At 9am, I walked out of the air conditioned hotel into the heat of the Cambodian morning, temps already edging to the 30s and climbing as I walked to the car where my guide and driver were waiting. First stop : Angkor Thom. We drove right past Angkor Wat on the way, just seeing the wide, wide moat for the first time was spine tingling then the famous skyline of Angkor Wat came into view briefly before we swept past and through the South Gate of Angkor Thom. Along a tree lined avenue, I could see elephants carrying tourists, dogs running [View Full Entry]

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The aircraft swooped low over Siem Reap, twinkling lights visible in the darkness of night, car lights moving along various roads and tracks, garish lights flickering from various motels lining Airport Road, even party lights shone up from some sort of pool party being held below. We had had a surprisingly short journey, lifting off the runway at Hanoi bang on time (oh the joys of an efficient airport! LHR - take note!) and made good time through the sky, flying over Siem Reap a good half hour earlier than expected, the plane circled the town three times - god only [View Full Entry]

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In Hanoi, the Sofitel Hotel lays claim to having the best view of town from their Summit Lounge right up on the 20th floor. I had to go and investigate. Naturally my investiagtion meant sampling some of the excellent drinks on offer! The views are surperb. Floor to ceiling, clear, spotless glass offer unimpeded views over Hanoi from the Red River on one side to Tay Ho on another, Truc Bach Lake (where John McCain was shot down into) and the last view towards Long Bien Bridge spanning the red river. I thoroughly enjoyed a cocktail and glasses of white wine [View Full Entry]

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Today, I thought I'd follow the Arizona Senator, John McCain's footsteps from when he was a POW in Hanoi during the Vietnam/American War here. He was shot down above Truc Bach Lake, conveniently close to Tay Ho where I live. During the War, Truc Bach Lake and Tay Ho were surrounded by anti-aircraft weaponry and many American airmen were shot down over those lakes. John McCain survived the somewhat rough landing albeit with injuries. He was taken to Hoa Lo Prison, aka the Hanoi "Hilton" just down the road from Hoan Kiem Lake, central Hanoi. This was not a new prison [View Full Entry]

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70 kilometres outside Hanoi in Ha Tay Province is a complex of Temples and Pagodas, collectively called the Perfume Pagoda. I booked a trip to explore the Pagodas. At the appointed time, a luxury car pulled up and I climbed inside for the two-hour journey. Very comfortable! The scenery as you leave Hanoi is lovely with rice fields galore, small villages and various Pagodas, Temples and other shrines dotted around the landscape. The approach to Ben Duc (the nearest town to the Pagodas) goes through mainly flat terrain but as you drive closer, stunning, sharp-pointed hills appear, a vivid contra [View Full Entry]

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Ho Chi Minh is revered here. So much so that when he died, his wishes of cremation and ashes to be placed inside 3 urns at specific points within Vietnam were firmly ignored in favour of preservation & placing inside a Mausoleum so all could pay their respects to Ba Ho (Uncle Ho). Visiting him is something of a surreal experience. Firstly, opening hours at the Mausoleum are strictly limited to 0800 - 1100 daily except Monday and Friday. While the Mausoleum is open, one can not wander around Ho Chi Minh Square as normal - so many green-uniformed men patrol [View Full Entry]

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One evening after work, I went for a walk round Hoan Kiem Lake, which roughly translates as Lake of the Returned (or Restored) Sword. There seems to be a few versions of the story, but the basic premise is that a King, Le Loi, who ruled Vietnam some 600 years ago, obtained a magic sword from either the Lady of the Lake or The Golden Turtle of the Lake (depending on which version you hear), which used to be called Luc Thuy (Green Water) Lake. Le Loi then used the magic sword to defeat the Chinese. Ten years of fighting for [View Full Entry]

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Well, the bags are packed, my passport has a brand new visa for Vietnam in it and my PSP is being charged up in preparation for the long haul flight tomorrow. Guess this really is it. A manic few weeks' preparations has finished now. All I want now is a hot, soaky bath, some good old English Beer (I have a nice Speckled Hen in the fridge) and a last visit to an excellent English pub! Tonight that is exactly where I shall be, enjoying my last pint or two of "proper" beer for 3 months. Oh, the deprivations one endures [View Full Entry]

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After a night agonising over the time - Chile move to Daylight Saving Time on 13 October at midnight. My travel-addled brain had worried over whether it was safe to add an hour to the alarm clock before midnight, so I didn´t really sleep very well with images of clocks running through my brain! The flight was uneventful if uncomfortable for my ears. I have no idea why or if the cabin pressure was different for some reason. At least I could see I wasn´t the only one suffering as I watched fellow passengers pop their ears and or rub their [View Full Entry]

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Sob! My last day on Easter Island and the plane was due to depart at 1310. I jumped out of bed for possibly the first time since I was a child and raced about, packing up. Packed up, I took the jeep for a last drive round Hanga Roa, just taking photos. I had time to visit the Museum for some more culture and background on the sites I had visited over the past few days. Went back to Tahai for a last look-round the place before moving down to the Harbour and its´single Moai. As promised, I filled the jeep´s [View Full Entry]

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