So Lelde and I have just got back from spending two weeks at her grandparents' farm, deep in the Latvian countryside. 32 per cent of Latvians live in rural areas#. I think that Latvians have strong and thriving traditions related to the land. Whilst there, we went mushroom picking, which Lelde's mum describes as nearly being a national sport in Latvia- you can often see people coming from the forest with a basket full of senes(mushrooms) after an early morning hunt. It makes me think how in Britain most people wouldn't know what they were looking at when it comes to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Steven// Here are some pictures from the harbour festival in Bristol ( 2nd and 3rd Aug). I (Steven) am staying for a short stop in the UK. It's a stop of 6 weeks here before heading back to Latvia. I have felt over the past year and a bit that I was fleeing my native country in order to taste more exotic experiences. Many times on my travels I looked at Britain as dreary, having removed myself to the other side of the world and comparing life at home with all the new exploits that were in store there. When I [View Full Entry]

---

---

08/06/2008 Lelde/ I think this is our last entry. We may find time for one more if there is cheap internet in the airports where we will spend many hours of our live's in the very near future, but maybe not, as we don't get any responses from you anyways, probably you don't even bother to read it anymore..:)) Have some shame people - we are exposing our existances to you on a regular basis, but I hardly have any idea of what is going on in your own lives. And I WANT to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( to friends and family:) Ok, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Steven// 11th May 2008 I have been traveling solo for a few days in Northern Sumatra. First stop was Medan, a coastal city of 2-3m people. There is a beautiful mosque here- Masjid Raya- as well as a healthy Chinese presence- good chance to air my Mandarin and get some tasty treats.This first night in Indonesia for me felt edgy, it might just be that I am traveling alone for the first time in the journey, but I think that it has to do with what I have heard and read of this huge country. This is just a first impression, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Lelde/07/05/08 here I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in Kuala Lumupr - the capital of Malaysia. we've been in this country since 24th of April. We went to to a few lovely places before arriving here. One of those places was an island, can't remember the name of it. The way we got there was rather scary and I think i wont take speed boats ever in my life (if I can help it), the weather was moody that day and we arrived at the port quite late and our only option, if we didn't want to stay overnight in the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Loas has been really relaxing- it's just impossible to become frustrated with the constant delays there, as life around you moves at such a lazy pace. I did'nt know what to expect from Loas. It turned out to be a breath of fresh air, as the tourism infrastructure there is much less evolved than it's neighbouring Thailand, so things feel more authentic. This doesn't mean that, like in Vietnam, the locals don't know what it is that Western travellers want, just that travel takes longer and a very real feeling of isolation can be found in this gem of a place- [View Full Entry]

---

---

16/04/2008; Lelde Shorit ieradamies atpakalj Bangkoka- neliels pargurums, jo vienigas biljetes, ko varejam dabut bija sedvietas, un tad nu ka macejam ta 12 stundas pavadijam pusguljus pusnomoda ieksh ta vilciena. Kopsh pedejas sadaljas esam paguvushi aizdoties uz nelielu miestinju Taizemes Ziemeljos, sauktu Pai, visnotalj relakseta un skaista vieta, bet, protams, turistu sabliveta. Pavadijam tur laiskas 4 naktis un tad no viena autobusa uz otru (kopuma nomainijam 3 autobusus) lidz vakara nonacam pilsetele pie Taizemes Laosas robezhas - ljoti laicigi, jo nakamaja diena Stivena vizai beidzas [View Full Entry]

---

---

lelde/25/03/08 nu tad ta, ka jau nu visukartejo reizi ir nacies secinat - laiks nak un paiet un var tik brinieties kur izchabejis atkal... Mans miljais mumitis ar savu shaiku no Latvijas bija ieradies mus apciemot un uz Taizemi paskatities un, rau, jau atkal ir atpakalj majas un soloshajas sniega kupenas var sildities ar atminjam par piedzivoto, par dzidro-zilo udeni, baltajam smiltim un karsto sauliti.:) Bet nu vispar jau bija baigi jauki, iztusejam pa dazhadam pludmalem un salam, izpeldejamies cik uziet, saule nedaudz pacepinajamies (varbut bishkjinj pa daudz:)) un taizemieshu edienus/gard [View Full Entry]

---

---

Steven/ So We spent a few days on Phu Quoc island( the pictures speak for themselves- it's a paradise on Earth!), off Vietnam's southern coast, then hopped into Cambodia. After crossing the border, there was a marked change in the local's behaviour and general demeanor. Trying not to generalise here, but we found people in Vietnam to be a bit shifty- prices needed to be nailed down or the person would invent all sorts of sums and try to play different tricks, eh, tiring after three weeks!( an egsample of this is that we were asking a Western couple for directions [View Full Entry]

---

---

Lelde /11/02/08/ esam jau tikushi lidz Saigonai (tagadejais nosdaukums Hoichamin city), iedaramies vakar velu. Viss shis celjojums pa Vjetnamu mani ir izsaucis daudzejadas ne vienmer (parsvara ne..) pozitivas izjutas... Cilveki ir ljoti naudorienteti un centisies no Tevis izdabut cik vien iespejams... Principa visi celjotaj tiek sava zinja diskrimineti sheit - mes netiekam uztverti ka cilveki, individi, bet ka slaucamas govis:) Un turistu sheit ir daudz un visi dara vienu un to pashu - celjo pa vieniem un tiem pashiem marshrutiem, dodas vienas un tajas pashas tures, ed turistu vajadzibam izve [View Full Entry]

---

---