"Please do not ride in tuk-tuk," said the taxi driver who picked us up at Bangkok International Airport. "Over sixty accidents every day involving tuk-tuk. You must take taxi, much safer." We were heading into the city centre, driving along a modern highway. In the distance, the lights of downtown Bangkok shimmered in the humid night sky. Both Angela and I were dog-tired after such a long flight. Even the brief stopover in Dubai had done nothing to recharge our batteries. Our hotel was on Silom Road, a busy thoroughfare consisting of upmarket hotels and financial headquarters; it was also close to the notorious Patpong red light district and night market. Despite our fatigue, we decided to have a wander. Almost as soon as we stepped outside the hotel, I could feel droplets of moisture ... read more

www.theredquest.com url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Balkan-Odyssey-Travels-Yugoslavia-oh-ebook/dp/B00DQ6V324/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372689617&sr=1-2&keywords=the+balkan+odysseyThe Balkan Odyssey Getting to the Albania border was as straightforward as the man in the bus station had said it would be. Ulcinj turned out to be another deliciously pretty coastal town, but all Michael and I saw of it was a cafe in the bus station. With a goal of reaching Tirana before nightfall, we decided to get straight on with the journey. After a quick cup of coffee, we jumped in a taxi to take us the short distance to the border. Once stamped into the poorest nation of the Balkans, we considered our options. There were a few minivans waiting nearby, as well as three taxis. "How much to Tirana?" I asked the first taxi driver. "Two hundred euro,"... read more

As we wandered along the jungle trail passing exotic fruit trees and herbal leaves, we heard the strange sound. It was like a man straining to do hefty work, only not a normal man, a monster man. “Uggghhhhh!” the thing groaned before becoming silent for a few seconds. Angela I stopped and looked at each other, wondering what it could be. “Uggghhhhh!” it went again, a reverberating sound straight from hell. It was louder this time. We moved onwards, careful in case the beast heard us. “What is it..?” I whispered as we passed underneath a bread fruit tree. It was a wonder the massive fruit weren’t shaking from all the noise. “And where’s it coming from? It sounds like a dragon giving birth.” We were in a large herbal garden ... read more

Osh Bazaar is Bishkek’s largest market place. It is a hive of activity with endless arrays of fruit and vegetables, clothes and mops, and everything else the people of Bishkek could possibly want. It also had a contingent of policemen, two of whom were watching me, though I didn’t know it at the time. Suddenly I spotted what I was looking for - a stand peddling kumis,fermented mare’s milk. Even though I’d tried the hideous stuff in Almaty, I was eager to give it a second chance. Perhaps the Kazakh kumis I’d drank had been from a bad batch. Peering into the large urn, I mimed to the lady in charge that I’d like a cup of Kyrgyzstan’s national drink. After the usual confusion, she produced a bowl and ladled the white liquid in ... read more

Kefalonia was nothing like its island neighbour of Zante (or Chavos as I liked to call it.) The latter was where the youth of Britain woke up at midday, then after enjoying a Full English with HP Sauce, they would clamber aboard the banana boats. Next, after attaining their much-sought after All-Over-Red-Body-Tan, they would spend the evening drinking copious amounts of Mythos before being either arrested or finding a cocktail bar to vomit in. Thankfully though, Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands, was a bit more cultured than all that. To be honest, Angela and I never thought we’d do a package holiday again. Everything about them made us shudder, starting with the plane load of British holidaymakers, all eager and excited, armed with sun cream and sun hats. Then to the hell on earth ... read more