in the middle of nowhere. It wouldn't move for anything and the engine started to smoke. and thankfully the two trucks that we had precariously overtaken previously caught up and tried to help. After snapping a rope it took all of us heaving the car and physically lifting it out of the ditch sideways to get back on the road.

Happy to move on we once again came seconds from death when we eventually got on to paved roads, and whizzing around a corner missed a truck full of rocks by millimetres, like something from 'The Italian Job'. I hate to tell you all this, but we have to tell you everything!! Seconds later he looked at our petrified faces and laughed his little innocent chuckle. God damn did we want to smack him!

After six hours of driving and constant adrenaline we final saw the sign for Shangri La. We all cheered for still being alive and were about to show him the hostel we were aiming for when right at the top end of town the car back tyre burst!! I swear I could have cried if we weren't all laughing so much! We took our bags from the now useless vehicle and took a far safer taxi to the other end of town after saying goodbye to Ben, who was heading for the Gorge.

Laura, the French guys and I arrived at Kevin's Backpackers Inn which the Lonely Planet had recommended and were not disappointed. The place is perfect and the staff extremely friendly. Best of all are the two huge German Sheppards who we both fell in love with and wonder if Stella will be as big as when we get home! We went into town for some well deserved food and splashed out at a brilliant restaurant run by an Italian bloke serving tasty pizza. Marco, the owner, came and had a good chat with us before we left for the most fantastic shower and to bed in beautiful clean sheets. What a day!!